Baby-faced former ’80s child star who pivoted to Stranger Things seen in extremely rare public outing

A former ’80s child star who appears in the final season of Stranger Things was spotted out in Los Angeles.

This actor grew up in the spotlight, playing one of Michael Keaton and Toni Garr’s on-screen children in the 1983 comedy film Mr. Mom.

The following year he starred in another beloved project, the 1984 sitcom Kate & Allie, a sitcom about two mothers who decide to raise their children under the same roof following their respective divorces.

He eventually took a break from Hollywood to study drama at university before returning in front of the camera. 

Now 50, this star displayed his incredibly youthful looks while out in what was an extremely rare public sighting of him.  

Can you guess who this star is?

A former ’80s child star who made a cameo in the final season of Stranger Things was spotted out in Los Angeles

It’s Frederick Koehler!

Koehler was spotted out and about in West Hollywood on Friday, seemingly running errands in the area.

A shopping bag in hand and clad in a casual bundled-up look, Koehler was tuned into his earbuds as he made his way through the area on foot. 

Koehler was just a child when he started off his acting career.

He played Michael Keaton and Teri Garr’s son in the 1983 comedy Mr. Mom followed by Jane Curtin’s son Chip Lowell in Kate & Allie.   

The show starred Curtin and Susan Saint James as two mothers who decide to raise their children under the same roof after their respective divorces. 

This role was his first big film project in Hollywood and although it was his biggest to date, it still led to a lengthy career. 

During his time on the show, Koehler played with Saint James’ children: ‘I remember being happy,’ he told People in 2000.

If you guessed Frederick Koehler, you were correct! 

Frederick played the son of Michael Keaton’s character in Mr. Mom

He recently played a scientist on two episodes of Stranger Things 5

Frederick, pictured bottom R, also starred in the sitcom Kate & Allie

Koehler is seen in New York back in September 1988

The actor appeared to be doing some light shopping in the area

Koehler then sought to perfect his craft at school. 

He received a degree in drama at Carnegie Mellon in 1997, a route he took to expanding his acting breadth. 

‘I wanted to explore more what it was to be an actor,’ he told People in 1999, ‘and not rest on the things I’d already done.’

His career then took him onto the stage, with Koehler also doing theater in Los Angeles and New York. 

The actor was lightly bundled up in a grey beanie and burgundy sweater

Koehler is seen in 1984

The actor is seen in 2017 horror flick The Evil Within

Once he graduated, he continued to book roles in Pearl Harbor, Oz, and Birdseye. 

He also made cameos in Ally McBeal, Charmed and the CSI franchise.

The actor landed his next film role in the 2005 film Domino. A year later, he had a recurring role in the TV series Pepper Dennis (2006), which only lasted one season.

The former child star then booked a role in Death Race (2008), which eventually turned into a four-part franchise.

He filmed Death Race 2 in (2010) followed by Death Race 3: Inferno (2013) and Death Race 4: Beyond Anarchy (2018).

Koehler continues to book work to this day. He recently starred in The Little Things (2021), he filmed for the first season of a TV series titled Kombucha Care (2023), and more recently portrayed a scientist in two episodes of the final season of Stranger Things.