He was an actor and important member of the infamous He-Man Woman Hater’s Club long before he could drive; Travis Tedford is a former actor most recognized for playing Spanky in the 1994 movie The Little Rascals. Tedford left acting behind back in 2010 and has largely disappeared from the public eye.
What has Tedford been up to since? You might be surprised.
The Little Rascals
Tedford was born on August 19, 1988, in Rockwall, Texas. His first acting role, at the age of 6, would also turn out to be his most notable.
In 1994 he was cast as Spanky in the movie The Little Rascals, which was an adaptation of Our Gang, a popular series of comedy shorts released between 1922 and 1944.
Spanky is the President of He-Man Woman Haters Club, where he and his school-aged friends are all members. The members of the club Stymie (Kevin Jamal Woods) and Spanky, find themselves at a crossroads when one of their members, Alfalfa (played by Bug Hall), falls in love with a girl. Upon its release in 1994, the film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.
The gang would be bullied by ‘Butch’, played by Sam Saletta and ‘Woim’, played by Jeremy Blake Collins.
Handling fame at any age can be difficult, but it can be especially hard for young children. Unfortunately, Tedford was no exception and found it tough to deal with the unexpected attention he was receiving.
During a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), Tedford reflected on what life was like post Little Rascals–
“Sometimes it was a lot of fun. Sometimes I just wanted to be left alone. Once a lady heard me talking as a child in a grocery store and ran from the next aisle to grab a picture of me with her kids. Another time I couldn’t get to my elementary school classroom because kids were swarming me.”
Despite some negative experiences with his newfound fame, Tedford believes that he was actually lucky– “…but it’s a burden you carry if you’re lucky enough to have it. Regardless of what negative I experienced, I was a lucky one.”
Other Acting Roles
Despite the success of The Little Rascals, Tedford only acted six more times between 1994 and 2010.
In 1998, he had roles in two movies. Tedford played Loaf in the family comedy Slappy and the Stinkers about a group of kids who try to save a sea lion from a circus owner. He also lent his voice to the Pixar animated film A Bug’s Life, where he voiced various young ant characters.
In 1999, he had an uncredited role in the neo-noir film The Thirteenth Floor.
Between 1999 and 2003, Tedford found more steady work as part of the cast of the sketch comedy show The Amanda Show, starring Amanda Bynes. He also voiced the character Alex Jefferson in the animated show Adventures in Odyssey.
It would be seven more years before Tedford would act again, playing Andy in the horror thriller The Final in 2010. Like the title of the film, this would be Tedford’s “Final” acting role, as he decided to quit acting after that.
Why Did Tedford Stop Acting?
While answering fan questions on Reddit, someone inquired about whether or not acting in The Little Rascals helped Tedford land future roles. Tedford had an unexpected answer–
“Actually, it was the opposite. I was typecasted pretty hard and wasn’t given a lot of roles because I looked too much like Spanky. That’s why I never did any huge projects after The Little Rascals.”
Tedford continued to elaborate on why he continued to stay out of the limelight–
“I enjoy marketing and want a career that provides a steady income so that one day I can provide for a family. I love acting, but it’s a hard lifestyle.”
What Did Tedford Do After Acting?
Tedford left acting in 2010 so he could focus on school. Speaking to curious fans on Reddit, Tedford said, “I don’t do much work now because I’m focusing on my career in marketing, and I don’t want to leave Texas. I have too much family here.”
Tedford continued to answer fan questions and disclosed that he moved back to Texas and tried to keep his identity as private as possible. “I moved back to Texas in 2002 and I was really done with acting,” he said. “I didn’t tell anyone who I was unless recognized.”
In 2008, TMZ got wind that Tedford was working at Walm,art when he was nineteen years old. TMZ took a photo from his Myspace page in which Tedford was wearing his work ID and posted it to their website.
From there, Tedford went on to attend Trinity Valley Community College in Texas, but took a break to deal with some family issues. He made plans to return to school, but at UT Arlington instead so he could pursue a bachelor’s in marketing.
Tedford then got a job as an inbound marketing specialist for a credit union where he was responsible for controlling their social media accounts.
What is Tedford Up to Today?
Tedford currently works for the Texas Trust Credit Union and has done so for just over thirteen years. He started there as a teller and, after several promotions, now works as a Member Experience Manager.
Much of Tedford’s personal life remains private. Tedford did attened The Little Rascals reunion in 2014 to commemorate it’s 20th anniversary.
It seems as though Tedford has no regrets about leaving acting behind and is enjoying his life away from the spotlight.
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