ONLY CHILD INTERVIEW

JESSICA YOUD

Jessica Youd grew up happy to be an only child. She had a close relationship with her parents and enjoyed their attention. People think that only children are too self-centered to make good parents should get to know Jessica. Today she is the mother of three who credits being an only child with the stamina and patience it takes to raise three lively boys.

BILL LANE

Bill Lane has had an enviable life as an only child. He is a sought-after interior designer who has decorated the homes and offices of some of this country's most high-profile people. Bill's parents were loving and supportive without being overly involved. As a result, Bill grew up to be a confident person who used his creativity to both satisfy his soul and build a successful business.

KIRSTEN SMITH

Kirsten Smith is one of the youngest and most successful screenwriters in Hollywood. An only child whose parents nurtured her indpendent spirit, Kirsten and her writing partner, Karen McCullah Lutz, have created screen magic with 10 Things I Hate About You and last summer's huge hit Legally Blonde. Kirsten tells us how being an only child helped launch her on a very successful writing career.

JOE REEGAN

Twenty-two-year-old Joe Reegan is an only child who was raised by a single mother. Joe recently graduated from college with a major in finance, but he has no intentions of becoming an investment banker. That's just too safe for him. Instead, he hopes to make it as an actor. Totally focused on his goal, Joe has no fears about venturing into a world more vicious than the one inhabited by bulls and bears.

DR. DAVID YOSHIMARU

David Yoshimaru is an only child who grew up navigating between two worlds. Ultimately he had to separate from his family in order to determine his own fate. Being an only child helped him establish his independence.

MICHELLE LETOURNEAU

There is nothing stereotypical about college student Michelle LeTourneau. Our interview with her reveals an only child who is loving, outgoing, and thoroughly committed to her family. This is a girl who accepts great responsibilities but still knows how to have fun. She is secure and fearless, qualities we would like all children to have whether or not they have siblings. Michelle will make a difference in the world.

DONNA AND JERRY DUNN

People often wonder what happens when only children marry one another. Does it work? Can two only children who are used to having their own space and most of the attention at home compromise with one another? Donna and Jerry Dunn are two only children who have been married for 24 years and still going strong. What's their secret? We let you know.

THE MORRIS FAMILY

Brittani Morris and her parents are representative of many only child families. They are intensely loyal, close, and loving. In order to save money and pay off college loans after graduation, Brittani moved back in with with her parents. The family talks about their relationship and the fulfillment they have realized as an only child family.

JOHN JOHNSON

NEWS ANCHOR

John Johnson was one of the first African-American news anchors on television. He has traveled all over the world covering wars, presidential elections, prison riots, and the OJ Simpson trial. An only child who grew up in the slums of New York and Washington, DC., he is sure that his family would never have made it if there had been other children in the family.

JIMMY DUFFY

COLLEGE STUDENT SPEAKS OUT

Week after week we receive letters, e-mails, and phone calls from anxious parents who think that their only child will grow up damaged because there are no siblings in the picture. We thought it was about time to hear from only children themselves. Jimmy Duffy, an 18 year old student at Berkeley, has had his share of challenges and met them with grace. His joyful spirit and sensitivity will convince any parent that only children can and do grow up happy and well adjusted.

SHIRLEY JONES

OSCAR WINNING ACTRESS/SINGER

Shirley Jones began singing in her church choir soon after she began to walk. By the time she was 19 she was the star of Rodgers and Hammerstein's film version of Oklahoma. She was an only child who had never met another only child until she left Smithton, PA for the world of show business. She talks about her life and career and how being an only child has influenced both.

MALLORY TARCHER
PRODUCER/
WRITER/
SPORTSWOMAN

Mallory is the only child of the late entertainer, puppeteer Shari Lewis, and publisher Jeremy Tarcher. Steeped in the entertainment business since she was born, Mallory began sitting in on story meetings for her mother's show when she was only seven. She produced Shari's latest show on PBS, The Charlie Horse Music Pizza. Mallory talks extensively about how being an only child has enhanced her creative life and how she and her mother were able to maintain an extraordinary professional and personal relationship.