Former child actor Ross Harris was spotted on a rare public outing earlier this week in Los Angeles.
The 57-year-old former performer, best known for playing a precocious cockpit passenger in the 1980 comedy blockbuster Airplane!, appeared unrecognizable with white hair and a close-cropped beard.
He sported a relaxed, casual look in a black linen shirt, brown trousers and beige boat shoes while getting a car wash and grabbing some lunch in the city.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Harris for comment regarding his recent appearance but has not yet heard back.
Early Career and Airplane! Breakthrough
Born Richard Harris in Ventura, California, in 1969, the performer was often credited in television and film projects under the stage name Rossie Harris.
Harris entered the film and television industry at just six years old in the mid-1970s. Before landing major film roles, he appeared in more than 100 commercials, developing early experience as a child actor.
His early screen credits included roles in the 1977 feature film Another Man, Another Chance and the 1977 television film Christmas Miracle in Caufield, USA. He also made guest appearances in a handful of episodes of the daytime drama Days of Our Lives.
Harris landed his career-defining role in 1979 when he was cast in the slapstick comedy Airplane!. Released in theaters in 1980, the disaster movie parody became a massive commercial hit.
In the film, Harris played Joey, a precocious child invited into the aircraft cockpit during a flight. He acted as the straight man alongside the airplane captain, played by Peter Graves, who asked him a series of hilariously inappropriate questions.
Harris also delivered a famous fourth-wall-breaking moment when his character recognized that First Officer Roger Murdock was actually Los Angeles Lakers basketball superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker, Airplane! featured an ensemble cast that included Leslie Nielsen, Julie Hagerty, Robert Hays and Robert Stack. Shot on a modest budget of around $3.5 million, the feature became the fourth-highest-grossing film of 1980.
The comedy eventually earned $170 million at the global box office, a figure that equals more than $695 million in today's money when adjusted for inflation.
Television Roles and Acclaimed Dramatic Work
Following his breakout role in Airplane!, Harris made guest appearances across several popular American network television series during the early 1980s. His television credits from the period include Little House on the Prairie, CHiPs, TJ Hooker and Hart to Hart.
In 1983, Harris earned critical praise for his performance in the post-apocalyptic drama Testament. Originally produced for public television before receiving a theatrical release, the small-scale drama follows survivors of a nuclear attack that destroys much of the United States, while their community outside San Francisco appears initially unscathed.
Harris played the teenage son of a family who quickly discovers that the consequences of the nuclear blasts are far from over. As the story progresses, he and his neighbors begin to succumb one by one to radiation poisoning.
Testament was a critical success upon its release. Actress Jane Alexander, who played the mother of Harris's character in the film, earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress at the 1984 Oscars.
In 1985, Harris took over the title role of Spencer Winger on the NBC sitcom Spencer, replacing the show's original star, Chad Lowe. After Harris joined the cast, the network retitled the series Under One Roof, but it was canceled after just 13 episodes.
Harris continued appearing in television and film projects more sporadically during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His roles during this period included an appearance in the 1990 comedy Zapped Again! alongside Linda Larkin, before he largely stepped away from screen acting.
Transition to Music and Directing
During the 1990s, Harris shifted his focus from acting to music, performing as a member of the space-age electronic music act Sukia.
Sukia toured with prominent alternative artists including Beck and Stereolab. In 1997, the band released their studio album Contacto Espacial con el Tercer Sexo, also translated as Space Contact with the Third Sex.
Harris later co-founded the sample-heavy musical group DJ Me DJ You. He also began working behind the camera as a director of music videos.
His directorial work included two music videos for the late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith, created for the songs Coming Up Roses and Miss Misery. The song Miss Misery earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song after featuring in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting.
Harris maintained a multi-talented creative partnership with Beck, playing on the singer's first two studio albums and handling photography for his projects.
He later made a rare return in front of the camera when he appeared on the MTV reality series Jackass, where he was credited under the name Ross Angeles.
Career as a Commercial Photographer
After stepping away from Hollywood acting in the early 2000s, Harris built a successful second career as an in-demand professional photographer.
He has taken portraits of prominent entertainment figures including Zendaya, Laura Dern, Pharrell Williams and Lily Collins.
His photography work also includes commercial campaigns for major international brands such as Levi's, Adidas and Lancôme.
