What happened to Joey Cramer who played David in Flight of the Navigator

You may remember Joey Cramer from the 1986 movie Flight of the Navigator. He played David, a young boy who is abducted by aliens and then returned to Earth eight years later, unchanged. The role made him a bit of a child star. But what ever happened to Joey Cramer after that? In this article, we take a look at his life after Flight of the Navigator and what he’s been up to since then.

What has Joey Cramer been up to since Flight of the Navigator?

David Freeman aka Joey Cramer, was born on August 23, 1973 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Cramer’s acting career started with a role in the 1984 film Runaway, where he played the character of Bobby Ramsay. After that he had a small role in the film The Clan of the Cave Bear as the younger version of Thomas G. Waites' character Broud. But it was his lead role as David Freeman in Disney’s Flight of the Navigator that made him a household name. The film came out in 1986 and was a box office success, grossing over $18 million dollars.

Cramer continued to act after Flight of the Navigator, but not to the same degree of success. He appeared in the hit tv series Murder, She Wrote for two episodes in 1986 as well as tv movie Stone Fox in 1987, but by the mid 1990's, Cramer had mostly dissapeared from acting.

In 2020, Joey Cramer made a return to acting starring in a number of documentaries including Life After The Navigator taking a look at the heartbreaking, emotional and inspiring path Joey's life took since that iconic role. In 2021 he starred as Bruce in The Twelve Step Strangler, and Buddy in the critically acclaimed dramatic thriller Fragile Seeds.  In the same year Joey also appeared in two shorts.

Joey Cramer's darker days...

According to sources close to the actor, Cramer began using drugs shortly after the film was released in 1986 and has struggled with drugs for much of his adult life. In a recent interview, Cramer opened up about his battle with addiction and how it has affected his life and career.

“I was teased because I was the ‘movie star kid’, so I fitted in where I could - and it’s easy to fit in with the misfits who smoke and drink and smoke weed, so that’s what I gravitated towards... I got into cocaine at a really young age - 14 or 15."

His addiction led to him losing roles in movies and TV shows.

Joey Cramer's life took another turn for the worse when he robbed a bank in April, 2016. He was sentenced to two years in prison. About his time in prison, Joey said: "I was in a really bad place and I knew about this therapeutic community, Guthrie House, inside the prison. It was such a relief when I got arrested.” It's a far cry from his days as a child actor, when he starred in Flight of the Navigator.

Since his release from prison, Joey Cramer has tried to turn his life around. He's spoken about his struggles with addiction, and is now trying to help others who are facing similar problems. He's also completed his high school diploma equivalency and most importantly, he's managed to reconnect with his daughter.

What are some of Joey Cramer's upcoming projects?

Joey Cramer is currently working as an actor on few different projects including Altered Perceptions, a movie about a man from the future attempting to warn humananity about the present and their impending doom.  Joey is also starring as himself in a new documentary called Life After Atreyu, celebrating the classic 1984 film "The NeverEnding Story", looking at the life of Noah Hathaway since that unforgettable role.

Joey is also now quite active on the convention circuit with many upcoming appearances listed on his official website joeycramer.com in both the USA and UK. Joey's website also has contact details for convention bookings and enables fans to purchase autographs.

What has happened to the other cast members of Flight of the Navigator?

Since Flight of the Navigator came out in 1986, its cast has aged a lot! Let's take a look at what they've been up to:

Sarah Jessica Parker, known for her role as Carolyn McAdams, one of the NASA scientists in "Flight of the Navigator," went on to have a hugely successful acting career. She is best known for her iconic portrayal of Carrie Bradshaw in "Sex and the City."

Veronica Cartwright, who played Helen Freeman, has continued to work steadily in Hollywood. She has appeared in such films as Alien and The Witches of Eastwick.

Paul Reubens, who played the voice of "Max", has had a long and varied career in Hollywood. He is best known for his role as Pee-wee Herman.

Conclusion

Whatever happened to Joey Cramer who played David in Flight of the Navigator? It's a question that many people have asked over the years. Cramer sadly seemed to completely disappeared from the public eye after appearing in just a handful of films and TV shows in the late 1980s and early 1990s due to his troubled addiction to drugs. Now with his life back on track, Cramer is trying to make a comeback in Hollywood. However, he knows that his past struggles with addiction will always be a part of his story. We wish Joey nothing but the best for his future.

Joey is active on both Facebook and Instagram, so please go and give him a follow!