James Cooper Ingalls Turned 54 This Year—Smile At His Looks Today

Nov 26, 2020

Actor Jason Bateman turned 54 in January. He rose to fame for his role as a child actor playing James Cooper Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie. While the older generation may remember him as a boy, take a look at what Bateman looks like as an adult today.

Born in Rye, New York on January 14, 1969, Jason Kent Bateman moved from the East to the West coast with his family while he was still a child, eventually arriving in California. His first acting work was for a cereal commercial before he kickstarted his career in Hollywood playing James Cooper Ingalls, the second adopted son of Caroline and Charles Ingalls in the NBC-TV series Little House on the Prairie. According to Biography, he was just 12 years old then.

He continued to work in television, appearing in various shows including Silver Spoons and The Hogan Family, the latter in a role that propelled him into the spotlight. His turn in the movie Teen Wolf Too only cemented his teen idol status. The '90s saw Bateman take on various roles before he was cast in Arrested Development in 2003 as Michael Bluth. He won a Golden Globe award for his portrayal and was also nominated for an Emmy. 

Bateman has managed to break the child actor stereotype in that he didn't fall into the trappings of fame and/or pursued other interests. He rose above the potential stumbling blocks and continued to act. Although his time on the classic family series covered just 23 episodes, the experience proved to be a priceless one for the young Bateman.

“The only thing that I remember really soaking in was that first big job on Little House on the Prairie," recalled Bateman during an interview with Variety, according to VisionTV.

"That group of actors had been together since Bonanza, and the way in which everybody functioned was very familial. It was a warm place, and I remember in the few years that followed when I would end up on sets that were less functional."

After his success in Arrested Development, Bateman's movie career skyrocketed, as he not only appeared in but also played leading roles in a number of comedies including Starsky & Hutch, The Break-Up, Juno, Couples Retreat, The Switch, and Horrible Bosses, among others. Now, after conquering the comedy genre, Bateman has shifted his acting focus to more serious roles, appearing in crime and psychological thrillers.

Bateman stars in what is being helmed as "the most intense movie you can watch on Netflix right now," The Gift. The psychological thriller was released in 2015 in theaters but arrived just recently on Thursday, October 1st, on Netflix US. In the movie, Bateman stars as a man who reconnects with an old friend, who then begins bringing mysterious gifts to him and his wife, played by Rebecca Hall.

To get a more recent look at Bateman, Ozark is a good place to check him out. It's great albeit shocking to see the funnyman take on a gritty dramatic role opposite Laura Linney. Its latest season was released this year with a fourth one coming up on a not yet announced date.

While Bateman might have conquered Hollywood, he's also enjoyed a strong marriage to his wife Amanda Anka, daughter of singer Paul Anka. The couple got married in 2001 and have two daughters together, Francesca and Maple. But while their marriage might seem picture-perfect, it wasn't always the case. Despite avoiding the severe pitfalls that many child stars fall into, Bateman did have a partying period of his own—and it compromised his marriage.

He told Us Weekly in 2009 about the '90s:

"It was like Risky Business for 10 years. My parents were out of town, they left me a bunch of money, the car, and the house, and I didn't know when they were coming home. I'd worked so hard that by the time I was 20, I wanted to play hard. And I did that really well."

Eventually, his future wife offered him an ultimatum—quit partying for the sake of their relationship. After a lonely, rainy Christmas morning alone, Bateman came to his senses and matured his ways. Reflecting back on the situation, he told Details, as reported by in the same Us Weekly interview:

"Do you want to continue being great at being in your twenties, or do you want to step up and graduate into adulthood?"

With an incredible career and loving family life at home, we're sure Bateman is glad he chose the way he did.

What was your favorite Little House on the Prairie scene with James Cooper Ingalls? Tell us in the comments and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones.