Showbiz Kids - a new HBO documentary

I still don't have HBO. I do get Nick and Disney, however.

The parents of these kids are usually pathetic fat evil psychos.

I'd be interested in seeing this if it didn't have that cunt Evan Rachel Wood in it.

The Hollywood Complex was a great documentary about stage parents trying to get their kids into the business. Delusional and sad, as are the people trying to make a buck off of them. I’m not so interested in hearing about established stars, but might as well watch since I am staying indoors for the foreseeable future.

Did anyone watch? I cracked up that Milla Jovovich kept talking about what a terrible actress she was as a child while Evan Rachel Wood kept talking about what a terrific actress she was as a child.

Evan Rachel Wood is such a phony. Self important and fake. She was never all that.

Milla Jovovich is still a terrible actor. I will never get the time back that I spent watching her shriek her way thru Joan of Arc.

So sad that Boyce kid died last year. He seemed like a decent dude.

I thought it was a pretty good doc. I don't think it had anything terribly new to say, but it was interesting.

I'm happy to know that Mara Wilson turned out relatively normal. It was a bit sad to see her lose a tooth during the Entertainment Tonight and look so upset. Usually kids are thrilled to lose a tooth, but in this case losing her tooth probably "wrecked" the segment in her mind.

Don't even get me started on the stage parents in the documentary. That mom thinking her kid will have time to press that button if he's molested. All the talk about how the parents "sacrifice" so much for the careers of their children. They're not sacrificing, they're betting on the child as being their magic ticket to fame and fortune.

The kid they featured with his mom was super annoying, Awful. His cloying gooning and mugging and trying to be cute was the worst. Typical only child who is addicted to being the center of attention.

I watched it. It was fine. The reveal that Boyce died was sad. I hadn't heard of him before. I still want a documentary goes in depth about the pedophilia in Hollywood. They skimmed over it but I want names and details. I thought it was sad that they shot Wheaton in his underwear for the horrible horror movie. That was clearly pandering for his pedophile fans.

Have you seen An Open Secret, R11?

My husband did a film with Milla and we went out a few times together. Total doll and so much fun! Ali Larter on the other hand...

Wheaton kind of annoys me because he revels in hating his celebrity status/past while actively participating and benefiting from it.

It’s like someone saying I hate swimming and everything to do with it, but then you go to the pool and they’re working as a lifeguard.

R13, I LOVE Ali Larter. You've got to tell me the dish on her even if it's bad. PLEASE. Something, anything.

Was Jake interviewed? After he became famous, I realized I'd first seen him in an episode of [italic]Homicide: Life on the Street[/italic] directed by his father, titled "Bop Gun."

Show biz kids, makin' movies of themselves.

RIP Cameron Boyce! So sad!

R7 - anyone who sits through a Luc Besson-directed film gets what they deserve.

R18 You know they don't give a fuck about anybody else.

Eek I meant R17

Agreed that it didn’t really add anything new to the conversation. But at least they limited Corey Feldman to a five second Larry King clip. I was dreading a big interview with him. He’s so exhausting.

Evan rachel Wood stating some children make the choice to be molested as they are not as talented as her, is fucking gross.

WHAT A CUNT.

I don't really think of Evan Rachel Wood as a child "star," even though I guess she was? It's hilarious how she was going on about her acting abilities (R9 and R23), when the doc also had someone like... Mara Wilson, who was a truly great "child star." Lol, like... girl... come on.

R15 She was just over everything and I could tell she only went for drinks with us so she didn't miss out on anything. Milla was fun and having a good time and Ali was an eye-rolling C. Maybe she was having a bad night. We hung out with Milla a few more times-always a doll. The officiate of her wedding did my wedding, too...and also Scott Baio's but we won't hold that against him!

R25 Did you ever think, it may have been you?

R26 Might have been. Milla loved me so, I'm good! Everyone else in our party had the same opinion so, maybe Ali just thought she was better than the rest of us. I suppose looking 40 starting in your early 20s will do that to a gal.

R27 Cool. I thought Milla came across well in this documentary. But then the rest of the talent was so relentlessly self obsessed, no competition.

Evan Rachel Wood wasn't afraid to sing her own praises, was she? 'People looked at me like I was so talented I couldn't not be an actor.' If you say so.

Mara wilson got in the business through fellow jewish connects. Iher cousin is Ben Shapiro.

Cameron Boyce was such a huge loss.

