If you have watched“Two and a Half Men,” then you must remember Angus T. Jones as the adorable Jake Harper.
The now-27-year-old was born on October 3, 1993 in Texas. And at the young age of 4, he started doing a few commercials until he landed his first role in “Simpatico” at age 5. At the age of 6 he then landed his very first lead role in “See Spot Run”.
Fast forward to Angus at 10, when he was offered the role of Jake Harper in Two and a Half Men. The series became a smash hit and the child star took home an impressive $ 300,000 per episode, making him the highest-paid child on TV at the time.
Allegedly, the casting team liked Angus so much that they offered him the role immediately, despite being the very first child they interviewed. Harper was featured alongside Jon Cryer and Charlie Sheen. In the hit sitcom, Jake lives in his uncle’s house with his father right after his parents divorced.
The show’s success was overwhelming that with over 15 million people watching each episode, it quickly became one of the most popular shows in the U.S. at the time.
Many have even credited Angus for helping the show get as much attention as it did. As time went on, Harper develops into a problem teenager and battles with drug and sex issues.
In the last episode of season 9, Harper decides to join the army.
But in 2012, Angus finds a new religion and as a result, makes him realize that he is not happy with the way his character has developed. He then joined the Seventh-day Adventist church and was baptized in 2012.
Angus went on to state how he would leave the show and that no one should watch Two and a Half Men, claiming the series has negative effects on people who watch it. After speaking out, he declared he did not want to play the role of Jake anymore.
In 2014, it became official that Angus left the show.
Angus considered that the series addresses topics that represent real problems for some people but the actor admitted he was sorry for going public with his stance and offending the series and its creator, Chuck Lorre, but does not regret his decision.
After “Two and a Half Men”, the child star decided to step away from Hollywood for a bit. He went on to do a few movies and TV spots, with his last project being in 2016. He went on to study religion at the University of Colorado Boulder and currently lives in Los Angeles.