The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage, television, or in movies . An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated terms include teenage actor or teen actor , an actor who gained popularity as a teenager .
64-496: Kirk Thomas Cameron (born October 12, 1970) is an American actor, evangelist, and television host. He first gained fame as a teen actor playing Mike Seaver on the ABC sitcom Growing Pains (1985–1992), a role for which he was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards . Cameron made several other television and film appearances through the 1980s and 1990s, including the films Like Father Like Son (1987) and Listen to Me (1989). In
128-629: A Screen Actors Guild Award nomination at age 8 in 2002, making her the youngest nominee in SAG history. She later appeared in major Hollywood productions, in such acclaimed blockbuster films as Man on Fire (2004), War of the Worlds (2005), Charlotte's Web (2006), Hounddog (2007), The Secret Life of Bees (2008), Coraline (2009), The Twilight Saga film series (2009–2012), The Runaways (2010), and The Motel Life (2012). Fanning's younger sister, Elle Fanning also rose to prominence as
192-727: A summer camp that gives terminally ill children and their families a free week's vacation. Cameron and Comfort participated in a televised debate with atheists Brian Sapient and Kelly O'Conner of the Rational Response Squad , at Calvary Baptist Church , in Manhattan , on May 5, 2007. It was moderated by ABC 's Martin Bashir and parts of it were aired on Nightline . At issue was the existence of God , which Comfort stated at various times during his ministry that he could prove scientifically without relying on faith or
256-499: A 2011 Growing Pains cast reunion on Good Morning America , Alan Thicke , who played Cameron's father, said, "Kirk's choices for a lot of people seemed extreme, but when you think about all of the choices that kids could make under the pressure that he had, what better choice could you make than to choose a religious spiritual life?" Cameron's conversion to Christianity also prompted a commitment to kissing no one other than his wife onscreen. For this reason, his real-life wife served as
320-540: A 24-year-old who has to raise his siblings. Cameron and Noble also worked together on Kirk . Cameron mostly left mainstream film and television, though a decade after Growing Pains ended, he starred in a television reunion film, The Growing Pains Movie , in 2000, and another one, Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers , in 2004. Cameron reunited with the cast of Growing Pains for a CNN Larry King Live interview which aired on February 7, 2006, in conjunction with
384-399: A Jazz musician. In Poland, former child actors and identical twin brothers Lech and Jarosław Kaczyński became successful politicians, at one time Lech being president and Jarosław the prime minister. The Growing Pains Movie The Growing Pains Movie is a 2000 American comedy television film directed by Alan Metter and written by David Kendall and Michael Sullivan . It
448-491: A ceremony in which he spoke on IWU's campus. Cameron is an outspoken social conservative. He supported Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election , saying, "There are clearly enemies of Christian principles and Christianity [and] I don't think Trump is one of them." In 2020, Cameron said that such things as COVID-19 could be used by God to bring about his purposes and that he had suspicions – without specifying what they were – about how COVID-19 got started. He also opposed
512-524: A child actress, having appeared in many films since before she turned 3. Miranda Cosgrove , known mainly for her role as Megan on the Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh as a child, gained more attention for her role as a teenager in the show iCarly . Since the end of the show she has been featured in other roles, including as the voice of Margo in the Despicable Me franchise. Once she
576-833: A child star in the early 1940s in productions like National Velvet before becoming a popular film star as an adult in movies. Many child actors find themselves struggling to adapt as they become adults, mainly due to typecasting . Macaulay Culkin and Lindsay Lohan are two particular famous child actors who eventually experienced much difficulty with the fame they acquired at a young age. Some child actors do go on to have successful acting careers as adults; notable actors who first gained fame as children include Mickey Rooney , Tim Matheson , Drew Barrymore , Shia LaBeouf , Jake Gyllenhaal , Mila Kunis , and Molly Ringwald . Other child actors have gone on to successful careers in other fields, including director Ron Howard , politicians Lech and Jarosław Kaczyński , and singer Jenny Lewis . In
