-> 

v

Friends today know him by his real name, but in the early 1990s he was much more widely known by his stage name of Michael Oliver. That's because he had plenty of fans when he starred as Junior Healy in both Problem Child movies. The first movie came out in 1990, with the second one following closely in 1991. While Oliver retired from acting in 1995, the movies continue to be a reminder of an amazing childhood that was certainly unique and gained him a lot of popularity. But how did Oliver get his start, and why did he decide to leave acting? There are answers to some of these questions even though Oliver generally keeps a low profile today and lives a quiet, private life. Read on to find out about the talented former child actor.

 -> 

v

Starting a Career as a Toddler

Michael Oliver was born in Los Angeles, California. His debut in the entertainment industry wasn't as an actor, but as a model. When he was two years old, he was a model in the Sears catalog. Then at six years of age he was in a commercial for Chevron. His voice was dubbed over, and he wore glasses. That commercial was seen by a casting agent, and Oliver was tracked down and contacted about a film role. He was cast as Junior in Problem Child days after that. The casting agent who had seen the Chevron commercial saw something in Oliver, and recognized that he would be a good choice for the role. It's not clear whether other children auditioned, or whether the casting agent simply chose Oliver after seeing him on the commercial.

 -> 

v

Problem Child was a surprise hit, and many people said Oliver reminded them of Opie Taylor, which was a character played by Ron Howard in the Andy Griffith Show. There were two sequels to Problem Child, with Oliver appearing in the first sequel. There was also an animated series created from the movie. The second movie didn't perform as well as the first. There were complaints that the script was not as good as the one for the original movie, and some of the language in the film was more adult in nature. That limited the audience for the film to older children and adults, which meant it didn't fare as well at the box office with fans, or with critics who has previously enjoyed the first film.

Life After the Problem Child Movies

 -> 

v

In 1995, Oliver played Sam Dalton in the movie Dillinger and Capone. He was also in a couple of TV episodes the same years his movies came out. But in general, Oliver was done with acting after his Problem Child role. He didn't do guest appearances or interviews, and didn't talk much about the private life he went back to after acting. In 2011 he called into a radio show where Gilbert Gottfried was a guest host. It was the first time he'd spoken to his former co-star since the movies were made. It was also said that Oliver was enjoying a quiet existence in 2015, but that he appreciated the time he'd spent in the spotlight when he was a child. He got married to his long-time girlfriend in 2016.

Oliver's mother was sued by Universal Pictures after the movies were made, allegedly for demanding a higher rate of pay for her son on the eve of production. Universal won the suit, and Oliver's mother -- who was also his manager -- had to return the difference between the amount Oliver was to be paid in his original contract and the amount she had asked for. No further incidents took place that were reported, and the movies were produced on schedule, with Oliver receiving the money the studio originally agreed to. Oliver was nominated for two acting awards for his roles, and there's little known about his life after acting. While it seems to be a quiet life by choice, there's not much known about what Oliver has been doing.

 -> 

v

One thing is clear, though. Oliver will definitely be remembered for his role in two large movies that were hits at the box office. That's especially true of the first Problem Child movie, which had a wider audience appeal due to the limited use of anything a child couldn't see or hear. Now Oliver goes about his day to day life away from the big screen, but he'll always have the childhood memories of doing something few people ever get the chance at. As he grew up and chose a career away from acting, he took with him all the fan support and the lessons he'd learned from Hollywood.