Casper child star unrecognisable as he admits he ‘hated’ talking about film

Devon Sawa has said there was a period when he hated talking about his role in 1995 hit Casper, before later deciding he had to embrace the film’s lasting association with him.

Speaking to People, the actor said: “There was a time in my life I was like, ‘I don’t wanna talk about Casper. How dare you? I’m a thespian,’ you know?”

Sawa, now 48, played the human version of Casper the friendly ghost when he was 16. He said he has since made peace with the role’s long shadow, adding: “But… I gotta embrace it. It’s why I’m here. It’s what got me here.”

He also admitted the film’s most famous line still comes up, no matter what else he does. “Doesn’t matter what I do nowadays. It doesn’t matter how cool the project is, I will always have to say, ‘Can I keep you?’ to somebody at some point. There will always be Casper stuff,” he said.

Why Devon Sawa can’t escape ‘Can I keep you?’

For many millennials, Sawa’s brief appearance as human Casper is one of the film’s most replayed moments, topped by the scene where he asks Chritstina Ricci’s Kat if he can stay with her.

In Casper, Kat moves with her dad (Bill Pullman) into a haunted mansion, where she strikes up a friendship with Casper. Sawa appears when Casper emerges in human form during a touching dance scene.

Directed by Brad Silberling, the film was a major hit and earned about $291million worldwide and still has a cult fanbase nowadays, more than two decades later.

It is not unusual for actors to push back against the roles that define them. In 2023, Jacob Elordi said he didn’t want to make ‘ridiculous’ Kissing Booth movies as he tried to move on from the franchise that made him a breakout star.

From Casper to Eminem’s ‘Stan’

Sawa also reflected on another pop culture moment that has stuck with audiences: Eminem’s 2000 music video for ‘Stan’, in which he played the obsessive fan at the centre of the story.

Recalling the rapper on set, Sawa said: “I remember him being focused and just there to work. He was there to work – that’s what I remember.”

Sawa has been acting ever since his role in Casper. He has appeared in a number of horror movies, as well as television shows including Hacks, Magnum PI, Hawaii Five-0 and, most recently, Disney+ series Coven Academy.

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