Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion OK, who suggested acting was a good idea?

I had offered my daughter a chance to go out for dancing commercials when we moved to Toronto and asked on the forum, if acting for kids was a good plan.

We have been here a month and the whole thing has taken over. First, you have to weed out the best agents, and then you have to meet with them. We just came from the top child agent, his kids work on Disney in LA besides just Canadian productions. He wants DD and I really like him but this is serious stuff. The one we saw on Tues told me that I should expect one audition a week average. This is principal roles, no extras. Though for these meetings she has had to prepare monologues and scenes and I am thinking the memorization is good brain work. They never memorize poems anymore in school.

On the other hand, this could be a really good reason to homeschool.

Digressing. Met this neighbor, who kids will be going with DD to the National ballet school. She is a physician, developmental peditrician. Argued against me about acclerating DD, even though she is already accelerated 2 years in reading and math (CTY). Then, of course, mentions that her kid is challenged academically. Isn't it sad that a developmental Peditrician can be so blind on the on side of the spectrum when she knows there has to be accomodation on the other side?

oh, wow. a friend of mine in TO had a young son who was (is?) very active in commercials/modelling in print advertising, and it was definitely 1-2 auditions a week. i thought that sounded insane, so you are not alone in that!

so sad to hear the weird bias coming from your neighbour. we heard similar things with a boatload of "experts" last year and it just breaks your heart.

but on a happier note, best of luck to your daughter at NBS!

Hmm--it seems like it could be a lot for your DD in addition to the National Ballet School? Not that I know what that entails, but I assume a lot of performances and time outside of school.

I've often thought that professional acting could be great for certain gifted kids, but it seems like you might have to homeschool for it to really work well. DD was asked to audition for a professional production based on her performance at a drama camp, but after looking at the rehearsal schedule there was no way we could do it.

I, personally, I am pretty against child acting. Local theater work? Sure, go for it. National television spots? Nope. Nope. Nope.

How many child actors can you think of that grew up to be normal, functioning adults that didn't go to jail, do drugs, become alcoholics to any other crazy nonsense? I just don't see the long-term benefit to the kids to have them on television at a young age.

You don't hear a whole lot about the ones who didn't self-destruct, though, do you?

Here are a couple off the top of my head:

http://www.amazon.com/Danica-McKellar/e/B001JP7Z7G
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57586847/mara-wilson-on-why-former-child-stars-go-crazy/

Fair point. I guess I just don't see the benefit still. The TV/film industry is still driven by appearances and run by narcissists. Not really an environment I want my daughter in (or my son, for that matter.) My daughter is eventually going to internalize all the bullshit they put out about body image even with all my efforts to shield her from it, but I'm going to continue to do my best to keep her separate from that.

and run by narcissists....


which does rather assume that the rest of the world is distinct from this venue. I'm increasingly convinced that this is not the case. I think that the modern world is more or less run by narcissists, myself.

I cannot disagree with this.

Interesting turn of events. After I dropped DD off at camp, I was making the 4 hour drive home and thought of a show idea, which I then emailed to a producer of 20+year animation show on TV. One of the former showrunners and directors is now in Toronto in production. He liked the idea and now I am doing the character bible. I feel so Hollywood....

Very cool for both your daughter and you! Many congratulations!

I was a SAG/Aftra children's agent many moons ago in Chicago. I really believe the self-destructive path among some child actors is in large part due to the parents and other adults around them. I had kids who were over-indulged by their parents and/or managers to get cooperation on set or in auditions. Those parents were so desperate to see their kids "succeed" that they threw any good ideas about parenting out the window. And their kids had major trouble ahead. I had other kids with balanced parents who were amazing kids- really amazing kids. Those parents didn't hesitate to yank a kid out of an audition if he was misbehaving and I respected that. I don't believe it's the spotlight that "ruins" them. I really believe it's how the adults around them treat them once that spotlight is on.