Child Actors. Y dey so fucked up doe ?

[Kotowboy]

Ok. Child Actors. We know a lot of them go on to be massive druggies in trouble with the police.

Why is that ? Too much at a young age ? Unable to say no to drugs etc ?

Which child actors have gone on to have successful movie careers as adults ? Elijah Wood ?

[pogoowner]

Joseph Gordon-Levitt comes to mind as a successful one.

[Accelerando]

Leonardo di Caprio, Jodie Foster, Natalie Portman, Ryan Gosling, Jason Bateman, Neil Patrick Harris, and Anna Paquin are, on top of my head, child actors who've had very successful careers as adults.

Interesting enough, now working in LA in this business for three years, I have had some conversations with long time talent wranglers and studio teachers about working with young talent, and the one thing that they always mention is they hate seeing parents pushing them into doing it as if they never had a choice, and then they grow up hating their life because they never had a childhood.

[Shooters1221]

Leonardo di Caprio, Jodie Foster, Natalie Portman, Ryan Gosling, Jason Bateman, Neil Patrick Harris, and Anna Paquin are, on top of my head, child actors who've had very successful careers as adults.

Interesting enough, now working in LA in this business for three years, I have had some conversations with long time talent wranglers and studio teachers about working with young talent, and the one thing that they always mention is they hate seeing parents pushing them into doing it as if they never had a choice, and then they grow up hating their life because they never had a childhood.

Funny because when I was out there 25-30 years ago I heard the same thing about parents. It aint right...

[Chino]

Success:




Fail:

[cramx3]

The OP sounds like an Ali G interview

I will say fame and money at a young age when you are not mentally and physically prepared for it is a big reason for why they grow up and struggle.  Good parenting would go a long way for child actors.

[Chino]

I will say fame and money at a young age when you are not mentally and physically prepared for it is a big reason for why they grow up and struggle.  Good parenting would go a long way for child actors.

As much as I really can't stand Justin Bieber, one of the reasons I always defended him was because if I had a net worth approaching $100M by the time I was 18, I wouldn't have lived long enough to see 20.

[cramx3]

I will say fame and money at a young age when you are not mentally and physically prepared for it is a big reason for why they grow up and struggle.  Good parenting would go a long way for child actors.

As much as I really can't stand, Justin Bieber, one of the reasons I always defended him was because if I had a net worth approaching $100M by the time I was 18, I wouldn't have lived long enough to see 20.

Well, yea me too.  If I didn't have parents who kept me level I would be just like him or Johnny Manziel.  They also get the benefit of law enforcement too, usually don't get in much trouble or just a slap on the wrist when they do get caught so they never really learn a lesson.

[MirrorMask]

The Harry Potter trio, led by far by Emma Watson, are all very successful child actors.

[Kotowboy]

What has Rupert Grint done since HP ?

[Chino]

What has Rupert Grint done since HP ?

Parties with Steel Panther.. obviously

[Prog Snob]

Geez, did everyone forget who was probably one of the first child actors of this time to go through the drug issues and rebound - Drew Barrymore.

[Kotowboy]

Yes but i'm on about Child Actors who *never* got fucked up.

Haley Joel Osment didn't do drugs as far as we know - but his roles have gotten more bizarre and well... he discovered cheeseburgers.













Did A.I. stand for "Appetite Inhibitor " ?

Coz that sure failed.



( just like the movie... )

[Prog Snob]

Ahhh I see. I thought you meant reformed druggies who went on to have successful careers. My bad.

[bosk1]

Well, I mean there are definitely plenty of examples of child actors/entertainers who aren't screwed up and have success as adults (or, at least, they aren't significantly more screwed up than actors/entertainers that gained their celebrity status a bit later in life).  But it is certainly a problem that such a disproportionally high number do wind up incredibly screwed up.

[Logain Ablar]

Christian Bale (Thinking of Empire of the Sun in particular. Not sure what else he was in as a child.)

[pogoowner]

Christian Bale (Thinking of Empire of the Sun in particular. Not sure what else he was in as a child.)

Newsies is probably his most well-known other child role, but he did a lot, and he's a good example for this thread (aside from his infamous rant).

[orcus116]

Ben Affleck turned out OK but I'm not sure if he was in anything other than Voyage of the Mimi as a kid.

Translation: I'm too lazy to Google something.