Young Actors Who Just Disappeared
These are young actors who were too prolific to be considered "one-hit-wonders" but still had brief careers that ended abruptly. Most are child actors who left acting when they reached adulthood, if not before.
Note 1: I am aware that all actors on this list are male. I didn't intend it to be a male-only list, but the only examples that have come to mind so far have been male.
Note 2: The years listed in the notes are the years of the IMDb credits associated with the actors' works. The year used on IMDb credits is the year of the initial theatrical release, the first home video/digital release, or the initial television airing of a given work, depending on the medium. Therefore, the years listed may be later, sometimes significantly so, than the years that production took place.
Note 1: I am aware that all actors on this list are male. I didn't intend it to be a male-only list, but the only examples that have come to mind so far have been male.
Note 2: The years listed in the notes are the years of the IMDb credits associated with the actors' works. The year used on IMDb credits is the year of the initial theatrical release, the first home video/digital release, or the initial television airing of a given work, depending on the medium. Therefore, the years listed may be later, sometimes significantly so, than the years that production took place.
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- Actor
- Location Management
Barret Spencer Oliver is an American photographer and former child actor. He is best known for his role as Bastian Balthazar Bux in the film adaptation of Michael Ende's novel The Neverending Story, followed by roles in D.A.R.Y.L., Cocoon, and Cocoon: The Return. Oliver had minor roles in television and film, until starring as Bastian in the 1984 movie The NeverEnding Story. Subsequently, he was cast as the lead in Tim Burton's short film Frankenweenie and as the android "Daryl" in the 1985 film D.A.R.Y.L., a part for which he won a Saturn Award.Active from 1981-1989- Mario Yedidia was born on 5 November 1984 in California, USA. He is an actor, known for Warriors of Virtue (1997), Jack (1996) and Under Wraps (1997).Active from 1993-1998
- Actor
- Sound Department
Jason Presson was born on 31 August 1971 in Encino, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Lady in White (1988), The Stone Boy (1984) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990).Primarily Active from 1983-1991, with a brief return in 1997- Actor
- Additional Crew
Alexander Nathan Etel is a former English actor. His film debut was the starring role of Damian Cunningham in 2004's Millions, a family film directed by Danny Boyle. He played the lead in his second film, Jay Russell's The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep. The film, based on a Dick King Smith story about a boy who adopts a monster sea creature, opened in North America on Christmas Day, 2007 and in other countries in early 2008. The film is set in Scotland during World War II, although all the scenes involving the creature itself were shot in New Zealand.
Etel also played the bright-eyed ragamuffin Harry Gregson in the six-part TV adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's "Cranford" for the BBC and WGBH, which was transmitted on BBC 1 in the autumn of 2007 and co-starred Philip Glenister, Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, Francesca Annis and Imelda Staunton. He reprised his role in the two-part second series entitled Return to Cranford.
He is currently scheduled to appear in two projects: From Time to Time, an adaptation of The Chimneys of Green Knowe directed by Julian Fellowes, and Easter Sixteen set in Dublin during the Easter Rising of 1916.Active from 2004-2010- Actor
- Composer
Jonah Bobo was born on 24 January 1997 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005), Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011) and Disconnect (2012).Active from 2004-2014- Actor
- Soundtrack
Trained at Guildford School of Acting, Oliver first appeared on screen in What a Girl Wants, where he performed alongside Colin Firth and Amanda Bynes in the role of Ian, showcasing both his acting and musical talents. This gained him the attention that led him to Los Angeles. He then went on to appear In Raise Your Voice with Hilary Duff, playing Jay a young musician, again combining his two performance strengths.
He returned to England playing a leading role in the BBC TV series Innocent, with a strong cast of performers including Stephen Graham.
Oliver continues to work on screen and television projects in both the US and the UK.Active from 2002-2012- Actor
- Soundtrack
Nolan Sotillo was born on 2 October 1994 in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. He is an actor, known for Red Band Society (2014), Prom (2011) and Madison High (2012).Active from 2011-2015- Actor
- Soundtrack
Zach was born in Lakewood, Ohio. At a young age he displayed a desire to perform. While on a trip to California with his parents, Zach was discovered by casting agent Fern Orenstein, who got him meetings with some of the top child agencies in Los Angeles. Zach signed with The Savage Agency. Not long after, the family packed up and moved to Los Angeles to pursue Zach's love of acting.
