Miko Hughes cemented his place in horror movie history—specifically, creepy kids in horror movie history—when he starred as Gage in Pet Sematary in 1989. In the Stephen King adaptation, Hughes played a toddler, who returns after dying in a freak accident as a scary, violent, zombie version of himself. The actor was only three years old when Pet Sematary was released, and it was his very first film. In the years that followed, he went on to have a very busy career as a child star before transitioning to teen and adult roles.
These days, Hughes isn't acting as much as he did in his youth, but he's still involved in the industry. He's also keeping his spooky character alive—no pun intended—with all the fans who love the movie. Read on to find out more about his life today.
READ THIS NEXT: See Young Forrest From Forrest Gump Now at 37.
He didn't watch Pet Sematary until he was much older.
Paramount PicturesIn an interview with The Convention Junkies in 2019, Hughes shared that because he was so young when he starred in Pet Sematary, he didn't watch the horror movie all the way through until years later.
"I had seen some of the scenes that I was in growing up, but I didn’t sit down and watch the whole thing until I was about 12," he explained. "It was fun. It was weird. I knew the story, so I half knew what it was going to be about, but it was half entirely new."
He took on other memorable roles.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty ImagesAside from being known as Gage in Pet Sematary, Hughes is also remembered for playing Aaron on Full House, Joseph in Kindergarten Cop, and Dylan in another horror movie, Wes Craven's New Nightmare. His other film and TV appearances as a child actor include Beverly Hills, 90210, Doogie Howser, M.D., Melrose Place, The Nanny, Apollo 13, and Mercury Rising.
For more celebrity news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
He has a career behind the scenes now.
Albert L. Ortega/Getty ImagesHughes continued acting into his teens and young adulthood, but his on-screen career slowed down around the early 2000s. Nowadays, the 36-year-old works in another aspect of entertainment.
"I'm more behind the camera now," he told The Horror Nerd in 2021. "I work in the camera department on film and production—TV, music videos, that kind of stuff."
He has taking on roles on occasion, however. In 2019, he was in the movie The Untold Story, and in 2021 he was in a film titled Floaty. He told The Horror Nerd that he was also working on new project related to the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. "Acting-wise, we’re trying to do a Nightmare on Elm Street—like a New Nightmare fan film," he said, but explained that it had been pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can meet him at a fan convention.
The Horror Nerd / YouTubeHughes is still involved with the Pet Sematary legacy through his attendance at various horror movie fan conventions.
"It’s always fascinating how avid the horror fans are," he toldScream in 2016. "I did other work over the years but horror fans are diehard. You don’t do conventions for drama or comedy—it’s horror."
Hughes also recently took a walk down memory lane quite literally when he documented himself taking a Stephen King tour on his Instagram account.
