Max Charles

The Charles Brothers' Trail

Max Charles was born in Dayton in 2003 and, before turning ten, already knew what it was like to shoot projects with multimillion-dollar budgets. It was no coincidence. His three older brothers were already working on sets in Los Angeles, and he simply followed the family path.

The living room in his house was a permanent casting agency.

In 2012, he played the young version of Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man. It was a brief role, but it put him on the radar of major Hollywood studios. That same year, he landed a part on The Neighbors, playing Max Weaver.

He worked on that ABC comedy until 2014. The series gave him the experience he needed to handle the pace of commercial television. But animated film came calling very soon.

In 2014, he voiced the lead character in Mr. Peabody & Sherman. It was a voice-over job that demanded an unusual level of maturity for a kid his age. And the bet paid off.

Digital Hate and a Thick Skin

Between 2015 and 2017, he was part of the cast of The Strain. He played Zach Goodweather across three seasons of Guillermo del Toro's production. He had to deal with a character that audiences ended up hating for his choices within the vampire plot.

Dealing with fan hate on social media takes an unusual level of mental toughness when you're still a minor. Max Charles rode out the storm while juggling filming with other Disney projects.

The industry often devours child prodigies.

Disney signed him in 2016 to lead the voice cast of The Lion Guard. For three years, he voiced Kion. The series gave him financial stability that very few child actors manage to keep as they move into their teens.

But the actor didn't get stuck in recording studios. He kept looking for roles where his older face could fit into stories far removed from canned laughter or cartoons.

The Return to Live Action

In 2023, he appeared in the film Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out. It was an independent project that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was well received by specialized critics. Filming took place on location in Utah during the winter months.

This film marked his return to on-screen acting after a long stretch focused on professional voice work. He accepted the role after reading a script that blended science fiction with dry family drama.

The production of that film had a tight budget and was completed on a shooting schedule of just 22 days. Max Charles earned a basic minimum salary to support American independent film.