Liam Aiken

Aiken in Good Boy!

Liam Padraic Aiken (born January 7, 1990) is an American actor who has made a number of films, his most prominent role being that of Klaus Baudelaire in A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Biography

Early life

Aiken was born in New York City, the only child of Bill Aiken, an MTV producer, and an Irish immigrant mother. He made his professional acting debut in a Ford Motor Company Windstar commercial. Liam made his stage debut in the Broadway play A Doll's House at the age of seven and his film debut playing Parker Posey's son in Henry Fool in the same year. It was because of his need of a college fund, that his mother encouraged him to become an actor.

Film career

Aiken's first major film role was playing Susan Sarandon's young son in Stepmom in 1998. He also appeared as Tom Hanks' doomed younger son in the 2002 film Road to Perdition. He starred in the family film Good Boy! playing the lead, Owen Baker, in 2003. He turned down the role of Cole Sear in The Sixth Sense (1999) because his mother felt he was too young for the death-fixated role; the role went instead to Haley Joel Osment. Liam was also considered for the role of Harry Potter, as he had previously worked with director Chris Columbus, but he was unable to take the part as he was not from the British Isles.

Liam's film roles have earned him critical acclaim as well as nominations (and at least one award) aimed at recognizing young acting talent.

In December 2004, he was seen in one of his more recognized roles as Klaus Baudelaire, the orphaned, avid reader in the film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, starring Jim Carrey, based on the popular books of the same name.

Personal life

Aiken attends Dwight-Englewood School, from which he will graduate in 2008. A fan of punk music, he plays the electric and acoustic guitar, as well as the drums. In addition, he is the lead guitarist for the band Saint Levi. His first dog, an Italian Greyhound, was named Kes (after the kestrel in Kes).

Career work

Film

* Fay Grim (2007) - Ned
* Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) - Klaus Baudelaire
* Good Boy! (2003) - Owen Baker
* Road to Perdition (2002) - Peter Sullivan
* The Rising Place (2001) - Emmett Wilder
* Sweet November (2001 film) - Abner
* I Dreamed of Africa (2001) - Young Emmanuele
* Stepmom (1998) - Ben Harrison
* Henry Fool'' (1997) - Ned

Stage

*Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House (1997) - Bobby Helmer

Sources

*New York Metro
*Liam-Aiken.us
*First site about Liam Aiken since 1998
*Liam Web