Child actor

For the music producer, seeChild Actor (producer).

The termchild actororchild actressis generally applied to a child acting on stage, television, or inmovies.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 includeteenage actororteen actor,an actor who gained popularity as ateenager.

Shirley Templerose to prominence as a child star in the 1930s.

Famous earlier examples includeElizabeth Taylor,who started as a child star in the early 1940s in productions likeNational Velvetbefore becoming a popular film star as an adult in movies.

Many child actors find themselves struggling to adapt as they become adults, mainly due totypecasting.Macaulay CulkinandLindsay Lohanare 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 includeMickey Rooney,Tim Matheson,Drew Barrymore,Shia LaBeouf,Jake Gyllenhaal,Mila Kunis,andMolly Ringwald.Other child actors have gone on to successful careers in other fields, including directorRon Howard,politiciansLechandJarosław Kaczyński,and singerJenny Lewis.

Regulation

In the United States, the activities of child actors are regulated by the governinglabor union,if any, and state laws. Some projects film in distant locations specifically to evade regulations intended to protect the child. Longer work hours or risky stunts prohibited byCalifornia,for example, might be permitted to a project filming inBritish Columbia.US federal law "specifically exempted minors working in the entertainment business from all provisions of the child labor Laws."Any regulation of child actors is governed by disparate state laws.

California

Due to the large presence of the entertainment industry inHollywood,the state of California has some of the most explicit laws protecting child actors. Being a minor, a child actor must secure an entertainment work permit before accepting any paid work. Compulsory education laws mandate that theeducationof the child actor not be disrupted while the child is working, whether the child actor is enrolled inpublic school,private schoolor evenhome school.The child does their schoolwork under the supervision of a studio teacher while on the set.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, a child actor is defined as someone underschool leaving age.Before a child can work, they require a performance license from theirLocal Education Authorityas well as a licensed chaperone; a parent can only chaperone their own child, and a chaperone's duties include actingin loco parentisand recording arrivals and departure time from the work place, the time a child is working, their breaks, and the amount of tutoring.A child requires minimum of three hours of tutoring daily and a lesson must be a minimum of 30 minutes to count towards the total and with regards to 18 and 19-year-old in further education, considerations are made in regards to their studies.

There are regulations and guidance to safeguard all actors under the age of 20;OFCOMguidance states a child's health and safety, well-being and welfare are paramount in television production and factors such as their age, maturity and life experiences can affect their performance.OFCOM also advises that broadcasters undertake risk assessments, consider seeking expert advice and follow best practices.

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 Cooganearned 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 theCoogan Bill,which requires a portion of the earnings of a child to be preserved in a special savings account called a blocked trust.A trust that is not actively monitored can also be problematic, however, as in the case ofGary 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.

Competitive pressure

Some peoplealso 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. Othersobserve 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.

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.

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 likemidgetsthan children "—and disapproved of parents pushing adulthood on them.

After the childhood success

Jodie Fosterin 1974

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.

Jodie Fosterstarted acting at age 3, becoming the quintessential child actor during the 1970s with roles in films such asTom Sawyer(1973),Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore(1974),Taxi Driver(1976),Bugsy Malone(1976),The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane(1976), andFreaky Friday(1976). Achild prodigy,Foster received her firstAcademy Awardnomination at age 13 and later took a sabbatical from films to attendYale University.She made a successful transition to adult roles, winning two Academy Awards forBest Actressbefore the age of 30, and starring in several successful and acclaimed films such asThe Accused(1988),The Silence of the Lambs(1991),Nell(1994),Maverick(1994),Contact(1997), andThe Brave One(2007), thus establishing herself as one of the most accomplished and sought-after actresses of her generation. She has also ventured into directing and her directing credits include films such asLittle Man Tate(1991),Money Monster(2016) and television shows such asHouse of Cards,Orange Is the New Black,andBlack Mirror.

Now adults,Daniel Radcliffe,Rupert GrintandEmma Watson,the three leads of the acclaimedHarry Potterfilm 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.

Dakota Fanningrose to prominence after her breakthrough performance at age 7 in the filmI Am Sam(2001). Her performance earned her aScreen Actors Guild Awardnomination at age 8 in 2002, making her the youngest nominee in SAG history. She later appeared in major Hollywood productions, in such acclaimed blockbuster films asMan on Fire(2004),War of the Worlds(2005),Charlotte's Web(2006),Hounddog(2007),The Secret Life of Bees(2008),Coraline(2009),The Twilight Sagafilm series(2009–2012),The Runaways(2010), andThe Motel Life(2012). Fanning's younger sister,Elle Fanningalso rose to prominence as a child actress, having appeared in many films since before she turned 3.

Miranda Cosgrove,known mainly for her role as Megan on the Nickelodeon sitcomDrake & Joshas a child, gained more attention for her role as a teenager in the showiCarly.Since the end of the show she has been featured in other roles, including as the voice of Margo in theDespicable Mefranchise. Once she was of age, she decided to pursue a college degree in film at the University of Southern California.

Late actressShirley Templebecame 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.

Mary-Kate Olsen,who shared the role ofMichelle Tannerwith her twin sisterAshleyon theABCsitcomFull House,was treated for an eating disorder, deemed anorexia, but Ashley remained less troubled. In an article with the magazineMarie 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.

Mandy Mooreis one of the child stars to have success as an adult with the start of her growing career in 1993.

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 Portmantook 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" inBoy Meets World,was educated at Columbia University and now runs a successful blog and has published a graphic novel.Neil Patrick Harrisstarted his career as a child actor inDoogie Howser, M.D.He continues to act in television, films and theater. Harris is now a cult figure icon.

Jonathan Lipnicki,known mostly for theStuart Littlefilms, now successfully competes in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.Sara Gilbertis known for her role onRoseanneand later created and served as a co-host for CBS'sThe Talk.Also fromRoseanne,Michael Fishmancontinued to work in film, but behind the scenes and has since been nominated for an Emmy for the work he did inSports Science.Both Gilbert and Fishman returned for the later series based onRoseanne,The Conners,with Gilbert also serving as an executive producer and guiding the series through its transition afterRoseanne Barrwas fired after the tenth season of the revivedRoseanne.Kirsten DunstandLacey Chabertboth 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.

Roddy McDowall,who had a long and outstanding career including as the regular star of thePlanet of the Apesseries;Micky Dolenz,who started his career as a child star in the 1950s, grew up to be a musician of the successful 1960s pop groupThe Monkees,which had its own successfultelevision show;Ron Howard,who, in addition to being the star of both of the long runningThe Andy Griffith ShowandHappy Daystelevision series, became an Academy Award-winning director in adulthood;Elijah Wood,who continued his career successfully into adulthood, starring asFrodo BagginsinThe Lord of the Ringsfilm seriesand starring as Ryan Newman in the television seriesWilfred.

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.Shirley Temple,for example, became a public figure and diplomat.Peter Ostrum,appearing in his only role, the lead character ofCharlie BucketinWilly Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,became a large-scale veterinarian surgeon. WhileJenny Lewis,formerly of filmTroop Beverly Hillsin 1989, is a well-known singer-songwriterindie rockmusician.Renee Olsteadbecame a Jazz musician.

In Poland, former child actors and identical twin brothersLechandJarosław Kaczyńskibecame successful politicians, at one time Lech being president and Jarosław the prime minister.

See also

• Actor
• Acting age
• List of child actors
• Child labor

External links

• Mandy KidsArchived2019-04-03 at theWayback Machine– a resource for child actors in the UK