April Lerman - Biography

April Lerman was born on February 6, 1969 in Chicago, Illinois. She was cast as Tessie in the 1st National Tour of "Annie" on her ninth birthday. She was picked for the movie version of the musical in 1982 where she played a different character named Kate. She then went on to become a regular cast member of the sitcom "Charles in Charge" (1984), where she played the boy crazy Lila Pembroke. After the first season, the series underwent a massive cast change, and April was replaced. She continued to work as a guest star in other television shows, such as "Kate and Allie," "Growing Pains," and "Parker Lewis Can't Lose." April's mother Phyllis was the driving force behind her, making sure that she received her education, while she continued to act. April graduated Magna Cum Laude from University of California Los Angeles with a Bachelor's degree in English. She also appeared in an embarrassing film titled "Rock and Roll Fantasy" (1992), in which she had some nude scenes. Disenchanted with her acting career, she left show business and attended Pepperdine University School of Law and received her Juris Doctorate Degree. She was admitted to the California Bar in 1995, but April opted not to pursue the legal profession believing that it would have been too stressful for her. Instead, she decided to become a stay-at-home mother to her son Sean. She had a wonderful time being at home with him. However, when her son turned seven years old, April went back to school and earned her Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from University of Santa Monica. April worked as a school counselor with children and adolescents in grades kindergarten through eighth grade. She also worked at California Graduate Institute Counseling Center in Los Angeles. In 2006, she appeared in the documentary "Life After Tomorrow," where she and other former child actresses, including Sarah Jessica Parker talk about their experiences working in the musical Annie. In 2009, April revealed that she is a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Intern at Community Counseling Group, Westlake Village, California.