Is Wil Wheaton gay? I always assumed he was but don’t really know.

ERW is a CUNT!

R32 No. Has many mental health issues attached to his game

Is endlessly boring

I don’t mind Evan because someone has to say she can act, and no one else will, so she may as well 😀 Who is the Golden Globe pedophile winner that she was disgusted by? Kevin Spacey?

[quote]Who is the Golden Globe pedophile winner that she was disgusted by? Kevin Spacey?

There's a thread on her statements in the documentary. Someone speculated she was referring to BILLY ELLIOTT director Stephen Baldry who won a Golden Globe as one of the producers of THE CROWN.

Thanks. That makes sense since Jamie Bell was underage when he worked with Daldry

Evan Rachel Wood seems eager to start a gay witch hunt. The majority of boy actors have been molested? My ass!

R38 She really appears to have zero self awareness.

It's a fact now that every child actor has been molested in Hollywood, zero prosecutions or evidence, but dammit they've all been diddled

THANK YOU R25, I appreciate you responding to my post.

R19 which is what???

[quote] Evan Rachel Wood kept talking about what a terrific actress she was as a child.

Evan was a fantastic child actress, she won many young star awards for her work on Once and Again at the age of 13/14. She was 12 when she shot the pilot for that show that ran for 3 seasons.

She's openly bisexual and I bet Jamie Bell is too.

Heres a scene from Evan at 14 from Once and Again. She was gifted and still is.

[quote] The parents of these kids are usually pathetic fat evil psychos.

And it's the fat part that bothers DL the most.

Did they interview Katherine Kelly Lang's son?

Why didn’t they help the poor lady that played Baby Peggy adjust her wig/hairpiece? It looked like it fell off before the interview and they just slapped it back on her head.

I couldn't name one thing Evan Rachel Wood was in.

Your hatred for Evan is funny and uncalled for. She even won a revelation award at Cannes in 2007. You just hate women in general, you must be of the effeminate persuasion, they usually hate successful women as they perceive them as competition to the alpha male you'll never get.

I love JK Rowling.

Here you go, R11.

I'm surprised that so many of you haven't heard of Cameron Boyce.

We had a 500+ post thread about him, when he died. And it was only last year.

I'm a huge "Jessie" fan, so I've watched Cameron, Peyton List, Skai Jackson, and Karan Brar since they were little kids. It's actually a pretty funny show, and Disney Channel still re-runs at least eight episodes of "Jessie" every day.

Cameron was a real talent. Super good dancer, and a bright light. Personally, I was shocked by his death.

Here's the thread on him. I called it from the very beginning that he died from a seizure, but there were many assholes polluting the thread, who were insisting that he was a drug addict. Fuckers.

Like someone else said it was watchable but didn't add anything we didn't already know about child stars. It was nice that the participants got extended interviews to talk about their experiences but I also would have liked to see some more variety. It was a bit repetitive with the same talking heads. They could have easily cut down Evan Rachel Woods' navel-gazing and it felt like they gave extra screen time to Cameron Boyce because of his recent death. Also they jumped from Baby Peggy from the 20s to stars from the 70s onward. Ron Howard got a mention in a vintage clip but there was a 50-year span of actors not represented.

Talk is cheap. Things need to change and soon.

R38 Why are you associating being gay and pedophilia?

Abuse is abuse. Does it really matter what sex combination it is?

Evan seems so Fucking Tiresome.

I thought that Mara Wilson was normal too, but a woman who compares changing biological sex to changing hair colour does not strike me as well adjusted.

Glad to see she’s not the modern day Quiz Kid Donnie Smith though. To be a has been by the age of 10 must be tough, tougher in some ways that being a never was.

I think some thought it was an Inside The Actor’s Studio interview.

I haven't seen alot of Evan's work. But she broke my heart in Thirteen.

I kind of took what Evan was saying as girl power confidence. It stood out a little because the others weren't as featured discussing their abilities

I was dismayed that there was no mention of DL Fave Jonathan Taylor Thomas.

R17 reminds me that the song is probably way better than this documentary.

49's reply, defending Evan Rachel Wood, was so blatantly homophobic I blocked her. And what a surprise to see 43 and 44, also defending her, disappear as well. Methinks it's either ERW's publicist or ERW herself.

