Haley's father is an actor (Michael Osment) and his mother is a teacher. Haley has one sister, Emily, who is four years younger than him and also acts. Haley has many pets including a dog and a hamster.
Haley's first acting job was for a Pizza Hut commercial in 1992. In 1993, he got the part of Harry in the television show Thunder Alley, which lasted through 1995. Haley played Tom Hanks' son (Forrest, Jr.) in Forrest Gump in 1994. In 1995, started on The Jeff Foxworthy Show, which lasted for two seasons. During this time, Haley appeared as Albert in Bogus, a movie which starred Whoopi Goldberg and Gérard Depardieu. In 1997, Haley began to appear on Murphy Brown, playing Murphy's son. He was in most episodes until the end of the show. Haley did guest appearances on many popular shows: Chicago Hope, Ally McBeal, Walker, Texas Ranger, Touched by an Angel, and The Pretender. Haley also appeared in a few TV movies and did the voice of Chip in Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas. Recently Haley appeared in The Sixth Sense, as Cole, a child who can see dead people. Haley did an excellent job in this movie.
At eleven years old, Haley has appeared on "The Tonight Show" multiple times and worked with famous actors and actresses including Candice Bergen, Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg, and Bruce Willis. And has another name to add to the list -- he's going to be appearing in a movie with Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt, called Pay It Forward.
Haley loves animals and wants to be a zoologist.
He read the whole script for The Sixth Sense twice before he auditioned.
He auditioned for Anakin Skywalker in "Phantom Menace," but didn't get a callback.
Haley's dad was reluctant to let Haley act when he was young, but says "All my friends were urging me to get him into it." Michael Eugene Osment said, "Because at age 3, he was saying words like 'paleontologist.'"
In 1999, Haley was 4'3"
Haley Joel Osment on Access Hollywood Interview