Disney star ended up robbing bank to 'save himself' after life took terrifying turn

On one ordinary Thursday afternoon, a former Disney child star donned a makeshift disguise and executed a bank robbery, escaping with a bundle of cash.

The actor had hit rock bottom due to a severe heroin addiction and was living on the streets with "recurring" suicidal thoughts.

Joe Cramer was basking in acclaim after his lead role in Disney's Flight Of The Navigator in 1986. Despite the success, he chose to step away from acting to experience a normal childhood – a hiatus that inadvertently spanned 30 years and spiralled into substance abuse and delinquency.

The bank robbery in Canada was essentially a cry for help, and just three days following the crime, his arrest led to incarceration and crucially, the long-term rehabilitation he desperately needed.

Now at 51, Cramer has conquered his addictions and returned to the film industry. He recounted his tumultuous journey in the 2020 documentary Life After The Navigator, aiming to offer guidance to those grappling with struggles like his.

In a 2020 interview with the Daily Star from his Vancouver Island home, Joe reflected on the documentary: "It isn't a 'where are they now?' reality TV, glam drama – it's what really happened."

Raised by his single mother, Joe embarked on an acting career early, gracing the stage and featuring in television commercials often shot in nearby Vancouver. His journey into the spotlight began in the mid-1980s with roles in films like Runaway, I-Man, and The Clan of the Cave Bear, reports the Daily Record.

However, it was Flight of the Navigator that truly elevated Joe, then known as Joey, to stardom. In the sci-fi classic, he played David Freeman, a 12-year-old who is taken by an alien spacecraft only to be returned to Earth eight years