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Former Child Star Mary Kate Olsen Recalls Childhood as that of “Little Monkey Performer”

Posted on04. Aug, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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Mary-Kate Olsen, 24, rose to unexpected fame with her twin sister Ashley, playing the youngest Tanner sister on the hit television series Full House, and somehow graduated from the dreaded title “former child star” to the enviable moniker of “fashion icon” with relative ease in her late teens. Today, she and her sister have an astounding estimated net worth of $100 million.

After years of silence, MK is now speaking about her experiences for the first time in Marie Claire magazine. She told the publication that she and her sister were nothing shy of ‘little monkey performers’ as children. “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 former child star said rather than envy the twins lives, her friends “feel sorry for us… because it’s kind of bittersweet.”

While twin sister Ashley has been relatively trouble-free, Mary-Kate’s problems: party-girl reputation, numerous romantic liaisons, public battle and hospitalization with anorexia and questionable involvement in the scandalous aftermath of Heath Ledger’s untimely death.

Mary Kate explained how her experiences taught her that avoiding issues can only make the problem worse. “I think it’s really important to be able to talk when something’s wrong,” she says. “I learned at a really young age that if you don’t talk about it, it can drive you insane.”

Ashley is Mary Kate’s biggest supporter. “Sometimes Ash and I have to bring each other back, or push each other more. It’s really helpful to have another half; we’re constantly checking in with each other.”

Today Mary-Kate has moved on from the past and devotes her time to the various fashion lines she and Ashley run. Together they’ve founded and designed clothing ranges at every price point – from the critically acclaimed The Row, named after London’s Savile Row, and mid-priced Elizabeth and James, to the cut-price Olsenboye collection for JC Penney. And she’s not rushing in to the design process. “It took us a year-and-a-half to make the first T-shirt,” she shares.

Though she hasn’t abandoned her first profession entirely (she has a role opposite Vanessa Hudgens in upcoming horror film, Beastly), fashion is now her primary focus. “I still read scripts, and if something great comes along, that’s great… but this is my day job. The Row is where I go every day. It’s kind of like a mask to hide behind,” she admits.

Source: Marie Claire

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Former NICK Child Star Amanda Bynes, 24, Announces Retirement from Acting…

Posted on21. Jun, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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In a case of bad timing, Amanda Bynes, 24-year-old former Nickelodeon star on “All That” and “The Amanda Show,” announced Saturday via her twitter account that she is retiring from acting. Following Nickelodeon, Bynes was in the WB sitcom “What I like About You,” with costar Jennie Garth. She starred in the films, “She’s the Man” and “Hairspray.” Bad timing because Bynes’ next film, “Easy A,” starring Emma Stone which is due to be released on September 17, 2010, actually looks like it will be hilarious and could have placed her back in a position of making good career choices for herself in Hollywood as opposed to the not so good ones she’s made recently.

“Being an actress isn’t as fun as it may seem,” she tweeted from her verified account. “If I don’t love something anymore I stop doing it. I don’t love acting anymore so I’ve stopped doing it.” She went on to say, “I wanna thank my dad for his words of wisdom!!!! ‘the truth will set you free’ one of his phrases I will never forget!!!!” Then she tweeted: “I know 24 is a young age to retire but you heard it here first I’ve retired.”

I’m hoping this is either a true choice she’s thoughtfully considered or a bad day she’ll recover from by saying someone hacked her twitter account. Let’s not forget, it’s always a girl’s prerogative to change her mind.

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Jodie Foster’s Believes Actress Kristen Stewart is “On the Right Track”

Posted on04. Jun, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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According to People Magazine, Former Child Star and accomplished Academy Award winning actress, Jodie Foster shared some advice with “Panic Room” co-star, Kristen Stewart.
Foster’s advice: “Just about how to not go crazy and be a young actor who wants to have a long career.”

Jodie Foster with Kristen Stewart in 2002

And if anyone would know about the graceful transitioning from child to adult on-screen, it’s undoubtedly Jodie Foster. As a child, Foster helmed several Disney productions, “Freaky Friday” and “One Little Indian,” and small television guest star roles before her career took a more serious turn with the acclaimed role of a child prostitute in “Taxi Driver.” Jodie Foster, who incidentally never took an acting class, received two Oscars before the age of 30. She received her first Oscar for her role as Sarah Tobias in The Accused (1988) and her second for the role of Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Foster is widely considered one the best actresses of her generation, having appeared in block buster hits Contact (1997), Panic Room (2002), Flightplan (2005), Inside Man (2006) and The Brave One (2007). (Little Man Tate is a personal favorite in our household)

Foster believes Kristen Stewart is doing a good job managing her newly found stardom. “She doesn’t need any help. She’s on the right track. She’s a good girl,” Foster told People Mag. “And I love that kid. I spent so much time with her.”

