Here's What Shirley Temple's Kids Are Doing Now
Shirley Temple is one of the most legendary actresses of all time. According to Biography, the child star got her start during the Great Depression at the age of just 3 years old. While some of her most beloved movies are the ones she made as a child, like "The Little Princess," a few of her most impressive roles came later in life for Temple. She starred in the 1948 film, "Forte Apache," which was one of her final films. After she ended her acting career, she eventually entered a career in politics as a U.S. diplomat for the United Nations.
Shirley Temple died in 2014 at the age of 85. She left behind three children: Charles Alden Black Jr., Lori Black, and Linda Susan Agar.
According to Today, Temple described her life as having "three wonderful careers." These included her acting work in Hollywood, as well as her role in politics, and most importantly, her job as a mother. Temple reportedly had a close relationship with her kids. "Being a wife and mom is the greatest of her achievements," Agar told Closer Weekly in 2018. "We were shopping and travel buddies. We went many places together. She was one of my very best friends."
"She was wonderful — and normal," Charles Jr. said in another interview with Closer Weekly. "We had dinner at the table every night all together."
Temple's children clearly had a great relationship with their mother, but where are they today?
Linda Susan Agar
Linda Susan Agar, who goes by Susan Agar, is Temple's eldest daughter (via Juke Bugs). She is the only daughter shared between Temple and her ex-husband, actor John Agar. She was born in 1948 and shared a close relationship with her famous mother.
Agar tried her hand at acting in her youth, credited on IMDb with two roles in her mother's show, "The Shirley Temple Storybook." It seems that she opted out of a life in Hollywood and kept a low profile.
Agar had a daughter named Teresa Caltabiano who Temple shared a close relationship with (via Fabiosa). Caltabiano had a daughter of her own, Temple's great-granddaughter, who she got to meet in her lifetime.
While Agar chose to live her life outside of the spotlight, she never backed down from an opportunity to share her sweet relationship with Temple. She would gush about how devoted and generous Temple was to her family, as well as how much she loved to help her mother with the interior design of her childhood homes (via The Things).
Charles Alden Black Jr.
Temple had one son named Charles Alden Black Jr., named after his father and her second husband of the same name, who she would remain married to until his death (via the SF Gate). Black Jr. was quick to speak up about the special bond his parents shared, telling the SF Gate that regardless of their busy lives, they "didn't sleep apart from each other for more than a couple of days. They adored each other."
Black Jr., like his half-sister, did a bit of acting as a child on his mother's show, but that was it for his acting career (via Daily Entertainment News). Instead of living in the spotlight, Black Jr. chose to pursue academia. He got a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Santa Clara University in the '70s and pursued other academic ventures over the years.
He is now practicing real estate in Southern California.
Lori Black
Of all of Temple's children, her daughter Lori Black lived the most surprising life. While her elder siblings chose to stay out of the spotlight, Black worked in the music industry for the majority of her youth (via The Hollywood Reporter). She was the bassist for the band the Melvins and dated the singer Buzz Osborne, who was a huge influence for grunge legend Kurt Cobain. Temple was heavily involved in her daughter's band, becoming a mother figure to all of her daughter's bandmates.
Bandmate Dale Crover shared, "Lori was a really solid bass player," adding, "She had really good meter and would bust me for speeding up, which helped me become a more solid player. I really liked her." She would be kicked out of the band in 1992 due to her substance abuse issues.
Temple was there for her daughter as she recovered from her addictions (via the Daily Mail). Temple helped her get into a rehab program and many believe she saved her daughter's life. Now, Black lives a quiet life working as a photographer.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).