Paul Padilla
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2002
- Messages
- 767
First, I hardly think that is relegated to the US, but I do think that the majority of the disdain regarding former child actors stems from their frequent inability to get past their own child star image. The ones that made it out unscathed and were able to continue their careers as adults "made" themselves adult actors through hard work. Every actor who I've heard discuss the subject tells the same story that their child career didn't help, and often hurt. From as far back as Jackie Cooper to Patty Duke to more recently Rick(y) Schroeder. (though no one would refer to Ms. Duke as unscathed) Carl Switzer (Alfalfa) kept trying to be a grown up version of his Our Gang character. He wasn't even credited for his part in It's A Wonderful Life and still, he was playing a miscreant.
It seems that people in this category have two separate careers and one has no bearing on the other and the former frequently hinders the latter. Their success at a young age opened no doors for them as adults and, in fact, closed many in the "What have you done lately?" world of Hollywierd. So, in essence, they had to begin as an actor again as an adult as far as auditioning and gaining the trust of the industry. Compounding that is the frequency of "discovered" child actors who got in on their looks & personality very quickly and didn't have to make their bones the way most actors do. It typifies the adage that things in life have less worth when they come too easily. IIRC, Melissa Gilbert went on a total of one audition...Little House. How does someone face a "normal" life which is riddled with rejection & disappointment when so much success befell them so early and with so little effort? What this adds up to is that a great actor (or any other artist) makes themselves great by constantly growing and developing. If Dustin Diamond fell into that category, he wouldn't be pulling the stunts he does today.
It seems that people in this category have two separate careers and one has no bearing on the other and the former frequently hinders the latter. Their success at a young age opened no doors for them as adults and, in fact, closed many in the "What have you done lately?" world of Hollywierd. So, in essence, they had to begin as an actor again as an adult as far as auditioning and gaining the trust of the industry. Compounding that is the frequency of "discovered" child actors who got in on their looks & personality very quickly and didn't have to make their bones the way most actors do. It typifies the adage that things in life have less worth when they come too easily. IIRC, Melissa Gilbert went on a total of one audition...Little House. How does someone face a "normal" life which is riddled with rejection & disappointment when so much success befell them so early and with so little effort? What this adds up to is that a great actor (or any other artist) makes themselves great by constantly growing and developing. If Dustin Diamond fell into that category, he wouldn't be pulling the stunts he does today.