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Then and Now: 80’s Teen Queen Molly Ringwald on “Getting the Pretty Back”

Posted on03. May, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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As the star of the beloved director John Hughes Brat Pack film classics “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club,” and “Pretty in Pink,” former teen queen Molly Ringwald defined teenage angst, love, and heartbreak in the 1980’s. Now a wife and mother of three herself, as wells as starring on the TV drama, “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” Molly is facing a new angst-inducing time in her life—her 40th birthday! Molly reveals that her role as a mother on her new TV show “is a bit of a flash forward” into her own kids’ future, which she hopes won’t include acting, at least until they’re much older. Molly shares that her own parents were “naïve” about the perils awaiting a child star, but she also credits them with her ability to overcome the challenges that can lead to many young actors’ downfalls. “My parents were very present and cared a lot. They were always people I felt like I could go and talk to, always very nurturing. I’ve always been somewhat bookish, curious about the world and very interested in how I could make myself better and not just get stuck in the one thing,” she says.

Apropos as encouraging every woman to become “the sexiest, funniest, smartest, well dressed, and most confident woman that you can be,” is what this book is about for Molly. She shares a lifetime of experience in a vibrant, fun, stylish, and sexy collection of intimate stories and candid advice: Getting the Pretty Back, a fully illustrated “girlfriend’s guide” to life. She shares personal anecdotes and entertaining insights about the struggle to get through the murky milestones and identity issues that crop up long after the prom ends. Whether she’s discussing sex and beauty, personal style, travel and entertaining, motherhood, or friendship, Molly embodies the spirit of being fabulous at every age, and reminds us all that prettiness is a state of mind: it’s “the part of you that knows what you really want, that takes risks.”

Lavishly illustrated by Ruben Toledo, Getting the Pretty Back is sure to charm women of all ages with Molly’s unforgettably personal, refreshingly outspoken take on life, love, and, of course, finding that perfect red lipstick. . . .

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Alyssa Milano Reveals Secrets to Growing Up Sane in Hollywood

Posted on19. Apr, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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This morning on ABC News, host George Stephanopolis interviewed beautiful actress and UNICEF ambassdor Alyssa Milano in promotion of her new prime time series “Romantically Challenged,” premiering tonight on ABC. During the interview George asked Allysa how she managed to be a child actor, grow up in the spotlight on 70’s smash hit “Who’s the Boss?” and yet, remain so normal.

Alyssa replied:

“You know, it’s a hard business to grow up in and I had the best circumstances which was a family that didn’t care what I did just as long as there was food on the table and we all had dinner together. And, I really think that having that stability saved me. I think a child can go through anything as long as they have parents behind them that support them and remind them what’s important in life.”

“I have a brother who’s 10 years younger than I am and he never missed an opportunity to tell me about my acne (laughs) and that kept me normal, sane and grounded. Down to earth. [My parents] always instilled in me that family, love and friendship were the most important things and that it doesn’t matter what you do in your life as long as you have those things, you’re a success.”

ABOUT THE SHOW: “Romantically Challenged,” is an ensemble comedy about four friends trying to find love and happiness while navigating their way through today’s tricky world of dating. The show premieres tonight, MONDAY, APRIL 12 (9:32-10:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Smart and beautiful Rebecca (Alyssa Milano) is recently divorced after 15 years of marriage. Having never really dated before she was married – and not having been on a date since Clinton was in office — she finds it scary to start over now. Although a gifted mom and lawyer, she is clueless about dating and hopes to get some help from her equally romantically-challenged friends.

Perry is Rebecca’s best friend since childhood. He is a rugged man’s man and a tremendously successful financial planner — but also one of Pittsburgh’s most sensitive hopeless romantics. When it comes to matters of the heart, Perry is a romance-a-holic who falls in love with women 20 minutes after meeting them. After 40 minutes, he’s already naming their future children.

A struggling novelist, the witty and affable Shawn has been Perry’s best friend and rent-free roommate for six years. Shawn is the emotionally unavailable cynic to Perry’s hopeless romantic. He has never had a relationship more serious than a three-night stand – and even those send him running for the door.

