# Angela Cartwright
**Angela Cartwright** (born 1952) is an English-born American actress, photographer, and mixed-media artist best known as a child performer for playing Brigitta von Trapp in the film *The Sound of Music* (1965) and Penny Robinson in the television series *Lost in Space* (1965 to 1968).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/angela-cartwright/) • [2](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Angela-Cartwright/) Since leaving regular acting work she has built a second career as an author, painter, and designer under her brand Angela Cartwright Studio.[3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952, Altrincham, Cheshire, England; younger sister of actress Veronica Cartwright[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0142145/bio/) |
| Breakthrough role | Linda Williams, Danny Thomas's on-screen stepdaughter, on *The Danny Thomas Show* from 1957 to 1964[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0142145/bio/) |
| Film role | Brigitta von Trapp in *The Sound of Music* (1965); she did her own singing in the film[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/angela-cartwright/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0142145/) |
| Television role | Penny Robinson in *Lost in Space*, all three seasons from 1965 to 1968[2](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Angela-Cartwright/) |
| Later franchise work | Cameo in the 1998 *Lost in Space* film and as Sheila Harris in season 2 of Netflix's 2018 reimagining[2](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Angela-Cartwright/) • [3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts) |
| Books | *Styling the Stars* (2016, with Tom McLaren), *Lost (and Found) in Space* (2015) and its expanded edition (2018) with Bill Mumy, the novel *On Purpose* (2017), and *The Sound of Music Family Scrapbook*, updated 2020[3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts) |
| Personal life | Married Steve Gullion on May 22, 1976; two children, Becca and Jesse[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0142145/) • [3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts) |
## Early life and child acting
Cartwright was born in [Altrincham](https://www.edgepedia.org/altrincham), Cheshire, England, and moved to Los Angeles as a child with her family, which included her older sister Veronica, also an actress.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0142145/bio/) • [6](https://www.veronica-cartwright.com/biography) She began acting at age three, making an uncredited film debut in *Somebody Up There Likes Me* (1956) as [Paul Newman](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-newman)'s character's daughter.[3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/angela-cartwright/) Her own studio biography lists the film among her credits with the role of Audrey.[3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts)
At about age four or five she was cast as Linda Williams, Danny Thomas's stepdaughter, on *Make Room for Daddy*, later retitled *The Danny Thomas Show*. She remained with the series until it ended in 1964, appearing for seven seasons.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/angela-cartwright/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0142145/bio/) During this period she also appeared in *Something of Value* (1956) and *Lad: A Dog* (1962), and on anthology and variety programs including *The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour* and *The Ed Sullivan Show*.[3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts)
## The Sound of Music and Lost in Space
In 1965 Cartwright played Brigitta von Trapp, one of the seven von Trapp children, in the film *The Sound of Music* opposite [Julie Andrews](https://www.edgepedia.org/julie-andrews) and [Christopher Plummer](https://www.edgepedia.org/christopher-plummer).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/angela-cartwright/) According to her IMDb trivia entry, she did her own singing in the film.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0142145/) That same year she began playing Penny Robinson, the pre-teen middle child of Professor John Robinson and his wife Maureen, in [Irwin Allen](https://www.edgepedia.org/irwin-allen)'s science fiction series *Lost in Space*, a role she held through the show's three-season run from 1965 to 1968.[2](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Angela-Cartwright/) Her co-stars included June Lockhart as her on-screen mother and Bill Mumy as her on-screen brother Will; after Lockhart's death, Cartwright publicly remembered her as "smart, quick, and funny."[7](https://apnews.com/article/d994f1fa075f4a6e204e6cee0f74ed07)
Her subsequent screen work was occasional rather than series-regular: guest parts on shows including *Room 222*, *Medical Center*, *Logan's Run*, *Adam-12*, *Airwolf*, and *The Love Boat*, the television films *Scout's Honor* (1980) and *High School U.S.A.* (1983), and the role of Teresa in *Beyond the Poseidon Adventure* (1979), directed by *Lost in Space* producer Irwin Allen.[3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts) • [2](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Angela-Cartwright/) She reprised Linda Williams in the 1970 sequel sitcom *Make Room for Granddaddy*, which was soon canceled.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0142145/bio/) She returned to the *Lost in Space* franchise twice, with a cameo as a reporter in the 1998 feature film and as Sheila Harris, Dr. Smith's mother, in season 2 of Netflix's 2018 reimagining.[2](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Angela-Cartwright/) • [3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts)
