If you are new to my blog, on Wednesdays I post about my experience in Hollywood as a former child/teen actress. If you want to start at the beginning of these posts go here.
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It has been said that child actors miss out on childhood. Definitely true. In a lot of cases.But I think it depends on the kid, the kid's family, the level of pressure and fame, the amount of work, the atmosphere of your show/movie, your friends, etc.
I feel really blessed by the healthy experience I had in Hollywood. I got to live out my childhood dream, but I still enjoyed a lot of normal childhood stuff. I was never really "famous," I wasn't a workhorse, my parents didn't pressure me or depend on me financially, and I didn't run with a fast crowd. I feel like I got the best of both worlds - a little Hollywood success and the maintenance of normalcy in my home life. I moved to LA and for acting and lived with family friends at the end of 8th grade and stayed there through my junior year, but I was not there the whole time. I came home to Nor Cal a lot and participated in normal childhood activities.
Did I miss out on some stuff? Of course. I did sacrifice some normal child/teen stuff, but it was worth it. It was a trade off. One of the things I did miss was junior high graduation. I missed the ceremony - and we all know how exciting those are. But I was late for the graduation dance and I had a date. I think there was a dinner or something beforehand that I missed and so my date had to fly solo, but I eventually did make it to the dance. Here is our graduation dance pic.
I feel really blessed by the healthy experience I had in Hollywood. I got to live out my childhood dream, but I still enjoyed a lot of normal childhood stuff. I was never really "famous," I wasn't a workhorse, my parents didn't pressure me or depend on me financially, and I didn't run with a fast crowd. I feel like I got the best of both worlds - a little Hollywood success and the maintenance of normalcy in my home life. I moved to LA and for acting and lived with family friends at the end of 8th grade and stayed there through my junior year, but I was not there the whole time. I came home to Nor Cal a lot and participated in normal childhood activities.
Did I miss out on some stuff? Of course. I did sacrifice some normal child/teen stuff, but it was worth it. It was a trade off. One of the things I did miss was junior high graduation. I missed the ceremony - and we all know how exciting those are. But I was late for the graduation dance and I had a date. I think there was a dinner or something beforehand that I missed and so my date had to fly solo, but I eventually did make it to the dance. Here is our graduation dance pic.
The producers for Lassie knew I was trying to get home in time for the dinner and dance so they did what they could to wrap up my scenes that Friday. They felt bad that I couldn't be home in time so Al Burton (executive producer) brought me a corsage.
Sweet, huh?
I worked with some really great people.
Welcome friends, family, randoms, lurkers, blog addicts, fellow desperate moms, and Bono. This blog consists of mostly funny stuff that will make you feel better about yourself. Lots of mom comedy, non-Kodak moments, and un-fashion tips. On Wednesdays I write about my life as a former childhood actress complete with posts about how the entertainment business works, actors I met (or stalked), people and animals I worked with, my Hollywood friends, and photos of former teen heartthrobs. And if that’s not enough to draw you in to follow me . . . I have done some amazing giveaways. A rubber chicken, millions of doll hairs, and unlimited supplies of air. Come join the party.