Rounding out the group is Rebecca’s petite, baby sister, Lisa. Behind her deceptively sweet appearance is a sassy pit bull ready to protect her older sister. Although a nurturing kindergarten teacher, she has a wild side too, and sees a “threesome” as “second base.”

Will these four romantically challenged friends ever find lasting love? Or even someone who lasts until next Thursday?

“Romantically Challenged” stars Alyssa Milano as Rebecca Thomas, Kyle Bornheimer as Perry Gill, Josh Lawson as Shawn Goldwater and Kelly Stables as Lisa Thomas.

The series is created by Ricky Blitt and executive produced by Blitt and James Burrows. Burrows also serves as the show’s director. The series is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. and Candy Bar Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

”Romantically Challenged” is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC’s selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound.

For more information on “Romantically Challenged,” visit ABC.com. Follow the show on Twitter @RomChallenged, follow Alyssa on @Alyssa_Milano or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RomanticallyChallenged

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Success Story: Child Actor Joe Mazzello Graduates to Acting in Adulthood the Old Fashioned Way – He Earned It.

Posted on13. Mar, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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After a month of depressing new stories about the tragic ends of former child stars, I have some encouraging news to relay about the rewards of hard work and strong parenting. This is the story of former child actor Joe Mazzello.

Former child actor Joe Mazzello [“Radio Flyer,” “Raising Helen” and “Jurassic Park”] takes an adult turn Sunday night as character Eugene Sledge in HBO’s “The Pacific.” While difficult to imagine, Mazzello is already a 20-year acting veteran at the tender age of 26. Unlike many child actors who lose their way and find their careers over by their teen years, Mazzello has transitioned to adult character actor roles with relative ease.

How was this possible? According to Mazzello: “I think all of it has to do with parenting and keeping your kid grounded, keeping them in the real world and don’t let them get caught up in it. I always lived in upstate New York in a small town. And I never moved out to L.A. and did the ‘pilot season’ thing. I never immersed myself in it. I would do the job, then I would go back home and live a regular life. I would be playing in the leaves and kickball with my friends, and I just had a very normal life. So I felt like I got to live two lives. I got to go out and do these amazing things, go to these exotic locations and have all this fun, and then go home and also be a normal kid. I think that balance is what made me always love it.”

Mazzello recalls the first time he worked with Steven Speilberg, at the age of nine, while filming “Jurassic Park. “…There was a hurricane [sic] and Steven Spielberg decided instead of being safe, going underground and making sure he was alive, he was going to film the hurricane. So he went outside and got some shots of the hurricane approaching. That moment was when I knew not only did I want to be an actor, but I probably wanted to be a director too, which set me on a course to go to college [USC] to learn about that, because that kind of dedication is just remarkable.”

His current project “The Pacific” reunited him with his mentor Speilberg, and focuses on the Marine battles of the Pacific Isles like Peleliu, Guadalcanal, Okinawa and toll war takes on the young. “It has changed my life again because I’ve transitioned from being a child actor to being an adult actor, and it’s opened up a whole new world for me,” he says.

But just because he ‘d worked with Speilberg on Jurrasic didn’t guarantee the actor his transition role to adulthood acting. Mazzello admits the audition process for “The Pacific” was the most arduous he has endured thus far in his career and that he auditioned 6 times for 3 different roles. “It was the usual [process], I went to a casting director, then the next audition was in front of one of the producers, then another for another producer and another. Finally, the fifth audition I find out, ‘You’re going to audition for [producer] Steven Spielberg.’ Getting into a room with 20 people, HBO executives, PlayTone and Steven Spielberg.” Producer Tom Hanks wasn’t able to be at the fifth audition so Mazzello had to try out yet again for him. “I felt like I’d already been through boot camp. I started auditioning in October, and [the process] ended finally in April.”

Mazzello was taught patience by his parents (dance studio owners) and that not everything depends on whether Mazzello would win a given role. “When I was in high school, my acting career took a backseat for me. I didn’t even have an agent for 3 years. I just took some time away from it. Again, it’s a credit to my parents, who raised me to feel like all these other things were just as important. So I never got that engrossed in the whole scene. SAT’s, the Prom, girls and getting into college — that all meant a lot to me, so I focused on that.

