Where is Joe Pichler? Unravelling the mystery of the missing child actor
A lot of the talk about Hollywood as a dangerous place is hyperbole, but not all of it.
Let’s be real here, some foul shit goes on in the city of Angels. However, for the vast, vast majority of people there, the foulest thing that a young expat with stars in their eyes and dreams in their heart can expect is a tough shift at Panera Bread and that agent they talked to in Walgreens not turning up to their solo show. A massive, metaphorical kick in the dick and a sign that you may have to start thinking of what else you can do for a living besides perform.
To be clear, speaking from my own experience, that is a truly traumatising thing to live through. I don’t want to denigrate or disparage anyone who lived through that. However, when people talk about Los Angeles like it’s a cesspit full of hate-filled, evil people where only the worst things happen to anyone who goes there with a pure heart, that’s what they’re referring to. The truth is that they might not be that far off, but not from their experiences, from experiences like that of Joe Pichler.
Joe Pichler is a heartbreaking example of the real-life stakes of living in Los Angeles and pursuing a career in the arts, especially as a child. One that shows that what you risk by living like that is not failure and rejection, but whether or not you come home to your parents at the end of the day. One that shows the depths of loss that one can feel as a result of living like this. The kind of loss that one can’t even experience closure for, because that would involve knowing their fate.
However, no one knows what really happened to Joe Pichler.
Who was Joe Pichler?
Born in Bremerton, Washington, on Valentine’s Day 1987, Pichler had the same story as several other kids of his generation.
At a young age, he and his family decided to make a break for Los Angeles to follow Pichler’s dreams of being an actor. The difference in his case was that those dreams (sort of) came true. Pichler was able to put together a respectable career as a child actor, making several appearances in commercials, one-off appearances in TV shows and eventually, breaking into films when he was about 11.
What’s more, Pichler seemed to be surrounded by a family that had his best interests at heart. So much so that in 2003, at the behest of his family, Pichler relocated back to Washington from LA to graduate from high school, something he did in 2005. He remained in Washington for the rest of the year, but according to his family, he had every intention of returning to LA. As a depressing reminder of just how young Pichler was, he stayed up in Washington after graduation because he wanted to get his braces removed before he resumed his acting career.
The last time anyone saw Pichler was January 5th, 2006.
His friends remarked that he seemed in good spirits, but no one heard from him or saw him afterwards. Four days later, his car was found abandoned. In his car was a note that asked to give his personal effects to his younger brother, as it was part of a desire he had to “be a better brother”. His car was found near a local bridge over a large body of water. Yet whatever conclusions we can come to, his family have refused to consider.
Joe Pichler was declared missing on January 16th, 2006.