Now and then: The actor who played Jake in 'Two and a Half Men'

Angus Turner Jones is the actor best known for playing the lazy but loveable Jake Harper in the hit sitcom 'Two and a Half Men.' And while all child stars change a lot, his transformation has been dramatic.

Since his fraught departure from the show, he completely dropped out of the public eye... with his oodles of cash. Here's his story...

Jones was born in Austin, Texas. He began acting at age four, appearing in commercials and films. But his big break came when he was just 10 years old and cast as Jake Harper on 'Two and a Half Men.'

Jones stayed in the role of Jake for 10 years, which earned him awards and huge sums of money. In 2010, he was the highest-paid child star in Hollywood, earning $7.8 million in two seasons.

'Two and a Half Men' was known for its raunchy humor, but Jones became deeply religious in his teens. In late 2012 he appeared in a video where he asked people to stop watching the show. "Please stop filling your head with filth," he said, adding: "You cannot be a true God-fearing person and be on a television show like that. I know I can't."

Image: THeForerunner777 / YouTube

The video flooded headlines, and his co-star Charlie Sheen defended him, telling TMZ that Jones's statement was a symptom of the show's 'toxic environment.' "I dare anyone to spend 10 years in the laugh track that is Chuck Lorre’s hive of oppression and not suffer some form of an emotional tsunami," he said. Jones did not return for the 2014 season.

Jones made a cameo appearance in 'Two and a Half Men' for the series finale in 2015. Before that, the show's creator Chuck Lorre told 'Variety' that Jones apologized shortly after his comments and that the very public spat was "all water under the bridge."

2016 was the last time Jones appeared as an actor in a Hollywood project. His last gig was in the final episode of Louis C.K.'s web series 'Horace and Pete.'

In just 13 years, Jones transformed from the mischievous little Jake Harper to a bearded 23-year-old who looked like he was "going into a retirement home." In 2016, the actor even posted the meme with that comment, saying: "I'm loving this, it's an honor."

Photo: ang_tj_ / Instagram

After he stepped away from the limelight, Jones started attending classes at the University of Colorado Boulder, according to IMDb. Here's a photo that he shared of himself on social media from around that time. He did not provide any context for the photo except for the caption "#birdup"

Photo: ang_tj_ / Instagram

Although Jones has remained largely mysterious since his days of stardom, he hasn't completely given up on the entertainment industry. In 2016, he co-created the Tonite event company alongside the son of the beleaguered Sean 'Diddy' Combs.

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Speaking to Billboard magazine about the project in 2016, he said: "As I’ve gotten older... I am now fully understanding what people meant when they told me that 'Two and a Half Men' was one of the best jobs ever if not the best job ever. That was the opportunity of a lifetime and everyone’s always told me that, but I’m really actually understanding myself now. It’s shown me what it takes to put on a good show."

Image: the_blacksheep_project / Instagram

While he hasn't hit it big as a musician, he does share his musical projects on SoundCloud under the username Angu. There, he has 20 tracks, which mostly consist of electronic music beats. In 2020, he posted on Instagram: "I do music now, go [ahead] and get used to it loves."

Images: realrigorsamsa / Instagram

Jones and his mom both make occasional posts on their social media accounts. Many of those posts show the family enjoying time together. Here, the actor formerly known as Jake is pictured alongside his mom and little brother.

Photo: lovmountain / Instagram

While Jones has kept his private life largely out of the public eye, he has been linked to the internet creator Sarah Moore (a.k.a Stalker Sarah). In 2012, she told MailOnline that Jones never had a meltdown or nervous breakdown during the years that he was leaving 'Two and a Half Men.' In 2017, they celebrated their five-year anniversary.

Given that Jones was one of the highest-paid child actors, he has plenty of cash to allow him to coast and dedicate himself to passion projects in his retirement from acting. According to Celebrity Net Worth, his fortune is estimated at around $20 million.

Photo: lovmountain / Instagram

While not much is known about the former child star, in the summer of 2022, he was spotted out in public for the first time in over a year. His beard appeared to be at least one foot long, and 'The Sun' said he was accompanying his younger brother to a barbeque in Los Angeles. This image of him biting an egg is from 2016.

Photo: ang_tj_ /  Instagram

Since then, he has been sporadically captured by the press in his neighborhood in Los Angeles, going about his business. But unlike other stars that have "retired," Jones really seems to be over it. However, at 31 years old, he still has plenty of time to change his mind.

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