If you spent any part of the 2010s glued to a television screen, you know Jared Gilmore. He was the kid. Specifically, he was Henry Mills, the "Truest Believer" who kicked off seven seasons of magic and mayhem in Once Upon a Time. But for a guy who was essentially the heart of one of ABC's biggest hits, he’s been remarkably quiet lately.
Most child stars hit 18 and immediately try to pivot into gritty indie movies or edgy HBO dramas. Jared Gilmore did something different. He basically stopped.
Understanding jared gilmore movies and tv shows requires looking at a career that burned incredibly bright for exactly a decade before the actor decided he’d had enough of the Hollywood machine. From the high-pressure set of Mad Men to the green screens of Storybrooke, Gilmore's filmography is a weirdly perfect time capsule of 2010s prestige and network television.
The Bobby Draper Curse and the Big Break
Before he was finding storybooks in Maine, Jared was one of the many, many Bobbys on Mad Men.
It’s kind of a running joke among fans of the show. Bobby Draper was recast so many times that he became a living meme. Jared was "Bobby #3." He took over the role in Season 3 and stuck around through Season 4. Honestly, he was the first Bobby to actually feel like a character instead of just a prop in Don Draper’s living room.
He even managed to snag a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2009. Not bad for a kid who wasn't even ten yet.
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But there’s a famous bit of trivia from his exit. When Jared left Mad Men to join Once Upon a Time, he gave some parting advice to whoever was going to be Bobby #4. He told TV Guide that January Jones (who played his mother, Betty) was "not as approachable" as the rest of the cast and that she took her work very seriously. It was a refreshingly blunt "kid" moment that went viral before "going viral" was even a fully-formed concept.
Once Upon a Time: The Henry Mills Era
In 2011, everything changed. Jared was cast as Henry Mills in Once Upon a Time.
The premise was wild: a kid finds his biological mom (Emma Swan) and convinces her that her entire hometown is actually made of fairy tale characters who forgot who they are. Jared had to hold his own against heavyweights like Lana Parrilla and Robert Carlyle.
For six seasons, he was the primary version of Henry. You literally watched him grow up on screen. He went from a wide-eyed ten-year-old in a scarf to a deep-voiced teenager dealing with "Author" powers.
It wasn't always an easy ride with the fans. By the later seasons, some viewers on Reddit and Twitter complained that Henry’s character had become "stale" or that Jared’s performance felt wooden. But honestly? Look at the scripts. The writers often struggled with what to do with a teenage Henry once the initial "curse" was broken. Jared was essentially playing a kid who had been through a lifetime of trauma before he hit puberty. It makes sense he’d be a little stoic.
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Key Highlights from the Storybrooke Years:
- The Pilot (2011): The moment he knocks on Emma's door in Boston.
- The Young Artist Awards: He won Best Performance in a TV Series – Leading Young Actor in 2012.
- The "Author" Arc: When Henry finally gets some agency and starts writing the stories himself.
- Season 7 Guest Spots: While Andrew J. West took over as adult Henry, Jared returned for a few emotional episodes to bookend the series.
Beyond the Small Screen: Movies and Voice Work
While TV was his bread and butter, Jared did pop up in a few films. Most people forget he was in The Back-up Plan (2010) with Jennifer Lopez. He played "Mona's Kid." It was a small role, but it was part of that early 2010s hustle where he was appearing in everything from Hawthorne to Wilfred.
He also voiced Shalio in the English dub of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection in 2019. This was a pivot. It showed he was interested in the world of anime and voice acting, which often provides a much more stable, less "paparazzi-heavy" lifestyle than live-action TV.
What Happened After 2018?
Since the series finale of Once Upon a Time, Jared Gilmore has largely stayed out of the spotlight.
He didn't jump into a Marvel movie. He didn't start a reality show. Instead, he leaned into his personal interests. He became a regular on Twitch, streaming games like Overwatch and League of Legends. He joined the streamer group "Uprising Academy" for a while.
Basically, he decided to be a normal guy in his 20s.
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In late 2023, he announced his engagement to his long-time girlfriend, Jessica. They'd been dating for about four years. For fans who remember him as the little kid with the storybook, seeing him as an engaged man in his mid-20s is a bit of a "feel old yet?" moment.
Exploring the Jared Gilmore Filmography
If you're looking to binge his work, here’s the roadmap. It’s not a massive list, but it’s dense with high-quality projects.
- Mad Men (2009–2010): Look for him in Seasons 3 and 4. His interaction with Don in "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" is a highlight.
- A Nanny for Christmas (2010): A classic TV movie role where he plays Jonas Ryland. It's pure holiday fluff, but he's charming in it.
- Once Upon a Time (2011–2018): This is the meat of his career. 132 episodes.
- Overnight (2012): A smaller film where he plays a kid named Kyle.
- Code Geass (2019): His last major credited role, proving his voice-acting chops.
Why We Don't See Him Anymore
The reality is that child acting is exhausting. Jared spent his entire childhood and adolescence on sets. By the time Once Upon a Time ended, he had enough money to step back and choose a life that made him happy.
He hasn't officially "retired," but he’s clearly not chasing the Hollywood A-list. He seems content with his dogs (Cooper and Emma), his cat, and his fiancé.
Take Actionable Steps to Follow Jared's Journey:
- Check out his Twitch: If you want to see what he’s like today, his streaming is the most authentic way to connect.
- Revisit Season 1 of OUAT: It remains some of the best network fantasy ever made, largely thanks to the chemistry between Jared and Jennifer Morrison.
- Watch the Mad Men Season 3 Finale: See how he handled the intense Draper family dynamics before the recasts started again.
Jared Gilmore is a rare example of a child star who seems to have come out the other side completely well-adjusted. He did the work, made the impact, and then chose himself. That's a better ending than most fairy tales.