Bridgette Andersen Is The Star Of Savannah Smiles

Bridgette Andersen was an American child actress, best known for her part in the title role of the 1982 comedy Savannah Smiles.Born Marriah Bridget Andersen in Inglewood, California to Frank Glass and Teresa Andersen, Bridgette Andersen (as she was known professionally) was raised in Malibu, California, and from an early age, she showed exceptional intelligence. By age two, she decided she wanted to be an actress and eventually began a career as a child model before breaking into acting at age seven in the 1982 tv movie, Washington Mistress. Later that year, Andersen appeared in her most memorable role as the title character in Savannah Smiles, followed by roles in Family Ties, Remington Steele, and as a young Mae West in the tv biopic of the actress' life.

Throughout the mid-1980s, Andersen continued to appear in episodic television, tv movies and features films, including: A Summer to Remember in 1985, Hotel, Fever Pitch with Ryan O'Neal, The Golden Girls, and The Parent Trap II with Hayley Mills.By 1987, Andersen's roles were infrequent and she only appeared in two roles; an episode of CBS Summer Playhouse and an independent film entitled Too Much.Her last substantial role in a television series was in an episode of Beverly Hills 90210 in 1993.Andersen's last role was a small part in a Pepsi commercial that aired during Super Bowl XXX on January 28, 1996.

Savannah Smiles is a 1982 comedy film starring Bridgette Andersen, Donovan Scott, Mark Miller, Peter Graves and Barbara Stanger. The plot centers around a seven-year-old girl named Savannah, whose father is running for the United States Senate.Andersen was reportedly not close to her family and had little contact with them. During her teen years, she struggled with an addiction to heroin, and at the time of her death, was attempting to stay clean while working at Erewhon Health Food Store in Los Angeles, California.On May 18, 1997, Bridgette Andersen died of an accidental overdose of alcohol and drugs. She was 21 years old. On May 25, 1997.