'Home Improvement''s Zachary Ty Bryan is 'a warning barrier' for child stars: expert

“Home Improvement” alum Zachary Ty Bryan is one of many former child stars who have battled their way into adulthood and ended up with a final sheet.

The 42-year-old, who played Tim Allen's oldest son on the classic comedy from 1991 to 1999, was arrested for DUI on Saturday night.

The actor also pleaded guilty to felony fourth-degree assault last year for a domestic violence arrest, and was arrested in 2020 for allegedly trying to strangle his girlfriend.

Achilles PR's Doug Eldridge told Fox News Digital that Bryan's situation is different from other child stars because he is in his 40s and “this is not his first run-in with the law, as he was also convicted on domestic violence charges.” in the last times”. years.”

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“The recent DUI arrest is a bit of a binary decision: You're either over the legal blood alcohol threshold or you're not,” Eldridge said. “In that sense, he will face a legal challenge, given his background, which could be considered by the court. While he will certainly receive some measure of legal punishment, at least no one was injured in the incident. There is always a positive takeaway. benefit from stories like this; “If your management team is smart and sincere, they will rebuild your 'brand' around sobriety and responsible lifestyles.”

He said Bryan's name still has “cache” and that he could “have a positive impact, using his own story and personal mistakes as a warning to others.”

Zachary Ty Bryan, second from right, played Tim Allen's oldest son in “Home Improvement.” (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Kathy Fielder, president and CEO of Kathy Fielder Design, told Fox News Digital: “There are many child actors and performers who are known for making mistakes during their careers. It takes a lot to learn how to properly manage money, fame and popularity. fortune. for anyone, much less for someone who is not an adult.”

He added: “The exposure that young celebrities receive and the sheer amount of luxury can become addictive and create unwanted behaviors in adulthood. When you make enough money to be able to live an incredible lifestyle at such a young age, it can be difficult “'Normal' life keeps your attention and seeking distractions can often become a recipe for problems. “When you've never known 'normal,' it's hard to marry reality with idealism.”

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Zachary Ty Bryan in a 1994 episode of “Home Improvement.” (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

Fielder said some former child stars feel the need to continue the “feeling of being in the spotlight and aligning your value beyond being in front of the camera or at the right party or awards show,” adding that it's “certainly a harsh reality when you may no longer be the center of attention.”

Here are other child stars who got into trouble with the law.

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan was arrested several times when she was 20 years old. (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Santa Monica Police Department)

Lindsay Lohan is a child star who seems to have turned her life around.

She got married in 2022, welcomed her first child in 2023, and began making a comeback after leaving the industry for almost a decade. The now 37-year-old found her way into the hearts of moviegoers when she played scheming but well-meaning twins in 1998's “The Parent Trap,” when she was just 12 years old.

She continued making hits like “Freaky Friday” and “Mean Girls,” but by the time she turned 20, the star began to be known more for her legal troubles and hard partying than her career.

Lindsay Lohan married Bader Shammas in 2022. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Netflix)

The actress was first arrested for DUI and cocaine possession in May 2007 and again on similar charges in July of that year. She pleaded guilty to the charges that same year and was sentenced to community service, one day in jail, and court-ordered rehabilitation.

In 2010, a judge issued an arrest warrant for him when he failed to appear in court after allegedly losing his passport while attending the Cannes Film Festival in France.

She was sentenced to 13 days in jail and jailed again in September for failing a drug test.

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The following year, he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor grand theft for a necklace stolen from a store. She was sentenced to 120 days in jail, but she ended up serving house arrest due to overcrowding.

His probation was also revoked that year after he failed a blood alcohol test.

Lindsay Lohan cries in a Beverly Hills courtroom after being sentenced to 90 days in jail in 2010. (AP)

His troubles continued into 2013, including pleading no contest to leaving the scene of an accident after hitting a hotel employee with his car.

“Most celebrities are allowed whatever they need or want at any given time, which creates a sense of entitlement for those who may not have the best leadership and inspiration around them,” Fielder said. “Many achieve it well; but for a child actor, now an adult, it becomes more difficult in many cases to face the realities of normality. As a society, we have seen time and time again, young actors who fall into trouble, many times for pure boredom with the status quo.”

Macauley Culkin

“Home Alone” star Macauley Culkin went through a lot of trouble as a former child star, but now he has his life in order and just received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Getty Images/Shutterstock)

Macauley Culkin also rose to stardom in the 1990s, but at an even younger age than Lohan.

The now 43-year-old man is engaged and the father of two children. He also appears to be working on his own comeback, receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December. However, Culkin had his fair share of struggles over the years after starring in the mega-hit “Home Alone” in 1990.

Fourteen years after being cast as Kevin McCallister in the Christmas classic at just 10 years old, Culkin was arrested on drug charges and later pleaded guilty.

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Macaulay Culkin in a mugshot following his arrest on drug charges in 2004. (Kypros/Getty Images)

He also had some issues with his now-estranged father, Christopher Cornelius “Kit” Culkin.

The “Uncle Buck” star accused him of physical and mental abuse, including threatening violence against him if he botched a take while performing on set. Culkin also sued to gain access to the fortune he made after his father kept secret from him the millions the “My Girl” actor had earned.

Eldridge told Fox News Digital that guardians of child stars must always ensure, first and foremost, that the young actor “has a safe, stable and nurturing environment in which to grow and develop.”

“First, the term 'child star' itself denotes that the potential celebrity is, by definition, a minor; in the case of Hollywood, that doesn't just mean under 18, but it often means children as young as only 3, 5 years, 7 years, etc,” Eldridge said. “The point is, if a budding star is young enough to need help going to the bathroom, writing his name, or crossing the street, everything else should be viewed through the same lens: He's a kid first and foremost.”

Macaulay Culkin makes a face like his character from “Home Alone.” (Photo by Time Life Pictures/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)

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Eldridge noted that the child star “often pays for the sins of parents, who put themselves and the prospect of fame and fortune above their job as guardian, protector and provider.”

He added: “The problems that arise in the early years of adolescence – in Lohan's case, [Edward] furlong, [Haley Joel] Osment and others – often started when they were still at the elementary level. “It's not always a question of whether they were pushed into the deep end, but rather that there was no responsible, guiding hand to pull them back as they wandered toward the edge of the proverbial pool.”

Tatum O'Neal

Tatum O'Neal became the youngest person to win an Oscar in 1973 for “Paper Moon,” but he has spent much of his life battling drug addiction. (Getty Images)

Tatum O'Neal was just 10 years old when he won an Oscar for 1973's “Paper Moon,” in which he starred with his father Ryan O'Neal. She still holds the record for being the youngest winner of an Academy Award.

The now 60-year-old starred in “The Bad News Bears” in 1976 and “Little Darlings” in 1980.

O'Neal was arrested for cocaine possession in 2008 after a police officer saw her buying the drug in Manhattan's Lower East Side neighborhood. At that time she was in a drug treatment program.

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Tatum O'Neal with his father Ryan O'Neal in 2011. Ryan died in December 2023. (Michael Buckner/Getty Images for PSFF)

“Just when I was about to change that and ruin my life, the police came and saved me,” O'Neal told the New York Post in 2015.

In 2020, “The Runaways” actress overdosed and suffered a near-fatal stroke that left her in a coma for six weeks.

“I've been through a lot,” O'Neal told People magazine in December. “I've tried to get sober my whole life. I try every day.”