Zachary LaVoy
Zachary LaVoy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Zachary LaVoy |
| Occupation | Former child actor |
| Years active | 1989–1991 |
| Known for | Parenthood (1989 film and 1990–1991 TV series) |
| Notable work | Parenthood |
Zachary LaVoy (sometimes credited as La Voy) is an American former child actor;[1] best known for portraying Justin Buckman in both the 1989 film Parenthood and its NBC 1990 television spin-off of the same name.
Career
LaVoy was born in Illinois.[2] He first starred in Ron Howard's 1989 film Parenthood as Steve Martin and Mary Steenburgen's youngest son Justin Buckman. His subsequent appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson at age 3 became a retrospect highlight for the show.[3][4][5] Director Ron Howard recalled how he would keep the three-year-old's energy level high by holding him upside down during takes; which ended up becoming the defining image for the Parenthood poster.[6] After appearing on ABC's Who's the Boss, LaVoy reprised his role of Justin Buckman on the NBC television sitcom spinoff produced by Howard; which aired from August 20, 1990, to August 11, 1991.[7][8]
In 1990, LaVoy was nominated for a Young Artist Award (then Youth in Films Award) for Outstanding Performance by an Actor Under Nine Years of Age. The award went to his co-star Leaf Phoenix.
LaVoy retired from acting in 1991.[9] In 2012, he appeared as himself in a YouTube documentary parody entitled: Child Actors: Hollywood's Punching Bags; which detailed the rise and fall of his acting career from "hitting rock bottom, redemption via Spaghetti Monster and living in his mother's basement."[10]
In a 2013 interview, LaVoy commented: "I have never really been recognized because as I've grown up. Obviously I've gotten bigger; and I'm not that cute little cherub anymore. Looking at Jasen Fisher, looking at Ivy, looking at Alisan Porter, they all look the same. I think with me – I don't think I look the same. But apparently everyone says I do; so who am I to argue?"[11][2]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Parenthood | Justin | Film |
| 1991 | Who's the Boss | Patrick | TV series |
| 1990-1991 | Parenthood | Justin Buckman | TV series |
YouTube
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Mr. Mendo's Hack Attack | The Cinema Snob | YouTube series |
| 2016 | Nostalgia Critic | as Zachary LaVoy | YouTube series |
| 2016 | Jesus, Bro! | as Zachary LaVoy | YouTube series |
| 2021 | Another Cinema Snob Movie | as Zachary LaVoy | YouTube series |
References
- ^ Zachary Lavoy. Gerald Jones, Ph.D. Gnothe Se Auton. Child and Teen Actors in Films and Television, 1895-2015. Academy Players Directory (1989). Retrieved December 31, 2025.
- ^ a b The Cast of Parenthood Then and Now. August 1, 2019. Entertainment News Online. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ^ ‘The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson’: Unflappable, supremely confident, with laser-precision timing. May 2, 2021. Review. Drunk TV. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ^ Johnny Carson Memories: 3-Year-Old Zachary La Voy From The Movie, 'Parenthood' (1989) on YouTube
- ^ McMahon, Ed (October 18, 2005). Here's Johnny!. Rutledge Hill Press. p. 111. ISBN 978-1401602369. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ^ Gray, Beverly (March 10, 2003). Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon . . . and Beyond. Thomas Nelson. p. 142. ISBN 9781418530747. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ^ "Parenthood Takes To Air". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ^ McNeil, Alex (May 20, 1991). Total Television: A Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. Penguin Books. p. 585. ISBN 9780140157369. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ^ Winter & Construction - "Child Actors: Hollywood's Punching Bags, Part 1 on YouTube
- ^ Winter & Construction - "Child Actors: Hollywood's Punching Bags, Part 3 on YouTube
- ^ Exclusive! Catching Up With Parenthoods Zachary LaVoy. November 14, 2013. Snackle reunites with kids from Parenthood. Retrieved December 30, 2025.