Carlo Steven Krakoff, professionally known as Carl Steven, was an American former child actor. He is best known for his roles in Out of This World and Weird Science. He played as a young Spock in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984). He voiced Fred Jones in A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.
He retired in 1996 and having something wrong with his tonsils, he was so addicted to a medication for it that he stole to support this addiction. He was arrested in his thirties for armed robbery in 2010 and, during his 13-year sentence, died of a heroin overdose in jail at the age of 36 in 2011.
Early life[]
Steven was the middle of three boys born to Glenn and Cynthia Krakoff and was a native of Glendale, California in Los Angeles County.
Career[]
As a boy, he appeared in a number of television series and films, with recurring roles on Webster, Punky Brewster, Out of This World, and Weird Science.
Steven also appeared in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) as a young Spock (the first actor other than Leonard Nimoy to play the role in a live action portrayal), and in a minor role in Disney's Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989). He provided the voice of a young Fred Jones for four seasons on the Hanna-Barbera animated series A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Steven became the first actor besides Frank Welker to do so.
His final acting credit was in the television series Weird Science, where he played a character named Matthew. He would appear in six episodes of the series until 1996 when he retired from acting.
Personal life[]
Steven became addicted to prescription medications after a tonsillectomy, and stole to support his addiction. He married Dawn Krakoff in 1998; they remained married until his death in 2011. He had a son named Noah.
Legal issues[]
In 2009, Steven was arrested for committing six armed robberies at several Walgreens stores and CVS Pharmacy stores. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2010. He was scheduled to be released in 2023.
Death[]
Steven died on July 31, 2011, at the age of 36, of a heroin overdose while in prison in Tucson, Arizona.