640-518: A company which produces Christian-themed films, and has starred in several of their films, including The Miracle of the Cards . He also appeared in the 2008 drama film, Fireproof , which was produced by Sherwood Pictures . The film was created on a budget of $ 500,000, with Cameron as the lead actor, portraying Captain Caleb Holt. Though it was a low-budget film, the film grossed $ 33,415,129 and
704-635: A faith-based children's book, As You Grow , which he read at libraries the following year during a well attended nationwide book tour. Cameron is an evangelical Christian who partners with Ray Comfort in the evangelistic ministry The Way of the Master and co-founded The Firefly Foundation with his wife, actress Chelsea Noble . Cameron was born in Panorama City , a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles . He
SECTION 10
#1732780632637768-595: A full-time career in the fashion industry, which, to this day, is continuously successful with an estimated net worth of approximately $ 100,000,000. Drew Barrymore , a former child star, started acting at age 3. During her childhood she battled with drugs, but recovered and currently continues to act. Natalie Portman took a small break in acting to get a bachelor's degree in psychology from Harvard University before continuing her career as an actress. Rider Strong , known as "Shawn Hunter" in Boy Meets World ,
832-573: A licensed chaperone; a parent can only chaperone their own child, and a chaperone's duties include acting in loco parentis and recording arrivals and departure time from the work place, the time a child is working, their breaks, and the amount of tutoring. A child requires minimum of three hours of tutoring daily and a lesson must be a minimum of 30 minutes to count towards the total and with regards to 18 and 19-year-old in further education, considerations are made in regards to their studies. There are regulations and guidance to safeguard all actors under
896-584: A marathon running Liberty professor whose cross-country trek strains his body and marriage. In the 2018 documentary film Connect , Cameron helps parents with navigating the dangers of technology, including social media , for their children. In 2019, he appeared in an episode of Fuller House , the Netflix sequel to Full House . In 2021, Cameron started hosting the show, Takeaways with Kirk Cameron , on TBN. He interviews guests, many of whom are well-known, to discuss pressing issues for Christians with
960-553: A smoking habit. Chrissy works with her mother, a press secretary, but soon Maggie is fired. However, she decides to enter the election campaign herself and run against her old boss. During the campaign, Carol meets the other campaign manager, Scott Coffer, and falls in love with him and his 10-year-old son Jack. However, Carol realizes dating him could put her mother's campaign in jeopardy so she breaks up with him. Knowing his father had real feelings for Carol, Jack takes matters into his own hands and asks her brother Mike to come up with
1024-596: A stand-in for a scene in the film Fireproof in which his character, Caleb Holt, kisses his wife Catherine, who is played in the film by Erin Bethea . The scene was shot in silhouette to obscure this fact. Cameron relates in his autobiography that he once turned down a TV series because, as he put it, he was unwilling to spend more time being a make-believe husband and father to an on-set wife and children than he would spend with his actual wife and children, choosing instead to appear in or produce films and TV shows whose content
1088-410: Is in keeping with his faith-based values. He also tours the nation to give marriage and family seminars and talks. In August 2017, Cameron and Noble created the online marriage course The Heart of Family: Six Weeks to a Happier Home and a Healthier Family . Cameron partnered with fellow evangelist Ray Comfort to teach evangelism methods through the ministry they founded, The Way of the Master , and
1152-493: Is known for her role on Roseanne and later created and served as a co-host for CBS's The Talk . Also from Roseanne , Michael Fishman continued to work in film, but behind the scenes and has since been nominated for an Emmy for the work he did in Sports Science . Both Gilbert and Fishman returned for the later series based on Roseanne , The Conners , with Gilbert also serving as an executive producer and guiding
1216-410: Is not actively monitored can also be problematic, however, as in the case of Gary Coleman , who after working from 1974, later sued his adoptive parents and former business advisor for $ 3.8 million over misappropriation of his trust fund. Some people also criticize the parents of child actors for allowing their children to work, believing that more "normal" activities should be the staple during
1280-511: Is the first of two reunion films based on the 1985–1992 sitcom Growing Pains . It premiered on ABC on November 5, 2000 as a two-hour episode of The Wonderful World of Disney anthology series. Eight years later, Mike Seaver is married with 4 children and now a successful executive in Advertising. Carol is a successful Wall Street lawyer; Ben works in real-estate; and Chrissy is a 17-year-old high school student going to college with
