40 Years After Family Ties Premiered, Andy Keaton Traded Politics For Punk Rock

Life sometimes imitates art. Yet, for some members of the cast of '80s sitcom "Family Ties" today, this definitely wasn't the case. "Family Ties" fans remember Andy Keaton as the youngest member of the Keaton family. Today, he's all grown up and on a very different path than the one his character was on many years ago. 

Andy was the younger brother of Michael J. Fox's Alex P. Keaton. In the series, which ran from 1982 to 1989, Alex was focused on teaching his little brother how to be a Republican like him. It seemed safe to guess Andy was successfully placed on the path to becoming a politician. In real life, though, Andy was played by Brian Bonsall and today, Bonsall is far from a conservative politician. Instead, he's a successful guitarist. He has plays rhythm guitar and sings for punk rock band Lights In The Sky and has been a part of an acoustic duo called Bootjack&Bonz. He also plays second guitar in the famed punk rock band The Ataris.

Brian Bonsall was just 3 years old when he joined the cast of "Family Ties," and he was 7 when the series ended. Like most grown-up '80s child stars, he's unrecognizable today. Bonsall will turn 45 in December 2026. And while he may not act like he did as a child, he's not one of those child stars who ditched Hollywood for a surprisingly normal job. As his Instagram bio puts it, "I've acted a bunch & I play tunes @theataris and @lightsintheskyband." So, his attention might be on other things, but he's still in the limelight.

In addition to making music, Bonsall has also been open about raising awareness for mental health struggles with the non-profit Punk Rock Saves Lives. In October 2025, Bonsall shared a happy update on Instagram with a photo of him and his wife and the caption, "Today we've been married for 8 years, together for 12. We are celebrating by watching horror movies in our pajamas. Happy Anniversary, @the_courtney_bonsall , I love you so much." The couple has one son together. So, it's clear that Bonsall has dedicated his life to the things he's most passionate about. And those things look very different from what young Andy Keaton's family on "Family Ties" once hoped he'd focus on in adulthood.