R52 It's true about skipping from the 1920s to the 1970s. I think it could be justified by so many child stars from that era being dead now, BUT... if they got Baby Peggy, that's not really an excuse. There are a number of child stars from those years who are still with us, like Margaret O'Brien, Dean Stockwell, and Ron Howard (as you mentioned).

R64, and Kurt Russell.

[quote] I thought that Mara Wilson was normal too, but a woman who compares changing biological sex to changing hair colour does not strike me as well adjusted.

Can we cancel her? Pretty please?

Would have enjoyed a few more 70s and 80s kid stars. A lot of stories left untold here. So much more to say about the young who got lost in drugs and/or died young. And there should be a Bryan Singer film.

[quote]And there should be a Bryan Singer film.

Except it would have started as a Ricky Schroder movie that ran out of money before the lead outgrew it, just like [italic]Apt Pupil[/italic].

[quote] I was dismayed that there was no mention of DL Fave Jonathan Taylor Thomas.

Yeah, he's a good one. The fact that he just up and quit show business is kind of telling.

[quote] Would have enjoyed a few more 70s and 80s kid stars. A lot of stories left untold here.

Many of them are dead from suicide and drug abuse.

The ones who are still alive, are pretty much batshit crazy (Corey Feldman) or have gone into hiding.

Few child actors survive the business.

[quote] Many of them are dead from suicide and drug abuse.

And I'm still here.

r61 Most of JTT's hardcore fans have succumbed to dementia.

R55 - That's because the only pedophilia society ever talks about is when men abuse boys.

When men abuse girls or women abuse boys, the same activists to silent. The fact that so many entertainers that had inappropriate relationships with girls weren't "metoo'd" says a lot.

It’s too bad they skirted around sex.

For example, who was the press person who abuse Todd Bridges and is he still working?

What kind of actors and how many are the molested boys that Evan is referring to? Did they grow up in movies or TV? What kinds of people molested them and are they still working?

I think Hollywood - including victims- really does not want to admit how prevalent it is or name names, because they are afraid they will never work again

It was Todd's agent who molested him. The agent was also black. This is in his book.

And nothing from Pamelyn Ferdin? NOTHING?

That's some bullshit!

[quote]And nothing from Pamelyn Ferdin? NOTHING? That's some bullshit!

They also left out Darleen Carr. Is there nothing sacred?

What I find weird is a Evan was calling out Hollywood for molesting these boy actors, but people are saying it might be Daldry and Jamie Bell. Would one really consider movies made in Great Britain part of Hollywood? That all seems to be far removed from the mechanizations of abuse in the Hollywood system.

Tell that to Prince Andrew and Jimmy Savile, R77.

The misogyny here is showing. Evan was just as confident about her past as a child actor as Cameron, he was just as confident about his talents, yet she's called exhausting and navel gazing and he isn't. That says a lot about you.

[quote] I think Hollywood - including victims- really does not want to admit how prevalent it is or name names, because they are afraid they will never work again

Hollywood is just as oblivious as any other field with child sex abuse. There isn't anything particular to it that stands out. Abuse happens just as much at churches, camps, schools, etc yet right wingers love to single out Hollywood because they produce art, which they hate.

R79 She was a homophobic cunt talking total shit, Nobody remembers what the fucking show she was on in her teens, Ever and After or something, never watched it. Thirteen was a decade ago, she just got written off Westworld. She is a tiresome cunt.

Of course there is child abuse in other fields, but Hollywood is unique where adults AND children feel like they have to agree to sex for fame

[Quote] Yeah, he's a good one. The fact that he just up and quit show business is kind of telling.

He was in a few episodes of Last Man Standing. And i think i last saw him on Veronica Mars. I randomly read someone mention him in an interview and she said he doesn't pay any attention to the internet.

ERW peaked at 11. Now she's a half-step above that other attention-whore former child star Corey Feldman.

R81 needs to find a psychiatrist and the others calling out an out bisexual woman who said nothing homophobic are ridiculous.

ERW is the star of a major HBO show, calling her a has been is so out of touch it deserves no comment.

I couldn't care less about this chick, but this hate is uncalled for. Are you jealous she's a beautiful woman that you could never be? That's the only explanation.

*was one of the stars of an HBO show everyone has given up on

From the network that screwed up [italic]Looking[/italic].

R85 She stated some people choose to be raped to further her career. Fuck her and her HBO show and her endless arrogance.

Oh. And if you know somebody has raped children call the cops, don't tell adocumentary crew.

