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Christopher Lee Pettiet (February 12, 1976 – April 12, 2000) was an American television and film actor best known for his role as Jesse James in the Western TV series The Young Riders and as Zach Crandell in the cult comedy film Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991). Pettiet began his career as a child actor making appearances in television series such as seaQuest DSV, Star Trek: The Next Generation, L.A. Law, Empty Nest, Picket Fences and Undressed. He also appeared in several films such as Point Break (1991), and Boys (1996). In 1991, he won the role of a young Jesse James on The... MORE

Christopher Lee Pettiet (February 12, 1976 – April 12, 2000) was an American television and film actor best known for his role as Jesse James in the Western TV series The Young Riders and as Zach Crandell in the cult comedy film Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991). Pettiet began his career as a child actor making appearances in television series such as seaQuest DSV, Star Trek: The Next Generation, L.A. Law, Empty Nest, Picket Fences and Undressed. He also appeared in several films such as Point Break (1991), and Boys (1996). In 1991, he won the role of a young Jesse James on The Young Riders. After the cancellation of The Young Riders in 1992, Pettiet's career began to wane. According to his manager, Bob Villard, Pettiet was "just about impoverished", living on "small residual check[s]". Villard's open letter also notes that Pettiet's problem with drugs had been a long standing one and that he had tried "for over two years" to get Pettiet into treatment. Despite attending "a couple" of AA meetings, he refused to admit that he had a substance abuse problem. Pettiet made his last onscreen appearance in a 1999 episode of Judging Amy. Pettiet died of a drug overdose on April LESS