Who is Jared Rushton?
Jared Rushton is an American musician and former actor, born in Provo, Utah, USA, on 3rd March 1974. The talented Piscean broke into the entertainment industry as a pre-teen, and is still fondly remembered for several film roles in the late ‘80s. With over twenty acting credits and having shared projects with actors such as Tom Hanks, the thespian later decided to channel his creativity into the world of music.
Jared’s First Roles
In 1986, Jared_Rushton secured his first TV role at the young age of 12 in an episode of horror anthology series “Tales from the Darkside”.
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Previously, he made a cameo appearance in a “Barbie and the Rockers” commercial. In the same year, he played Peter Wade in an episode of “Cagney & Lacey”, a show popular in the ‘80s which ran for seven years, and was about two female police officers.
Jared had a healthy work-school balance and made sure not to neglect his studies or his budding career. 1987 was the year he shone as Peter, one of the main characters in the sci-fi TV movie “Top Kids” which was about hackers managing to send a Formula One driver to the year 1904. The movie did well, and of the three main characters, Jared had the longest career.
Shortly afterwards he played Charlie Proffitt in romcom “Overboard”, which boasted stars such as Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.
Before his big break in 1988, Jared appeared in Frank LaLoggia’s “Lady in White”, a mystery horror movie about a young boy growing up in a small town in the ‘60s, who witnesses a young girl being murdered and is haunted by the event.
Jared’s Notable Roles
It’s arguable that Jared’s life changed when he joined the cast of “Big”, one of his most popular movies to date which helped open the doors for more lucrative projects. Starring Tom Hanks and Elizabeth Perkins, the comedy drama was hugely successful, and won eleven awards as well as snagging two Oscar nominations.
Hanks played Josh Baskin, a teenage boy who mysteriously wakes up in the body of an adult after wishing he were big, following a humiliating experience at a carnival. Twelve-year-old Josh must learn how to navigate in the adult world, which means leaving home and finding a job. Landing an executive position at a toy manufacturer thanks to his knowledge of what toys children likes, a female executive at the company is attracted to Josh. Eventually, Josh confides his secret in her and manages to find the arcade machine where he wished to be big. After three weeks away from home, Josh comes back after undoing the wish.
Jared played an important role in the movie as loveable sidekick Billy, Josh’s best friend, who helps him act like an adult after his transformation. Thanks to his performance, in 1990 he was nominated for a Saturn Award in the Best Performance by a Younger Actor category.
After playing Billy, Jared’s streak of good luck continued, and led to him playing Ron Thompson in “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”. The family comedy was hugely successful thanks to its storyline about a kooky scientist who accidentally shrinks his children and two neighborhood kids in an experiment gone wrong. The film was nominated for several awards, including a BAFTA in the Best Special Visual Effects category which it won.
Jared himself was nominated for another Saturn Award in the same category as the previous time, but didn’t win.
Jared got off to a lukewarm start in the ‘90s with several roles, including playing Clyde Parker in “Pet Sematary 2”. Written by Richard Outten and directed by Mary Lambert, stars of the movie included Edward Furlong, Anthony Edwards, and Clancy Brown. As the first movie was so successful, Outten wrote another script with the same plotline, to capitalize on the box office success enjoyed by the original “Pet Semetary”.
However, the majority of critics and audience felt the sequel was totally unnecessary, with Richard Harrington of the Washington Post saying: “Richard Outten wrote an “original” script, merely settling a new family in Ludlow, Maine.
The town is the site of the fabled secret Indian burial ground that brings dead things back for another go-round — Outten’s script being a perfect example”.
From then, Jared mostly dedicated himself to occasional TV work in episodes of household name series, such as “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” and “ER”. Eventually, his career fizzled out in 2000 and he decided to focus on other creative outlets.
Jared’s Life after Acting
Many fans will be wondering what happened to Jared after he retired from acting. The former actor currently plays guitar in the independent rock band Deal by Dusk.
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With virtually no social media presence, the band mainly performs covers with a few independent songs here and there, and appears to be a project of passion for Jared and his friends. The band was formed in 2010, and since then has uploaded five videos on its YouTube channel, with the last one in 2014.
Despite slowing down on the work front, Jared’s love life seems to be better than ever, as he tied the knot with Sarah in early 2014. The couple frequently upload various Instagram photos of themselves and their little family, which consists of a dog named Magnum, a puppy named Frenchie, a toddler named Emma, and her younger brother named Bjorn who was born around May 2020.
It’s clear that Jared places importance on his family, and one post with his two children is captioned: “The reason behind it all: To be part of something bigger than ourselves”. Interestingly, Jared prefers to post motivational quotes and feel-good snaps instead of updates on his band, which has led some to think that the musical group is now defunct.
Jared’s Net Worth
Jared hasn’t appeared on our screens since 2000, and it’s likely that he spent any money earned during his fifteen-year career. The former actor is now living a simple life with his loved ones. Sources place his net worth as below $100,000.
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