Who do you call when the cops rape your children?

R89 Go shoot up a pizza parlour.

Learn to spell "parlor" correctly, imperialist!

Which puts her 3/4 of a step above the strippers Corey surrounds himself with when he's not dishing out old news about abuse by nobodies for whom the statute of limitations has run out.

And 99% of them were diddled by predators and will end up messed up in the future.

The other 1% we're fucked up to begin with

Why the fuck was Jada in this? She wasn't even a child actress. Her first minor role was at the age of 19 and her first film didn't happen until 2 years later. I hate that fucking phony cunt, and they wasted so much time on her when she had no reason to be there.

I didn't find the film terribly illuminating, especially considering it was made by (supposed) child actor (though he has no credits before the age of 20) Alex Winter. I've seen more depth and insight in a Wikipedia article.

R94 I wonder if they were going to interview Willow or Jaden, but Jada inserted herself in the documentary instead.

Alex Winter was a child actor on Broadway.

Face it, Jada has nothing to do but imagines herself the Queen of Belair. You would think she was an Oscar winner except it never happened and she was never nominated.

Oh yeah, and fuck Mara Wilson.

I'd rather have Matthew Lawrence.

[quote] Why the fuck was Jada in this? She wasn't even a child actress. Her first minor role was at the age of 19 and her first film didn't happen until 2 years later. I hate that fucking phony cunt, and they wasted so much time on her when she had no reason to be there

will and jada pimped out their uninteresting, no talent kids the first chance they got

Willow couldn't even cut it as Annie.

[quote] will and jada pimped out their uninteresting, no talent kids the first chance they got

Yeah, but Jada's segments were 99% about herself.

R101 Well, there was the clip of Willow admitting she was a cutter due to the "pressures" of fame...

A cutter of what, the cheese?

Willow’s career highlight was starring in a Shane Dawson sexual predator video

Jada and Will are great examples - of what not to do with your children and their lives.

He needs a breffmint and pillowy mounds of mashed potatoes.

Very interesting. I think the actors interviewed showed a lot of introspection. My favorites were Demi, Cameron (R.I.P.), Milla and Todd. I didn’t care for Mara or ERW. Wil Wheaton seems very bitter. Henry Thomas is near his level of bitterness.

I find it utterly fascinating. IRL Ive known a few child actors my own age and my kids’ ages. Most of the moms are faded beauties who come off as dizzy. I only know one who’s a really pushy ballbuster, and the kid is really just a wannabe. Especially interesting are the dads; there aren’t too many of them but their crazy is off the charts. Worse than the moms. Most of them seem content to let their wives disappear and handle it.

And I’m NOT a sentimental bitch, but it was hard to watch Cameron Boyce. He seemed like a really nice, very self-aware person.

What has Henry Thomas got to be bitter about? He starred in an iconic movie that was the #1 box office grosser for years and years, and he kept working after it. It didn't exactly hurt Drew Barrymore's career. Then again, look who her family is.

Was Shia I n this? If so what did he have to say?

R109 He's bitter because he didn't get better roles because his mother didn't let powerful men sexually abuse him, let's face it.

That actually partially vindicates Steven Spielberg.

R111 Thank you ERW. We already know your foul views.

Please, if I were ERW I'd say that Henry Thomas was sexually abused like ALL male child actors!!!

I wish Ricky Schroder would punch ERW in the face.

Slapping Schroder?

At least then he would have been doing the whole world a favor.

Wouldnt it be more likelt that all female hild acotrs have been abused than male child actors? Most peodphiles go after young girls not to young boys.

But nothing gets the loony only xonpsiracy theories like male/male sexual assult.

I think ERW is a filthy liar and an ugly talentless lying bitch.

None of the kids from [italic]Punky Brewster[/italic] turned into criminals.

I still have nightmares about the time Cherie was trapped in the refrigerator!

Refrigerator danger is real!

I don't think Henry Thomas came off as bitter at all, and why should he? He was able to continue his career and has been working for nearly 40 years as an actor. I think he felt regret for the way the business hurt the relationship between him and his mom, which he was too young to understand at the time. And I think he had some great points to make. But I didn't see bitter at all.

R121 Agree. He seemed well adjusted.

The bar for that isn't set terribly high in this business.

Why wasn't Darryl Hickman interviewed??? Gene Tierney shoved an oar up his ass during his climactic death scene in Leave Her To Heaven, grinning "It'll make Danny's screams more authentic, darling!" before she shoved him underwater for the 15th take.

