The pint-sized star of the movie "Leave it to Beaver" (1997), Cameron Finley won the coveted title role as a result of a nationwide talent search conducted in seven major cities, involving 5,000 boys. Having worked professionally since the age of three when he landed his first commercial (for Shell Oil), Finley saw his first two feature films open three weeks apart in 1993, "A Perfect World", followed by "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", in which he played one of Mary Steenburgen's children. He portrayed a young Lane Frost (Luke Parry as a kid) in "8 Seconds" (1994) and made the first of his many appearances on TV that same year. Finley, who played a supporting part in "Hope Floats" (1998), starring Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr, continues to live in Garland, Texas where his parents protect his normalcy as best they can.
Family
-
Brother: Christopher Finley. born c. 1984
-
Brother: Taz Finley. born c. 1989
-
Father: Chuck Finley. born c. 1961
-
Mother: Lexa Finley. born c. 1961
Milestones
-
1990 Appeared in Shell commercial at age of 3 (date approximate)
-
1990 Parents took him to an acting seminar near his Garland, Texas, home at age three (date approximate)
-
1993 First feature film, "A Perfect World", released
-
1993 Three weeks later, "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" released; portrayed one of Mary Steenburgen's children
-
1994 First appearance in an episode of a TV series, CBS' "Walker, Texas Ranger"
-
1994 Played a young Lane Frost (Luke Perry as a kid) in "8 Seconds"
-
1994 TV miniseries debut, "John Jakes' Heaven and Hell: North and South, Part III"
-
1997 Debut in a leading role in features, played Theodore 'Beaver' Cleaver in "Leave it to Beaver"
-
1998 Cast as Sandra Bullock's son in "Hope Floats"