Before 'I See Dead People,' Haley Joel Osment Saw Casting Agents At Ikea
As part of a series called My Big Break, All Things Considered is collecting stories of triumph, big and small. These are the moments when everything seems to click, and people leap forward into their careers.
The setting is a gritty 1950s underground jazz scene; the story, a bizarre murder mystery: A jazz pianist-turned-detective named Rock Banyon is wanted for a murder he can't remember committing. And Banyon's band manager, one Alistair St. Barnaby-Bixby-Jones, has a knack for showing up at exactly the wrong time.
It's a new miniseries on IFC, The Spoils Before Dying, and the man behind Barnaby-Bixby-Jones is an actor with a familiar name: Haley Joel Osment. His path back to the small screen has been winding, but according to Osment, it began more than two decades ago — at an Ikea in Burbank, Calif.
"There was a casting table where these two young women were taking Polaroids of all the kids that came through this Ikea store," Osment says. "And through that, I got called in for a casting cattle call and it ended up being for a Pizza Hut commercial for this product ... which I remember not being very good."
He appeared in the ad for just a second and said one simple line — but it was enough to get him noticed.
Shortly afterward, the casting director for Forrest Gump reached out to Osment about auditioning for the role of Forrest Jr. In the screen test, Osment, who was 5 at the time, sits alongside Tom Hanks in a studio. There's instant chemistry between the two; it's a veteran actor guiding the little newcomer. Whenever Osment stumbles or forgets his words, Hanks whispers the lines to him.
"I guess I sort of knew who Tom Hanks was," Osment says. "But me and my family were going fishing with another family ... right after this screen test, and I remember that being on my mind. Like, 'All right, do this, and then let's go to the cabin.' And then later going, 'Oh, wow, that was a pretty important day.' "
Osment got the part, but that's not where the story ends. In the final scene of the film, in which Forrest and Forrest Jr. wait for the school bus, Osment says the script was changed moments before filming. So Hanks helped Osment with his new lines.
"Tom had this yellow legal pad and he wrote out the scene for me with my lines circled ... and I still have it today," Osment says. "That's how I learned my lines at the last minute when we did the scene by the bus stop."
After Forrest Gump, Osment continued acting in network TV. But, he says, his big break didn't come until his agent mailed him the script to a film called The Sixth Sense.
"I went in for [M. Night Shyamalan], who by that time had been auditioning the role for a long time all over the country," Osment says. "And we did the same three scenes every time, and it just ended up working out. I guess you could call that my big break."
He was 10 years old when he played the part of Cole Sear, who utters the iconic words: "I see dead people."
"When we did that scene, nobody was going, 'That's the line,' " Osment says. "It was just something that served a very important function in the story."
Osment's performance earned him an Oscar nomination in 2000. All these years later, he says it's a little strange looking back on his career. He's only 27 years old, but he's already been in the business for over two decades.
"But because of how young I was when I started, I also have enjoyed the fact that I know I always have more to learn," he says. "Every character I approach, from Forrest Gump all the way up to The Spoils Before Dying, has a different set of requirements and always fascinates me."
We want to hear about your big break. Send us an email at mybigbreak@npr.org.
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Transcript
ARUN RATH, HOST:
The setting is the gritty 1950s underground jazz scene. The story - a hilariously bizarre tale of a jazz-pianist-turned-detective. "The Spoils Before Dying" is the new miniseries on IFC, starring none other than Haley Joel Osment as an eccentric band manager named Alistair St. Barnaby-Bixby-Jones.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE SPOILS BEFORE DYING")
HALEY JOEL OSMENT: (As Alistair St. Barnaby-Bixby-Jones) I dare say, old bean, fantastic set.
RATH: Osment is young actor, but the story of his big break takes place over 20 years ago. It starts at an IKEA store in Burbank.
OSMENT: There was a casting table where these two young women were taking Polaroids of the all the kids that came through this IKEA store. And through that, I got called in for a casting cattle call. And it ended up being for a Pizza Hut commercial for this product, Bigfoot pizza, which I remember not being very good.
