Jackie Earle Haley

Jackie Earle Haley (born Jack Earle Haley; July 14, 1961) is an American film actor. An Academy Award nominee, he is perhaps best known for his roles as Moocher in Breaking Away, Kelly Leak in The Bad News Bears, pedophile Ronnie McGorvey in Little Children, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the vigilante Rorschach in Watchmen, and horror icon Freddy Krueger in the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Early life and career

Haley was born and raised in Northridge, California, the son of Haven Earle "Bud" Haley, a radio show host/disc jockey and actor.

Haley has appeared in numerous films, including Damnation Alley, John Schlesinger's The Day of the Locust, and Losin' It, as well as guest roles on TV. A well known child actor, he starred as Kelly Leak in the comedy The Bad News Bears. He also starred in The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training and The Bad News Bears Go to Japan.

He played Moocher in Peter Yates' acclaimed 1979 film Breaking Away and later in the short-lived TV series of the same name. Throughout the 1970s, he often played a tough, angry, pimply, long-haired misfit; although in his feature debut, the offbeat 1972 film, The Outside Man, he played Eric, a boy apparently so desperately lonely that he tries to impress the mob assassin holding him and his mother (Georgia Engel) hostage. Haley also shot a pilot for an American version of the popular British comedy The Young Ones titled Oh, No! Not THEM!. In 1974 he played Norm a misfit kid in the 12th episode of the Saturday morning children's show, Shazam! It is rumored that in 1984, Haley's friend Johnny Depp accompanied him to auditions for Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street; instead of Haley being chosen for a role, it was Depp who was spotted by director Craven, who asked him if he would like to read for a part.