From www.thehollywoodnews.com

Some say he was the most talented child-actors of the 80s, who was on
his way to become a major Hollywood player, and inevitable
multi-millionaire. But after only 3 years of stardom, something
changed and he pulled one of the greatest disappearing acts in movie
history, never to come back.

Barrett Spencer Oliver was born in LA on August 24 1973. When a
family-friend connected to the Biz "plugged" his big brother Kyle, in
the late 70's, little Ollie decided on his own that he too wanted to
be on the telly! Appearances in commercials (especially for Jell-O
with The Coz) quickly led to juvenile guest parts in TV shows, like
"Battlestar Gallactica" and "Knight Rider". In 1982 alone, he was on
the big screen in 3 different movies, before competing with 200 boys
for a little fantasy movie called "The Neverending Story". Rejected
for signs of immaturity, he was re-called 6 months later, when no
suitable young man could be found, this time performing a knock out
audition for director Wolfgang Petersen.

The film was released in 1984, and young Oliver was fast becoming an
international star.

His increased exposure put him in the path of another former
child-sensation, director Ron Howard (sometimes known as Opie). Howard
was casting for 'Cocoon' when he saw "Neverending story", and quickly
cast this younger version of himself as the movie's only child among a
cast of geriatrics. . In many promotional interviews, he spoke warmly
of his bond with the director, and how he was taken under his wing.
"Cocoon" was an instant heartwarming classic that even picked up 2 Oscars

His already hot status made him an easy choice for a much-anticipated
sci-fi project called "D.A.R.Y.L.", in 1985. Despite a deceiving
tenure at the box-office, the movie, about a cybernetic child trying
to fit in with a human family, generated the highest acclaims for
Barrett. Ironically, the experience left him with a bitter taste, and
signaled a change of heart over his acting career. Not that he became
arrogant or developed an oversized ego, but he realized, according to
some of his cast mates, that child actors are seen, by director and
adult actors, only as a tool for easy-money, and treated as such. The
fact that becoming a teenager eroded his child-like cuteness only
deepened the feeling.

Now at 12, the young man decided to concentrate mainly on school, and
started to refuse offers. He did return for a sequel to "Cocoon" (a
lousy attempt to cash-in on the original's success), in 1988. The very
next year, he would show audiences another side of himself. In "Scenes
From The Class Struggle In Beverly Hills", starring Jacqueline Bisset,
he plays a terminally ill teen that gets to fulfill his sexual
fantasies. Whether he liked the role or not, it would be his last ever
acting performance. After that, he completely vanished, without even a
message to his fans, or an interview to explain why.

Such a complete and abrupt disappearance gave way to a wide variety of
wild and persistent rumors, giving the young man a mythical status.
Some said that he fell into drug-related problems, others that he got
into a cult (his father is said to be a Scientologist) and was
subsequently brainwashed. Some tabloids even reported his involvement
in some grizzly murder case. Not once did Barrett submerge to confirm
or deny these rumors, or even give a clue on his whereabouts. An
anonymous Internet poster, claiming association with him, stated a few
years ago that he wanted his legend to live on, and so allowed false
reports to continue.

The first CONFIRMED update on his life came in early 2004. According
to IMDb, Barrett Oliver is now a Photography teacher in California,
and one of the last disciples of the 19th Century "Wet Plate" photo
technique. He apparently holds workshops and demonstrations about the
craft, and has even written articles on the subject. One fan who
visited his photo exhibition in California wrote on a fansite that "He
has a full beard, wears glasses and has long hair. His voice was
recognizable, he wasn't really tall, and spoke quietly."

Whatever happened to him? He simply left, and doesn't show any signs
of regrets or desire to come back. But if he ever did, would his fans
forgive him for neglecting them so nonchalantly?

By the way…
He was mistakenly thought to have committed suicide in 2003. Many
people confused him with the star of the SECOND "Neverending Story",
Jonathan Brandis, who did take his own life last year, at the age of 27.

Anthony Langlois