Person Biography:
Rusty Hamer was a talented child actor born on February 15, 1947, in Tenafly, New Jersey. He was the youngest of three sons to Arthur Walter Hamer, a shirt salesman, and Dorothy Hamer, a former silent screen actress. Rusty's parents encouraged him and his brothers to perform in local theatre productions, and he began reciting stories and performing skits at community functions.
Rusty's first on-camera role was in the western film Fort Ti (1953),and he soon landed a role in an episode of the TV anthology "Fireside Theatre." He was discovered by Danny Thomas while performing in a theatre stage show and was cast as his son, Rusty Williams, in the hit sitcom "The Danny Thomas Show" in 1953. The show ran for 11 seasons, and Rusty became a precocious TV celebrity, trading witty banter with Thomas.
During the show's run, Rusty appeared occasionally in other projects, including an episode of "Four Star Playhouse" and the film "Dance with Me, Henry" (1956). He also made appearances on various variety shows, often alongside his TV family.
After the show ended, Rusty struggled to find work, and by the time he was 17, he had become an awkward teen and offers dried up. He attempted to branch out into dramatic roles but found little success. He worked as a carpenter's apprentice, took acting classes, and reprised his role as Rusty Williams in reunion specials.
In 1976, Rusty left Hollywood and moved to Louisiana to care for his mother, who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He struggled to find direction and eventually fell into a life of poverty, depression, and addiction. He died on January 18, 1990, at the age of 42, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Rusty's life is a cautionary tale about the challenges faced by child actors who struggle to transition to adulthood. His story has been used to raise awareness about the importance of providing support and guidance to former child actors, and his legacy lives on through the support group A Minor Consideration, founded by former child actor Paul Petersen.