1344-562: Is the oldest of four children born to parents Barbara (née Bausmith) and Robert Cameron, a retired schoolteacher. His three sisters are Bridgette, Melissa, and fellow actor Candace , who portrayed D.J. Tanner on the television sitcom Full House . Cameron attended school on the set of Growing Pains , instead of a public or private school having many other students. However, he went to some classes at Chatsworth High School during production breaks and graduated with honors in their class of 1988. Cameron began acting at age nine, and his first job
SECTION 20
#17327806326371408-461: The ABC sitcom Full House , was treated for an eating disorder, deemed anorexia, but Ashley remained less troubled. In an article with the magazine Marie Claire , Mary-Kate expressed the bittersweet nature of the twins' childhood. "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 twins eventually retired from acting to pursue
1472-555: The Ten Commandments , Cameron later stated on The Way of the Master radio show that the rules of the debate did not say that the Bible could never be referenced, but rather that Comfort simply had to come up with one argument that did not reference the Bible or faith. During the debate, Cameron referred to the absence of a crocoduck to dispute the theory of evolution, which then became a meme to highlight misconceptions about
1536-591: The Warner Bros. release of the complete first season of Growing Pains on DVD. Aside from this, Cameron has often worked in Christian-themed productions, among them the post- Rapture films Left Behind: The Movie , Left Behind II: Tribulation Force , and Left Behind: World at War , in which he plays Cameron "Buck" Williams . Cameron's wife Noble also starred in the film series, playing Hattie Durham . Cameron has worked with Cloud Ten Pictures ,
1600-531: The education of the child actor not be disrupted while the child is working, whether the child actor is enrolled in public school , private school or even home school . The child does their schoolwork under the supervision of a studio teacher while on the set. In the United Kingdom, a child actor is defined as someone under school leaving age . Before a child can work, they require a performance license from their Local Education Authority as well as
1664-516: The 2000s, he portrayed Cameron "Buck" Williams in the Left Behind film series and Caleb Holt in the drama film Fireproof (2008). His 2014 film, Saving Christmas , was panned by critics and made the IMDb Bottom 100 List within one month of its theatrical release. He has produced films since then, including Lifemark (2022), which was commercially successful. In 2022, he wrote
1728-491: The 2014 family film Mercy Rule , in which he plays a father who tries to save his small business from lobbyists, while supporting his son, who dreams of being a pitcher, in Little League Baseball . Cameron's real-life wife plays his wife in the film, which was released direct-to-video and via digital download . Also in 2014, Cameron starred in the Christian-themed comedy film Saving Christmas . The film
1792-409: The Bible. However, he never committed to this restriction for the debate, itself, as later clarified by The Christian Post in a correction they made at the very end of their article about the debate. The audience was composed of both theists and atheists. Points of discussion included atheism and evolution . While Sapient contended during his arguments that Comfort violated the rules by talking about
1856-636: The Guys", in which he played the cousin of D.J. Tanner , the role played by Cameron's sister, Candace . Cameron went on to star in many films, including 1987's Like Father Like Son (a body-switch comedy with Dudley Moore ), which was a box office success. His next theatrical film, 1989's Listen to Me , performed poorly at the box office. When Growing Pains ended in 1992, Cameron went on to star in The WB sitcom Kirk which premiered in 1995 and ended two years later. In Kirk , Cameron played Kirk Hartman,
1920-462: The Lambs (1991), Nell (1994), Maverick (1994), Contact (1997), and The Brave One (2007), thus establishing herself as one of the most accomplished and sought-after actresses of her generation. She has also ventured into directing and her directing credits include films such as Little Man Tate (1991), Money Monster (2016) and television shows such as House of Cards , Orange Is
1984-470: The Lane (1976), and Freaky Friday (1976). A child prodigy , Foster received her first Academy Award nomination at age 13 and later took a sabbatical from films to attend Yale University . She made a successful transition to adult roles, winning two Academy Awards for Best Actress before the age of 30, and starring in several successful and acclaimed films such as The Accused (1988), The Silence of
Kirk Cameron - Misplaced Pages Continue
