# Jared Rushton
**Jared Rushton** (born 1974 in [Provo, Utah](https://www.edgepedia.org/provo-utah)) is an American former actor and musician, best known as a child performer in late-1980s Hollywood films, most prominently as Billy, the best friend of [Tom Hanks](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-hanks)'s character in *Big* (1988) and as Ron Thompson in *Honey, I Shrunk the Kids* (1989). After retiring from acting around 2000, he pursued music with the [Southern California](https://www.edgepedia.org/southern-california) bands Withdrawal and Deal by Dusk.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jared_rushton) • [2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/256959-Jared-Rushton?isMiscCredit=False)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1974, Provo, Utah, USA; also credited as Jared Michael Rushton[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jared_rushton) • [3](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/jared-rushton) |
| Signature roles | Billy in *Big* (1988); Ron Thompson in *Honey, I Shrunk the Kids* (1989)[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/256959-Jared-Rushton?isMiscCredit=False) |
| Feature films | Six theatrical credits from 1987 to 1992: *Overboard*, *Big*, *Lady in White*, *Honey, I Shrunk the Kids*, *A Cry in the Wild*, *Pet Sematary II*[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/256959-Jared-Rushton?isMiscCredit=False) |
| Awards | Saturn Award nomination in 1990 for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for *Honey, I Shrunk the Kids*; two Saturn Award and two Young Artist Award nominations in total[4](https://www.fandango.com/people/jared-rushton-580185/biography) • [3](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/jared-rushton) |
| Notable TV work | Chip on *Roseanne*; guest roles on *ER*, *Murder, She Wrote*, *Northern Exposure*, and *Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman*[3](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/jared-rushton) • [5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jared-rushton/credits/3030258608/) |
| After acting | Left acting around 2000 for music; played with Withdrawal (album *The Perfectionist Blacklist*, 2006) and Deal by Dusk, and later with Goodbye Effect[4](https://www.fandango.com/people/jared-rushton-580185/biography) • [6](https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/rick-moranis-honey-i-shrunk-kids-turns-35-decades-after-actor-left-hollywood/) |
## Early career
Rushton began acting at about twelve years old with an episode of the horror anthology series *Tales from the Darkside*, playing a character named Richie, followed by appearances on *Cagney & Lacey* and the television film *Top Kids*.[3](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/jared-rushton) His first major film role came in 1987 as Charlie Proffitt, one of the sons of [Kurt Russell](https://www.edgepedia.org/kurt-russell)'s character, in [Garry Marshall](https://www.edgepedia.org/garry-marshall)'s comedy *[Overboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/overboard-1987-film)*, and he appeared as Donald in the fantasy mystery *Lady in White* the following year.[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/256959-Jared-Rushton?isMiscCredit=False) • [7](https://thebiography.org/what-happened-to-jared-rushton-net-worth-wife-family-wiki/)
## Breakthrough with Big and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
**Big (1988).** Rushton played Billy, the childhood best friend of twelve-year-old Josh Baskin, whose wish to be "big" transforms him into an adult played by Tom Hanks. [Penny Marshall](https://www.edgepedia.org/penny-marshall) directed the film, which remains Rushton's highest-rated credit on Rotten Tomatoes at 98 percent with critics and 82 percent with audiences.[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/256959-Jared-Rushton?isMiscCredit=False) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jared_rushton) In the film's well-known scenes he delivered a rap as Billy, and his performance left him widely identified with the role.[8](https://www.yahoo.com/news/honey-i-shrunk-the-kids-then-and-now-135637024.html)
**Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989).** A year later he played Ron Thompson, the bratty next-door neighbor who hits the wayward baseball that triggers inventor Wayne Szalinski's shrink ray, leaving Ron and the Szalinski children shrunk to a fraction of their size in the backyard.[7](https://thebiography.org/what-happened-to-jared-rushton-net-worth-wife-family-wiki/) • [9](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/honey-i-shrunk-the-kids-1989) In 1990 he was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for the role and lost to Adan Jodorowsky, son of filmmaker [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://www.edgepedia.org/alejandro-jodorowsky), for *[Santa Sangre](https://www.edgepedia.org/santa-sangre)*.