When it comes to childhood stardom, Haley Joel Osment is one of the few success stories.
After a lengthy hiatus from Hollywood, during which time he attended the Experimental Theatre Workshop program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, the now 26-year-old star is making a triumphant return to the spotlight, with multiple projects in the works.
And with a résumé free of rehab stints, his career trajectory is a far cry from fellow child stars such as Amanda Bynes, who only continues to make headlines for her erratic behavior.
"Oh boy," Osment said of the mere mention of the troubled 27-year-old star, who was most recently released from her involuntary psychiatric hold.
"I guess I just feel lucky, it's a tough industry," he continued, before expressing his gratitude for his upbringing. "And you know, I wouldn't have any criticisms for anybody else or how they dealt with it, but I was lucky to have good parents and I think going to school was a really nice thing of giving me some direction in life."
After honing his craft away from the spotlight, Osment is ready to return to the big screen—his forthcoming comedy Sex Ed hits theaters on Nov. 7 and he's currently filming the Kevin Smith-directed comedy Yoga Hosers.
In September, the Forrest Gump actor made headlines when photos of the former child star—dressed as a Nazi for Smith's film—began making the Internet rounds, with many calling Osment "unrecognizable."
So how did he feel about the not-so-flattering reports?
"I would say it's fine that it's unrecognizable," he said, clearly unfazed by the tabloid talk. "It's good, I wouldn't want to be playing a Nazi that I have too much in common with who I am in real life. But yeah, there's those sort of roles that give you the opportunity to undergo a transformation like that are really really kind of fun. It's not the only instrument that the actor uses, but yeah when you can change your body like that it's really fun."
Be sure to go see Haley on the big screen when his movie Sex Ed debuts on Friday!