Child star Angus T. Jones was the half in
the popular sitcom Two and a Half Men.
And then, he shockingly quit after the 10th
season, citing personal convictions.
So why did he walk away from superstardom?
And what has he been up to since?
Here's a look at what really happened to Angus
T. Jones.
Biting the hand that feeds you
The character Jones played, Jake Harper, was
a foul mouthed kid who grew up to be a pot
smoking slacker with a thing for adult videos.
In reality, though, Jones was a devoutly religious
young man with a strong personal morality.
Something had to give, and it did during Two
and Half Men's 10th season, when an interview
with Jones trashing the show went viral.
"If you watch Two and Half Men please stop
watching Two and Half Men.
I'm on Two and Half Men and I don't want to
be on it.
Please stop watching it, please stop filling
your head with filth."
Jones later wrote an apology, which read in
part "I apologize if my remarks reflect me
showing indifference to and disrespect of
my colleagues and a lack of appreciation of
the extraordinary opportunity of which I have
been blessed."
That was the end of his time on the show.
Calling himself a "paid hypocrite," Jones
quit the series in order to pursue his religious
studies under controversial pastor Christopher
Hudson, who made headlines with bizarre claims
that Jay-Z is a Satan worshipper, and that
the citizens of New York are fated to turn
into cannibals.
One last joke
Two years after leaving, Jones returned to
Two and Half Men for a brief cameo in the
series finale.
Fans discovered that after joining the army
and moving to Japan, Jake had gotten married,
left the service, and made $2 million in Las
Vegas.
Jones also made a few pointed jokes about
his departure from the show.
"Amazing that you have made so much money
with such stupid jokes."
The surprise return was a huge hit with fans.
Show creator Chuck Lorre told Variety, "If
we had actually aired the audience response
to when Angus stepped on the stage—it was
so loud and exuberant.
We had to tone it down for the broadcast.
They were so excited to see him."
The normal life
Like many child stars, Jones never had the
chance for a normal childhood.
But after quitting Two and a Half Men, he
finally had his chance.
He enrolled in the University of Colorado,
eventually deciding to major in Jewish studies.
By October, 2016, though, Jones had taken
a break from his studies to spend more time
with his younger brother Otto, whom he lives
with in Los Angeles.
He told People magazine, "Getting to be a
part of his life is one of my most favorite
things."
He distanced himself from organized religion
In 2016, Jones told People that he was now
pursuing his spiritual path solo.
"Over the last three years I’ve been involved
with various faith-based organizations.
Right now, I'm stepping away from the organizational
business-model programs.
I'm interested in seeing where I go without
an organization putting a stamp of approval
on if I'm good or bad or whatever…
"I got pretty doomsday with my thinking for
a long time, but now I’m having fun and
enjoying where I’m at.
I no longer feel like every step I take is
on a landmine."
The Louis C.K. connection
Louis C.K.'s Horace and Pete is a strange
series.
Produced before his career hit the skids following
his admission to multiple acts of sexual misconduct,
it's part sitcom, part 10-act play, and part
modern tragedy.
The award-winning web series boasted an impressive
ensemble cast that briefly included Jones
in a possible setup for a sequel.
"Wow, there you are, Horace the f---ing ninth"
C.K. told Marc Maron he was intrigued by Jones'
decision to quit his best-known gig.
"He walked off of Two and a Half Men, the
No. 1 show on television for 12 years, walked
off of it because he felt a moral conflict
with the show.
Because he's a Christian.
I found that really fascinating, that somebody
walks away from a huge job because he doesn't
feel right about it."
Don't call it a comeback
While Jones hasn't returned to television
since his days on Two and a Half Men, he hasn't
left the world of entertainment behind completely.
In 2015, he worked behind the scenes with
P. Diddy's son Justin Combs to co-found the
production company Tonite.
And in 2016, Jones told People that after
having so much fun during his return for the
Two and a Half Men finale, he wasn't ruling
out acting more in the future.
"The door is definitely still open for me
to do that, but I'm taking things slowly.
But I'm kind of liking the ability to travel
and to move around at a moment's notice and
not have to be in one spot for years at a
time."
Sounds like Jones isn't through with Hollywood
just yet.
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