Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I believe you're thinking about Matthew "Stymie" Beard, who also had a role in "The Buddy Holly Story".
Stymie was my favorite of the Little Rascals.
Right ... Stymie. He apparently had better showbiz "luck" than the rest, except Robert Blake (who played Mickey). We know what happened to Blake, and he was found "not guilty". Oh, and Jackie Cooper, yes.
Neither Tony Dow nor Mathers concentrated (much) on acting after Beaver. Like others, they have other occupations (don't know what).
So many times child actors think what they did identifies them for life if they don't keep doing what they are doing then that means they are unsuccessful. Adult can't handle rejection even if we aren't an actor I can't imagine what goes on in the minds of a child actor as they grow up.
Tony Dow is a director & producer but does something else too we just didn't see him much after Beaver went off the air. Jerry Mathers is literally stuck in his Beaver character as an adult when he does make an appearance he has the ball cap & light jacket on. To me that is as sad as never having an acting job again.
Right ... Stymie. He apparently had better showbiz "luck" than the rest...
Unfortunately, those roles in the last few years of his life followed an adulthood of junkiedom and prison time. I was really glad that those last years had been good ones.
Billy Mumy (Will Robinson on "Lost In Space") has done well as an adult.
Yes, Bill Mumy. Forgot about him. Veronica Cartwright (child actor in The Birds) transitioned okay into adult roles (from what I've seen). I think she was in The Right Stuff and Alien. I don't know what she's done recently.
About Stymie, didn't know about his drug problems, either. Thanks for the info.
I think it'd be hideous to be a child actor. You're not only pegged into a little hole (the cute kid, cute girl), but you're at an age when you don't know yourself very well, or your boundaries. So, you think who you are at 12 defines who you are at 20 or 21.
-I think the ugly truth about the tv business....you do get typecast into a hole. People only like you because you fill in a little slot. I.e. Urkel. People liked him because he was the goofy neighbor. Remember oliver on the brady bunch? What do you do when you're the beaver at age 18?
Gary Coleman??? Macaulay Culkin? I don't think they are necessarily bad people. When you hit it so big at 10, where do you go from there?
I think the best strategy would be to leave the business for awhile. One or two movies after home alone. Don't do any press, any interviews. Then come back at 17, 18, 19 and let the audience find out what you have to offer.
Corey Feldman? Drew Barrymore has always struck me as someone sensible. But even she had many troubles in her teens.
I think it'd be hideous to be a child actor. You're not only pegged into a little hole (the cute kid, cute girl), but you're at an age when you don't know yourself very well, or your boundaries. So, you think who you are at 12 defines who you are at 20 or 21.
-I think the ugly truth about the tv business....you do get typecast into a hole. People only like you because you fill in a little slot. I.e. Urkel. People liked him because he was the goofy neighbor. Remember oliver on the brady bunch? What do you do when you're the beaver at age 18?
Gary Coleman??? Macaulay Culkin? I don't think they are necessarily bad people. When you hit it so big at 10, where do you go from there?
I think the best strategy would be to leave the business for awhile. One or two movies after home alone. Don't do any press, any interviews. Then come back at 17, 18, 19 and let the audience find out what you have to offer.
Corey Feldman? Drew Barrymore has always struck me as someone sensible. But even she had many troubles in her teens.
Very true about leaving the business then coming back a few years later. Only trouble is the adults "handling" these child stars are making big bucks too so they don't want their income to stop. To me it seems almost predatory if you really stop & think about it with these kids. Why shouldn't these adult handlers be charged with something? They are exploiting children aren't they at some point?
It seems Margaret Hamilton and Frank Morgan from the Wizard of Oz took Judy Garland under their wing..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Soda120
Now I want Judy Garland's biography.
Almost every time a poster on this thread mentions an actor, I wanna read their biography.
Anyway, bottom line: most people will do what their addiction dictates (unless they get help - and stick with it). It's up to them.
There is a documentary about Judy, can't recall the year it was made. They worked that girl non stop.
Back in those days, they gave her pills to stay awake and work, then more pills for sleep.
Thought I'd mention Natalie Wood. She and Elizabeth Taylor started working so young and continued
acting throughout their careers (of course as they aged, the offers for roles became limited - hollywood's
limits of good parts due to ideals of youth and beauty for women).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