2048-510: The New Black , and Black Mirror . Now adults, Daniel Radcliffe , Rupert Grint and Emma Watson , the three leads of the acclaimed Harry Potter film series (2001–2011), starred in every installment in the series, and have since continued to act in film, television, and theater in their early 30's. Dakota Fanning rose to prominence after her breakthrough performance at age 7 in the film I Am Sam (2001). Her performance earned her
2112-620: The U.S., a reference to Comfort's presentation of the banana as evidence for the existence of God. On March 2, 2012, Cameron stated on CNN 's Piers Morgan Tonight , when asked about homosexuality , that it is "unnatural, it's detrimental and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization". Cameron's comments received criticism from GLAAD , and provoked a backlash from gay rights activists and Hollywood celebrities, including Roseanne Barr , Craig Ferguson , Jesse Tyler Ferguson , as well as Growing Pains co-stars Tracey Gold and Alan Thicke . Piers Morgan stated that Cameron
2176-547: The United States, the activities of child actors are regulated by the governing labor union , if any, and state laws. Some projects film in distant locations specifically to evade regulations intended to protect the child. Longer work hours or risky stunts prohibited by California , for example, might be permitted to a project filming in British Columbia . US federal law "specifically exempted minors working in
2240-401: The ability of the child to deliver an effective performance add to the pressure. Ethel Merman , who several times worked in long-running stage productions with child actors, disliked what she eventually saw as their over-professionalization—"acting more like midgets than children"—and disapproved of parents pushing adulthood on them. There are many instances of troubled adult lives due to
2304-486: The absent chapters available for download, but that the missing chapters were included in the second edition, which had a smaller text size that made printing the entire book as a giveaway affordable. The second edition still lacks Darwin's preface and glossary of terms. The National Center for Science Education arranged a campaign to distribute an analysis of the Comfort introduction and a banana bookmark at colleges across
2368-421: The age of 20; OFCOM guidance states a child's health and safety, well-being and welfare are paramount in television production and factors such as their age, maturity and life experiences can affect their performance. OFCOM also advises that broadcasters undertake risk assessments, consider seeking expert advice and follow best practices. In the United States before the 1930s, many child actors never got to see
2432-408: The childhood years. Others observe that competition is present in all areas of a child's life—from sports to student newspaper to orchestra and band—and believe that the work ethic instilled or the talent developed accrues to the child's benefit. The child actor may experience unique and negative pressures when working under tight production schedules. Large projects which depend for their success on
2496-679: The designation of churchgoing and extended family Thanksgiving celebrations as nonessential, a measure implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19 pandemic , saying, "Socialism and communism are knocking on our doors...disguised in the costumes of public health and social justice." As record-breaking levels of COVID-19 infections in December 2020 overwhelmed hospitals, including in Southern California , Cameron organized at least two gatherings of dozens of people for maskless Christmas caroling protests against enhanced restrictions to combat
2560-496: The entertainment business from all provisions of the child labor Laws." Any regulation of child actors is governed by disparate state laws. Due to the large presence of the entertainment industry in Hollywood , the state of California has some of the most explicit laws protecting child actors. Being a minor, a child actor must secure an entertainment work permit before accepting any paid work. Compulsory education laws mandate that
2624-457: The family viewers that were the show's intended audience. Among these was a scene that called for the unmarried Mike Seaver to share a bed with a girl and, in the morning, say to her, "What's your name again?" For these reasons, he began insisting that these types of storylines be edited to remove the parts that he found objectionable. After the series ended, Cameron did not maintain contact with his former co-stars. Cameron has stated that this
Kirk Cameron - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-469: The goal of finding takeaways that everyday Christians can use in their own lives. In 2022, Cameron starred in the Kendrick Brothers film, Lifemark , a box office success grossing over $ 5,000,000 domestically. Cameron played Jimmy Colton. the adoptive father of David Colton. That same year, Cameron wrote a faith-based children's book, As You Grow , published by Brave Books, which follows
