Why Mesmer From The Boys Looks So Familiar

"The Boys" has become well-known as one of the most unique superhero landscapes in all of media. Telling a dystopian story of a world in which superheroes have all the power of the Justice League or the Avengers but none of the morals or oversight, the Amazon series explores what would really happen if someone like Superman became corrupted by the power he wields. However, beyond the ultrapowerful heroes of "the Seven," the show has also introduced a broad range of unique Supes to fill out its ranks.

One of the more run-of-the-mill Supes to appear on "The Boys" is Mesmer, a former child star with the power of telepathy. For those who have seen Mesmer on "The Boys," the character likely looked quite familiar when he first showed up. That's because he's played by Haley Joel Osment, an Oscar-nominated icon with more than 100 acting credits to his name. The following are some of his most notable roles to date.

Haley Joel Osment burst onto the Hollywood scene in a big way when he was a child. In fact, his very first silver screen performance also happened to be one of the biggest films of 1994: Robert Zemeckis' "Forrest Gump." In the film, he portrays Forrest Gump Jr., the son Jenny (Robin Wright) had kept hidden from Forrest (Tom Hanks) for years — only for her to reveal him when Forrest finally comes to visit her. In the film, it's revealed that Forrest Jr. is an incredibly intelligent young boy, and he goes to live with his father when Jenny gets sick and eventually passes away.

"Forrest Gump" was incredibly popular at the time of its release and arguably remains one of the most iconic films of the 1990s. A sequel was written in the years following the release of the original but ultimately didn't move forward due to the events of 9/11 (via Yahoo Entertainment). "Forrest Gump 2" would've reportedly opened with the realization that, like his mother, Forrest Jr. had contracted AIDS, followed Forrest Sr. through the major events of the 1990s, and closed with the bombing of a government building. However, the film never moved forward.

In 1999, Haley Joel Osment appeared in what could arguably be considered the defining role of his career: Cole Sears in M. Night Shyamalan's beloved thriller "The Sixth Sense." In the film, Cole is a young boy who is cursed with the ability to see dead people in the world around him, leading him to work with a child psychologist (Bruce Willis) to unearth why he has these newfound abilities and how he can channel them and use them for good.

Osment's performance as Cole was widely praised when "The Sixth Sense" debuted in theaters, and he even received an Oscar nomination for best actor in a supporting role. Though he ultimately lost to Michael Caine and his performance in "The Cider House Rules," Osment's work as Cole (coupled with his now legendary "I see dead people" line) remains an iconic touchstone of 1990s cinema.

Following the immense critical acclaim earned by his performance in "The Sixth Sense," Haley Joel Osment went on to become one of the most highly praised young actors in Hollywood during the early 2000s. This led him to work with one of the all-time masters of filmmaking: Steven Spielberg. Spielberg cast Osment as the lead in "A.I. Artificial Intelligence," a film about a robot boy named David who is adopted by a family who has recently suffered the loss of their son.

"A.I. Artificial Intelligence" was well reviewed at the time of its release (via Rotten Tomatoes) but did prove divisive among some audience members (via CinemaScore). The film was a tonal departure from the more upbeat and hopeful films from Spielberg's earlier years and very much set the tone for other dystopian sci-fi that he would go on to make throughout the 2000s, such as "Minority Report" and "War of the Worlds."

This entry marks a notable shift in Haley Joel Osment's career. While his work in earlier films primarily positioned him as a child, his role in "Secondhand Lions" was arguably the film that shifted him into an adolescent. The film follows Osment as a boy named Walter whose mother (Kyra Sedgwick) sends him to live with his eccentric granduncles, Hub (Robert Duvall) and Garth (Michael Caine). Soon after his arrival, he is regaled with stories about their wild adventures as young men, eventually becoming the inheritor of the vast fortune hidden on their farm.

"Secondhand Lions" proved itself a modest hit upon its debut in theaters in 2003. The film ultimately earned $48 million at the worldwide box office against a $30 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). Similarly, it was a modest success among critics, earning overall positive reviews and garnering a 60% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as an audience score of 84%.

In 2014, Haley Joel Osment teamed up with "Clerks" director Kevin Smith for Smith's body horror comedy film "Tusk." The film follows a podcaster named Wallace (Justin Long) who finds himself taken prisoner by a madman who unnecessarily amputates his legs and sews him into a walrus body suit — effectively turning a civilized man into an animal. In the film, Osment portrays Teddy Craft, Wallace's podcast co-host.

Two years after the release of "Tusk," Osment teamed up with Kevin Smith for another horror comedy film: "Yoga Hosers," which follows two teenage girls who fight evil. This time around, Osment plays Adrien Arcand, the leader of the Canadian Nazi Party.

Both "Tusk" and "Yoga Hosers" are part of Smith's planned "True North" trilogy, which is expected to be concluded by the upcoming film "Moose Jaws" (via ComicBook.com). Fans will have to wait and see whether Osment appears in the threequel as well.

Haley Joel Osment has become a common actor to see in the streaming world these days. His role as Mesmer is one notable example, but he has found work in the Netflix realm as well: as Robby in Seasons 2 and 3 of the series "The Kominsky Method," which focuses on an aging actor named Sandy Kominksy (Michael Douglas) and his agent, Norman (Alan Arkin), as they navigate youth-obsessed Los Angeles. In "The Kominksy Method," Osment portrays Robby, Norman's Scientologist grandson and the son of Lisa Edelstein's Phoebe.

Despite Arkin's decision not to return to "The Kominsky Method" after its second season (via Deadline), the show will air its third and final season on May 28, addressing his departure head-on by having his character die. As a result, Robby and his mother spend much of Season 3 mourning and fighting Sandy for their inheritance money.