Beverley Mitchell Says It’s Hard to Move on from Child Stardom: 'It’s Difficult to Change How People See You'
Playing the role of Lucy Camden on the beloved 7th Heaven has stuck with Beverley Mitchell throughout her career.
“7th Heaven was on for 11 years,” Mitchell, who is currently starring alongside fellow 90s child stars Jodie Sweetin and Christine Lakin in Pop TV’s Hollywood Darlings, exclusively tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.
“We were on for a really long time. I was on every single episode; I never missed one,” she says. “Obviously, I’m iconically going to be Lucy Camden and it’s very difficult in the business to change people’s minds, because they see you in one way and they love you and adore you and you’re great, but they don’t want to see you in something else.”
Adding, “I think if anything more, I’m up for the challenge to prove that there are other things that I can do. But in the real life standpoint, I love it. Because I’ve been able to grow up with so many of these people and I’m so much a part of their lives and to hear them talk about watching the show with their grandma and having conversations, that’s really something special and I feel like that’s a gift and I’m ever so grateful for it. So yeah, I’m Lucy.”
The 37-year-old, who landed the 7th Heaven role when she was just 15 years old, starred alongside Jessica Biel, Catherine Hicks, and Stephen Collins - who, in 2014, confessed to sexually abusing underage girls.
After eleven seasons, a marriage to husband Michael Cameron, and two children (Kenzie, 4, and son, Hutton, 2), Mitchell says a 7th Heaven reunion is not completely off the table.
“I think the fans are still there and there is still a desire for that type of family show,” she says. “I think we were unique in that time period for what we stood for as a family drama slash comedy. People loved it. I think there is not a lot of that type of show with the background, slightly religious. We didn’t try to harp on it too much but it was there with some kind of faith. It’s very interesting. I think it’s a possibility. I have talked to Brenda Hampton about it. She’s had interest. I think we could get the band back tougher!”
From Coinage: See Where 6 Stars Were Before They Were Famous
For now, Mitchell is focused on being a mom and enjoying her work on Hollywood Darlings.
“We put ourselves in some crazy situations and we have a lot of fun,” Mitchell says of her work on the comedy series. “I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard. I think I cried on a daily basis - fun tears!”
Hollywood Darlings airs Wednesdays (8 p.m. ET) on Pop TV.
