Former child star Claude Jarman Jr dies at 90 – more than 70 years after landing rare Oscar win

THE former child star Claude Jarman Jr has died at the age of 90, his family has said.

Jarman, from Nashville, died in his sleep from natural causes in his Kentfield, California, home on Sunday. 

His death comes more than 70 years after he landed a Juvenile Academy Award for his role in the 1946 classic The Yearling. 

Years later, he received a regular-sized Oscar in recognition of his feat.

At the time, he was the seventh person to win a Juvenile Academy Award.

Shirley Temple was the first winner of a juvenile Oscar in 1934, and other famous recipients include Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.

The last Juvenile Oscar was awarded to Hayley Mills, then 14, for her role in Pollyanna.

In 2016, Jarman recalled how he was in school when Clarence Brown, the director of The Yearling, was eyeing out cast members, as reported by

Film bosses then told him to be ready for Hollywood just three days later, per an interview given to.

The Yearling also featured stars such as Gregory Peck, who was best known for his role in the 1962 movie To Kill a Mockingbird.

Jane Wyman, the actress who starred in the TV series Falcon Crest, also appeared in the movie.

Jarman also starred in the 1950 western flick Rio Grande, which featured John Wayne.

He was also known for starring in the 1950s show Wagon Train and the TV series Centennial.

Jarman starred alongside the Canadian actor Raymond Burr in Centennial, who was best known for playing the suspected murderer in the Alfred Hitchcock flick Rear Window.

His career in the movies spanned decades, and he penned the book My Life and the Final Days of Hollywood, which was released in 2018.

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Fans have paid tribute to Jarman on social media.

Movie lovers said they loved him in The Yearling.

"The Yearling is the first movie I remember seeing in a movie theater," one fan said.

"I was 5 and a vivid recollection of the whirly-gig, in the stream, still takes me to a special place."

Fans also shared how they were star-struck when they met Jarman on the red carpet.

Away from the silver screen, Jarman married three times and is survived by his wife of 38 years Katie.

He's survived by his seven children and eight grandchildren.

Jarman is set to be buried in Nashville, and a memorial service will be held in San Francisco.