Two months later Zach had landed two commercials and a costar role on Scrubs. Since then Zach's talent has earned him numerous roles in film and television along side some of Hollywood's most beloved stars such as Adrien Brody, Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Stanley Tucci, and Abigail Breslin.
He has been hailed a "jug eared wonder" by the Chicago Tribune for his role in "Hollywoodland" and featured in Wonderland Magazine as one of the children expected to dominate the screen in 2008.
Zach's credits and fan base continue to grow but working along side Oscar winners has not changed him. When Zach is not working he loves swimming, video games, going to the movies, family game night, and stopping to be licked by the occasional Bull Dog.Active from 2004-2014- Actor
- Soundtrack
Daniel Richard Huttlestone was born in Havering, London, England, to Linda and Mark Huttlestone, a company managing director. He started his stage career from the age of 9 landing the role of 'Nipper' in the 2009 production of Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, performing on the opening night with Rowan Atkinson, and continuing until it closed in 2011. He went on to perform the role of Gavroche in Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre, working with Alfie Boe and Matt Lucas, where he stayed with the show for a year.
Huttlestone played Gavroche in the film version, Les Misérables (2012), and later starred as Jack (of Jack and the Beanstalk fame) in another film musical, Into the Woods (2014).Active from 2012-2016- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
Dakota Goyo was born in Toronto, Canada, to Debra Goyo, a former model and singer, and David Goyo. His siblings, Devon Goyo and Dallas Goyo, have also acted. He has Italian and Scottish ancestry.
Goyo appeared in his first commercial as an infant. His television debut came at the age of 5 in the CBS pilot "Ultra" (2006). His natural acting, emotional range and ability to memorize scripts at such an early age landed him roles in numerous television and animation series. Not new to acting, Goyo continued at a steady pace and achieved principal and leading roles in both film and television. Happiest when performing, Goyo displays a confidence and maturity that is beyond his years.
His featured television work includes: Disney's JoJo's Circus (2003), Ultra (TV) (2006), Super Why! (2007), The Murdoch Mysteries (TV) (2008), The Listener (TV) (2008), My Neighbor's Secret (2009), Happy Town (TV) (2009) and a recurring role as Timmy Tibble on the popular children's television series "Arthur" (2009-). Goyo also completed a series lead role in the ABC pilot Solving Charlie (2009). Goyo played Charlie, an orphaned child who has an IQ of 190 and helps his long lost brother solve crimes.
Goyo has an extensive and impressive list of credits in feature films. His first lead role in a feature was completed at the tender age of 6 as Teddy Kernan in Resurrecting the Champ (2007), for which he received accolades, rave reviews and was nominated for a Young Artist Award. By age 7 Goyo was starring alongside Susan Sarandon and Christopher Plummer in the feature film Emotional Arithmetic (2007). By age 9, Dakota appeared as Jack Carter in the feature film Defendor (2009) opposite Woody Harrelson.
After a nationwide search by Dreamworks Studios in early 2010, at the age of 10, Dakota was chosen to play the lead role of Max in the feature film Real Steel (2011), co-starring Hugh Jackman. The film was produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Shawn Levy. Notably, Dakota won a Young Artist Award (2012) and was nominated for a Saturn Award for his performance.
By late September 2010, Dakota was cast in the highly anticipated Marvel feature Thor (2011). Goyo plays the role of Young Thor opposite Anthony Hopkins. Kenneth Branagh directed.
No stranger to voice work, then 11 year old Goyo was cast as Jamie in the Dreamworks animation feature Rise of the Guardians (2012), also starring Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Hugh Jackman, Chris Pine and Isla Fisher.
In 2011, Dakota had a guest starring role in _R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour'. His performance did not go unnoticed and by the age of 12, Dakota was nominated for an Emmy.
By July 2012, Dakota was off to Iceland to film Noah (2014), starring Russell Crowe as Noah. Emma Watson, Jennifer Connelly and Anthony Hopkins also star. Darren Aronofsky directed. Dakota played Young Noah.
