Editing Child actor

{{Short description|Child acting on stage or in motion pictures or television}}
{{for|the music producer|Child Actor (producer)}}
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[[File:Paper Moon television 1974 (cropped).JPG|thumb|right|170px|[[Jodie Foster]] rose to prominence as a child star in the 1970s.]]
The term '''child actor''' or '''child actress''' is generally applied to a child acting on stage, television, or in [[film|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 [[Adolescence|teenager]].

Many child actors find themselves struggling to adapt as they become adults, mainly due to [[typecasting]]. [[Macaulay Culkin]] and [[Lindsay Lohan]] are two particularly famous child actors who eventually experienced much difficulty with the fame they acquired at an early age. Some child actors have successful acting careers as adults; for example [[Mickey Rooney]], [[Elizabeth Taylor]], [[Jodie Foster]], [[Drew Barrymore]], [[Jake Gyllenhaal]], [[Selena Gomez]]. Other child actors have gone on to successful careers in other fields, including director [[Ron Howard]], politicians [[Lech Kaczyński|Lech]] and [[Jarosław Kaczyński]], and singer [[Jenny Lewis]].

==Regulation==
In the United States, the activities of child actors are regulated by the governing [[labor 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 by [[California]], for example, might be permitted to a project filming in [[British Columbia]]. US federal law "specifically exempted minors working in the entertainment business from all provisions of the child labor Laws."{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} Any regulation of child actors is governed by disparate state laws.

===California===
Due to the large presence of the entertainment industry in [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]], 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 the [[education]] of the child actor not be disrupted while the child is working, whether the child actor is enrolled in [[State school|public school]], [[private school]] or even [[home 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 an actor under [[school leaving age]].<ref name="Performance license">{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/child-employment/performance-licences-for-children|title=Child employment|work=GOV.UK|year=2019|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref> Before a child can work, they require a performance license from their [[Local Education Authority]] as well as a licensed chaperone; unless a parent/guardian is also a licenced chaperone, they can only chaperone their own child,{{Clarify|date=January 2025}} and a chaperone's duties include acting ''[[in loco parentis]]'' and recording arrivals and departure time from the work place, the time a child is working, their breaks, and the amount of tutoring.<ref name="Performance license"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ukchaperoneservice.co.uk/information/become-a-chaperone|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150820212159/http://www.ukchaperoneservice.co.uk/information/become-a-chaperone|url-status=usurped|archive-date=August 20, 2015|title=Become a chaperone|work=UK Chaperone Service|year=2019|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref>  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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/howwework/policiesandguidelines/childprotection/pdf/licensing_guide.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/howwework/policiesandguidelines/childprotection/pdf/licensing_guide.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=BBC In-House Guidance for the Licensing of Children in Productions|work=BBC|date=April 2015|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref>

There are regulations and guidance to safeguard all actors under the age of 20; [[Ofcom]] guidance states a child or young person'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.<ref name="OFCOM guide">{{cite web|url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2015/protecting-children-in-programmes|title=Ofcom updates guidance on protecting children in programmes|work=OFCOM|date=30 March 2015|access-date=29 August 2019|archive-date=29 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829185338/https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2015/protecting-children-in-programmes|url-status=dead}}</ref> Ofcom also advises that broadcasters undertake risk assessments, consider seeking expert advice and follow best practices.<ref name="OFCOM guide"/>

==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 [[California Child Actor's Bill|Coogan Bill]], which requires a portion of the earnings of a child to be preserved in a special savings account called a blocked trust.<ref>{{cite web|title=Coogan Act law and definition|url=http://definitions.uslegal.com/c/coogan-act/|publisher=USLegal, Inc.|access-date=April 3, 2014}}</ref> 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&nbsp;million over misappropriation of his trust fund.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.tripod.com/~former_child_star/news_1999.html |title=Former Child Star Central |publisher=Members.tripod.com |date=June 29, 1999 |access-date=May 28, 2010}}</ref><ref name="TDG">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-hYxAAAAIBAJ&pg=4011,5595796&dq=gary+coleman&hl=en|title=Gary Coleman awarded $1.3M|date=February 25, 1993|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=[[The Daily Gazette]]|access-date=May 28, 2010}}</ref>

