Kathy Garver Says Her Hair Started ‘Turning Green’ During Family Affair Audition Due to Last-Minute Dye Job

Kathy Garver in 1968.Credit : Gene Trindl / TV Guide / Courtesy Everett Collection

In a recent interview, Kathy Garver, 80, recalled the chaotic audition that nearly cost her the role of Cissy on Family Affair

Right before meeting with producers, young Garver decided to use a temporary dye to make her hair look blonde

Unfortunately, the product started changing color during the audition process – a memory the now 80-year-old actress still remembers six decades later

Kathy Garver may forever be associated with the wholesome charm of Family Affair, but decades after the sitcom first aired, the actress still vividly remembers the chaotic audition that helped land her the career-defining role of Cissy Davis.

In a recent interview with Woman’s World, Garver explained how a last-minute attempt to transform her look for the audition nearly derailed her big break before it even began.

“I was at the sorority house and my mom called me because I didn’t have a car there and she was still taking me back and forth to work even though I was 18, 19, 20,” Garver told the outlet. “And she says, ‘You have an interview. They want somebody that’s 15. The show has already been sold, so put on something that makes you look young.’”

Brian Keith, Kathy Garver, Johnny Whitaker, Anissa Jones in ‘Family Affair’.Courtesy Everett CollectionThe only problem was that the production team envisioned the character as blonde, while Garver, now 80, had naturally dark hair and dark eyes.

Determined to help her daughter fit the image producers wanted, her mother arrived with a quick cosmetic fix.

“So she says, ‘I’m bringing over this stuff called Streaks and Tips,’ and it was a spray you put in your hair and it instantly changes color,” Garver recalled. “So my mom comes over to the sorority, sprays my hair, and we go over to Desilu [Studios].”

The rushed makeover, however, didn’t go according to plan. By the time Garver arrived at the studio to meet producer and creator Ed Hartmann, the temporary dye had already started changing colors.

“I’m talking to Ed Hartmann…and he suddenly says, ‘What’s the matter with your hair?’” she recalled. “I said, ‘Yes, it’s turning green.’ ”

Kathy Garver in 2026.Mark Gunter/GettyFortunately, the embarrassing mishap did not end her chances at the role. Instead, Garver quickly found another solution before returning for her screen test.

“I went to Max Factor and got this long blonde wig and wardrobe gave me this blue-and-white checked dress. I looked like Alice in Wonderland. I swear to God I did,” she told Woman’s World. “But anyway, I came back, did the test in this dress and talked to the director. The next day my agent called and said, ‘Okay, you got the job.’ ”

Garver soon became a familiar face to television audiences during the late 1960s, starring as the sophisticated older sister helping raise her younger twin siblings alongside their uncle and loyal butler on the beloved CBS comedy.

And although the role made her a television star, she still remembers the memorable piece of feedback she received after landing the part: “‘Never wear that wig again and never wear that dress.’ ”