I guess that O'Hara broad couldn't stay sober long enough for a single goddamn interview. What a shame.

Pointing out the obvious but the parents are awful for deluding their children into thinking they can be a star. The odds are 99% that your child won’t even get a job, let alone become a cash cow. I always cringe when the parents say they are just supporting their child’s dream. Stupid enablers of fantasy.

And why doesn’t anyone ever hold someone accountable? Bryan Singer is still working behind the scenes. Revolving door rather than any ownership

[quote] None of the kids from Punky Brewster turned into criminals.

None of them turned famous, either.

Meanwhile, Wil Wheaton being famous is a crime.

I don't believe the story at all that Evan Rachel Wood told about leaving the Golden Globes immediately after a pedophile won and had to be consoled back to her seat.

She was fine being there with him as a nominee, but absolutely could not handle the reality of him winning.

A child being a megastar in a movie or TV show should be treated like winning the lottery. Unfortunately you have parents who try to turn their kid's luck into a cottage industry career with themselves as managers. Obviously there are kids that go on to have lucrative acting careers, but pretending that it's the exception rather than the rule is setting a child up for serious disappointment.

This did remind me of an Open Secret, which is the shocking version of this documentary. It was on youtube a couple years ago. It's one thing to speculate about pedophiles in Hollywood but to see the footage and interviews of what actually goes on changes how you look at Hollywood as a whole.

Why don’t the parents encourage their kids to take drama at high school and then see if they like it? Spending thousands of dollars is a waste of money.

And I hope that young Black girl makes it, but even she is delusional planning out her legacy.

Milla downplayed her music but at least she didn't put out Mousketeers Britney Spears bullshit.

Hasn’t there been one recent child star? Jakob Tremblay and some sitcom kids we cannot remember. It’s really unlikely like being a supermodel. Those Wannabe people are equally delusional.

Will and Jada did not belong in this since she talks over footage of her son's movie and her daughter's music video.

The mom and kid they featured were a good example of when the parent is delusional and the kid just enjoys being put on a pedestal and being the center of attention 24/7. Only child syndrome doesn't make you a good actor.

An Open Secret is worth a watch, the full doc is still available on YouTube. Depressing stuff. But most depressing of all by far is that almost all of the pervs and procurers named are still working in the business, including Singer's pimps, even after being exposed and, in some cases, criminally charged.

There is nothing about that kid with the stage mom that suggests he has any talent or will even be a good-looking young adult.

It was revealing at the beginning when the Mom's own 8x0 acting headshot was shown under a pile of her sons.

Yeah the kid was unremarkable looking and all his mugging, interrupting and trying to be funny the whole time tells you why he never got hired.

Loved the drama coach reading him to filth.

Showbizsh Kidsh!

This thread is batshit crazy. A series of bizarre and tone deaf responses to the show. I’m sorry, has data lounge been overrun by low IQ basic gays? Evan Rachel Wood was incredibly well spoken and self aware (yes, she was and is a gifted actress). Everyone who participated had interesting stories to tell. WTF is with the hating and the whining?

You lost cunt? Or just new?

Henry Thomas was an interesting case since neither of his parents seemed interested in pushing his career. Even Thomas seemed conflicted as a kid if he was really into it. I'm actually surprised he continued to act.

[quote] An Open Secret is worth a watch, the full doc is still available on YouTube. Depressing stuff. But most depressing of all by far is that almost all of the pervs and procurers named are still working in the business, including Singer's pimps, even after being exposed and, in some cases, criminally charged.

And Todd Bridges was in that, too. How much of his present-day income consists of re-telling his story about being molested by his agent and racially profiled by the LAPD and how sex with Dana Plato convinced him he was straight?

R145 Ah yes, a variation on the Corey Feldman Business Model®

I can't speak for Showbiz Kids (though as someone who works in that industry, I can tell you the norm is not to pay interviewees anything for their participation), but there was a very specific disclaimer on An Open Secret that said that no one was paid anything for their cooperation. I would highly doubt it if the same wasn't true for Showbiz Kids.

R147 Was true?

The mom and dad of the annoying boy who kept mugging for the camera seemed of very low intelligence.

Diana Serra Cary didn't play Baby Peggy. She was Peggy Montgomery. She changed her name to Diana as an adult and Cary was her married name.