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"I took myself out of the business to study film at NYU and the School of Visual Arts. I grew up on movie sets and was fascinated with the camera and behind-the-scenes work. I felt it would help my career as an actor if I knew all aspects of film." Taking yourself out of the business might seen risky, because people in show business often have short memories. Fans do, too. But Devin Ratray knew what he was doing when he decided to go study film and gain a better understanding of how everything worked before he went back to the business of acting. But how did he get started and what made him go back to school? Read on here, and we can give you all the information you need to learn more about the talented actor.

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The Early Years of Acting

Ratray was born in New York City. Both of his parents were actors, and that gave him the opportunity to be around the business from the very beginning. When he was nine he made his acting debut in the movie Where Are the Children (1986). There were plenty of other movies and programs he was a part of as a child, as well. The biggest break of his career, though, came in 1990, when he starred as the older brother in Home Alone. That propelled him into the spotlight of stardom, and gave him the household recognition he hadn't achieved yet with the other roles he'd played. Starring as Buzz McCallister was the thing he needed to get further into the acting world and really make a make for himself. But he wasn't done yet, as there was more acting in his future.

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After the success of Home Alone, he was in Home Alone II in 1992. Then he had small roles in films such as Little Monsters and Dennis the Menace. Along with other films around that same time, he started doing TV roles and guest appearances. With the number of movies Ratray had been in it would seem as though he would be a household name, but his fame faded some after Home Alone and its sequel. He hasn't had another hit, starring role like that one yet, but he's worked in the industry steadily ever since his big break. That's been enough to keep him going and keep challenging him to take on more interesting and unique roles that might not be box-office smashes but that add value to what he has to offer and everything he's already learned.

Later Years and Making New Films

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When he decided he was going to get out of the business for a while, he didn't do it because he didn't want to be an actor anymore. Instead, he did it because he was focused on becoming the best actor he could be. He assumed that the way to do that was to learn everything he could about the business, and that meant getting out of it to go and study it, instead. Still, the acting roles he's had have left a big impression on him. About his biggest role, he has said, "'Home Alone' had become the absolute biggest film I had ever done, and it became the third-highest grossing film of all time. So clearly it had an effect on me that is unparalleled to any other film experience in my childhood."

In film school at NYU, he learned all the things he didn't see when he was in front of the camera. That gave him the opportunity to realize and understand what the business was like from both sides, and that made him a better actor. In 2007, he was followed by a camera crew as he tried to win Condoleeza Rice's heart. He followed her around the country and serenaded her with love letters that were set to images and music. His attempts were unsuccessful, but they were made into a movie entitled Courting Condi, that came out in 2008. Ratray has also been on Cash Cab, where he lost, and is in a band he formed. He attended New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School..

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What's next for Ratray? That's hard to say. With all the knowledge he has as an actor and the education he gained studing the business in film school, he could certainly do a lot of different things. Fans will have to wait and see what he decides to focus his energy and time on. But Ratray has made several films in the last few years, so the odds are high that he'll continue to make films and support himself with acting roles well into the future. Those who loved him in Home Alone and have followed his career since then will have to wait and sese what the talented actor will do next.