Theodore "The Beaver" Cleaver is the fictional title character in the American television series Leave It to Beaver. Originally played by Jerry Mathers, seven-year-old ("almost eight") Beaver is son to June and Ward Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont) and sibling to thirteen-year-old Wally Cleaver (Tony Dow). Beaver prefers "messin' around" with his pals and reading comic books to attending church or taking dance lessons.