Child actor
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The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage, television, or in movies. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated terms include teenage actor or teen actor, an actor who gained popularity as a teenager.
Famous earlier examples include Elizabeth Taylor, who started as a child star in the early 1940s in productions like National Velvet before becoming a popular film star as an adult in movies.
Many child actors find themselves struggling to adapt as they become adults, mainly due to typecasting. Macaulay Culkin and Lindsay Lohan are two particular famous child actors who eventually experienced much difficulty with the fame they acquired at a young age. Some child actors do go on to have successful acting careers as adults; notable actors who first gained fame as children include Mickey Rooney, Tim Matheson, Drew Barrymore, Shia LaBeouf, Jake Gyllenhaal, Mila Kunis, and Molly Ringwald. Other child actors have gone on to successful careers in other fields, including director Ron Howard, politicians Lech and Jarosław Kaczyński, and singer Jenny Lewis.
Regulation
In the United States, the activities of child actors are regulated by the governing
California
Due to the large presence of the entertainment industry in
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, a child actor is defined as someone under
There are regulations and guidance to safeguard all actors under the age of 18;
Issues
Ownership of earnings
In the United States before the 1930s, many child actors never got to see the money they earned because they were not in charge of this money. Jackie Coogan earned millions of dollars from working as a child actor only to see most of it squandered by his parents. In 1939, California weighed in on this controversy and enacted the Coogan Bill, which requires a portion of the earnings of a child to be preserved in a special savings account called a blocked trust.[5] A trust that is not actively monitored can also be problematic, however, as in the case of Gary Coleman, who after working from 1974, later sued his adoptive parents and former business advisor for $3.8 million over misappropriation of his trust fund.[6][7]
Competitive pressure
Some people[who?] also criticize the parents of child actors for allowing their children to work, believing that more "normal" activities should be the staple during the childhood years. Others[who?] observe that competition is present in all areas of a child's life—from sports to student newspaper to orchestra and band—and believe that the work ethic instilled or the talent developed accrues to the child's benefit.[citation needed]
The child actor may experience unique and negative pressures when working under tight production schedules. Large projects which depend for their success on the ability of the child to deliver an effective performance add to the pressure.[citation needed]
Ethel Merman, who several times worked in long-running stage productions with child actors, disliked what she eventually saw as their over-professionalization—"acting more like midgets than children"—and disapproved of parents pushing adulthood on them.[8]
After the childhood success
This section possibly contains synthesis of material which does not verifiably mention or relate to the main topic. (May 2019) |
There are many instances of troubled adult lives due to the stressful environment to which child actors are subjected. It is common to see a child actor grow up in front of the camera, whether in films, TV shows or both. However, it is not uncommon to see child actors continue their careers throughout as actors or in a different professional field.
Now adults, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, the three leads of the acclaimed Harry Potter film series (2001–2011), starred in every installment in the series, and have since continued to act in film, television, and theater in their early 30's.
Late actress Shirley Temple became a public figure and diplomat, beginning in the 1960s. Some of her duties included representing the United Nations, and becoming a U.S. ambassador in countries such as Ghana and Czechoslovakia.[10]
Mary-Kate Olsen, who shared the role of Michelle Tanner with her twin sister Ashley on the ABC sitcom Full House, was treated for an eating disorder, deemed anorexia, but Ashley remained less troubled. In an article with the magazine Marie Claire, Mary-Kate expressed the bittersweet nature of the twins' childhood. "I look at old photos of me, and I don't feel connected to them at all," she said. "I would never wish my upbringing on anyone... but I wouldn't take it back for the world." The twins eventually retired from acting to pursue a full-time career in the fashion industry, which, to this day, is continuously successful with an estimated net worth of approximately $100,000,000.[11][12]
Drew Barrymore, a former child star, started acting at age 3. During her childhood she battled with drugs, but recovered and currently continues to act.
Natalie Portman took a small break in acting to get a bachelor's degree in psychology from Harvard University before continuing her career as an actress.
Rider Strong, known as "Shawn Hunter" in Boy Meets World, was educated at Columbia University and now runs a successful blog and has published a graphic novel.[13] Neil Patrick Harris started his career as a child actor in Doogie Howser, M.D. He continues to act in television, films and theater. Harris is now a cult figure icon.
Jonathan Lipnicki, known mostly for the Stuart Little films, now successfully competes in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.[13] Sara Gilbert is known for her role on Roseanne and later created and served as a co-host for CBS's The Talk. Also from Roseanne, Michael Fishman continued to work in film, but behind the scenes and has since been nominated for an Emmy for the work he did in Sports Science. Both Gilbert and Fishman returned for the later series based on Roseanne, The Conners, with Gilbert also serving as an executive producer and guiding the series through its transition after Roseanne Barr was fired after the tenth season of the revived Roseanne.[13] Kirsten Dunst and Lacey Chabert both made the transition from a child actress to an adult actress with a rough patch including depression. After a stay in a rehabilitation center, Dunst was able to recover and continue her career. She proves that the pressures of growing up under the spotlight may not come without repercussions.[14]
Other careers
Many actors' and child actors' careers are often quite short. Many actors, out of personal choice, that start their careers as child actors decide not to pursue the same careers as adults.
In Poland, former child actors and identical twin brothers Lech and Jarosław Kaczyński became successful politicians, at one time Lech being president and Jarosław the prime minister.
See also
- Actor
- Acting age
- List of child actors
- Child labor
References
- ^ a b "Child employment". GOV.UK. 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ "Become a chaperone". UK Chaperone Service. 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ "BBC In-House Guidance for the Licensing of Children in Productions" (PDF). BBC. April 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ a b "Ofcom updates guidance on protecting children in programmes". OFCOM. 30 March 2015. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ "Coogan Act law and definition". USLegal, Inc. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- ^ "Former Child Star Central". Members.tripod.com. June 29, 1999. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
- ^ "Gary Coleman awarded $1.3M". The Daily Gazette. Associated Press. February 25, 1993. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
- ^ Caryl Flinn in ’’Brass Diva, the Life and Legends of Ethel Merman’’ ISB N: 978-0-520-22942-6 p. 360
- ^ Miranda Cosgrove
- ^ Crampton, Caroline (14 July 2010). "Shirley Temple | Top 10 actors turned politician". New Statesman. Archived from the original on Apr 6, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- ^ "Mary-Kate Olsen Breaks Her Silence". Marie Claire Magazine. 2010-08-04. Archived from the original on Oct 5, 2023.
- ^ "Mary-Kate Olsen reveals: 'I would never wish my upbringing on anyone'". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2010-08-05. Archived from the original on Feb 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c Lutz, Ashley (Sep 15, 2012). "12 Former Child Stars Who Started Successful New Careers". Business Insider. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- ^ Shakespeare, Geoff (April 12, 2011). "Top 10 Child Stars Whose Lives Were Not Ruined By Fame". TopTenz. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
External links
- Child Stars at Curlie
- Mandy Kids Archived 2019-04-03 at the Wayback Machine – a resource for child actors in the UK