Following high school, Mazzello went to USC film school. ”I learned about the other side of the camera and as I was doing it I was thinking, ‘You know, I don’t think I’m done with acting.’ It was something I always loved and made the decision: I’ve got to give this my whole heart now instead of just a half or a third of it. When I was a kid, I was doing movie after movie. And when I came back, people said, ‘Oh, Joe Mazzello, that little kid.’ I said, ‘No, not exactly. I’m 23.’ I had to definitely reinvent myself a little bit and let people see me as an adult. I could still get into all the rooms I needed to get into because of my resume, but I had to still do it the old-fashioned way.” Working with Spielberg again was always his ambition. ‘My fondest memories of ‘Jurassic Park’ are of him, so I felt it came full circle when I auditioned for ‘The Pacific’.”

* Sources: StarPulse Entertainment News, KansasCityStar.com and Google

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Former “Wonder Years” Child Star Danika McKellar graduates to Wonder Woman of Math

Posted on20. Feb, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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Even back when she was a child star shooting the television hit “The Wonder Years,” with iconic co-star Fred Savage, producers had to hire an advanced calculus tutor to keep up with Danica McKella’s math aptitude. But at that point she had never considered becoming a mathematician. Social conditioning, says 32-year-old McKellar, made her believe girls didn’t have a place in the math world. “Who did I think math was for, if it wasn’t for me?”

Danica went to UCLA intending to study writing and directing, but converted to mathematics, earning a math degree summa cum laude and co-authoring a research paper that solved a statistical mechanics problem involving magnetism in two dimensions—a solution now known as the Chayes-McKellar-Winn theorem.

In math class McKellar learned that solving probabilities wasn’t going to solve the biggest math problem in the United States: “Girls fear math,” she says. Although girls and boys in fourth and eighth grades have similar math and science proficiency scores, a national survey recently found that girls are less likely than boys to agree with the statements “I like mathematics” and “I like science.” Teachers often unknowingly foster this preference, which, McKellar claims, isn’t helped by the feeling among young girls that they need to act ditzy in order to get boys to like them. The negative attitudes girls hold for math translate into career choices later on in life: four times as many men as women hold full-time university faculty positions in mathematics, science, and engineering. And as McKellar sat in a sea of male classmates in her advanced classes she realized she was living the direct repercussions of these early gender inequalities.

McKellar plans to change these statistics by putting some of her other skills to work. “Math doesn’t have good PR. I’m going to do my best to do great PR for math,” she says. as a spokesman for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, she testified to a Congressional subcommittee in 2000 about the country’s need to better prepare math teachers and draw more young girls toward math, especially at the age when they tend to start avoiding the subject. “Not only is middle school a time in life when girls are dealing with so much emotionally, it’s also when math gets harder.”

To help girls struggling with the complexity that comes with seventh-grade math, McKellar has penned Math Doesn’t Suck: how to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing your Mind or Breaking a Nail. The book hones in on middle school’s trickiest points-––like fractions, ratios, and percentages—and presents them in a style that’s appropriate for the cool kids’ lunch table. Figure out your “type” in boys and you’ll understand greatest common factors. All of those iced lattes celebrities drink make multiplying fractions tasty and don’t forget, savvy shopping requires killer decimal skills.

As McKellar fields math questions from kids on her personal website she sees how the hard work and persistence required by math can empower girls. The subject has a reputation for being tough, but coming up with the right numbers can give girls an important boost of courage. In addition to being gorgeous and brilliant, Danika can be seen guest appearing of the new hit television series, “The Big Bang Theory.”

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Anna Chlumsky (Former Child Star of “My Girl”) on Her Decade Away From Acting

Posted on17. Feb, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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You’ll likely recall Anna Chlumsky as the adorable 11 year old star of “My Girl,” it’s sequel and “Gold Diggers.” She is now 29-years-old, and after years off from acting, has resurfaced on both the small screen (with appearances on “30 Rock” and last year’s “Cupid”) and large (the Oscar-nominated “In the Loop”).

Next up for her romantic dramedy “The Good Guy,” starring Alexis Bledel as an urban conservationist in Manhattan torn between two Wall Street traders (Scott Porter and Bryan Greenberg). In a brief but memorable supporting role, Chlumsky plays one of Bledel’s upwardly mobile friends. Below are excerpts of a recent interview she did with Aaron Hillis of IFC.com

Anybody who writes about you always feels the need to use the phrase “former child actor.” As an adult who still acts, do you feel there’s a stigma to that term?

I certainly do, but you just have to embrace what you can’t control. How am I going to control how people refer to me? I used to be an editor, I considered journalism — and even more marginalized, entertainment journalism. It has its own rules and style. The first thing that I think journalists do, and you can tell me this or not, is to remind people exactly what they would know this person from. So it’s just another variable: “Oh, we can stick that one in there so people can put her in context.” I learned not to take it personally that people still want me to be ten years old. [laughs]

Beginning in the late ’90s, you were jaded enough to take several years off from acting, went to college and pursued a career in publishing. What ultimately brought you back into performing?

