Child stars never have an easy time segueing into adult roles — that is, if they make the transition at all. So it was no surprise that the career of diminutive and adorable Haley, one of the biggest juvenile actors of the '70s, stalled post-puberty. After tackling a number of TV guest spots as a child, the 15-year-old Haley made his name as a talented but tough baseball player in the original
Bad News Bears and its subsequent sequels. With his feathered hair, freckled face and wiseass attitude (he cursed, smoked and rode a motor-scooter), be became the crush of bad-boy loving tweens everywhere. In 1979 he gave a winning performance as one of four blue-collar bike-riding buddies in
Breaking Away, and reprised the role in the film's short-lived TV spin-off. But when he hit his twenties, he hit a wall. Except for his turn in
Losin' It opposite future megastar Tom Cruise, he appeared mostly in low-rent projects and in 1993, after completing the grade-Z flick
Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence (in a supporting role, no less), he quit showbiz and made ends meet by delivering pizzas, driving limos and working security. Eventually, however, Haley would become a successful commercial director and even launch his own production company. But acting was still in his blood, and in 2006 he made an incredible comeback in a pair of movies. Although the highly anticipated remake of
All the King's Men went bust, making Haley's strong work as a laconic bodyguard for naught, his riveting turn as a pedophile in the lauded indie
Little Children revitalized his acting career, earning him rave reviews and a number of accolades, including Oscar and SAG nominations and a New York Film Critics Circle Award.
Jackie Earle Haley Fast Facts:
- Began appearing in commercials at age 5.
- Wrote the story for the little-seen 1990 horror flick Playroom.
- Appeared in the 1983 Broadway production of Slab Boys opposite Sean Penn. 23 years later, Penn recommended him for a part in All the King's Men.
- Launched his own post-production company called JEH Productions.
- Jackie Earle Haley Relationships:
- Amelia Cruz - Wife
- Christopher - Son
- Haven Earle Haley - Father
- Olivia - Daughter
- Jackie Earle Haley Awards:
- 2006 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - Nominee
