Alex D. Linz

Alex D. Linz kick-started his career when he approached his mother -- reportedly at the age of four -- and precociously expressed interest in appearing in television commercials. She obliged, and in seemingly no time, Linz had racked up filmed promotional spots for JC Penney, McDonald's, and other corporate giants. The young actor transitioned to scripted dramatic work with guest roles in series programs including The Young and the Restless and Step by Step, but achieved his biggest break when he signed to star in Home Alone 3 (1997), the third outing of 20th Century Fox and John Hughes' wildly successful franchise (a job Linz inherited from Macaulay Culkin). Though clearly a formulaic sequel, the film drew praise from no less than Roger Ebert (who proclaimed it better than the first two outings) and performed well at the box office and in ancillary, proving that Linz could hold his own onscreen.

After providing a voice in Disney's animated Tarzan (1999) and playing Gwyneth Paltrow's young son in the romantic drama Bounce (2000), Linz graduated to preteen roles as the lead in the Disney comedy Max Keeble's Big Move -- a farce about a seventh-grader who turns the tables on his bullies when he discovers his family's impending move -- little foreseeing the consequences. After several additional supporting roles, Linz next tackled the lead role in Choose Connor (2007). Undoubtedly his most sober and earnest assignment to date, the film told of a teenager ruthlessly exploited when he naïvely signs to work as a politico's (Steven Weber) young spokesperson.

~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide