Picture this: a snowy afternoon back in 1958. Annette Funicello, Tommy Cole, and a few other Mouseketeers from The Mickey Mouse Club were on an East Coast bus tour. They had a brilliant idea — they wanted to watch the new Annette series premiere with a regular family. Tommy, speaking exclusively to Closer Weekly, reminisces about this heartwarming moment. "We were all excited about the new sitcom where Annette played a rural girl moving in with her rich relatives. We decided to find a family and watch it with them," he says.
A Surprise Visit That Made Hearts Melt
So, their bus driver spotted a house with bikes on the porch — a clear sign of kids living there. He knocked on the door and said, "I have some of the original Mouseketeers on my bus — can we come in and watch Annette with you?" The family was absolutely thrilled. By the third season of The Mickey Mouse Club, Annette had become the most adored girl in America. She was someone everyone wanted to be like, according to Tommy.
The Mickey Mouse Club cast.
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A Tribute to a Beloved Friend
Tommy, now 76, paid tribute to his dear friend Annette at The Hollywood Museum’s Annette: America’s Girl Next Door exhibit in LA on Feb. 22. He fondly remembers how all the Mouseketeers were chosen because they were the "kids next door." Annette’s squeaky-clean image wasn’t fabricated — it was who she truly was. Even as her health began to decline due to multiple sclerosis (MS), Annette retained her sunny sweetness. Tommy, who frequently danced with her on the show, says, "She was a genuinely nice person."
Life After the Show
After The Mickey Mouse Club ended in 1959, the close-knit cast stayed in touch. Paul Petersen, 72, recalls, "We all got married, had kids, and stayed connected." Annette’s genuineness was evident wherever she was — whether at the Little League field or the Academy Awards. Keith Coogan, who appeared with Annette in the sitcom Growing Pains in 1986, says, "She was a consummate professional but had a little spunk to her. I wasn’t expecting that!"
