Oakes Fegley
An American actor who transitioned from a captivating child star to a nuanced young performer in critically acclaimed films by major directors.
Born 2004 (age 22)·American actor·Birthday: November 11·Generation Z
Biography
Oakes Fegley didn't just act as a child; he held the screen with a preternatural calm that made him a director's secret weapon. He began his career young, but it was his soulful, almost wordless performance as the feral orphan in Disney's 2016 remake of 'Pete's Dragon' that announced a special talent. Directors took note of his ability to convey deep emotion without melodrama. Todd Haynes cast him in the dual timeline mystery 'Wonderstruck', and John Crowley placed him at the heart of the adaptation of 'The Goldfinch'. Fegley navigated the tricky transition from child to adolescent actor with care, choosing roles that challenged him, like a young man on a road trip in 'Adam the First' and a teenage version of a budding filmmaker in Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical 'The Fabelmans'. He works with a quiet intensity, building characters from the inside out.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Oakes was born in 2004, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Oakes Was Born
The biggest hits of 2004
#1 Movie
Shrek 2
Best Picture
Million Dollar Baby
#1 TV Show
American Idol
Oakes's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
2004Born
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2009Started school
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2017Became a teenager
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Could drive
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2022Could vote
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2025Turned 21
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 22 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played the lead role of Pete in Disney's live-action remake of 'Pete's Dragon' (2016).
- Starred in a dual role in Todd Haynes's critically acclaimed film 'Wonderstruck' (2017).
- Portrayed the younger version of the protagonist, Theo Decker, in the film adaptation of 'The Goldfinch' (2019).
- Appeared as a young Sammy Fabelman in Steven Spielberg's autobiographical film 'The Fabelmans' (2022).
Did You Know?
He was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
He began acting in community theater productions as a young child.
He is a skilled skateboarder.
He has a younger brother who is also an actor.
“You have to forget the camera is there and just live in the scene.”
