Whatever Happened To The Kid From The Problem Child Movies?
Released in 1990, "Problem Child" starred the former "Three's Company" star John Ritter alongside his wife, Amy Yasbeck, as a childless couple who adopts a kid from an orphanage. What they don't realize until it's too late is that their new son, Junior, is a sadistic maniac with a gift for gleefully creating chaos, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. (Interestingly, the hilarious comedy was based on a not-at-all-funny true story about a couple who were hoodwinked into adopting a sociopathic boy that the Los Angeles Times described as being "so disturbed that animals instinctively feared him.")
Starring fledgling child actor Michael Oliver as red-headed terror Junior, the film was lambasted by critics and holds a bottom-of-the-barrel 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, however, ignored the reviews and flocked to their nearest multiplex to give it a look, ultimately making "Problem Child" a surprise hit that generated a sequel the following year. The film featured early appearances from late comedian Gilbert Gottfried (as the shady adoption agent who inflicts Junior on his adoptive parents) and future "Seinfeld" star Michael Richards as Junior's idol, the notorious Bowtie Killer.
While the careers of Ritter, Gottfried, and Richards definitely took off after the movie's success, that wasn't necessarily the case for everyone in the cast, including its star.
He appeared in The Beach Boys' Problem Child music video
One of the songs appearing on the "Problem Child" soundtrack was the titularly titled single "Problem Child," performed by legendary rock band The Beach Boys.
The one thing that "Problem Child" could boast that those other Beach Boys songs couldn't, however, was the presence of stars Gilbert Gottfried and Michael Oliver cavorting in the tune's music video. While the band is seen performing the song, clips from the film are shown on a screen in the background. Meanwhile, Oliver — costumed as Junior — is busy creating havoc for the band by pouring laundry detergent into a saxophone (creating bubbles when it's played) and plugging the bass player's instrument into a high-voltage electrical outlet, resulting in an explosion that, Wile E. Coyote-style, left nothing behind but the musician's hightop sneakers.
Grown-up Oliver recalled shooting the music video on the Universal backlot after the film was completed. He also remembered the weird sight of a house in the middle of the parking lot — owned by a stubborn family that refused to sell when the studio had purchased all the land around it. Appearing on Gottfried's "Amazing Colossal Podcast," Oliver related a story his father told him about encountering the house while walking with Gottfried. "And Gilbert kind of looks at my dad and quietly says, 'Wouldn't it be great if we ran through that house screaming with hatchets?'" Oliver said. "I wish I could have seen the look on my dad's face."
He was at the center of a legal battle over Problem Child 2
When the box-office receipts of "Problem Child" were encouraging enough for a sequel to be greenlit, star Michael Oliver was contractually bound to reprise Junior in the new movie. As the Los Angeles Times reported, Oliver's paycheck for the first film was $40,000, with his contract guaranteeing a bump up to $60K (which was increased to $80K). Before production of "Problem Child 2" began, that amount was renegotiated so that Oliver would receive a $250,000 base salary, and an additional $250,000 (or more, dependent upon how well the movie performed).
Universal then sued Oliver's mother, Dianne Ponce, who'd been leading those negotiations, claiming that she'd strong-armed the studio by threatening to prevent her son from showing up on set unless her demands were met. The studio claimed that the agreement was made "under duress," and that they'd only bowed to her extreme demands because production was already underway, with millions already sunk into the project.
Oliver wound up testifying at the trial and revealed how that increased salary impacted him. "If I do remember correctly," said Oliver in his testimony, reported Variety, "I got a bicycle, a skateboard, and a telescope." When the case went to trial, the jury agreed that Ponce had indeed forced the studio's hand; Oliver's family was ordered to pay back $170,000 to the studio. Looking back on the lawsuit while appearing on Gilbert Gottfried's "Amazing Colossal Podcast," Oliver remembered, "That was unpleasant."
He didn't return for Problem Child 3 or the animated TV spinoff
After the bitter lawsuit that unfolded over "Problem Child 2," Universal understandably did not invite Michael Oliver to be part of any further "Problem Child" projects.
Of course, Oliver's hand wasn't exactly strengthened by the sequel's weak box office results; bringing in just $32 million worldwide, the second film proved to be a case of diminishing returns when compared to the $53 million earned by its predecessor. Nevertheless, Universal decided to go ahead with a third movie — but this time without Oliver as the titular problem child. Released in 1995, "Problem Child: Junior in Love" featured another young actor as Junior, with Justin Chapman taking over the role (John Ritter likewise didn't return, with William Katt in that role, although OG cast members Gilbert Gottfried and Jack Warden did appear).
The film franchise also spawned an animated TV version, simply called "Problem Child." Gottfried was hired to provide the voice for the cartoon iteration of his character, but no other actors from the film joined him. Oliver's services, once again, were no longer required.