2752-399: The host of the film Unstoppable slated to premiere September 24, 2013. A trailer for the film was blocked on Facebook , with Cameron speculating that it was due to the film's religious content. Facebook subsequently removed the block, stating it was the result of a mistake by an automated system and a spam site previously registered at the same web address. Cameron starred in and produced
2816-613: The life of a tree as it grows and shares "biblical wisdom through the seasons of life." The following year, Cameron embarked on a nationwide book tour, reading his book to often over-capacity crowds at many libraries. Cameron was an atheist in his early teens. When he was 18, during the height of his career on Growing Pains , he became a born-again Christian . After converting to Protestant Christianity, Cameron stated in his autobiography, he came to feel that some of his scenes were antithetical to his newfound faith, and inappropriate for
2880-467: The money they earned because they were not in charge of this money. Jackie Coogan earned millions of dollars from working as a child actor only to see most of it squandered by his parents. In 1939, California weighed in on this controversy and enacted the Coogan Bill , which requires a portion of the earnings of a child to be preserved in a special savings account called a blocked trust. A trust that
2944-409: The omission of key chapters of the book, and who stated that its introduction contains misinformation about Darwin, and long-refuted creationist arguments about the science of evolution, such as the linking of Nazi racial theories to Darwinist ideas. Comfort later said that the four chapters were chosen at random to be omitted in order to make the book small enough to be affordable as a giveaway, with
3008-674: The psychological harm of the COVID-19 lockdowns could be worse than the coronavirus itself. Cameron also held an outdoor maskless New Year's Eve song/prayer event in Malibu, despite a request by state senator Henry Stern that he stay home. Cameron and his wife, fellow Growing Pains star Chelsea Noble , were married on July 21, 1991. They have six children: four adopted and two biological. In 2024, Cameron moved with his family from California to Tennessee . Teen actor Famous earlier examples include Elizabeth Taylor , who started as
3072-544: The same careers as adults. Shirley Temple , for example, became a public figure and diplomat. Peter Ostrum , appearing in his only role, the lead character of Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory , became a large-scale veterinarian surgeon. While Jenny Lewis , formerly of film Troop Beverly Hills in 1989, is a well-known singer-songwriter indie rock musician. Renee Olstead became
3136-625: The second wave of the pandemic. The events, which were lawful, were held outside, in venues such as a mall parking lot in Ventura County , part of the Southern California Region, a group of counties under a state-mandated stay-home order triggered by low ICU capacity. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Public Health Director, denounced Cameron's decision to hold large gatherings as "very irresponsible and very dangerous." Cameron responded to criticism of this by stating that
3200-401: The series through its transition after Roseanne Barr was fired after the tenth season of the revived Roseanne . Kirsten Dunst and Lacey Chabert both made the transition from a child actress to an adult actress with a rough patch including depression. After a stay in a rehabilitation center, Dunst was able to recover and continue her career. She proves that the pressures of growing up under
3264-442: The series, saying, "I definitely kind of made an about-face, going toward another aspect of my life. I shifted my focus from 100% on the show, to 100% on [my new life], and left 0% on the show—and even the friendships that were a part of that show. If I could go back, I think I could make decisions that were less inadvertently hurtful to the cast—like talking and explaining to them why I just wanted to have my family at my wedding." In
SECTION 50
#17327806326373328-509: The spotlight may not come without repercussions. Roddy McDowall , who had a long and outstanding career including as the regular star of the Planet of the Apes series; Micky Dolenz , who started his career as a child star in the 1950s, grew up to be a musician of the successful 1960s pop group The Monkees , which had its own successful television show ; Ron Howard , who, in addition to being
3392-629: The star of both of the long running The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days television series, became an Academy Award-winning director in adulthood; Elijah Wood , who continued his career successfully into adulthood, starring as Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings film series and starring as Ryan Newman in the television series Wilfred . Many actors' and child actors' careers are often quite short. Many actors, out of personal choice, that start their careers as child actors decide not to pursue
