Jacob Tremblay is officially a legal adult. Well, basically. Depending on when you're reading this, he's either staring down the barrel of his 18th birthday or already there, and for anyone who remembers him as the tiny, long-haired kid in Room, the cognitive dissonance is real.
He's not that "cute kid" anymore.
Honestly, it feels like just yesterday he was standing on a stool to reach the microphone at award shows. But 2024 was the year the world had to collectively face the facts. Jacob Tremblay isn't just a child prodigy who disappeared into the "where are they now" void. He’s navigating that awkward bridge from child stardom to leading man status with a weird amount of grace.
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The High School Milestone That Broke the Internet
In June 2024, Tremblay posted a photo that made an entire generation of moviegoers feel ancient. He was wearing a blue cap and gown, clutching a diploma from Walnut Grove Secondary School in British Columbia.
The caption? "Congratulations WGSS Class of 2024!"
The comments were a mess of "Wait, wasn't he five yesterday?" and "I'm officially a fossil." It’s a rare thing in Hollywood. Usually, child stars either burn out or go through a "rebellious phase" that the tabloids eat up. Tremblay just... graduated. He did the normal thing.
He’s talked about this before—how he tries to keep a "normal" life in Canada despite being on a first-name basis with people like Martin Scorsese. It's a balance. You've got the prom and the homework on one side, and then you've got the Netflix premieres on the other.
Jacob Tremblay 2024: A New Era of Roles
While the internet was busy mourning its youth, Tremblay was busy working. If you think he’s still playing the "innocent victim" type, you haven't been paying attention to his 2024 slate.
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Earlier in the year, he starred in Orion and the Dark. It’s a Netflix animated flick written by Charlie Kaufman. Yeah, that Charlie Kaufman—the guy who wrote Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Tremblay voiced Orion, a kid who is basically afraid of everything. In interviews, he admitted he relates to the character's overthinking. It’s grounded. It’s not just a "kid movie"; it’s a look at anxiety that feels very him.
But the real pivot happened with Cold Copy.
This was a gritty journalistic thriller where he played Igor, a character he described as being totally different from himself. He told MovieWeb that he had almost nothing in common with the role except for a love of art. He was pushing himself out of his comfort zone.
Then there’s the stuff that’s been sitting in the vault.
We have to talk about The Toxic Avenger. This is a hard-R, unrated reboot of the Troma cult classic. Tremblay stars alongside Peter Dinklage and Kevin Bacon. For a kid who became famous for a tear-jerking drama, doing a blood-soaked, "darkly comedic" superhero movie is a massive swing. It finally secured its theatrical release for late August 2025, but the buzz started peaking in 2024 as fans realized just how "un-Disney" this project is going to be.
Navigating the "Voice Actor" Phase
You probably heard him before you saw him this year.
- Flounder Controversy: People were loud about his design in The Little Mermaid, but Tremblay defended it with a level of maturity that most 30-year-olds don't have. He basically said, "Wait until you see the movie," and he was right—the performance was solid.
- Emmy Recognition: He actually won a Children’s and Family Emmy for his work in Orion and the Dark.
- Wildwood: He’s also tied to Laika’s upcoming stop-motion film Wildwood, which is essentially the gold standard for animation.
It’s a smart move. Voice acting lets him stay relevant and bankable while his physical appearance changes so rapidly. Let’s be real, his voice dropped three octaves in like six months.
Why He’s Not Ending Up Like Other Child Stars
There’s a specific nuance to how Jacob Tremblay handles his career. He doesn't chase the biggest blockbuster check. Instead, he seems to chase directors.
He’s worked with Mike Flanagan (twice!), Stephen King adaptations, and now legendary indie names. In late 2024, production news confirmed he’s playing a young Ted Kaczynski in the thriller Unabom alongside Russell Crowe.
Think about that. The kid from Wonder is playing a domestic terrorist in the making.
That is a bold, calculated choice to kill off his "child star" image once and for all. He isn't interested in being the heartthrob; he wants to be the actor's actor.
What’s Next: The 2025-2026 Horizon
If you’re following the Jacob Tremblay 2024 trajectory, you can see where this is going. 2025 is the year of the "darker" Jacob.
- The Life of Chuck: Another Mike Flanagan project. People are calling it one of the best Stephen King adaptations in years.
- Sovereign: A crime thriller with Nick Offerman and Dennis Quaid. Tremblay plays the son of a "sovereign citizen" in a story that’s way more politically charged than his usual fare.
- The Skeleton Tree: A survival drama that’s already in post-production.
The Verdict
Jacob Tremblay is currently in that sweet spot. He’s got the industry respect of a veteran but the potential of a newcomer. He’s managed to avoid the pitfalls of the "Hollywood machine" by staying rooted in British Columbia and picking projects that actually require him to act, rather than just look cute.
He's graduated high school. He's winning Emmys. He's playing future Unabombers.
The "kid from Room" is officially gone. In his place is one of the most interesting young actors of the decade. If you want to keep up with his transition, keep an eye on his indie choices rather than just the big streaming numbers—that’s where the real growth is happening.
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Your Next Steps:
Keep an eye out for the theatrical release of The Toxic Avenger in August 2025 to see Tremblay's most "adult" role yet. If you haven't seen his Emmy-winning performance in Orion and the Dark, it's currently streaming on Netflix and serves as the perfect bridge between his early career and his future as a leading man.