“Bruce! Bruce! Bruce!” The thrill of being cheered on by classmates while devouring an entire chocolate fudge cake is something many might have wished for during school days—minus the presence of Miss Trunchbull, of course.
On the topic of reminiscing about school antics, it’s noteworthy that nearly 30 years have passed since the beloved film Matilda hit theaters, premiering just in time for Christmas on December 20, 1996.
Adapted from Roald Dahl’s book, the film starred Mara Wilson as Matilda, alongside Rhea Pearlman, Embeth Davidtz, and Pam Ferris. Danny DeVito not only played Mr. Wormwood but also directed the movie.
Matilda is filled with memorable scenes—like Matilda’s telekinetic cereal-eating skills—but one of the standout moments features Jimmy Karz as Bruce Bogtrotter.
In a memorable scene, Bruce is coerced on stage by Miss Trunchbull after he indulges in a slice of her massive chocolate cake. As a consequence, the teacher makes him eat the entire thing. It’s hard to watch, but with his classmates’ support, Bruce perseveres. Nearly three decades after that scene, what’s Karz been up to?
Karz continued to act briefly, securing roles in The Wedding Singer and ER, before stepping away from acting.
As he matured, he pursued medicine and graduated in 2017 from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
In an interview with The Do, as reported by The New Zealand Herald, he shared his journey from entertainment to a service-oriented career: “After undergrad, I worked as a production associate for MTV News for nearly two years. I realized I wanted to do more service-oriented work. I was really into community gardening at the time, and I began volunteering to teach people from low-income communities how to grow their own food.”
Here’s how Karz looks today:
His involvement in community gardening sparked an interest in biology and chemistry, leading him to delve deeper into science.
“I went back to school to study biochemistry, which led me to medicine,” he explained. “I liked osteopathic medicine’s focus on helping the whole patient, and I was interested in learning manual techniques to help patients.”
Karz maintains a low profile on social media, keeping out of the limelight, though he remains a familiar face as viewers revisit Matilda and his unforgettable cake-eating scene.