Jake Harper From 'Two And A Half Men' Looks Worlds Away From Child Acting Days

Nov 26, 2020 by apost team

At just ten 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. Although fans might remember him for his sweet, happy-go-lucky character in the series, the former child actor is now 28 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, raining in an annual income of $8 million.

Born in 1993, Jones started acting in small commercials at four 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 on Two and a Half Men in 2003.

Speaking of 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]."

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His effortless acting and laid-back demeanor made his character, Jake Harper, aka the "half man" a favorite on the show. His onscreen dad, Jon Cryer, would often praise the youngster for his down-to-earth demeanor, telling E! online he "hasn't seemed to let [fame] get to him" in 2012. 

As Jake would grow older in the series, his 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 season 9, in which his character finishes high school and joins 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."

That same year, 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. 

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."

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.

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 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 on Two and a Half Men. Now 28 years old, the actor occasionally posts photos of himself on his Instagram account, in which his seen donning long blonde locks and a beard. 

Are you excited to see Agnus T. Jones on the screen again? What kind of role would you like to see him take up? Let us know in the comments, and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!