She is a former child star who began her career playing the bright and precocious tot who got into all sorts of mischief on a classic 1980s sitcom.
The sitcom was known for crossing into serious territory by delving into emotional and ‘very special episode’ storylines.
When viewers were first introduced, her character had been abandoned by her mother in a shopping center, only to find a home with a retired photographer where she won over everyone with her plucky spirit and colorful outfits.
Her character was a hit with children, so much that after the network canceled the show after two years, it was picked up on the syndication market for an additional two years.
She recently stepped out with two of her four children on Wednesday for an al fresco meal in sunny Los Angeles the day before her 50th birthday.
Can you guess who she is?
She is a former child star who began her career playing the bright and precocious tot who got into all sorts of mischief on a classic 1980s sitcom
The actress-director-writer recently stepped out with two of her four children on Wednesday for a celebratory al fresco meal in Los Angeles – one day before her 50th birthday
If you guessed Soleil Moon Frye, you are 100 percent correct!
Frye was the little girl with the indomitable spirit in Punky Brewster, and she continues to make appearances at fan events and pop culture conventions, signing autographs and celebrating her role as Penelope ‘Punky’ Brewster.
She has since grown up from her side ponytails and mismatched clothes, but fans might notice the same bright smile and expressive features.
During her recent outing, Frye stayed cool during the summer heatwave by wearing her long brunette tresses piled on top of her head.
She wore a sleeveless white top, black cargo trousers and black sneakers as she strolled down the sidewalk with daughters Poet Sienna Rose, 20, and Jagger Joseph Blue, 18.
The trio dined at Mercedes restaurant where Frye appeared to get exceptionally happy when a woman carrying a baby passed by. Frye was spotted making funny faces at the babe in arms.
Besides her daughters, Frye also has two sons, Lyric Sonny Roads, 12, and Story Indigo Moon, 10, with her ex-husband, Jason Goldberg, who she divorced in 2020 after 22 years of marriage.
Playing a foster child in Punky Brewster must have made an impression on Frye, who used to say she ‘wanted 100 kids.’
If you guessed Soleil Moon Frye, you are 100 percent correct! Frye was the little girl with the indomitable spirit in Punky Brewster
Her character was a hit with children, so much that after the network canceled the show after two years, it was picked up on the syndication market for an additional two years
Frye played Roxie King in the last few seasons of Sabrina, The Teenage Witch with friend and series producer Melissa Joan Hart from 2000 to 2003
The star stayed cool during the summer heatwave by wearing her long brunette tresses piled on top of her head along with a sleeveless white top and black cargo trousers
‘When I was a little girl, I used to tell my mom I wanted 100 kids,’ she told People shortly before the birth of her fourth child.
‘Then as an adult, I thought that our family was so big with three. Then we have this amazing, incredible surprise with four, and I’m just so thrilled and excited and literally cannot believe it.’
After the original Punky Brewster series ended, Frye appeared in guest spots on television including The Wonder Years, Saved By the Bell, and Friends.
Frye played Roxie King in the last few seasons of Sabrina, The Teenage Witch with friend and series producer Melissa Joan Hart from 2000 to 2003. Coincidentally, Hart had also auditioned for the Punky Brewster part, but lost out to Frye.
In 2005, Frye voiced Jade, a Bratz character, in Bratz Rocks Angelz. She continued to voice the character for the TV series and the subsequent video games and movies.
In 2021, she starred in the Punky Brewster reboot but it was canceled after one season. The 10 episodes are streaming on Peacock alongside the original series.
Frye’s interest in directing began to evolve in the late 1990s, and in 1996 she moved to New York City to attend The New School. Two years later, she directed her first film, Wild Horses.
In 2004, she directed the documentary Sonny Boy about a two-week trip she took with her father, Virgil, who had Alzheimer’s disease.
She has since grown up from her side ponytails and mismatched clothes, but fans might notice the same bright smile and expressive features; pictured admiring a baby
Frye was accompanied by daughters Jagger Joseph Blue, 18, left, and Poet Sienna Rose, 20, right, during her lunch outing
A few years on, Frye directed another documentary, Kid 90, using archive footage she had shot in the 1990s. Leonardo DiCaprio served as executive producer on the film, which was released in March 2021 by Hulu.
Frye also famously underwent a breast reduction surgery at 16, after years of suffering physical pain and cruel taunts from peers as a young teenager, per People.
These days, she is continuing her work as a documentary director, voice actress and child advocate. She is partnered with the Kids Mental Health Foundation to spread children’s mental health awareness.
As for Punky Brewster, Frye previously said she doesn’t know where Punky ends and she begins. The character was such a massive part of her and a deep inspiration.
‘Punky has always been such a huge part of my heart. I don’t know where she ends and I begin because we’re the same in so many ways,’ she told TVLine in 2021, adding: ‘I’m that person that, literally, if I’m 88 years old and people are still calling me Punky, I’m down. I love her so much. And I am just so grateful.’
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