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"In D.A.R.Y.L. there was a part where I had to freeze to death, and they didn't even use it. It can get kind of frustrating. But I don't regret that I decided to become an actor. Besides, if I don't like it at any time, I can stop."

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You know Barret Oliver as D.A.R.Y.L. from the film of the same name, or perhaps as Bastian Balthazar Bux from The Neverending Story. To look at a picture of him today, however, he is unrecognizable. In adulthood, Oliver left Hollywood behind to become a photographer, and not just any photographer, but a photographer specializing in woodburytype development. This is a process used in the 1800s and early 1900s that lends pictures that "old west" look.

What Does A "Woodburytype" Photographer Make, Anyways?

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Today Barret Oliver is estimated to have a personal fortune in the area of about half a million dollars. That might not sound like much for the star of one of the biggest movies of the 1980s, but when you consider that he actually works primarily in artsy old-fashioned photography development, well, it's not bad, to say the least.

Oliver has actually seen some serious success in his work in photography, publishing A History of the Woodburytype in 2007 with Carl Mautz Publishing and winning rave reviews for his exhibitions of the craft.

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Early on into Oliver's photography career he penned a number of editorials and research pieces on the subject of Woodburytype photo development under a pseudonym, hoping to earn acclaim on the virtue of his work and knowledge of the process, rather than on his status as a child actor. It worked, and he was a legend in photography circles before he even came forward with his actual name.

Some child actors quit the job because the roles start thinning out once they reach adolescence. This wasn't the case for Barret Oliver. Every year since his debut in an adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Oliver was featured in at least one film a year for the entirety of his career. In 1984 he was in The NeverEnding Story, Invitation to Hell and Frankenweenie, and in 1985 won a Saturn Award and a Young Artist nomination for his work on D.A.R.Y.L. In 1985 he also featured in Cocoon, and three  years later its sequel, Cocoon: The Return.

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After seven years in the business, he was still landing important parts in major films. His final film was Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills (1989), a film that was a successful sleeper hit the year of its release. Oliver is one of those actors who simply lost interest with the work and felt there was something more rewarding he could be doing with his life. Given the acclaim he's earned as a photographer and printer, it's safe to say that he made the right call.

Working in old-fashioned photography may not be the kind of career path that makes anyone rich and famous, but you never know what your muse will be, you never really know your calling until you try it out for yourself and see.

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Will He Ever Return To Acting?

The answer is: no.

But that doesn't mean that he does not take part in film at all. In fact, his photography has been featured in movies. Whenever you need some old timey photos to complete the set, and you'd rather not simply slap a hokey Photoshop filter onto a digital shot, Barret Oliver is the guy you call to create an authentic prop for the scene.

He might not be a millionaire, but he has a job that he loves and he's making a solid living at it, and picking up plenty of awards and acclaim along the way.

"I didn't start out with a spectacular movie. Many people think you don't have to go from nothing to the top; they think you start at the top."