Acting roles dried up because he'd become typecast by Problem Child
After "Problem Child 2," Michael Oliver's career as a child actor sputtered. His next role, in 1994, was an uncredited appearance in Oscar-winning screen classic "Forrest Gump," and in 1995 he guest-starred in an episode of the TV series "Platypus Man," a short-lived sitcom vehicle for comedian Richard Jeni. Also in 1995, he appeared in a small role in the direct-to-video movie "Dillinger and Capone," following legendary gangsters Al Capone (F. Murray Abraham) and John Dillinger (Martin Sheen) as they team up to pull a heist. He was then featured in the uncredited role of a Russian teenager in "Eraser," the 1996 action flick starring future California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. After that, Oliver decided to throw in the towel and call it quits with his acting career.
Appearing on Gilbert Gottfried's "Amazing Colossal Podcast," Oliver revealed that the success of "Problem Child" had been a double-edged sword, bringing him fame he hadn't had previously, but also cementing him in the role of Junior in the eyes of Hollywood casting agents. "From that point forward I was 'Problem Child,'" he said.
His family ran into dire financial troubles after the studio's lawsuit
Being sued by Universal over his "Problem Child 2" salary, and then losing, was a bitter pill to swallow for Michael Oliver's parents. That, in tandem with his acting roles becoming fewer and farther between for him, imploded his family's financial situation as the money spigot tapered off.
He opened up about the difficult situation his family encountered while appearing on the "Amazing Colossal Podcast," explaining the lawsuit had a lot to do with it. "Suffice to say that after all that, after the impact on morale that that left our family with, everything kind of took a downturn," he recalled. "We ended up staying with some friends for a while, slowly dusted ourselves off, and got back up, but I want to say it was a good couple of years that we were just completely busted up," he added, revealing that the downturn became so severe that his family was left homeless.
According to Oliver, his parents did everything they could to hold onto their house. "Eventually it was just normal life, day to day, and then suddenly that all gets broken up and 'Grab your s***, we're going to stay with some friends,'" he recalled. Luckily, he added, his parents had kindhearted friends who were able to help the family out during that dark time. "If it weren't for the people in our lives," Oliver mused. "I have no idea where I would be."
He withdrew from the spotlight in the late-1990s
The difficult years that Michael Oliver and his family experienced coincided with his exit from show business. Looking back on his decision to pack it in, Oliver told his "Problem Child" co-star Gilbert Gottfried that he had no regrets about not sticking it out as an actor. "I think it was a mutual breakup between me and the industry," he said on Gottfried's "Amazing Colossal Podcast." "I'm not gonna say one side dumped the other, because at that point I was kind of done with it anyway."
However, he added, he'd also come to realize that he'd been taken advantage of. "But at the end of the day, looking back at all of it, I'm actually really grateful for it," he said. "But I feel like if that hadn't all gone down, I'd be a snot-nosed kid with a Porsche and a bunch of fake friends. I've got to see the top, I've got to see the bottom, and I'm grateful for all of it."
According to Oliver, by then he'd become old enough to really start to understand what he'd be giving up by pulling away from the spotlight, but also revealed that his parents didn't push him. "The decision was always mine to begin with," he explained, praising his mother for encouraging him to find his own path.
Michael Oliver reunited with Problem Child 2 co-star Ivyann Schwan for an interview
In "Problem Child 2," Michael Oliver's Junior was introduced to a little girl who was even more of a problem than he was: Trixie Young, played by Ivyann Schwan. More than a quarter-decade after the child actors were onscreen partners in crime, Oliver and Schwan reunited in a joint interview for 22 Vision.
In that interview, Oliver recalled having a lot of fun with the other children on the first film, but remembered that he'd particularly bonded with Schwan while making the sequel. "Her and I have been absolutely best friends ever since," Oliver revealed. Both Schwan and Oliver credit the presence of Amy Yasbeck for making their experience on the set, as young children, as easygoing as it wound up becoming. "She was so nice, and she was so beautiful, and she just came in so bubbly, and made it really fun," Schwan recalled.
Yasbeck, also interviewed for the video, recalled working with her late husband John Ritter — who died in 2003 at age 54 — in both the original "Problem Child" and its sequel. "He was a movie star, but he wasn't that kind of unattainable ... everybody felt like they knew him, like that was their brother, that was their kid, that was their dad," she recalled.
He got married but it didn't last
While Michael Oliver opened up quite a bit about his personal life while appearing on the podcast hosted by "Problem Child" co-star Gilbert Gottfried, the truth is that not that much about his private life has wound up making it into the media — which is clearly his intention.
One bit of news about him did emerge in 2022, when The Blast reported that he'd filed for divorce. According to court documents obtained by the outlet, Oliver — who filed under his legal name, Michael Joshua Ponce Oliverius — got married just six years earlier, but he and his estranged wife had been separated since 2019.