===Competitive pressure===
Some people, such as child psychologists, developmental experts, and journalists, 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.<ref>{{cite web|URL=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2000/nov/22/familyandrelationships.features103|title=Little darlings|last=Wheelwright|first=Julie|date=November 22, 2000|website=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=May 24, 2025|lang=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/in-showbiz-kids-alex-winter-weighs-the-costs-of-child-stardom|title=In “Showbiz Kids,” Alex Winter Weighs the Costs of Child Stardom|last=Pappademas|first=Alex|date=July 20, 2020|website=[[The New Yorker]]|access-date=May 24, 2025|lang=en}}</ref> Other industry advocates 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/huge-benefits-child-actor-6726/|title=5 Huge Benefits of Being a Child Actor|date=June 28, 2023|last=Reid|first=Jackie|website=[[Backstage (magazine)|Backstage]]|access-date=May 24, 2025|lang=en}}</ref>

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|date=September 2018}}

[[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 [[midget]]s than children"—and disapproved of parents pushing adulthood on them.<ref>Caryl Flinn in ’’Brass Diva, the Life and Legends of Ethel Merman’’ ISBN 978-0-520-22942-6 p. 360</ref>

==After the childhood success==
{{Synthesis|section|date=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, television shows or both. However, it is not uncommon to see child actors continue their careers as actors or in a different professional field.

[[Jodie Foster]] started acting at age 3, becoming the quintessential child actor during the 1970s with roles in films such as ''[[Tom Sawyer (1973 film)|Tom Sawyer]]'' (1973), ''[[Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore]]'' (1974), ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' (1976), ''[[Bugsy Malone]]'' (1976), ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]'' (1976), and ''[[Freaky Friday (1976 film)|Freaky Friday]]'' (1976). A [[child prodigy]], Foster received her first [[Academy Award]] nomination at age 13 and later took a sabbatical from films to attend [[Yale University]]. She made a successful transition to adult roles, winning two Academy Awards for [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] before the age of 30, and starring in several successful and acclaimed films such as ''[[The Accused (1988 film)|The Accused]]'' (1988), ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'' (1991), ''[[Nell (film)|Nell]]'' (1994), ''[[Maverick (film)|Maverick]]'' (1994), ''[[Contact (1997 American film)|Contact]]'' (1997), and ''[[The Brave One (2007 film)|The 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 as ''[[Little Man Tate]]'' (1991), ''[[Money Monster]]'' (2016) and television shows such as ''[[House of Cards (American TV series)|House of Cards]]'', ''[[Orange Is the New Black]]'', and ''[[Black Mirror]]''.

Now adults, [[Daniel Radcliffe]], [[Rupert Grint]] and [[Emma Watson]], the three leads of the acclaimed [[Harry Potter (film series)|''Harry Potter'' film series]] (2001–2011), starred in every instalment in the series, and have since continued to act in film, television, and theater in their early 30s.

[[Dakota Fanning]] rose to prominence after her breakthrough performance at age 7 in the film ''[[I Am Sam]]'' (2001). Her performance earned her a [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] nomination 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 as ''[[Man on Fire (2004 film)|Man on Fire]]'' (2004), ''[[War of the Worlds (2005 film)|War of the Worlds]]'' (2005), ''[[Charlotte's Web (2006 film)|Charlotte's Web]]'' (2006), ''[[Hounddog (film)|Hounddog]]'' (2007), ''[[The Secret Life of Bees (film)|The Secret Life of Bees]]'' (2008), ''[[Coraline (film)|Coraline]]'' (2009), [[The Twilight Saga (film series)|''The Twilight Saga'' film series]] (2009–2012), ''[[The Runaways (2010 film)|The Runaways]]'' (2010), and ''[[The Motel Life (film)|The Motel Life]]'' (2012). Fanning's younger sister, [[Elle Fanning]], also rose to prominence as a child actress, having appeared in many films since before she turned 3.

[[Miranda Cosgrove]], known mainly for her roles as Summer in the film ''[[School of Rock]]'' and Megan on the Nickelodeon sitcom ''[[Drake & Josh]]'' as a child, gained more attention for her role as a teenager in the show ''[[iCarly]]''. Since the end of the show she has been featured in other roles, including as the voice of Margo in the ''[[Despicable Me]]'' franchise. Once she was of age, she decided to pursue a college degree in film at the University of Southern California.<ref>[[Miranda Cosgrove]]</ref>

