5. Eugene “Porky” Lee
Eugene Lee was discovered at just eighteen months old after producer Hal Roach noticed how much he resembled Spanky McFarland. Lee went on to appear in over 40 Our Gang shorts from 1935 to 1939. However, Lee left show business behind after the series wrapped and entered public school. He went on to become an alternative school educator later in life and changed his name to disguise his child star past. After retiring, Lee began to embrace his iconic character and appeared at reunions in the early 1980s. He passed away just before his 72nd birthday after battling both lung and brain cancer.
Advertisement
