9 child stars who quit acting for 'normal' jobs, from Matilda to Chunk

BY HUGH ARMITAGE

 

 

We think it's fair to say that a lot of children dream of being actors. Just ask our long-suffering drama teachers how many precocious brats they had to watch pretending to be dogs every Saturday morning.

 

So it probably takes a special kind of kid to have that fame within their grasp and let it go to rejoin the rest of humanity.

 

Full Story: http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/feature/a821416/child-stars-who-quit-acting-for-normal-jobs/

Some time ago I read an article about some ex boy group members.

I think everybody who wants to get famous should read or view some stories about people who were successful at some stage and later f%#$# up.

And obviously the parents should also think twice what they are wishing for.

Probably not that surprising... think of a lot of "kid" stars you remember.  Where are they now?  Exactly.  How many of them transition into adult acting, and for how many of them is it actually by choice rather than no longer being cast (some of them no doubt because now that they're grown up, they're no longer "cute" or precocious)?

 

(My mom once pointed out to me that just because a kid is good at something "for a kid"-- whether it's acting, music, etc.-- doesn't mean their talent will be exceptional when they're an adult.  Where are so many of the kid singers and such too-- Charlotte Church, Jackie Evancho, etc.?  They had great voices for little kids-- usually because their voices were quite mature for their age-- but once they grew up and into those voices, run-of-the-mill ones for an adult singer so they were now just one of the pack rather than superstars.  And for some of the kid stars of all sorts, no doubt they didn't even grow up into "just another good {whatever}" but it was the case that what was pretty good "for a kid" was only mediocre "for an adult" or, their skill never continued to improve to an adult-great level.)