LOS ANGELES, CA — In 1999, an 11-year-old boy changed Hollywood forever with three whispered words: “I see dead people.” That boy, Haley Joel Osment, became an overnight sensation, earning an Oscar nomination for his haunting performance in The Sixth Sense and cementing his place in pop culture history. But two decades later, the story of Hollywood’s golden child has taken a turn few could have predicted—one marked by personal struggles, public scandals, and a haunting reminder of the price of early fame.
The Prodigy: Born for Hollywood
Haley Joel Osment was born on April 10, 1988, in Los Angeles to Eugene, a theater actor, and Teresa, a teacher. The Osment family, with roots in Ireland, Germany, England, and Scotland, moved from Birmingham, Alabama, to Los Angeles—a generational leap that brought them into the heart of America’s entertainment capital. Even as a toddler, Haley was surrounded by the energy of scripts and auditions.
His Hollywood journey began in the most unexpected of places: an IKEA store. At just four years old, a talent scout spotted him, and soon after, he landed his first gig—a Pizza Hut commercial. Asked to describe the “biggest thing” he’d ever seen, Haley delivered a monologue about an IMAX screen, impressing casting agents and launching a career that would soon include sitcoms, feature films, and, eventually, Oscar night.
The Secret to His Genius
Haley’s early success was no accident. His father imposed a unique rule: no baby talk, ever. From the moment Haley could speak, he was treated as an equal, expected to communicate like an adult. This approach paid off. By age six, he could interpret scripts with a maturity that stunned directors and audiences alike. His first major role came at age five, playing Forrest Jr. in Forrest Gump—a performance that won him a Young Artist Award and signaled he was no ordinary child actor.
Haley’s younger sister, Emily Osment, followed in his footsteps, later starring in Hannah Montana. The siblings, close and competitive, grew up in a household where acting was not just encouraged—it was the family business.
The Burden of Extraordinary Talent
Hollywood quickly realized Osment’s gift for portraying children in pain, grief, or trauma. He played a dying boy on Walker, Texas Ranger, a leukemia patient on Ally McBeal, and, in 1996’s Bogus, he held his own alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Gérard Depardieu. But it was The Sixth Sense that changed everything.
Director M. Night Shyamalan knew the film depended on finding the right child for the role of Cole Sear—a boy who sees ghosts. Osment’s audition was so powerful that Shyamalan reportedly told his casting director, “I don’t think I want to make this without him.” The resulting performance was so intense that crew members wept on set. At just 11 years and 311 days old, Osment became the second-youngest actor ever nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. He lost to Michael Caine, but the nomination alone was historic.
And then there was the line: “I see dead people.” Ranked #44 on the American Film Institute’s list of greatest movie quotes, it became both Osment’s blessing and his prison. It followed him everywhere, shouted by fans and echoed in pop culture for decades.
The Hollywood Machine and the Price of Fame
After The Sixth Sense, Osment starred in Pay It Forward (2000) and A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001). The latter, directed by Steven Spielberg after Stanley Kubrick’s death, saw Osment deliver a performance as a robot child that critics still praise. The film grossed over $235 million and cemented Osment’s status as a serious actor.
But not every project succeeded. Edges of the Lord (2001), a dark Polish film about a Jewish boy hiding from Nazis, never saw a U.S. release. Years later, the film would take on a tragic irony when Osment was arrested in 2025 for public intoxication and anti-Semitic slurs—a bitter twist for someone who once portrayed a child victim of the Holocaust.
Despite the ups and downs, Osment quietly built a second career in voice acting. In 2002, he became the voice of Sora in the Kingdom Hearts video game franchise, a role he’s reprised in over a dozen games, keeping him relevant to a new generation of fans.
The Retreat from the Spotlight
Just as Hollywood seemed ready to crown Osment the next Leonardo DiCaprio, he stepped away. By the mid-2000s, Osment had seen the dark side of child stardom. In 2006, at age 18, he crashed his car in La Cañada Flintridge, California, while intoxicated—his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit for adults and over triple for minors. He was found with marijuana, received probation, mandatory rehab, and a fine. The incident stripped away his innocent image and forced a reckoning.
In 2007, Osment left Los Angeles for New York, enrolling at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. For the next 15 years, he avoided the spotlight, focusing on theater, indie films, and personal growth. He later admitted the move saved him from the fate of so many other child actors.
The Struggles That Followed
Life after child stardom was not without setbacks. In 2018, Osment had a public meltdown at Las Vegas’s McCarran Airport, reportedly shouting threats at staff after missing a flight. No charges were filed, but the headlines returned.
Then came the fire. On January 7, 2025, wildfires tore through Altadena, California, destroying Osment’s home and his parents’ house. He lost irreplaceable mementos—including over 500 vinyl records and a piano. The only item he saved was a framed yellow legal pad with Tom Hanks’s handwritten Forrest Gump dialogue—a bittersweet reminder of where it all began. To make matters worse, his insurance claim was denied, leaving him homeless and financially stranded.
Osment moved in with his sister Emily. Their parents, also displaced, joined them. Suddenly, four adults and three dogs were crammed under one roof for the first time in 25 years. Osment described the experience as emotionally taxing, saying, “It’s a lot of people for a long time.”
The Breaking Point
The string of misfortunes—pandemic, Hollywood strikes, the fire—culminated in April 2025. On April 8, Osment was arrested at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort for public intoxication and cocaine possession. Bodycam footage showed him shouting slurs and stumbling through the parking lot, a $20 bill with a white powder in his pocket. The video went viral, and Osment’s anti-Semitic outburst drew widespread condemnation.
Nine days later, the Mono County District Attorney filed charges. Osment released a statement, expressing horror and shame, blaming emotional trauma but not making excuses. “This hurts, especially the Jewish community,” he wrote. “I didn’t know what I was saying. I promise to atone.”
Reactions were mixed. Some sympathized, citing the relentless pressure of child stardom and recent tragedies. Others pointed to a pattern of self-destruction, referencing his 2006 DUI and the 2018 airport incident.
From Golden Child to Cautionary Tale
Osment’s story is a cautionary tale about the price of early fame. For every moment of glory—Oscar night, box office success, iconic catchphrases—there have been years of struggle, loss, and public scrutiny. Yet, even as he faces possible jail time and public disgrace, Osment’s talent and candor have earned him a measure of respect. He’s continued to work, returning to horror in the upcoming Wake the Dead and reprising Sora in Kingdom Hearts 4.
On July 7, 2025, Osment will stand in a Mono County courtroom, his fate uncertain. The world will watch, remembering the boy who once saw dead people—and wondering if he can find a way to resurrect his life and career.
