Child Actor Who Starred with Ben Stiller in Night at the Museum Calls Him a 'Normal Guy,' Talks Life After Fame (Exclusive)

• Night at the Museum - directed by Shawn Levy - hit theaters on December 17, 2006, and was a box-office success.
• More than two decades after the film's release, the 9-year-old actor who played Ben Stiller's son is revealing what it was like to work with the comedian on set.
• Now, at 28, Jacob Cherry is slowly transitioning into his legal career after stepping away from acting.

Night at the Museum brings history to life as exhibits from different eras come alive in the halls of an iconic New York City museum.

After portraying Ben Stiller’s son, Nick Daley, in the Hollywood blockbuster, former child actor Jacob Cherry reflects on his unforgettable experience on set — and shares how his unexpected career shift away from acting is shaping his future.

Cherry entered the entertainment industry at just two years old. Starting with print work and modeling, he quickly transitioned to commercials and went on to find success on the big screen.

The first project he truly remembers was on the show Third Watch, a cop and firefighter drama. Cherry often found himself in emotionally challenging scenes, like in Criminal Minds and House, M.D., where his characters would often go through traumatic experiences — but that didn’t seem to bother young Cherry.

“I was very sensitive as a kid, and so I was very keenly aware of my emotions, even at a young age. And I was able to pretend and, like, really put myself in these situations… I enjoyed it, even though it was so heavy,” he tells PEOPLE exclusively.

Cherry’s most memorable role, however, came when he joined the cast of Night at the Museum. The 2006 film – centered on a night watchman at the Museum of Natural History whose job takes an exciting turn when the exhibits come to life – became a massive hit. For the young actor, the experience was both surreal and unforgettable.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

For three months each year, Cherry would be in California for auditions, many of which focused on father-son scenes. Cherry says the audition process for Night at the Museum was intense, involving multiple meetings with directors and Stiller himself, followed by a final audition in front of the network. Ultimately, he believes it came down to the strong connection he developed with Stiller.

The comedian’s down-to-earth personality allowed Cherry to feel at ease on set. To help him settle in and bond before filming, Stiller even took him to a Knicks game, introducing him to friends from his childhood. “He was really, the best way to put it is, just a normal guy,” Cherry reflects, emphasizing how Stiller’s genuine nature made their professional relationship feel like a friendship.

“One of my core memories – he showed me a Tenacious D music video, and he has a cameo in it. And he was so hyped that he was in this cameo… so just stuff like that," he recounts. "I got to see him as just like a normal person. There was no mask or anything like that.”

Filming in such an iconic location like the Museum of Natural History would have been a dream for many young actors, but for him, it was a mix of movie magic and practical effects. While many of the scenes were shot on a soundstage in Vancouver, the team worked hard to make it look as realistic as possible. 

“The crew did an incredible job recreating the soundstage,” Cherry says. “If you didn’t know it wasn’t a Museum of Natural History, you would think it was.”

Certain scenes still stand out to Cherry. He remembers being on set with a tennis ball on a giant stick as the stand-in for the movie’s massive dinosaur, Rexy. "Seeing that, and then like being there for that and seeing it in the movie, I was like, oh, that's hilarious that they were able to do that,” he recalls. It was a clear example of how filmmaking works behind the scenes — what appeared one way on set was transformed into something entirely different in the final cut.

Night at the Museum was also notable for its use of CGI, but there was one particular animal that wasn't computer-generated – Crystal, the monkey. “A lot of the animals were CGI, but Crystal, the monkey, was not. She’s real, and they also had a couple of extra monkeys,” Cherry reveals. “I was always a fan of the monkey,” he laughs, showing fondness for his animal co-stars.

Despite the fun he had on set and the connections he made with stars like Stiller, Cherry’s childhood acting career eventually gave way to new pursuits. “There was a change for me when I wanted to go to high school,” he says. “I was homeschooled for a lot of my life, so I didn’t really go to public school, and that was something that I ended up really valuing… I was missing out on making these connections with people my age.”

After high school, he briefly returned to acting, studying at Chapman University’s Screen Acting Program and auditioning for various roles. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the industry slowed down, he found himself reevaluating his future. 

“Law was always… something that was interesting to me,” Cherry shares. “And the number one path to politics is law. It just happens to be that way. So that was always something that was on the back of my mind.”

As a rising second-year law student at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, Cherry values the structure, responsibility and sense of control that law provides, in contrast to the often unpredictable nature of acting.

“What has been really reassuring is that a lot of the skills that I’ve developed as an actor, I feel like, do enter into this realm… My goal is to apply the skills that I’ve learned into this industry,” he explains. 

Even so, the now 28-year-old hasn’t closed the door on acting completely. “I would definitely venture back into that world, given the opportunity, you know, given the right role, given the right people,” he admits. “I can’t say, no, I really do love acting.”

It's clear that while law is now his primary focus, the world of entertainment still holds a special place in his heart. As he continues his journey through law school, his path remains open — both to new opportunities and the possibility of returning to acting. 

From working with Stiller in Night at the Museum to exploring new horizons, this former child star is a testament to the power of reinvention and the endless possibilities of life after Hollywood.