Going back to school didn’t have to do with the jaded parts. [laughs] I always loved learning and was enamored with the idea of higher education, so college was always the plan. School allowed me to see what my strengths were other than the things I’d been told my whole life: “Oh, you’re cute. You say these lines and take direction well.” That’s all you need as a kid to be an actor, because all the truth is already there. It’s not about what [making movies] is really about: being creative, telling stories and collaboration. That’s what I love about it now, but as a kid, it was about making sure people like you. That’s what we discover at the end of adolescence, that it’s okay if people don’t like us. [laughs]

So I was disenchanted with the idea of having my major goal to be on the cover of a magazine when I’m having so much fun learning about Hobbes. Everything got re-prioritized for me. Once I was out of school, I was pursuing anything that I had interest in except for movies and theater, even though those are the things that I have the most interest in. I was squashing it down because I didn’t want to admit it. Slowly, I started to discover that this could be a beautiful thing if I follow the beauty of it, as opposed to… I don’t know, schlock. Honestly, recognition is beautiful but that’s not what I’m in it for. For me, it’s to tell stories, and I love doing it that way. So that was the journey. I’m so loquacious, pardon me. [laughs]

How have you gone about approaching your career in this way?

It’s something I learned in my time away from it, especially being an editor. I was on the business end [of publishing], the buying and selling end of a creative industry. Here are these people putting their hearts on the page, and I had to say “Eh, can we sell it?” I learned, when I became the person putting my heart on the page again, that it’s not personal. If I don’t get a role that I really want, it’s not because I suck, or I’m ugly, or they think I’m stupid. It’s just because they had one little role and all these people. That’s my antidote to rejection. You can’t blame people for having to make a buck, and the buck pays artists, so how can that be bad? So the sting isn’t there. I know I’m good at what I do, as long as I put my work in.

I read that you had a stint during college as a Zagat guide fact-checker. What was the strangest experience you had in that position?

That wasn’t even in college — that was my entry-level position, which got me to New York. I put so much of it out of my memory. It was a cut above telemarketing, for sure. It was three of us in a little room with no windows that we called the “War Room,” where we just made all these cold calls to restaurants. We were bored, obviously, so there got to be one point where we started singing the theme to “Law & Order” incessantly. We couldn’t stop. Every call we finished, we’d go, “Duh-duh, duh-duh-duh-duh-duuuuh” to the point where we then looked up who the composer was — Mike Post is his name. We printed his face out and put it on our wall. He became our mascot so we could get through the day. So that’s kind of odd — tt’s very Zagat ‘02. [laughs]

Anna Chlumsky’s film “The Good Guy” opens in limited release on February 19th.

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Former Child Actor & Teen Idol Leif Garrett Arrested for Drug Possession – Again.

Posted on07. Feb, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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Former 1970’s child star and teen idol Leif Garrett was arrested at the Los Angeles Metrolink Station by the LA County Sheriff’s Department for possession of black tar heroin. According to twirlit.com, he was released on $10,000.00 bail. He must report to court February 24, 2010.

Leif Garrett skyrocketed to teen idol status with the release of his self-titled album in 1977. He appeared in movies Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band and The Outsiders.

Garrett, 48, has a life-long history of drug-related incidents and arrests.

1979, Leif Garrett was high on Quaaludes, crashed his Porsche, and left his best friend who was a passenger as a paraplegic.
1996, Leif declared on VH1’s Behind the Music that he was drug-free. A few months later, he was arrested after buying drugs from undercover cops in Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park.
2005, Leif plead guilty to possessing cocaine. He would be re-arrested later for violating the terms of his probation.
2006, Garrett was arrested after he was caught riding on the Metro Red Line without a ticket. Law Enforcement found him to be in possession of Quaaludes and heroin at that time. He was subsequently sentenced to a drug-rehab program where he would live; however, he decided the facility was “too strict” and left. He was arrested, sentenced to 90-days in jail, and three years probation.

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Video: The Agent Who Discovered Miley Cyrus

Posted on27. Jul, 2009 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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A very thoughtful interview with Hollywood Talent Agent Mitchell Gossett of UTA who recounts his first meeting with the very young, 10 1/2 year old triple threat, Miley Cyrus. Video courtesy of Back Stage.