By Dakota's 13th birthday, he was filming the lead role of Jesse in the feature film Dark Skies (2013), co-starring Keri Russell and directed by Scott Stewart.
By May 2013, Dakota was off to the Arctic regions of Canada to film the starring role of Luke in Midnight Sun (2014), the story of a boy trying to save a Polar Bear cub against all odds. Bridget Moynahan and Goran Visnjic also appear.Active from 2005-2014- Actor
- Producer
Chandler was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He is the middle child of three with an older brother and a younger sister. Chandler has always resided full time in Houston and attends public school despite steadily working in the film industry.
Chandler began his film career playing a young version of Seann William Scott in Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach (2009). From there, he jumped right in to playing a young version of Brad Pitt in David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). Chandler has worked with many great actors including Cate Blanchett in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Forest Whitaker and Jude Law in Repo Men (2010), and Jessica Biel and Ray Liotta in Powder Blue (2009).
Chandler moved from supporting actor to a leading actor opposite of Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne in Knowing (2009). Other leading roles include After.Life (2009) opposite Liam Neeson and Christina Ricci, A Bag of Hammers (2011) opposite Jason Ritter and Rebecca Hall, and The Host (2013) opposite Saoirse Ronan, William Hurt and Diane Kruger. He will soon be seen in Angels Sing (2013) opposite Harry Connick, Jr. and Connie Britton, and Black Eyed Dog (2014) opposite Hilarie Burton and Mackenzie Foy.
Chandler has had the opportunity to "carry" or "co-carry" a few films as well. In the family drama Standing Up (2013) Chandler plays Howie, a boys who escapes the humiliation of being the victim of bullying with his new found friend Grace and teaches that you can stand up and become stronger. Chandler had to change his hair color for Little Red Wagon (2012) playing the real Zach Bonner, extraordinary child philanthropist.
Chandler has also done a couple of television guest starring roles including his Young Artist Award winning role on Criminal Minds (2005) and playing Young Peter on Fringe (2008).
When Chandler is not acting, the high school freshman loves to hang out with his friends, play video games, run and play guitar.Active from 2007-2014- Actor
- Soundtrack
Letterle is from Northfield, Ohio, but moved to New York in 1997. After stints as a chorus member and dancer in many musicals and dinner theaters he went to the La Scala in Italy where he was a featured dancer in West Side Story. He later played "Doody" in a production of Grease in Berlin before returning to NYC. Daniel ventured into film as an extra in various movies before being cast in a lead role for Camp (2003). Letterle lived in Los Angeles for about a year pursuing various projects culminating in a starring role in the film adaptation of a comic strip, The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green (2005). He returned to Ohio the following year where he continues to live a relatively normal life.Active from 2003-2005- Actor
- Additional Crew
Bobby Coleman is an actor and contemporary artist born and raised in Pasadena, California. Following in the footsteps of his older sister, Holliston, Bobby began his acting career at the age of six. He quickly developed a passion for acting and began taking on a variety of roles in both television and film. Within a few years, Bobby had already played in multiple features such as Must Love Dogs, Friends with Money, and The Good Mother. He then began working on his most challenging role at the time as the title lead in Martian Child, where he played a child who believed he was from Mars being newly fostered by a single father (John Cusack). Since then, Bobby has taken on many more lead roles, such as The Last Song, where he played Miley Cyrus's brother, and enjoys the travel and adventure that these roles bring him. Working alongside actors such as Michael Keaton, Liam Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Greg Kinnear, Jane Lynch, Ray Liotta and many others, Bobby has been able to learn from a wide range of talented people throughout his career.
