Alex Burrall is a former American actor who disappeared from the limelight in 1997 after he was seen in the “Rap Sheet” episode of L.A. Heat. His whereabouts have been a subject of several speculations, including a death hoax. But we can confirm that he is still alive.
Remembered as a child actor and mostly for his role in the tv mini-series, The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992), Alex Burrall who is also known as Alex Burrel in some quarters, pulled a feat not many have, or would’ve managed in the movie industry. He played the role of a young Michael Jackson in the aforementioned mini-series. Burrall had a convincing semblance to match and a charismatic talent that further bridged the gap between make-believe and reality.
Thereafter, young Alex went on to appear in a few other TV series, but where is the actor at the moment? That’s the question many have been asking since his disappearance after making an appearance in a 1997 episode of the action-crime comedy series, L.A. Heat. Following his portrayal of the King of Pop, many predicted he would be having an eventful and accomplished career in the industry. This never happened; why? Keep reading to see what we know.
Profile Summary of Alex Burrall
- Full Name: Alexandre Mikhael Burrall
- Gender: Male
- Place of Birth: Los Angeles County, California
- Date of Birth: March 24, 1983
- Alex Burrall’s Age: 41 Years Old
- Ethnicity: Mixed
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Aries
- Marital Status: Unknown
- Famous for: Career as a Child Actor (The Jacksons: An American Dream)
Alex Burrall’s Death Hoax— How We Know He Is Still Alive
While information about the whereabouts of the child actor is pretty much so buried under the radar, we cannot confirm that he is deceased. We instead believe the opposite to be true. Why and how then, did this rumor come about? Well, as with most rumors, we cannot tell exactly why or how it came up, but considerations point us to some probable reasons. One, in particular, is the death of Wylie Draper, another The Jacksons’ cast who also played Michael Jackson in the mini-series.
The Jacksons: An American Dream had three cast members who played Michael Jackson at different stages of his life. These actors are Alex Burrall, Jason Weaver, and Wylie Draper. Alex played little Michael Jackson, while Wylie portrayed the grown-up version of him. While Wylie Draper had a promising career as a dancer and actor, with performances that saw him attract positive reviews and even an Emmy award, he was sadly diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia. This was in 1993 and he died on the 20th of December that same year in Los Angeles, at the age of 24.
Given that both Alex and Wylie starred in the mini-series and portrayed the same character, howbeit at different ages, it is not hard to see why people have mistaken Wylie’s death as Alex’s. With Alex Burrall’s unexplained media absence for years, it is understandable if the story went through some mix-up over the years.
The Child Actor Is Now 41 Years Old and Has Been Evasive of the Limelight
Alex Burrall was born on March 24, 1983, which makes him 41 years old at the moment. He was born in Los Angeles County, California, USA. With four roles to his name as a professional actor over the span of nine years, Burrall seemed to be on to something great in the competitive industry. However, for reasons we haven’t yet figured out, his acting days came to an abrupt end.
It could’ve been as a result of an illness, a bad or traumatic experience, a sudden change of mind, anxiety from pressure, or just about a dozen other reasons. We can only confirm that nothing has been revealed about it, neither from Alex himself nor others close to him. In addition to that, the former actor has led a life so reserved and low-key that it’s been impossible to find him on any of the social media platforms, or the mainstream media.
That all might be intentional, which itself raises our curiosity about whatever went on that resulted in this seeming disappearance. Whatever the case may be, Alex Burrall’s portrayal of a young version of the King of Pop in The Jacksons series has left an impression that fans of late Michael Jackson will not be in a hurry to forget.
Alex Burrall Made His Professional Acting Debut When He Was Six (6) Years Old
Details of the family background of the former child actor are unknown. Neither the name of his parents nor sibling, if he has any, can be identified at this time. Be that as it may, it is known that Alex began his professional on-screen acting at the tender age of six. He appeared in a number of productions from the late 80s to the 90s.
His first known role was an appearance in the movie Parenthood (1989), where he was one of the only two persons of color in an all-white cast. Alex played the character Cool in the movie; a son born out of wedlock to Larry Buckman, a father who wasn’t ready to make him a priority in his life and soon left him with his grandfather, Frank Buckman. Alex was around just six years old at the time, which means he must’ve been involved in other forms of acting from an even earlier period that helped showcase his talent.
It is little surprise then that in just his second role, he was already portraying the pop legend Michael Jackson in his childhood years. The series based on Katherine Jackson’s autobiography follows the early years of the Jacksons 5. Alex Burrall went on to feature in the series Fudge (1995) and L.A. Heat (1997) before he went MIA. While what he has been up to since then is not known, we can confirm he is not dead like Jan Shutan and other late performers people have been asking about their whereabouts.
