Justin Henry (born May 25, 1971) is an American actor and businessman, known for playing the object of the titular custody battle in the 1979 film ''

Kramer vs. Kramer ''Kramer vs. Kramer'' is a 1979 American legal drama film written and directed by Robert Benton, based on Avery Corman's 1977 novel of the same name. The film stars Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, and Justin Henry. It tells the stor ...

'', a debut role that earned him a nomination for the

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while worki ...

, when he was eight years old. , he remains the youngest Oscar nominee in any category. The performance later earned him a spot (No. 80) on

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...

's list of 100 Greatest Kid Stars. Most of his film and television credits came as a child or teenager, although he has continued acting as an adult.

Early life and education

Justin Henry was born in Rye, New York, the son of Michele (née Andrews), a real estate agent, and Clifford Henry, an investment adviser. He was educated at Brunswick School, an all-boys

college-preparatory A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to state school, public, Independent school, private independent or parochial school, parochial schools primaril ...

private day school located in Greenwich, Connecticut, followed by Skidmore College, a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on undergraduate study in liberal arts and sciences. Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual capac ...

in Saratoga Springs,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, where he earned a B.A. in psychology in 1993.

Life and career

Acting career

Henry began his acting career in ''Kramer vs. Kramer''. For his performance in that film, he became the youngest person to ever be nominated for an Oscar or Golden Globe. His next role was in a 1983 episode of the American television series '' Fantasy Island''. On the big screen, Henry appeared in the

Brat Pack The ''Brat Pack'' is a nickname given to a group of young actors who frequently appeared together in teen-oriented coming-of-age films in the 1980s. First mentioned in a 1985 ''New York'' magazine article, it is now usually defined as the cast ...

film '' Sixteen Candles'' (1984), as Mike, one of main character Samantha's siblings. Henry also played the son of a married couple played by Don Johnson and Susan Sarandon in the film ''

Sweet Hearts Dance ''Sweet Hearts Dance'' is a 1988 American comedy drama, comedy drama film directed by Robert Greenwald. The screenplay by Ernest Thompson centers on two small town couples, one married for several years and the other at the beginning of their rela ...

'' (1988). In this role, critic Janet Maslin called him a "large and amusingly sullen teenager". After graduation, Henry's next widely seen performance was in 1997, as a medical student in a two-episode role during

the fourth season ''The Fourth Season'' is the fourth album by the Australian progressive metal band Vanishing Point. Track listing # "Embodiment" - 4:06 # "The Tyranny Of Distance" - 5:25 # "Surrender" - 4:09 # "Hope Among The Heartless" - 5:13 # "Gaia - Th ...

of '' ER''. He starred opposite Ally Sheedy, Jason David Frank and Brian O'Halloran in the mockumentary ''

The Junior Defenders ''The Junior Defenders'' is a 2007 direct-to-video comedy- fantasy film from Warner Bros. starring Ally Sheedy, Brian O'Halloran, Justin Henry, and Jason David Frank. Plot With a fanbase that rivaled '' Star Trek''s, ''The Junior Defenders'' was ...

'', which was filmed that same year but released direct-to-video in 2007.

Business career

Henry co-founded the

Slamdunk Film Festival The Slamdunk Film Festival was a "counter-festival" in Park City, Utah Park City is a city in Utah, United States. The vast majority is in Summit County, and it extends into Wasatch County. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. T ...

in 1998. He continues to make occasional appearances in film and television.

Filmography

References

Bibliography

* Holmstrom, John. ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 386-387.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Henry, Justin 1971 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American businesspeople American male child actors American male film actors American male television actors Brunswick School alumni Male actors from New York (state) People from Rye, New York Skidmore College alumni