Leif Garrett on AllMovie

Leif Garrett began his career as a child actor, appearing in the first two Walking Tall movies as Buford Pusser's son, Mike, when he was just 12 years old. He made his television debut on the family show Three for the Road in 1975, and soon took up a recurring role on the series Family. Garrett signed a recording contract in 1976 and began performing as a pop star, instantly becoming a teen heartthrob, gracing the covers of magazines like Tiger Beat. He continued to act, however, appearing most notably in movies like Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film The Outsiders. In his personal life, Garrett has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, leading to a 1979 car crash in which his best friend, Roland Winkler, was partially paralyzed.