[[Raven-Symoné]] had childhood stardom for her roles on ''[[The Cosby Show]]'' and ''[[Hangin' with Mr. Cooper]]'' but would achieve mainstream breakthrough with her role as Raven Baxter in the Disney Channel sitcom ''[[That's So Raven]]'' and ''[[The Cheetah Girls (franchise)|The Cheetah Girls]]'' films as Galleria. After both projects ended, Raven would star in ''[[Revenge of the Bridesmaids]]'', the short-lived ''[[State of Georgia (TV series)|State of Georgia]]'' and had a long running voiceover gig as Iridessa in the ''[[Tinker Bell (film series)|Tinker Bell]]'' series but after her run on Broadway's ''Sister Act'' in 2012, she briefly retired and enrolled at the [[Academy of Art University]] earning her degree in fine arts and later returned to the industry to become a co host on ''[[The View (talk show)|The View]]'' and returned to the Disney Channel for the spinoff ''[[Raven's Home]]''.

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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Crampton|first=Caroline|title=Shirley Temple {{!}} Top 10 actors turned politician|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/2010/07/shirley-temple-politician|publisher=New Statesman |date=14 July 2010 |access-date=April 3, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406091652/http://www.newstatesman.com/2010/07/shirley-temple-politician |archive-date= Apr 6, 2014 }}</ref>

[[Mary-Kate Olsen]], who shared the role of [[Michelle Tanner]] with her twin sister [[Ashley Olsen|Ashley]] on the [[American Broadcasting Company|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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-08-04 |title=Mary-Kate Olsen Breaks Her Silence |url=https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a5174/mary-kate-olsen-interview/ |website=Marie Claire Magazine |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231005013440/https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a5174/mary-kate-olsen-interview/ |archive-date= Oct 5, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-08-05 |title=Mary-Kate Olsen reveals: 'I would never wish my upbringing on anyone' |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/marykate-olsen-reveals-i-would-never-wish-my-upbringing-on-anyone-20100805-11k0d.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228223046/https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/marykate-olsen-reveals-i-would-never-wish-my-upbringing-on-anyone-20100805-11k0d.html |archive-date= Feb 28, 2024 }}</ref>
[[File:MandyMoore1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Mandy Moore]] is 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 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.<ref name="insider">{{cite web|last=Lutz|first=Ashley|title=12 Former Child Stars Who Started Successful New Careers|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/where-child-stars-are-now-2012-9 |date=Sep 15, 2012 |publisher=Business Insider|access-date=April 3, 2014}}</ref> [[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.<ref name="insider"/> [[Sara Gilbert]] is known for her role on ''[[Roseanne]]'' and later created and served as a co-host for CBS's ''[[The Talk (talk show)|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''.<ref name="insider"/> [[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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Shakespeare|first=Geoff|title=Top 10 Child Stars Whose Lives Were Not Ruined By Fame|url=http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-child-stars-whose-lives-were-not-ruined-by-fame.php |website=TopTenz |access-date=April 3, 2014|date=April 12, 2011}}</ref>

Other examples are [[Roddy McDowall]], who had a long and outstanding career, including as the regular star of the ''[[Planet of the Apes]]'' series; [[Micky Dolenz]], who started his career as a child star in the 1950s and who grew up to be a musician of the successful 1960s pop group [[The Monkees]], which had its own successful [[The Monkees (TV series)|television show]]; [[Ron Howard]], who, in addition to being the star of both of the long running ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'' and ''[[Happy Days]]'' television series, became an Academy Award-winning director in adulthood; and [[Elijah Wood]], who continued his career successfully into adulthood, starring as [[Frodo Baggins]] in [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' film series]] and starring as Ryan Newman in the television series ''[[Wilfred (U.S. TV series)|Wilfred]]''.

===Other careers===
{{unreferenced section|date=March 2023}}
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 of [[Charlie Bucket]] in ''[[Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory]]'', became a large-scale veterinarian surgeon. While [[Jenny Lewis]], formerly of film ''[[Troop Beverly Hills]]'' in 1989, is a well-known singer-songwriter [[indie rock]] musician. [[Renee Olstead]] became a jazz musician.

In Poland, former child actors and identical twin brothers [[Lech Kaczyński|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==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Child actors}}
* [http://kids.mandy.com/uk/ Mandy Kids] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403120332/https://kids.mandy.com/uk |date=2019-04-03 }} – a resource for child actors in the UK

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Child Actor}}
[[Category:Child actors| ]]
[[Category:Acting]]
[[Category:Childhood|Actor]]
[[Category:Youth rights]]
[[Category:Entertainment occupations]]
[[Category:Filmmaking occupations]]

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