In 2012, Oliver — then 33 — was interviewed during a cast reunion to benefit the John Ritter Foundation, and insisted he was just seeking to live a serene, private life. "After having been thrust into the spotlight as a child, I appreciate some peace and quiet," Oliver said (via People). "I am grateful and always will be for the experiences. I'm actually quite happy with my life the way it is today. I have a decent job. I work hard. I have a beautiful girlfriend. We have three cats and a hamster. It's a nice, quiet existence. I like it."
He called into radio show Loveline when Problem Child co-star Gilbert Gottfried appeared
While the "Problem Child" films are a major part of the life of Michael Oliver, they're just a few of many credits for late comedian Gilbert Gottfried, who died in 2022 at age 67. In fact, one of his various post-"Problem Child" gigs was an appearance on "Loveline," the sex-and-relationship advice radio show hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky and Adam Carolla. While Gottfried was broadcasting, he received a surprise phone call from Oliver.
Gottfried, while hosting Oliver on his podcast, recalled how it all went down. "And I get a call from an adult, and this adult voice says, 'Hi, this is Michael Oliver from 'Problem Child,'" Gottfried remembered. "I had to make the call," Oliver explained, revealing that he happened to be listening and thought it would be a hoot to stage an impromptu radio reunion. "Like I said, I hadn't seen, spoken to, or heard from you in well over a decade, maybe two, and thought, 'Hell, give him a call, see if I get through, and luckily enough I did ... To what I understand, people trying to call into that show, like, nobody ever gets through, so I guess it was fortuitous that I was able to."
Was he really a roadie for rock bands?
Anyone who does a bit of Googling about "Problem Child" star Michael Oliver will eventually be dragged down a rabbit hole that questions whether or not he ever worked as a rock band roadie.
On various message boards dating from the early 2000s, a user identified by the handle RoadiePC claims to be Oliver — PC, he said in Gilbert Gottfried's podcast, is the name his friends call him by, so that checked out. "Anyway, I'm not currently touring with the Samples, they're doing fine though, touring as we speak," the user — who may quite likely be Oliver — wrote in 2004. "Right now I'm taking a vacation with my lady, and we'll be back in L.A. at some point soon. Until then, things are likely to stay pretty quiet." To back that up, a photo was posted online of a roadie who looked a lot like Oliver, as did a similar photo shared on Facebook.
Even more evidence of Oliver's roadie past appeared on an archived webpage for the band The Samples, with an Oliver-looking dude identified as — that's right — PC, with his clue-filled description reading, "Drum Tech, Stage Set Up Computer Wizard, Insanely Intelligent, Was twice a problem as a child, Highly evolved old soul with [a] love of his lady and a passion for swords. And his own written language!"
Michael Oliver is happy to no longer be in showbiz
During his reunion with Gilbert Gottfried on the late comedian's podcast, Michael Oliver insisted that when he decided to walk away from Hollywood, it was part of what he now realizes was a desire for normalcy. "I started to realize, 'Hey, I think I want a normal life," he said. "So now, I work my ass off, I have a nine-to-five, quiet existence — I'm happy with it."
Asked what he was doing for work, he replied, "Right now, tech support. It's a lot of fun." Sure, he admitted, he's got stress, especially about financial matters, but he figures that makes him just like most people. "Life is normal. And to say that it's not stress-free, is fine," he said. "Like I said, I've seen the top, I've seen the bottom, I know what both extremes are like."
So content is he with the life he's leading that if he were magically given the chance to reclaim the stardom he once enjoyed, he'd turn it down. "I'd decline. I'd say no," he said. "One of the things that I learned really young was how precious privacy is," he added. And while "Problem Child" remains an important aspect of his legacy, it's not something that he sees defining him. "It's a huge part of who I am," he added, "but it's not something that I try to ride on."
He entered the memorabilia market by appearing at the Hollywood Show
For aficionados of Hollywood memorabilia, there's no greater gathering place than the Hollywood Show. That's where fans of vintage film and TV can meet and greet stars from a bygone era, who'll be happy to autograph photos for you — for a fee, of course. Joining the ranks of "I Dream of Jeannie" star Barbara Eden, Yancy Butler of "Witchblade" fame, and comedian Tom Arnold, Michael Oliver made his first appearance at the show in 2022.
As proof, a brief video — a mere two seconds! — documented the interaction between a fan and the "Problem Child" star, who's seen holding court from behind a table, behind which hangs a large poster of him, indicating the films in which he appeared.
While Oliver enjoys his anonymity, he also admitted that he appreciates those occasions when he's recognized for his long-ago career as a child star. "It's flattering, and it's awesome when people give you that recognition — but you can't say that it doesn't get old," he said in his appearance on Gilbert Gottfried's "Amazing Colossal Podcast."