Career
Zeigler"s most notable roles were in the television series Rags to Riches (1986–1988) and Just the Ten of Us (1988–1990). Beginning her career at age three, she appeared in approximately 20–30 national commercials (for products including Barbie, Kraft Cheese, Kool-Aid, Cheerios, McDonald"s, and Clorox) before being cast at age four as a series regular in television"s Mr. Mom (starring Barry Van Dyke).
Mr.
Mom did not survive past its pilot episode. At five, Zeigler landed roles in two television movies, Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter (starring Jeff Goldblum and Cloris Leachman) and California Girls (starring Robbie Benson, Ernie Hudson, Doris Roberts and Zsa Zsa Gabor). Perhaps Zeigler"s most publicly acclaimed work was her role in National Broadcasting Company"s Rags to Riches.
Secretariat in the 1960s, Rags to Riches was a one-hour comedy-drama-musical which has recently (2011) been compared to television"s Glee, as both programs share similarities in genre.
Zeigler played the role of "Mickey Foley" in Rags to Riches. Her character was the youngest of a group of six orphan girls who were adopted by a wealthy businessman (Joseph Bologna).
Among her co-stars were Tisha Campbell-Martin, Kimiko Gelman, and Heather McAdam. Shortly after the cancellation of "Rags to Riches" in 1988, Zeigler, then in high demand as an award-winning child actress, landed the role of "Sherry Lubbock" on American Broadcasting Company"s Just the Ten of Us, which was a spin-off of American Broadcasting Company"s Growing Pains.
Zeigler appeared on two episodes of Growing Pains before commencing production on Just the Ten of United States
The show lasted for over three seasons before its cancellation in 1990. Following production of the last episode of Just the Ten of Us in 1990, Zeigler made several guest appearances on various television shows before she was cast in her first feature film, There Goes the Neighborhood (Paramount Pictures, 1992). Just months after the production concluded, Zeigler was cast as a series regular on Fox Television"s Drexell"s Class (starring Dabney Coleman).
Playing the role of "Nicole Finnigan", an elementary school student in "Mr.
Drexell"s" class, Zeigler"s co-stars also included Jason Biggs, Matthew Lawrence, Brittany Murphy, and A. J. Langer. Heidi Zeigler declared her desire to retire after Drexell"s Class was cancelled in 1992, citing her desire to attend public school.
