Big change: This is what Atreyu from "The Neverending Story" looks like today

Created: 11/30/2022, 2:30 p.m

By: Susanne Kroeber

When "The Neverending Story" hit the cinemas in 1984, Atreyu actor Noah Hathaway was already a successful child star.

Today he prefers to get on his motorbike instead of on a Falkor.

Los Angeles - In 1984 "The Neverending Story" was released in cinemas.

The fantasy film by director Wolfgang Petersen is based on the first part of the novel of the same name by Michael Ende, which, however, distanced itself from the German-American film adaptation.

However, “The Neverending Story” was extremely well received by cinema viewers and made the young leading actors Noah Hathaway (51 today), Barret Oliver (49) and Tami Stronach (50) world famous.

He played Atreyu in The Neverending Story - would you have recognized Noah Hathaway?

The series "Battlestar Galactica", in which he starred as Boxey, made Noah Hathaway famous in the late 1980s.

His big breakthrough came with The Neverending Story.

In the hit fantasy film, Noah Hathaway played the fearless young warrior Atreyu, who sets out on his horse Artax to save his homeland of Fantasies and the Childlike Empress, played by Tami Stronach, from "void".

As Atreyu in "The Neverending Story" Noah Hathaway won the hearts of the fans in 1984.

© IMAGO/Everett Collection

Noah Hathaway beat thousands of contestants to audition for The Neverending Story, but the role also had its downsides for the young actor.

At the time, Hathaway only had a contract for three months of filming, but there were massive delays, so that shooting ended up taking ten months, mainly at the Bavaria Film Studios in Munich.

Noah Hathaway had to sue for the fee for the additional seven months, as a result he was not allowed to come to the premiere party.

"It was at that moment that I realized I was just a number, it was all about the money.

It was tough," the actor later said in an interview with the star.

The Neverending Story: That's what Atreyu actor Noah Hathaway is doing today

His appearance in "The Neverending Story" brought Noah Hathaway a Saturn Award for "Best Young Actor" in 1985, followed by a leading role in the fantasy comedy "Troll", but then things quieted down for the Californian.

In the meantime Hathaway worked as a jazz teacher, but after an accident he was no longer able to do the job.

Hathaway made a living as a bartender and motorcycle racer before returning to work in the 1984 film Freedom Road.

38 years after the theatrical release of "The Neverending Story": This is how Atreyu actor Noah Hathaway looks today.

© IMAGO/CTK Photo

In 2003, Noah Hathaway opened his own motorcycle shop and six years later he opened a tattoo parlor.

Hathaway is divorced and has two sons with his ex-wife, Sameerah Hoddison.

The actor is now happy with his second wife, Kayla Hathaway.

In recent years, Noah Hathaway has also returned to acting, including in "Sushi Girl" (2012) and "The Chair" (2016), according to IMDB.com two films with Hathaway as the main actor are planned for 2023.

The Atreyu actor still likes to celebrate his participation in "The Neverending Story" with the fans at various fantasy conventions.