While most of the world experienced their difficult years in private, the opposite was true for child stars who grew up in front of millions of admiring eyes.
For years, the media has told the story of child stars, and it’s the same story: early fame, then a big fall. While some have managed to escape unscathed from the darkness of premature fame, others have not been so lucky.
Now the stars tell their own stories in books, podcasts, and interviews, and the truth turns out to be more complicated. Here’s what some of Hollywood’s former child stars had to say about growing up on camera.
Hayden Panettiere
The lover Hayden Panettiere among those who did not survive the horrors of early fame, with her tragic death at 36, highlighting the difficulties of child fame.
Her Hollywood career began in childhood, with Panettiere modeling as young as five months old and landing her first commercial at just 11 months. Since then, it has never stopped for the actress, who got her first major role at the age of five on the soap opera “One Life To Live”.
As a teenager, Panettiere was already known worldwide after playing the role of Claire Bennet on “Heroes”, which she played from 2006 to 2010. Her singing career also took off thanks to her portrayal of the character Juliette Barnes in “Nashville”.
However, despite the public success in all aspects, Panettiere was dealing with a darker scene behind the scenes. As revealed in her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” her lack of normalcy affected her as a child.
“From a very young age, I lost the opportunity to have a normal childhood, friends, relationships and my privacy,” she wrote.
Panettiere also recalled in her book how a pill she was given at 16 while preparing for a “Heroes” red carpet event fueled her lifelong battle against substance abuse, which eventually took her life. She described the experience as “the gateway drug that took me to the good side of medicine and the decline of addiction.”
The “Ice Princess” actress died on August 16 in Greenville, South Carolina, five days before her 37th birthday. As reported by The Blast, the manner of her death was determined to be accidental, with fentanyl, an anti-anxiety drug, alprazolam, a muscle relaxant, and medication found in her system.
Drew Barrymore
Coming from a family of actors, it seemed inside Drew Barrymorehis career is destined to be devoted to leisure. Therefore, it was not surprising that she received fame at only seven people. At 9, she had scored big for her role in “ET the Extra-Terrestrial”.
However, despite being in the spotlight, Barrymore struggled with the pressure, succumbing to the woes of teenage addiction. Her best-known memoirs, “Little Girl Lost” and “Wildflower,” detailed her horrific experiences in teenage rehabilitation facilities.
Per The Blast, the talk show host shed light on her bumpy journey in the “Child Star” documentary, admitting that she never stopped being a commercial star as a child.
“It was a Gainsberg puppy chow ad, and I’ve never stopped working since, except when I was set up by my mother,” Barrymore recalled.
The “Blended” star was held at Van Nuys Psychiatric for nearly two years. Although she once said the experience was “tough as hell,” Barrymore admitted, “it’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Macaulay Culkin
It is impossible not to mention Macaulay Culkin when we highlight famous child stars who have made an impact in the industry.
He started working in the industry at just four, appearing in a series of uncredited TV roles and plays. However, it was not until he began his role as Kevin McCallister in “Home Alone” and the following series that Culkin rose to worldwide recognition.
Unfortunately, with the fame came abuse at the hands of the family, especially his father, and even fans. His brother, Kieran Culkin, remembered Macaulay suffering harassment at the hands of strangers.
“One time, a woman took off her hat and looked at it and said, ‘Yes, there it is! You’re not so pretty.’ And then he took the hat back and walked away,” Kieran recalled, according to The Blast.
Macaulay, who is publicly estranged from his father, Kit Culkin, once said of life as a child star, “I knew what I was doing was different from other kids. For me, I didn’t know how strange my life was until I got older and got away from it.”
Demi Lovato
After appearing on the children’s show, “Barney & Friends,” Demi Lovato she cemented Hollywood status as a teenager. She appeared as a Disney teen idol with appearances on “Sonny with A Chance,” “Camp Rock,” “Camp Rock 2,” and “Princess Protection Program.”
However, although it seemed that Lovato was living in the fantasy of every teenager, the reality for her was not so encouraging.
“So many emotions come to mind when I think about that time in my life,” the singer admitted during a podcast. “I struggled a lot with my mental health, but in the end, like, really good memories. I made friends that I’ll have for the rest of my life.”
According to The Blast, while chatting with fellow child star Keke Palmer on her podcast, Lovato recalled being “used” by older men because of her teenage fame.
“I’m fifteen, why was my boyfriend 20?” Palmer said, to which Lovato replied, “Why was my boyfriend 30?”
Zendaya
Now, 30 years old, ZendayaA successful Hollywood career is a testament to how an early start in the industry can give a person a head start.
However, Zendaya, who got her big break at just 14 on Dinsey’s “Shake It Up”, doesn’t think it’s worth starting early.
Although she managed to escape from substance abuse and maintain a clean public image, the “Spider-Man” actress admitted that she has mixed feelings about being a child actor.
Zendaya admitted that her own experience gave her “complicated feelings about children and fame and being in the public eye because she’s “seen it hurt people.”
As reported by Teen Vogue, Zendaya noted that she skipped the normal developmental stages that children go through in normal childhood. “I’ve seen it harm people.
“I’m almost going through my angsty teenage phase now, because I didn’t have time to do it before.