[4](https://www.fandango.com/people/jared-rushton-580185/biography) In all, he received two Saturn Award and two [Young Artist Award](https://www.edgepedia.org/young-artist-award) nominations.[3](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/jared-rushton)
## Later film and television work
Rushton took the lead role of Brian in *A Cry in the Wild* (1990), a [Roger Corman](https://www.edgepedia.org/roger-corman)-produced adaptation of [Gary Paulsen](https://www.edgepedia.org/gary-paulsen)'s *Hatchet*, in which a boy survives alone in the Canadian wilderness; sources differ on its release year, with the AFI Catalog and most filmographies listing 1990 and the Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango biographies listing 1991.[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/256959-Jared-Rushton?isMiscCredit=False) • [4](https://www.fandango.com/people/jared-rushton-580185/biography) His last feature was the horror sequel *Pet Sematary II* (1992), in which he played the school bully Clyde Parker; it received negative reviews and grossed $17.1 million worldwide for [Paramount Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount-pictures).[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/256959-Jared-Rushton?isMiscCredit=False) • [10](https://www.famousfix.com/topic/jared-rushton/filmography?view=edit) His final screen credits came in television, in *Larry McMurtry's 'Dead Man's Walk'*, *Cracker: Mind Over Murder*, and *Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family*.[6](https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/rick-moranis-honey-i-shrunk-kids-turns-35-decades-after-actor-left-hollywood/) Through the 1990s he also appeared as Chip on *Roseanne* and in episodes of *ER*, *Murder, She Wrote*, *Northern Exposure*, *Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman*, and *Life Goes On*, and played Peter Thomas in the 1994 television drama *The Yarn Princess*.[3](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/jared-rushton) • [5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jared-rushton/credits/3030258608/) • [11](https://digiguide.tv/celebrity/Jared%2BRushton/2693/)
## Music career
In 2000, after nearly a decade of scattered television appearances, Rushton retired from acting to pursue music.[4](https://www.fandango.com/people/jared-rushton-580185/biography) With his brother Ryan he joined the Southern California rock band Withdrawal, whose sole album, *The Perfectionist Blacklist* (2006), blended post-hardcore, electronica, and post-rock.[4](https://www.fandango.com/people/jared-rushton-580185/biography) After Withdrawal broke up, the Rushton brothers and percussionist Todd Crayton formed Deal by Dusk, a quintet whose sound stretches late-1990s indie rock into jam-band territory and which has shared the stage with [Jerry Garcia](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-garcia) sideman Melvin Seals.[4](https://www.fandango.com/people/jared-rushton-580185/biography) He is reported to play guitar and organ for Deal by Dusk and for the band Goodbye Effect.[6](https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/rick-moranis-honey-i-shrunk-kids-turns-35-decades-after-actor-left-hollywood/) He keeps a low public profile and does not operate a verified public profile on Instagram, TikTok, or X.[12](https://lovemebio.com/blog/jared-rushton-faq-social-media-branding)
## References
1. [Jared Rushton, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jared_rushton)
2. [Jared Rushton, AFI Catalog of Feature Films](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/256959-Jared-Rushton?isMiscCredit=False)
3. [Jared Rushton, NetflixMovies.com](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/jared-rushton)
4. [Jared Rushton Biography, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/jared-rushton-580185/biography)
5. [Jared Rushton, TV Guide credits](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jared-rushton/credits/3030258608/)
6. [Rick Moranis' 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' turns 35, Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/rick-moranis-honey-i-shrunk-kids-turns-35-decades-after-actor-left-hollywood/)
7. [What happened to Jared Rushton? The Biography](https://thebiography.org/what-happened-to-jared-rushton-net-worth-wife-family-wiki/)
8. [Honey I Shrunk The Kids: Then and Now, Yahoo Movies UK](https://www.yahoo.com/news/honey-i-shrunk-the-kids-then-and-now-135637024.html)
9. [Honey, I Shrunk The Kids review, Roger Ebert](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/honey-i-shrunk-the-kids-1989)
10. [Jared Rushton Filmography, FamousFix](https://www.famousfix.com/topic/jared-rushton/filmography?view=edit)
11. [Jared Rushton, Digiguide](https://digiguide.tv/celebrity/Jared%2BRushton/2693/)
12. [Jared Rushton: FAQs & Misconceptions, LoveMeBio](https://lovemebio.com/blog/jared-rushton-faq-social-media-branding)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Child and young film performers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license