Outside of acting, Bobby is pursuing a number of passions. He is obsessed with art and material, and has shown his work at exhibitions and fairs. In a post-modern style, he uses mixed-media and sculpture to explore concepts surrounding the human form and condition. Bobby is passionate about other forms of design as well, and is pursuing a degree in Business in hopes to develop products and launch a clothing line. Bobby is equally passionate about nature and science, which led to his involvement in various ecologically-focused programs. In one program called Pangaea, Bobby traveled to the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil where he explored its many ecosystems and worked with tribes to distribute clean water. Today, Bobby continues to push his efforts towards acting, art, invention and ecology, and hopes to inspire and empower others through his work.Active from 2003-2013- Actor
- Soundtrack
Max Records was born on 18 June 1997 in Portland, Oregon, USA. He is an actor, known for Where the Wild Things Are (2009), I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016) and The Brothers Bloom (2008).Primarily Active from 2006-2011, with a brief return in 2016- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
William Brent was born in Palm Beach County, Florida, on October 15, 1995. He and his family moved to Los Angeles, CA in 2006. He quickly began his career working in television, film, and motion capture. Having trained in gymnastics and martial arts at a young age, William began doing his own stunts in his first feature film at age 11. He was the lead on the television show "Lab Rats" which ran for five seasons. This is where William made his directorial debut in 2016, directing the series finale. Among other talents, he is a guitarist and singer.Active from 2007-2016
Note: Was credited as "Billy Unger" for most of his career- Seth Mumy was born on 25 October 1989 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Paulie (1998), Dear God (1996) and Dark Skies (1996). He has been married to Alexa Cline since 31 July 2016. They have one child.Active from 1995-2001
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Max was born in Manhattan, New York. He attended P.S.9 for elementary school and Wagner Jr. High for grades 6-8. He rarely talked about his film work and was part of the rowdier crowd. Max spent a lot of time playing handball or messing around with his friends in the neighborhood. He last film was the TV movie Journey in 1995, and he has not been particularly interested in acting since then.Primarily Active from 1993-1995, with a brief return in 2008- Actor
- Producer
Hal Scardino was born on 25 December 1984 in Savannah, Georgia, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Indian in the Cupboard (1995), Marvin's Room (1996) and Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993).Primarily Active from 1993-1996, with a brief return in 2017- Actor
- Soundtrack
Matthew Garber was a British child actor. Both of his parents were theatrical actors, but neither was particularly famous.
In 1963, Garber came to the attention of actor Roy Dotrice (father of Karen Dotrice) who was seeking potential child actors. Roy recommended Garber to the casting department of the Disney company, where young Garber's "artful dodges, like squinting, screwing up his nose, and brushing his hair back with one hand" were thought likely to make him stand out. He was cast in the film "The Three Lives of Thomasina" (1963), as the character Geordie McNab, a playmate to the Scottish girl Mary MacDhui (played by Karen Dotrice).
Garber next received a bigger role as the character Michael Banks in "Mary Poppins" (1964), one of the two charges of the protagonist nanny. Jane Banks, Michael's sister, was played by Karen Dotrice. The film was the greatest hit of Garber's career and is the role for which he is most remembered.
In 1967, Garber had his third and last film role, as the character Rodney Winthrop in "The Gnome-Mobile". In the film, Rodney and his sister Elizabeth Winthrop (played by Karen Dotrice) are trying to prolong the life of a 943-year-old gnome, who has lost the will to survive.
Following his brief film career, Garber returned to his school studies. He attended first St Paul's Primary School in Winchmore Hill, and then Highgate School in Highgate, North London. He graduated in 1972.
In 1976-1977, Garber was in India and contracted hepatitis. He returned to London in June 1977, seeking better medical treatment. It was too late as the disease had infected his pancreas. He died soon after, the official cause being hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis. He was only 21-years-old. He was single and had no known children.
Garber's remains were cremated at St. Marylebone Crematorium, in East Finchley, London. Both of his parents died within a decade following his death. Fergus Garber, a surviving younger brother of Matthew, was never informed whether there was any memorial erected for his brother. Garber was posthumously named a Disney Legend in 2004.Active from 1963-1967- Samuel Joslin was born in 2002 in Kensington, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Impossible (2012), Paddington (2014) and Paddington 2 (2017).Active from 2012-2017
- Nick Price was born on 5 April 1993 in Dallas, Texas, USA. He is an actor, known for The Three Investigators and the Secret of Skeleton Island (2007), The Three Investigators and the Secret of Terror Castle (2009) and Because of Winn-Dixie (2005).Primarily Active from 2003-2009, with brief returns in 2013 and 2020