'Kung Fu' and 'Little House on the Prairie' Star Radames Pera Is Now 59 & Looks Unrecognizable

Radames Pera is best known for his roles as Grasshopper in the television series "Kung Fu" and as John Jr. on "Little House on the Prairie." The actor is now 59 years old, and he looks different.

Pera was born on September 14, 1960, in New York City, New York, USA, according to IMDb. He and his mother, who was pursuing her own acting career, moved to Hollywood in 1963.

Director Daniel Mann discovered him when he was eight years old. He was picked to star as Stavros in the 1969 drama film "A Dream of Kings."

RISING TO STARDOM

Pera's supportive mother later found him an agent. He wound up starring and guest-starring in several television shows.

Pera became even more popular after he starred as Young Caine, aka "Grasshopper" in "Kung Fu" (1972) and, later, of writer John Sanderson Edwards Jr., aka "John Jr." in "Little House on the Prairie" (1974).

In an interview with Fox News, Pera opened up about what it was like filming "Kung Fu," as well as his memories from "Little House on the Prairie."

INTERESTING ROLE

"I was already acting for a while at that time," Pera explained. "I think I was 11 and a half years old and I had been acting since I was about seven and a half professionally."

The actor remembered how his mother informed him that he has an interview that day for an interesting role. Pera said he laughed when she said that if he gets the part, he should shave his head.

When asked how did he feel about the series being canceled, he said that it was frustrating.

IT WAS DEVASTATING

"Then I got the part. I honestly don't think there were a lot of kids they were considering for it… Of course, on the professional side, it was fantastic." he said. "But then going back to school after filming the pilot, I had my head shaven."

When asked how did he feel about the series being canceled, he said that it was frustrating. According to him, everybody else lost their jobs. But Pera said he guessed that's "how the fortune cookie crumbles."

Speaking about how he was received by the cast of "Little House on the Prairie," he explained that he needed to earn his way into the team. He added that some got used to him immediately, and others didn't.

According to IMDB, "Kung Fu" ran from 1972 to 1975. The series also starred David Carradine and Keye Luke. The creators were Ed Spielman and Herman Miller.

Meanwhile, "Little House on the Prairie" ran from 1974 to 1983, according to MeTV. The drama series also starred Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, Karen Grassle, and Melissa Sue Anderson.