3456-570: The stressful environment to which child actors are subjected. It is common to see a child actor grow up in front of the camera, whether in films, TV shows or both. However, it is not uncommon to see child actors continue their careers throughout as actors or in a different professional field. Jodie Foster started acting at age 3, becoming the quintessential child actor during the 1970s with roles in films such as Tom Sawyer (1973), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), Bugsy Malone (1976), The Little Girl Who Lives Down
3520-591: The television show of the same name that Cameron co-hosts. It won the National Religious Broadcasters ' Best Program Award for two consecutive years. It also formerly featured a radio show known as The Way of the Master Radio with talk show host Todd Friel. The radio show was later canceled, and replaced with Wretched Radio , hosted by Friel. Cameron, along with his wife, founded The Firefly Foundation , which runs Camp Firefly ,
3584-507: The theory. In November 2009, Cameron and others distributed free copies of an altered version of Charles Darwin 's On the Origin of Species on college campuses in the United States. The book consisted of Darwin's text with chapters of the book removed, and with an added introduction by Ray Comfort reiterating common creationist assertions about Darwin and evolution. The book was criticized by scientists and Darwin biographers who criticized
3648-400: Was a box office success. It was the highest grossing independent film of 2008. In 2012, Cameron was the narrator and host of the documentary film Monumental: In Search of America's National Treasure . On its opening day, March 27, 2012, Monumental grossed $ 28,340. The film stayed in theaters until May 20, 2012, grossing a total of $ 1.23 million. In 2013, Cameron announced he would be
3712-436: Was brave for expressing his opinion, "however antiquated his beliefs may be". He, however, received "thousands of emails and comments" from supporters. Rosie O'Donnell invited him to discuss his views on her talk show , but he declined and suggested a private dinner to discuss this topic personally. On April 11, 2012, Cameron was honored by Indiana Wesleyan University , and inducted into their Society of World Changers during
3776-587: Was educated at Columbia University and now runs a successful blog and has published a graphic novel. Neil Patrick Harris started his career as a child actor in Doogie Howser, M.D. He continues to act in television, films and theater. Harris is now a cult figure icon. Jonathan Lipnicki , known mostly for the Stuart Little films, now successfully competes in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Sara Gilbert
3840-440: Was in an advertisement for a breakfast cereal . His first starring role was at age 13, in the television series Two Marriages . At this age, he appeared in several television shows and films. He became famous in 1985 after being cast as Mike Seaver in the ABC television sitcom Growing Pains . In the series, Mike would eventually have a girlfriend named Kate MacDonald, played by Chelsea Noble , Cameron's future wife. Cameron
3904-431: Was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for his role, and subsequently became a teen heartthrob in the late 1980s, while appearing on the covers of several teen magazines , including Tiger Beat , Teen Beat , 16 and others. At the time, he was making $ 50,000 a week. He was also in a 60-second Pepsi commercial during Super Bowl XXIV . Cameron also guest-starred in the 1988 Full House episode "Just One of
SECTION 60
#17327806326373968-499: Was not due to any animosity on his part toward any of his former cast members, but an outgrowth of his and his wife's desire to start a new life away from the entertainment industry and, as he put it, "... the circus he had been in for the past seven years". Prior to the premiere of The Growing Pains Movie in 2000, for which the entire main cast reunited, Cameron described his regrets over how his relationship with his castmates changed after his religious conversion during production of
4032-552: Was of age, she decided to pursue a college degree in film at the University of Southern California. Late actress Shirley Temple became a public figure and diplomat, beginning in the 1960s. Some of her duties included representing the United Nations, and becoming a U.S. ambassador in countries such as Ghana and Czechoslovakia. Mary-Kate Olsen , who shared the role of Michelle Tanner with her twin sister Ashley on
4096-529: Was panned by critics, winning the 2014 Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay . Cameron also won the award for Worst Actor and Worst Screen Combo, which he won with "his ego". Cameron starred in Extraordinary , a 2017 film made by Liberty University students that was the first such film to be released nationally (for one night in September 2017). The film follows the dream of
#636363