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Video: Former Child Stars Candid Roundtable

Posted on27. Jul, 2009 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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Courtesy of Back Stage: Former child stars Danny Bonaduce (The Patridge Family) and Malcolm-Jamal Warner (The Cosby Show), along with talent agent Mitchell Gossett and casting director Judy Taylor, discuss the business of being a child star today. Judy explains that with the easy accessibility of video clips more children than ever are auditioning from all parts of the country – even small cities. Danny Bonaduce reminisces that he and fellow former child stars Todd Bridges and Lindsay Lohan are the cautionary tales of excess fame and fortune at too early of an age.

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Former Child Star: Jason Bateman is a Movie Star Now

Posted on09. Jul, 2009 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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jason-bateman-details-cover

It’s the story Hollywood repeats with every new generation of child actors, the articles you’ve read a hundred times in print and watched on tabloid shows E! True Hollywood Story and The Insider: Successful child actor loses his way.

In this month’s Details Magazine, Actor Jason Bateman, now 40, reveals that following his success as a child star on the television shows Silver Spoons and The Hogan Family he found himself lacking in parental supervision but surrounded by money: a lethal combination for many youth in this town.

“It was like Risky Business for 10 years,” Bateman recalls of the 1990’s. “My parents were out of town, they left me a bunch of money, the car and the house and I didn’t know when they were coming home. “

But like Bateman himself, this story has a charming twist. After vanishing from the Hollywood scene for almost a decade, Bateman has resurfaced as Hollywood’s new (again) It boy. It’s difficult to imagine Jason as anything but the lovable everyman he plays on screen but during his “Risky Business” years, rumors of his drunken antics were well known within the industry. I’ve heard both sides.

In 1996, while I was working on Pleasantville, Justine Bateman came to set, visiting a former flame. Upon seeing her, one of our actors shared that he had just recently been thrown out of one of her brother Jason’s parties in the Hollywood Hills. The insult added to injury? He was thrown out by Jason himself and for no apparent reason. Let’s just say, there were hard feelings.

But jump ahead 6 years to 2002, Jason is married, sober and working steadily. After meeting on Starsky & Hutch, my husband Russell approaches Bateman to participate in a video series he was directing about finding success in the film and television industries. Not only did Jason agree to participate but bent over backwards to accommodate Russell and the crew. No agents, no attitude, no hidden agendas & for no money – just a genuinely nice person going out of his way to help an acquaintance.

Following his return to television with the critically acclaimed Arrested Development, Bateman worked a multitude of supporting roles in feature films: The Sweetest Thing, Dodgeball, Starsky & Hutch, JUNO, and The Break-up - to name just a few. Recently his film roles have grown from prominent (Hancock) to leading man as in the upcoming Baster co-starring Jennifer Aniston and the star-studded Couples Retreat (picture below) coincidentally helmed by another former child actor, Peter Billingsley. And the best part of this come-back kids journey? He deserves this moment. Jason Bateman is a genuinely nice person with talent and good looks to spare – unlike many in the spotlight, he warrants the praise that’s lavished upon him and the many accolades that are sure to come. For more read the new article in Details.

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Then & Now: The Insider’s Child Stars List

Posted on25. Jun, 2009 by Hollywood Mom.

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A few days ago when I was strapped for content, I posted The Spill’s “Then and Now” list of child actors. Since then more “Then and Now” lists of Hollywood Child Stars have cropped up – the latest from the website of the television show, “The Insider.” Here’s their round-up.

This list showcases both the obvious actors who have rarely spent a moment out of the spotlight since childhood, like: Drew Barrymore, Hilary Duff, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen; to the not so obvious and almost shocking “Now” photos of those we no longer see: Haley Joel Osment (Sixth Sense), Henry Thomas (ET), Jonathan Lipnicki (Almost Famous), and Alisan Porter (Curly Sue). Check it out!

http://www.theinsider.com/news/2237758_Child_movie_stars_then_and_now

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Then & Now: The Spill’s Child Stars List

Posted on15. Jun, 2009 by Hollywood Mom.

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I’ve been really remiss in posting so here’s some good stuff from TheSpill.com to tide you over until I post tomorrow (or whenever). It’s a strong list (DD’s worked with the five hyperlinked names), including: Christina Ricci, Drew Barrymore, Jason Bateman, Natalie Potman, Elijah Wood, Ron Howard, Christian Bale, Jerry O’Connell, Kieran Culkin and the very unlikely comeback kid Jackie Earle Hayley. Mull it over and let me know who you’d like to see on HMB’s first “Then and Now” List.

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