Before there were the Kardashians, there was the Loud family – who became the stars of what’s widely credited as the first-ever reality TV series, An American Family (1973). Set over the course of a few months, the show followed the Louds – parents Bill and Pat and their five children – as they lived their regular lives. Documenting both highs and lows, the show was a snapshot of an ordinary American family and resonated with audiences worldwide.
From the family’s groundbreaking plot lines to their later careers in the industry, we’re taking a look at what the show’s cast have been getting up to since the show ended, and what they’ve said about being the first people in the reality TV spotlight.
© Getty ImagesBill reconnected with Pat later in life
Bill Loud
The family patriarch, Bill and his wife Pat famously separated during the course of An American Family in 1973, bringing the concept of divorce to screens and challenging ideas of the “perfect” American household.
Bill largely stepped away from public life after the show ended, later remarrying in 1975 and reportedly divorcing some years later. Pat and Bill reconciled and later became “housemates” in their later years, his wife told The Face, and he passed away in 2018 at age 97.
© WireImagePat (C) and her daughters Michelle (L) and Delilah (R) in 2015
Pat Loud
After famously asking her husband for a divorce on camera, Pat became an early reality TV celebrity and went on to pen two books after the show’s conclusion: Pat Loud: A Woman’s Story (1974) and Lance Out Loud (2012). She later relocated to New York’s Upper East Side and worked in the publishing industry, revealing to The Face that she doesn’t think she was “very relaxed at all” during the show’s filming.
“I’m kind of a private person,” she told the publication, adding “We had a very happy, very full house every weekend. And I’m sorry that didn’t show up in any way or form during the filming”. Pat passed away in 2021 at age 94, with her family calling her a “fierce, inflexible, forthright matriarch” in a touching Facebook tribute.
© Getty ImagesLance posing with his mother in 1990
Lance Loud
The Louds' eldest son, Lance became one of the first openly gay people seen on American TV after famously coming out on-screen. After the series ended, he went on to become a journalist and fronted the rock band The Mumps
Lance was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the 90s, and invited the filmmakers of An American Family to his hospice to film a follow-up documentary and raise awareness about his condition. He passed away in 2001 at age 50, and Lance Loud! A Death in An American Family was released several years later, revisiting his legacy as a queer trailblazer.
© Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesKevin (R) and his brother Grant (C) performing in 1973
Kevin Loud
Not much is known about Kevin’s life after the show ended, with the brother opting to live a quiet life out of the public eye, though he made an appearance in the 10-year follow up special American Family Revisited (1983) and his brother Lance’s documentary.
Pat also told The Face in 2019 that Kevin was part of a virtual reality start-up company.
© Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesGrant (R) with his brother Kevin (L) in 1973
Grant Loud
According to his IMDb page, Grant had a few acting appearances in TV shows throughout the 80s and also appeared in his family’s 1983 follow-up special, but chose not to appear on camera in Lance’s documentary.
Though he’s since preferred a life off-screen, Grant remained in the TV industry and was previously a producer on Jeopardy!
© Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesDelilah (L) during an appearance in 1973
Delilah Loud
Though Delilah left the lights of reality TV behind, she has worked in television and advertising for over 40 years.
In an interview with Messy Nessy in 2019, Delilah opened up about the family’s experiences on the show, sharing that there was a “lot of naiveté” as well as no scripts. “We were just going along with what our lives were,” she explained “We didn’t think it was going to be as big as it got to be.”
© Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesMichele (R) performing with her sister Delilah (L) and brother Lance (C) in 1974
Michele Loud
The youngest of the Loud clan, Michele was around 14 years old during filming for An American Family. She opted for a quieter life like many of her siblings and entered the fashion industry, previously working for the California-based luxury clothing company Vince, her mother told The Face in 2019.
