Iconic Childhood Actor Still Rakes in Shocking Fortune Decades After Legendary Role—Here’s How

Ever think getting devoured by a shark could fund your retirement? No seriously, imagine—your biggest paycheck comes decades after your most iconic movie moment lasted less than a minute… and ended with a giant rubber Great White chowing down on you. Maybe we all chose the wrong career path. Now, while most child stars either fizzle into anonymity or rocket off into maple syrup level stardom, there’s a sweet spot where cash, cult status, and a boatload of weird fan requests meet. That’s where Jeffrey Voorhees, the “little boy with the big bite” from Jaws, wades in. For everyone who ever wondered what happens to the kid the shark snacked on, you’re about to meet a man cashing checks simply for having… well, died really, really memorably. Is that success—or just plain surreal? Either way, you can’t help but smile—and maybe, squint at your TV next time the fin starts circling. Think being gobbled up wasn’t lucrative? Spoiler: Voorhees is still dining out on it. LEARN MORE.

A 63-year-old who starred in one of the biggest movies of all time as a child has revealed the insane amount he continues to earn to this day.

The life of a child actor is often not that glamorous, as they can be overworked and struggle as they reach adolescence, with Macaulay Culkin perhaps the prime example.

Some go on to become huge names in Hollywood, such as Drew Barrymore after she made her first appearance in E.T. – whereas others simply enjoy a small cheque in the mail after leaving acting for good, with the original star of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory enjoying a career as a vet.

Jeffrey Voorhees has gone somewhere in the middle, in that he’s still profiting from the incredible success of Steven Spielberg‘s 1975 blockbuster Jaws.

Jeffrey Voorhees played Alex Kintner in Jaws (Universal Studios)

Voorhees was just 12 when he was cast in the classic film as Alex Kintner, who was sadly ripped to pieces by the gigantic shark, meaning he was on screen for less than a minute.

But he’s had a far happier ending in real life, first managing a seafood restaurant where the movie is filmed, which is one way to get back at the shark that ‘killed’ him, and now he’s able to earn a huge amount thanks to his connection with the film.

The 62-year-old is flown all over the world to Jaws conventions, hosts guided tours on the island of Martha’s Vineyard where the movie was shot, and also makes personalised videos and memorabilia, with autographed photos depicting his death selling well on his website.

The moment Alex Kintner met his end (Universal Studios/YouTube)

Voorhees today (Cameo)

He said: “It pays to die. I was a 12-year-old kid who was in the movie for like a minute, but there are some real Jaws fanatics out there.

“One guy in England just bought 125 photos. I do signings. They fly me all over the world and pay me in cash at those things – around £10,000 a time.

“There are Jaws tours and people pay double if I’m on them and next month I’m appearing at three Meet, Greet and Mingle Parties.

“I still get paid every time the film appears on TV. My brother lives in Portugal and I’ll get texts from him going: ‘Good news, you just died on TV over here. You’ll get another cheque.’”

Jeffrey has certainly had a better ending than his character did (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

His Cameo videos have gone down a storm, with one family even paying for him to record a message ahead of a funeral after the deceased passed away on the couch while watching the 50-year-old classic.

Jeffrey added: “I said: ‘Hey, your father and I had a little something in common. He died watching me die. This is the dead Alex Kintner, Jeff Voorhees, here on Martha’s Vineyard – Amity Island. Just want to say – have a Jawesome funeral.’

“I thought they’d be annoyed, but they gave me a five star review.

“At first, I used to hide from the fact that I’d been in Jaws and then finally I realised I could make some good money and make people happy.”

Although Spielberg cast him in the first place and gave him this pretty awesome sounding life, he won’t earn anymore directly from the director, as he revealed he only likes to rewatch one of his films, and spoiler, it’s not the one with the giant shark.