What Benny From 'The Sandlot' Looks Like Today

I watched The Sandlot so much as a kid, that I used to think it was a part of my elementary school curriculum. Because, whenever we couldn't go outside for recess for whatever reason, we went into the auditorium, and you guessed it, watched the film over and over. I suppose I should be grateful, because after all, it is one of the greatest movies ever bestowed upon us. But, the movie came out such a long time ago, that we've sort of lost touch with certain actors and characters. For instance, where is The Sandlot's Michael Vitar, who played Benny, nowadays?

Well, first thing's first, let's train our brains to look past the little kid we knew and remember that he is now very much an adult. The movie premiered way, way back in April of 1993 when Vitar was only 14 years old. Today, Vitar is 37, so I'll give you a second to let that sobering fact settle. If you're particularly curious as to where the actor has been on screen since The Sandlot, according to his IMDb, the last movie his starred in was D3: The Mighty Ducks in 1996, and his last TV appearance was on Chicago Hope in 1997. Given that most of us millennials were barely old enough to cross the street by ourselves at that point, it's no wonder why we're curious as to his whereabouts.

His disappearance from the spotlight was purposeful, though. As per TMZ, Vitar, "quit acting to be a firefighter," which, is a vastly different yet respectable change of pace. The Daily Mail reports that he is also a married man and has three children. Unfortunately though, Vitar's life has not been drama-free just because he isn't in the business any more. In fact, he got himself into serious trouble this past fall.

Last December, TMZ reported that, "according to the docs," Vitar,

... And two friends got into a fight with a 22-year-old man who was walking abound their neighborhood and handing out candy to children. The L.A. County D.A.'s Office says the men chased the victim, jumped him and threw him to the ground. All three men were charged with felony assault. LAPD arrested Vitar last week and he was released on $30,000 bail.

TMZ also reports that he just recently pleaded "not guilty" to that felony assault charge, and that he is headed back to court in March. Entertainment Tonight reports that the lawyer for Eric Carpenter, one of the other men charged, claimed the situation did not happen as was stated, and said, "What I hope is going to happen is each of these gentlemen will be cleared because they're not guilty. Each of these gentlemen were faced with a very unique set of circumstances."

Image: Twentieth Century Fox