Punky Brewster: What happened 40 years later to Soleil Moon Frye, who played the mischievous girl in the cult TV series from the 1980s?

The sitcom Punky Brewster was a real hit in the 1980s, beloved by young people. The series depicted the adventures of young Penelope “Punky” Brewster, raised by foster parent in Chicago. It aired from 1984 to 1986, and later in syndication from 1987 to 1988. Its popularity is also evidenced by two spin-offs, one an animated TV series and the other a revival show that debuted in 2021.

The star of the sitcom was Soleil Moon Frye, who played the mischievous Punky Brewster. Fans may wonder what has happened to the actress since then, as she hasn’t been in the spotlight in recent years (via Adorocinema).

After Punky Brewster ended, Soleil Moon Frye didn’t part ways with her character, as she lent her voice in the animated TV series It's Punky Brewster in 1985-1986. During that time, she also appeared in several other productions in smaller roles, even appearing in Friends in 1999 in the episode The One with the Girl Who Hits Joey as Katie.

Soleil Moon Frye's next big role after Punky Brewster was Roxie King in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which she played in 66 episodes between 2000 and 2003. After that, the actress focused primarily on her voice acting career, lending her voice to characters in Bratz, Robot Chicken, and Planet Sheen. She currently voices Zoey in The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

And, of course, in 2021, fans were able to see Soleil Moon Frye as Punky Brewster again in the sitcom's big comeback. Ten new episodes were released on Peacock.

Punky Brewster, David W. Duclon, Peacock, 2021

Soleil Moon Frye isn’t just an actress

In addition to her acting career, Soleil Moon Frye also developed her skills in the film industry as a director. In 1996, she began studying at The New School, and two years later she made her first film, Wild Horses. She then made two more documentaries, Sonny Boy (2004) and Kid 90 (2021), which was executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Soleil Moon Frye's other projects after Punky Brewster

But it wasn't just movies that caught her interest. The actress wrote two books – the first, titled Happy Chaos: From Punky to Parenting and My Perfectly Imperfect Adventures in Between, was about her “chaotic” life, while the second, titled Let's Get This Party Started, was about party planning.

In addition to writing books, she also hosted the online series Her Say and wrote a blog about parenting and women's issues, which she continues to do to this day.

In the past, the actress also opened a boutique selling children's items and founded a company selling party decoration kits. As you can see, her interests were wide-ranging and, apart from acting, she also developed dynamically in other areas.

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