Whatever Happened To Kaleena Kiff, 'Kelly Cleaver' From The New Leave It To Beaver?

Kaleena Kiff is an American actress best known for her role in the television series The New Leave It to Beaver.

Early Life

Kiff was born in Santa Monica, California, on October 23rd, 1974. When she was only six years, she began acting.

Acting Career

In 1980, at the age of six, Kiff received her first acting credit for appearing in episode eight, season seven of The Jeffersons, titled "All I Want for Christmas."

The long-running program was a regular on CBS. In her guest role, Kiff played a young girl at the orphanage George (Sherman Hemsley) visits while playing Santa Claus.

A year later, Kiff would appear in a made-for-television drama film called Sidney Shorr: A Girl’s Best Friend.

Her character is Patricia (Patti) Morgan, the child of Laurie Morgan, who lives with Sidney, whom the movie is primarily focused on.

The film received mixed reviews but may have helped Kiff get her next big role.

Kiff reprised her role as Patti Morgan in NBC’s television sitcom rendition of Sidney Shorr: A Girl’s Best Friend called Love, Sidney.

Kiff would appear in forty-four episodes throughout the sitcom’s two seasons. Tony Randall and Swoosie Kurtz played the two main characters, Sidney Shorr and Laurie Morgan, respectively.

After her main role in Love, Sidney, Kiff had many guest roles. She acted in the for-television films Memorial Day and An Uncommon Love.

She also had bit parts in television series, including Family Ties, Three’s Company, and Down to Earth. Kiff lent her voice to the character Daisy, who appeared in thirteen episodes of the animated series Pole Position.

The New Leave It To Beaver

In 1985, the classic television show Leave It To Beaver was revived as The New Leave It To Beaver. It was also known as Still the Beaver.

The sitcom sequel ran on The Disney Channel and later CBS. The series began with a made-for-television film shown on CBS which served as a reunion movie for the cast.

Kiff played Kelly Cleaver, the daughter of Wally Cleaver, who was the oldest son of June and Ward Cleaver.

Kelly and her family lived next door to widowed June Cleaver and divorced Beaver Cleaver. Kelly Cleaver has a brother named Kevin.

The show follows the younger generation of Cleavers. Overall, Kiff appeared in one hundred episodes of the sitcom series.

From 1983 to 1989, Kiff was nominated three times for a Young Artists Award. She was nominated in 1983 for Best Young Actress in a Comedy Series as a result of her role in Love, Sidney.

In 1988 and 1989, Kiff was nominated and won Best Young Actress in a Cable Series or Special for her part in The New Leave It To Beaver.

Break From Acting

Starting in the early nineties, Kiff took a hiatus from acting. At age seventeen in 1991, she began studying at McGill University.

There, she earned a joint bachelor’s degree in history and political science. After obtaining her degree, Kiff acted in mainly guest roles.

In the early 2000s, Kiff returned to acting, earning a bit part in the television series Smallville where she played an unnamed warehouse worker. Kiff had a similarly small part as a victim in the television show Supernatural.

What is Kaleena Kiff doing now?

Kiff began producing films in 2005 and is the co-founder of Curiosity Pictures.

She started by producing short films, including Alice & Huck, Locked Out, and He is Empty for Love.

Kiff has also produced feature-length films, including Death Do Us Part and The Legend of Barney Thomson.

The Legend of Barney Thomson is a British comedy thriller that won the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Feature Film.

Her production company, Curiosity Pictures, has produced No Men Beyond This Point, Until I Find You, and Stuffed.

In addition to acting and producing, Kiff also writes and directs films. Kiff co-created, directed, produced, and wrote the series Riese: Kingdom Falling.

The series is a science fiction fantasy that appeared first on YouTube as a web series and later on Syfy as a television series.