Haley Joel Osment has opened up about his decision to step away from acting for over a decade. Once the young star of iconic films like The Sixth Sense , Osment is now returning to the screen in Zoë Kravitz’s upcoming directorial debut, Blink Twice. Now 36, Osment recently discussed the pressures of early fame, his reasons for taking a break, and how the industry has changed since he first rose to prominence.
He earned an Oscar nomination at just 11 years old for his role alongside Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense but chose to put his career on hold in 2006 to attend New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Reflecting on that decision, he shared with E! News : ‘My parents always told me, ‘”f it’s ever not fun, you can quit tomorrow.”‘ He added, ‘When I reached college age, I really had to think about whether this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
’ Ultimately, Osment’s love for acting never waned, despite the challenges that come with the profession. ‘The answer has always been yes at all these junctures,’ he said. ‘It’s still a job that I really enjoy, despite all the uncertainty and the difficulty of being able to plan your life three to six months out.
’ The actor, who made his big-screen debut in 1994’s Forrest Gump at the age of five, also recalled the Hollywood environment when he decided to take his hiatus. He described it as a time of intense celebrity scrutiny, particularly in Los Angeles, where the aggressive ta.