Charlie Korsmo: What Happened to the Precocious ’90s Child Star From ‘Dick Tracy’ and ‘Hook’
He's had a surprising career outside the entertainment industry, but recently returned to the screen
Of all the child actors that rose to prominence during the ’90s, Charlie Korsmo may well be the one with the most surprising career path. Best known for his roles in blockbusters like Dick Tracy and Hook, the precocious star left the industry after acting in the teen ensemble comedy Can’t Hardly Wait in 1998, and went on to become a successful lawyer. Read on for a look at his movie career, his unexpected pivot and his recent indie comeback.
Becoming a blockbuster child star
Charlie Korsmo was born in Fargo, North Dakota — far from the glamour of Hollywood — and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On a vacation to Los Angeles, Korsmo got the acting bug when he went to a taping of the ’80s sitcom Punky Brewster and subsequently convinced his parents to let him start going on auditions. Soon enough, he was appearing in local commercials, and he made his big screen debut in the 1990 drama Men Don’t Leave, playing Jessica Lange’s son.
While Men Don’t Leave wasn’t a hit, he found major success with Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy that same year. Korsmo played Kid, a street urchin who becomes Tracy’s protege, adding heart to the hard-boiled comic book adaptation.
After Dick Tracy, Korsmo appeared in the 1990 TV movie Heat Wave and the 1991 comedy What About Bob? He then acted in another 1991 film, The Doctor, playing William Hurt’s son.
Korsmo’s biggest 1991 movie by far was Hook, Steven Spielberg’s star-studded Peter Pan adaptation. Korsmo played the son of a grown-up Peter Pan (memorably played by Robin Williams) and was able to hold his own alongside the veteran comedian.
While far too many child actors have spoken of negative experiences in their careers, Korsmo looked back on his early days in Dick Tracy and Hook in a positive light, saying, “I was treated as a contributor and a colleague, rather than a ward, by an amazing group of adults at the top of their fields . . . I looked younger than I was, so I really bristled at being treated like a kid, but Warren made me feel like a part of the crew. He’d have me there with him and the cinematographer, Vittorio Storaro, when they would be blocking scenes for the day’s shoot. I was never made to feel like a prop, and the same was true of my experience on Hook.”
Following Hook, Korsmo took a seven-year break from acting, and he returned to the screen playing a nerdy high schooler in the 1998 film Can’t Hardly Wait.
Charlie Korsmo leaves the industry
After leaving the film industry, Korsmo took an academic path, earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He then earned his Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School in 2006.
Korsmo has worked in various legal positions, and since 2011, he’s been a Law Professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He teaches courses in corporate law, mergers, & acquisitions, corporate finance and torts. In an interview, he admitted that his background as an actor benefitted his legal career.
Charlie Korsmo makes an indie comeback
For years, Korsmo looked to be fully retired from acting and settled in his legal career. That changed in 2018, when he played a European director in the low-budget independent film Chained for Life. The film’s director, Aaron Schimberg, was an old friend of Korsmo’s who convinced him to get back in the game.
Korsmo and Schimberg recently collaborated once again, and he has a small part in the director’s latest film, A Different Man, which is set to be released this fall.
While Korsmo has come out of retirement for these two art films, don’t expect him to become as visible as he once was in childhood. As he told People after filming Chained for Life, “I’m not quitting my day job, that’s for sure. But I was surprised how much fun I had.”
Whether or not Korsmo permanently returns to acting, his career has been pretty fascinating. After all, how many lawyers can say they worked with Warren Beatty and Robin Williams as a kid?
Read on for more about child stars!
Jackie Coogan: 16 Facts About ‘The Addams Family,’ Childhood Stardom, Suing His Mother and Much More
Mara Wilson Young: The ‘Matilda’ Star on Her Early Career and Growing Up In the Spotlight
Danny Bonaduce: A Look at the Life and Career of ‘The Partridge Family’ Star
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