## Photography and mixed-media art
Cartwright describes photography as a passion since age 15, and after raising her family she turned it into a working art practice centered on hand-painted photography and altered-photography techniques.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0142145/) • [3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts) Her book *Mixed Emulsions: Altered Art Techniques for Photographic Imagery* presents more than 25 effects for manipulating photographs with paints, inks, embossing powders, wax, and other art materials rather than electronically.[8](https://acartwrightstudio.com/publications.htm) With artist Sarah Fishburn she co-authored *In This House* (2007) and *In This Garden*, the latter a collaborative project on the garden as a metaphor featuring the work of 12 artists.[3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts) • [8](https://acartwrightstudio.com/publications.htm)
Through Angela Cartwright Studio she sells original mixed-media paintings and hand-painted photographic works, an art.wear clothing line, and jewelry.[3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts) • [9](https://angelacartwrightstudio.indiemade.com/catalog/original-art) Her licensing partners have included Stampington & Company for rubber stamps and artist papers, Stencil Girl Products for a stencil line, and Rockport/Quarry publishing for her art books.[10](https://acartwrightstudio.com/licensing.htm) With Debbie Turner, who played Marta in *The Sound of Music*, she co-produced the art magazine *Pasticcio Quartz*, which ran for 15 issues, and the two now host the Pasticcio-Said & Done podcast.[3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts) • [11](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/blog)
## Books about her screen career
Several of her books draw directly on her acting history. *Styling the Stars: Lost Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Archives* (2016), written with Tom McLaren, grew from exclusive access to the 20th Century Fox archives and presents behind-the-scenes continuity photographs from Hollywood's studio era.[3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts) *Lost (and Found) in Space* (2015) and its expanded edition *Lost (and Found) in Space 2: Blast Off Into the Expanded Edition* (2018) are photographic memoirs compiled with [Bill Mumy](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-mumy), her co-star from *Lost in Space*.[3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts) • [12](https://www.acartwrightstudio.com/studionews.htm) *The Sound of Music Family Scrapbook*, issued in three editions and updated in 2020, collects personal stories, photographs, and memorabilia from the film.[3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts) With Mumy she also wrote the fantasy novel *On Purpose* (2017), which includes 27 of her illustrations and an original soundtrack by Mumy.[3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts)
## Tours and fan work
Cartwright leads curated tours to Salzburg, Austria, with the travel company CRAFTOURS, visiting filming locations of *The Sound of Music*; a 60th-anniversary tour ran in October 2025 and another was scheduled for October 2026.[3](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts) • [11](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/blog) She also appears at fan conventions; upcoming and past listings include Retro Con 2026 near Philadelphia and the Hollywood Show in Los Angeles.[13](https://www.rostercon.com/en/people/angela-cartwright-en/events/44218)
## References
1. [Angela Cartwright – Actress, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/angela-cartwright/)
2. [Angela Cartwright (Actor) – Broadway & Theatre Credits, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Angela-Cartwright/)
3. [Backstage – Biography, Filmography, Contacts, Angela Cartwright Studio](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/backstage-biography-filmography-contacts)
4. [Angela Cartwright – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0142145/bio/)
5. [Angela Cartwright – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0142145/)
6. [Biography, Veronica Cartwright official site](https://www.veronica-cartwright.com/biography)
7. [June Lockhart, beloved mother figure from 'Lassie' and 'Lost In Space,' dies at 100, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/d994f1fa075f4a6e204e6cee0f74ed07)
8. [ACartwrightStudio.com – Publications](https://acartwrightstudio.com/publications.htm)
9. [Original Art, Angela Cartwright Studio](https://angelacartwrightstudio.indiemade.com/catalog/original-art)
10. [Licensing, ACartwrightStudio.com](https://acartwrightstudio.com/licensing.htm)
11. [Blog, Angela Cartwright Studio](https://www.angelacartwrightstudio.com/blog)
12. [Studio News, ACartwrightStudio.com](https://www.acartwrightstudio.com/studionews.htm)
13. [All events with Angela Cartwright, Roster Con](https://www.rostercon.com/en/people/angela-cartwright-en/events/44218)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 1940s to 1960s › Surnames A to E*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license