Lee William Aaker is one of the most famous American child actors, the star of the popular show "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin". He has appeared in many classic films and TV shows from the fifties. The former little hero of westerns and children's entertainment shows is still alive, leads an energetic lifestyle and is active on social networks.
Early biography
Lee Aaker was born in September 1943 in Los Angeles, becoming the second child in the family. There is no information about the father of the future celebrity, but his mother, Miles Wilbor, was the owner of a local theater and dance studio for children. So it is no surprise that Lee has been involved in the studio's productions since the age of four, singing and dancing in local clubs and showing a variety of creative talents to the delight of his mother.
In 1951, Lee made his film debut, starring in the short film about children with special needs "Benji", playing the main role in it. This experience in the future seriously influenced the fate of the actor.
In 1953, Aaker was one of the child actors who was cast for the role of Jeff Miller, the protagonist in Robert Maxwell's iconic TV series Lassie, a tale of the adventures of the Scottish Shepherd Dog Lassie and her friends, both humans and animals. But for this role, another child, Tommy Rettig, a close friend of Lee was chosen.
However, Aaker had no time to get upset - two weeks after the unsuccessful casting, he was invited to star in the equally popular and entertaining children's show based on true events, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and the role offered to the young actor was much more serious.
Lee played a boy named Rusty, orphaned during the Indian raid and raised by American army soldiers from Fort Apache. Rusty and his friend, a shepherd dog named Rin Tin Tin, have many adventures in the Wild West, helping the indigenous population and soldiers of the commonwealth understand each other and taking part in tracking down and catching bandits.
At the start of filming, Aaker was only 11 years old, and in fact he became a "hostage of the role" - despite other work in film and television, none of the viewers perceived him differently than Rusty, the hero of his very first work. After such success, Lee appeared several more times in films dedicated to the popular project, and at the same time starred in classic dramas and musicals along with the brightest movie stars of that time.
Life in the sixties
By the beginning of the sixties, the young actor had more than thirty works in film and television in the creative piggy bank. The award for "Rin Tin Tin" was paid to him only in 1963, when Aaker was engaged in the sitcom "Lucy Show", a continuation of the cult project "I Love Lucy". After the end of filming, he received several offers to appear in similar series.
But he abandoned his further career and went to travel the world for several years with the money received as royalties. He was attracted by hippie culture, youth musical trends and just wanted to see the world. Returning home to Los Angeles, Lee Aaker was unable to find work as an adult actor.
Then he took up production, becoming an assistant to Herbert B. Leonard in the creation of the series "Highway 66", and then abandoned cinema, as he discovered for himself, in his opinion, no less exciting occupation - carpentry.
In 1969, Lee arranged his personal life as well. He became the husband of a girl named Sharon Ann Hamilton, having played with her in a wedding in Nevada. True, this love turned out to be short-lived happiness for the eternal vagabond Aaker. The couple lived together for only two years and separated peacefully. They had no children.
Lee Aaker soon found a new calling as a ski instructor for children with special needs living in Mammoth Lakes, California, renowned for its long tradition of logging and skiing. For many years, Lee taught sports to children with disabilities, and among his pupils there are many quite famous in American parasport.
Present time
In the early 1980s, film veteran Pat Buttram established the Golden Boots, which he decided to present to all veterans of classic film and television, all those who pioneered the development of the art of cinema in the United States.
In 2005, "the award found its hero" - the twenty-third ceremony of the Golden Boot Awards was held with the participation of several actors who, during the development of American cinema, stood at its origins as children, playing the roles of little heroes. Among the nominees was Aaker, who deservedly received his award for his longtime role as Rusty in the Children of the West category. This incredible child actor has played a total of 52 film and television roles during his artistic career.
In 2016, the actor gave a detailed interview for the biography of Katie Garver and Fred Asher "X Child Stars: Where Are They Now?", In which the authors described in detail the fate of every child star of the fifties.
Today, Aaker is already very old. Actor, producer, carpenter, ski instructor, just a good and energetic person, he is now retired. Lee is quietly engaged in personal hobbies, including social networks, advises filmmakers. The former actor actively attends nostalgic conferences and forums, where he gives interviews to journalists, talking about the momentous era of the first series on American television.
