At just 10 years old, Angus T. Jones rose to fame with his portrayal of the hilarious Jake Harper in the hit sitcom, “Two and a Half Men,” one of the most-watched American sitcoms of all time. The show also starred Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer. Although fans might remember Jones for his sweet, happy-go-lucky character in the series, the former child actor is now 29 years old and looks worlds away from his days on the small screen.
According to The Independent, “Two and a Half Men” became an instant hit and, at its height, was watched by 15 million Americans. Jones would become the highest-earning child actor, raking in an annual income of $8 million.
Born in 1993, Jones started acting in small commercials at 4 years old before making his debut on the big screen at the young age of six in the Crime film “Simpatico.” In 2001, the young actor would make his big break with a lead role in the comedy film, “See Spot Run,” which follows a mail carrier in his adventures after taking in a dog he mistook for a stray but was actually from the FBI and under witness protection. After that, he would star in several small roles in movies before finally being cast in “Two and a Half Men” in 2003.
However, the child actor is now all grown up and has actually stepped away from the spotlight, officially becoming a former actor. Although he won several awards and received nominations over the course of his career, Jones felt like a hypocrite during his time on “Two and a Half Men.”
Speaking about his acting career starting at such a young age, Jones said it was actually his mother’s idea, and he just went with it.
“It was one of those things that was totally random,” Jones said in a testimonial on Youtube in 2012. “It wasn’t anything that I was like, ‘I wanted to be an actor.’ I was 4 1/2. I didn’t know anything (I wanted).”
His effortless acting and laid-back demeanor made his character, Jake Harper, aka the “half man,” a favorite on the show. His onscreen dad, Cryer, would often praise the youngster for his down-to-earth demeanor, as he told E! Online he “hasn’t seemed to let (fame) get to him” in 2012.
As Jake would grow older in the series, the character developed into a trouble-making teenager who would call his uncle Charlie’s house his “weekend beach house.” However, Holland Taylor, who played his grandmother on the show, said that “unlike Jake, (Angus) is very smart.”
After almost a decade, Jones left “Two and a Half Men” as a regular in 2012 during the ninth season, in which his character finished high school and joined the military. He would later return as a recurring character. According to Jones, Jake’s development into an adult was something that he found to be “awkward.”
“I mean, I am with these people on set that I have been with since I was 8 years old,” he said in a Q&A at the time, according to Today. “And (I’m) doing the adult thing when I am still not an adult. I mean, I am 18, but I am not an adult.”
Also, in the early 2010s, Jones went on a soul-searching journey and joined the Seventh-day Adventist church, which saw him abandon the series for good as it conflicted with his religious beliefs.
After a short stint with the religion, Jones enrolled at the University of Colorado, finally able to enjoy life as an average young adult. “I wasn’t the center of everyone’s attention, and that was nice,” he told ABC.
In 2014, the child actor further elaborated on his controversial decision, admitting he wasn’t happy with the direction the show had taken.
“It was difficult for me to be on the show and be part of something that was making light of topics in our world where there are really problems for a lot of people,” Jones told KHOU. “I was a paid hypocrite because I wasn’t OK with it and I was still doing it.”
Jones left the series after his contract ended but admitted that he should’ve approached the situation differently. He felt bad about how he criticized the show’s creator, Chuck Lorre.
“That’s his like baby and I just totally insulted his baby and to that degree I am apologetic but otherwise I don’t regret saying what I said,” Jones revealed.”
Despite his harsh comments, Jones returned to the series for its series finale in 2015, which made him realize he wanted to get back into acting.
“Getting to be back on the set with everyone again kind of showed me how much I did like it and how much a part of me (liked) acting,” he told People magazine.
In 2016, the young celebrity took a break from his degree and joined Justin Combs as president of Tonite, an events management company.
Today, Jones looks very different from his sweet, baby-faced character in “Two and a Half Men.” Now 29 years old, the actor occasionally posts photos of himself on his Instagram account, including one in which he could be seen donning long blonde locks and a beard.
Some people were a fan of his more mature look. One person commented: “Angus! You look great there. The short beard is awesome. Hope all is cool & good on your end.”
However, others wished he was still that young boy they had watched on TV so many years prior. “No, show us your gorgeous, handsome face. We miss you on TV. Make movies.” one person said.
Jones’ Instagram has become more artistic in recent years. However, according to his IMDb, his acting credits haven’t gone up by much. In fact, his last role was in 2016 in the miniseries “Horace and Pete.”
According to Fox News, Jones was seen in late May 2023 — the first time he was publicly noticed in about a year’s time. He donned a fuller beard and appeared to be a huskier size. Page Six uploaded the photos to Instagram, where they said the former star “looked completely different” and “had a sullen demeanor.”
However, Jones’ fans stood up for him. “I would absolutely recognize his sweet face!! He’s been through a lot. Leave him alone. Hope to see him acting again,” one person said.
It seems like the former actor is enjoying his personal time away from the spotlight, but fans are still hopeful he’ll return to Hollywood one day.
Are you excited to see Agnus T. Jones move forward in his personal life? What kind of role would you like to see him portray if he returned to acting? Let us know, and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!
