EXCLUSIVE: Happy 100th June Lockhart – Beloved Actress Toasts Massive Milestone and Reveals Secrets to Long Life and Happiness
June Lockhart may be hitting 100 years old, but she still has plenty of wisdom to share.
July 14 2025, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
Everyone's favorite Space mom, June Lockhart, turned 100 on June 25. She's an actress whose career spans nearly nine decades, debuting onscreen in 1938’s A Christmas Carol, then starring in classics such as Meet Me in St. Louis, and later as iconic TV mothers in Lassie and Lost in Space, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Today, she's still going strong. She’s got an active life filled with friends, family, and projects she loves. And she's got very few regrets.
"I don't spend time dwelling on things I can’t change," she said in an interview. "I am happy and love my life."
And she loved being a TV mom.
Bill Mumy called Lockhart a 'rock 'n' roller at heart' and praised her genius.
"I applied my own maternal instinct in both of these shows," she explained. "I am that lady who talks it through if there is a problem and comforts if someone is upset."
Lockhart has had a lot of wonderful things happen in her life – including receiving two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for movies, one for TV – but she said: "My proudest moment was being awarded the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal," which NASA honored her with in 2013 for inspiring public interest in space.
And despite her long career, Lockhart never penned an autobiography.
"A lot of people have suggested I sit down and write about my life," she said, "but I've just been too busy out there living it."
Here, the star offers her secrets to what's kept her happy and healthy for a century.
Lockhart's Secrets Revealed
NASA awarded Lockhart the 'Exceptional Public Achievement Medal' in 2013.
Eat Right
To stay healthy, Lockhart makes sure to eat "carefully but not rigidly."
And, she laughs, she doesn’t mind indulging in "the occasional margarita."
Her top three foods:
1. Leafy greens
Spinach, kale, and similar vegetables have antioxidants and fiber that support heart and cognitive health.
2. Lean protein
Fish, eggs, and legumes aid in muscle maintenance and overall repair, particularly important as one ages.
3. Colorful fruits
Berries and citrus fruits pack vitamins, minerals, and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Lockhart said it's better to be consistent with eating the right things instead of going on diets.
She maintains balance and moderation while savoring the foods she loves, without overindulging.
Exercise
June's lifelong career entailed physical performance – stage acting demands good posture, stamina, and subtle movement.
What we know of other centenarians: movement, no matter how gentle, sustains strength and flexibility.
Lockhart maintains that public appearances – at televised events, award ceremonies, and fan meet-and-greets well into her 90s – have helped keep her body engaged. She still walks, meets friends, attends functions, and even did a voice-over for Netflix's Lost in Space – at 95!
Keep A Positive Attitude
Purposeful living: Lockhart has remained professionally and personally engaged even after retiring. She filmed public-service messages, interviews, and guest appearances into her 90s.
She has embraced cultural shifts like rock music, science fiction, and even rock concerts with costars.
Keeping strong social connections is important, too.
"I'm proud of the friends I have made throughout my lifetime," said Lockhart.
Strong social connections: Maintaining friendships in Hollywood, media, and her religious community has helped her remain upbeat and open to different experiences.
Spiritual grounding: A lifelong Catholic who even met Pope John Paul II in 1985, Lockhart credits faith with sustaining her through life's highs and lows.
All About Family
The Allman Brothers Band once played at a Halloween party hosted by the TV icon.
Stay Close To Family
June said maintaining good relationships with her family, beginning as a child, has been crucial in keeping her happy and healthy.
She revealed: "Both my parents were very successful actors in the business ... I had a lovely home life."
Her mom and dad appeared as her parents in the 1938 film A Christmas Carol. And both were active into their old age.
Although her mother lived to see her daughter's later television success, her father died in 1957, never witnessing his daughter's super successful TV career.
Anne and Lizabeth Lockhart, both actresses, were raised by their famous mom without missing a moment.
"He died before I started Lassie, which I'm certain he would have enjoyed, and I think he would have liked Lost in Space, too," she sighed.
Lockhart married twice and raised two daughters, Anne, 71, and Lizabeth, 70, who both became actresses.
And she's proud that showbiz never took her away from her girls while they were growing up.
"I did not have to be out of town for the shows, so I was there at home for them," she said.
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David Bowie was reportedly so admired by Lockhart, she kept his photo in her wallet.
Bill Mumy – who played Lockhart’s TV son Will Robinson on the sci-fi show Lost in Space – said although Lockhart's image is a serious mom on screen, in real life, she’s a "rock 'n' roller at heart."
"You know the image of June Lockhart from Lassie and Lost in Space and Petticoat Junction is kind of this conservative matron ... but in reality, June – who's brilliant, I mean like genius level brilliant – is a rock 'n' roll gal, she loves rock 'n' roll music, and she loves rock 'n' roll bad boys," gushed Mumy, 71.
Lockhart is famously known as a fan of rock icon David Bowie, and is even rumored to keep a photo of him in her wallet.
Hollywood Walk of Fame honored Lockhart with two stars – one for film, one for TV.
In 1967, at the height of her TV fame in Lost in Space, Lockhart threw a Halloween party and booked a then-unknown band called Hour Glass.
"They were fantastic," she remembered.
"These two brothers were very talented musicians who later changed their name to the Allman Brothers Band."
