McNichol was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Carolyn McNichol Lucas, a business manager and actress, and Jim McNichol, a carpenter.^[3] Her father was Scottish and her mother of Palestinian descent.^[4] She has two brothers from that marriage: Thomas and Jimmy McNichol. Her parents divorced when she was six years old. When McNichol was 19 her mother married Siegfried Lucas. In the same year Lucas and McNichol's mother adopted McNichol's sister Jennifer Lucas
It's easy to forget about "Empty Nest." The "Golden Girls" spin-off hasn't exactly thrived in syndication like so many of its contemporaries.

But The Hallmark Channel resuscitates the '80s/'90s comedy -- about a doctor whose two grown daughters move home -- with a Feb. 26 marathon.

Starring Richard Mulligan (R.I.P.), Dinah Manoff and Kristy McNichol, the show is perhaps best known for McNichol's sudden departure during the 1992.

So what happened to her? At the time, McNichol was becoming notorious for bad attendance and erratic behavior on the set of the show and several movies and she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and retired from acting altogether.

Kristy McNichol

Kristy McNichol