(SOUNDBITE OF PIZZA HUT AD)
OSMENT: (As character) Big would be an understatement.
Why did I pronounce it onderstatement (ph)? I guess they left that in (laughter).
(SOUNDBITE OF PIZZA HUT AD)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character) Pizza Hut.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) From Pizza Hut.
RATH: That one second appearance was enough to get him noticed. The casting director for "Forrest Gump" happened to see the commercial and called Osment in for an audition.
(SOUNDBITE OF AUDITION)
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: And action.
OSMENT: (As Forrest, Jr.) What, Daddy?
TOM HANKS: (As Forrest Gump) Nothing. I think you read the book really good.
OSMENT: Here's five-year-old Haley Joel Osment reading alongside Tom Hanks for the part of Forrest, Jr.
(SOUNDBITE OF AUDITION)
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Unintelligible).
HANKS: (As Forrest Gump) I just - I just wanted to tell you that I love you.
OSMENT: (As Forrest, Jr.) I love you, too, Daddy.
I guess I sort of knew who Tom Hanks was, but me and my family were going fishing with another family in Bishop, Calif., right after this screen test. I remember that being on my mind, going, like, all right, like, do this and then we're - we'd go to the cabin, and then later going, oh, wow, that was a pretty important day (laughter)
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FORREST GUMP")
HANKS: (As Forrest Gump) I know this.
OSMENT: (As Forrest Gump) I want to show that for show and tell because Grandma used to read it to you.
One of the most important scenes in the movie, at the end when we're reading the book - I guess that's the scene we were doing there. Tom had this yellow legal pad, and he wrote out the scene for me with my lines circled on this legal pad. And I still have it today.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FORREST GUMP")
HANKS: (As Forrest Gump) Hey, Forrest?
OSMENT: That's, you know, how I learned my lines at the last minute, and we did the scene by the - by the bus stop.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FORREST GUMP")
HANKS: (As Forrest Gump) I wanted to tell you I love you.
OSMENT: (As Forrest, Jr.) I love you, too, Daddy.
So after "Forrest Gump," I did a couple of years of network television. And then right about the time that was coming to an end, we got this script called "The Sixth Sense." I was 10 by then, so I was reading at a little bit of a higher level than when I was four (laughter) and knowing at that time that it was unlike anything I'd ever read before.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE SIXTH SENSE")
OSMENT: (As Cole Sear) Mama?
JANIS DARDARIS: (As Kitchen Woman) No, dinner is not ready. What are you going to do? You can't hurt me anymore.
OSMENT: I went in for Night, who, by that time, had been auditioning the role for a long time, all over the country. And we did the same three scenes every time, and it just ended up working out. I guess you could call that my big break.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE SIXTH SENSE")
OSMENT: (As Cole Sear) I want to tell you my secret now.
BRUCE WILLIS: (As Dr. Malcolm Crowe) OK.
OSMENT: (As Cole Sear) I see dead people.
Doing that scene in the hospital with Bruce and how totally unaware, once again, we all were of what it would become. When we did that scene, nobody was going that's the line. It was just something that served a very important option within the story.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE SIXTH SENSE")
OSMENT: (As Cole Sear) Do you ever feel prickly things on the back of your neck?
WILLIS: (As Dr. Malcom Crowe) Yes.
OSMENT: (As Cole Sear) That's them.
It wasn't so much a movie as it was about communication and how frightening it can be to not communicate with the people that are close to you or be unable to communicate with them.
(SOUNDBITE OF PIANO MUSIC)
OSMENT: I feel lucky every day. And technically, I've been an actor for 23 years, but because of how young I was when I started, I also have enjoyed the fact that I know I always have more to learn. And that's what is going to keep me with it forever, hopefully. Every character I approach from "Forrest Gump" all the way to "The Spoils Before Dying" has a different set of requirements and always fascinates me.
RATH: Actor Haley Joel Osmond. Catch him in the new miniseries "The Spoils Before Dying" on IFC. You don't have to see dead people to have a big break. Send us your story - mybigbreak@npr.org. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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