A child actor’s mysterious disappearance continues to baffle, two decades later.
Joseph Pichler was just 4 years old when he delved into acting. Born in Feb. 14, 1987, in Bremerton, Washington, Joe was the fourth of five children.
It was clear early on that the little boy had a big personality. Just two years into auditioning, Joe booked his first gig, for a Seattle area department store.
By 1996, Joe broke through in commercial work and got into television. That year, he would make appearances in In the House, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Guideposts Junction, as well as the film The Fan.
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Joe continued to work into 1997, also branching into voice acting with his part in The Land Before Time: Sing Along Songs. His first truly notable role came in 1998, when he landed an episode of the hit series Touched by an Angel. That same year, he’d land a role as a young version of Billy in Music from Another Room.
Joe would gain more attention with 1999’s Varsity Blues, where he played Kyle Moxon, the younger brother to Jonathan Moxon (James Van Der Beek). At 12 years old, it was clear that Joe’s star was rising.
That was further illustrated in 2000, when Joe was cast as Brennan Newton in Beethoven’s 3rd. He’d play the role in Beethoven’s 4th the following year.
The Pichlers were concerned about the repercussions of growing up in Hollywood for their son. In 2002, after Joe’s roles in The Nightmare Room and Children on Their Birthdays, the family decided to move back to Washington to give Joe