What Zero From Holes Looks Like Today
The 2003 adventure comedy Holes is an example of a book adaptation done right. Based on the novel of the same name, Holes received a Sierra Award for Best Family Film along with several other award nominations — not to mention different production accolades. It stars Shia LaBeouf as Stanley Yelnats IV, whose family has been cursed with bad luck ever since his great-great-grandfather failed to keep a promise to a mysterious fortune teller. When Stanley gets wrongfully accused of stealing autographed shoes, he's sent to a detention camp called Camp Green Lake as an alternative to jail.
Eventually, Yelnats befriends his fellow prisoners, though he gets most close to a quiet boy named Zero. As part of their punishment, the boys spend each day digging holes in the blazing heat, unknowingly searching for buried treasure. One day Zero has enough and runs off, and Yelnats goes after him — leading to an adventure to not only survive, but discover the truth of Camp Green Lake. While LaBeouf earned praise for his role, so did the teen who played Zero, whose real name is Khleo Thomas. It's been over 15 years since Holes hit theaters, and here's what Thomas looks like today.
Khleo Thomas is an actor, streamer, and entrepreneur
Thomas has stayed busy since his time on Holes. He continues to act and has been in dozens of projects, including Roll Bounce (Mixed Mike), Hurricane Season (Raymond), and Soy Nero (Mohammed). He's also ventured into video game streaming, and has thousands of followers on his Twitch channel. Apart from his entertainment career, Thomas started two lifestyle brands: Slick Living and Goddess Living Amongst Men (GLAM).
Though Thomas is most remembered as the reserved young teen in Holes, he let HipHopDX know he's perfectly okay with that. "It doesn't bother me that it's still so prominent and dominant," he explained. "It's going to continue to be a cultural type of thing, it's still a required reading book in the schools, and they watch the film after they read the book. No matter what, I'm relevant to every single generation that's coming next. That's a win for me regardless. That's how I see it." Thomas went on to add that he's "never shied away" from his time playing Zero, adding, "People grew up with that character, and they instantly related to that character. To know that people still hold it dear to their hearts today, lets me know that I did my job then."
For fans who want to relive the nostalgia of their favorite childhood movie, you can watch Holes on Disney+.