Born: May 25, 1971
Age: 53
Birthplace: Rye, New York, U.S.
Justin Worthington Henry (born May 25, 1971) is an American former child actor. He appeared in the 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer (his first role) in a performance that earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. As of 2016, he is the youngest actor to be nominated in any category, and the only actor ever nominated in the same decade as his or her birth. The performance later earned him a spot (No. 80) on VH1's list of 100 Greatest Kid Stars.
Henry was born in Rye, New York, the son of Michele (née Andrews), a real estate agent, and Clifford Henry, an investment adviser. Henry began his acting career in Kramer vs. Kramer. For his performance in that film, he became the youngest person to ever be nominated for an Oscar or Golden Globe. His next role was in a 1983 episode of the American television series Fantasy Island. On the big screen, Henry appeared in the 1984 Brat Pack film Sixteen Candles, playing Molly Ringwald's younger brother. Henry also played the son of a married couple played by Don Johnson and Susan Sarandon in the 1988 film Sweet Hearts Dance. In this role, critic Janet Maslin called him a "large and amusingly sullen teenager".
He attended Skidmore College, earning a B.A. in psychology in 1993. After graduation, his next widely seen performance was in 1997, as a medical student in a two-episode role during the fourth season of ER. He starred opposite Ally Sheedy, Jason David Frank, and Brian O'Halloran in the mockumentary The Junior Defenders, which was filmed that same year but released direct-to-video in 2007.
Henry cofounded the Slamdunk Film Festival in 1998. Although he continues to make occasional appearances in film and television, he was a Regional Director of Sales at Veoh since 2009. Now he's a Platform Director for AOL.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | Kramer vs. Kramer | Billy Kramer | Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor YoungStar Award for Best Young Actor/Performance in a Motion Picture Drama Nominated— Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated— Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture Nominated— Golden Globe for New Actor of the Year |
1983 | Tiger Town | Alex | |
1984 | Sixteen Candles | Mike Baker | |
1985 | Martin's Day | Martin | |
1985 | Double Negative | ||
1988 | Sweet Hearts Dance | Kyle Boon | |
1996 | Andersonville | Tyce | |
2004 | Lost | Chester Gould | |
2007 | The Junior Defenders | Jimmy Fletcher |