Recognizing Child Actors This Award Season
"From the Golden Globes to the Oscars, Child Stars of the Past and Present are the Talk of the Season"
This is the time of year when Hollywood gets together to award one another for a job well done. From the Golden Globes to the Screen Actor's Guild Awards to the Oscars, child actors of both the past and present are making a big impact. This month, Children In Film is highlighting the standout performers who are earning praise at this year's major award ceremonies. We'll feature articles about young performers of today and yesterday who are truly changing the way the world views young actor success.
To get us started, Sunday's 69th Annual Golden Globes was filled with nominations and awards for former child stars.
Although they did not win, Leonardo DiCaprio (still noted for his performance in What's Eating Gilbert Grape which earned him a Golden Globe and his first Academy Award Nomination) and Ryan Gosling (who held his own on the Mickey Mouse Club with Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and other young performers) - received praise from the Hollywood Foreign Press at the Golden Globe Awards. DiCaprio and Gosling were each nominated for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -Drama." DiCaprio was nominated for his outstanding performance in J. Edgar and Gosling, for his stellar performance in The Ides of March. Gossling was also nominated in the Comedy category for his role in Crazy, Stupid, Love.
For "Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy," Michelle Williams, who is remembered for her role in Dawson's Creek (she was an adult during her role on Dawson's Creek, but got her start long before the age of 18), took home the Golden Globe for her incredible depiction of Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn. Claire Danes, who, like Williams, started off primarily in TV roles as a young performer and eventually earned the lead role in My So-Called Life, has returned to the small screen and took home the award for "Best Actress in a TV Series- Drama" for her role in Homeland. And Kate Winslet, who earned her first professional role at age 11, received the award for "Best Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for TV" for her role in Mildred Pierce.
Other former child performer nominees included Madeleine Stowe (who actually started as a young concert pianist before pursuing acting) and Zooey Deschanel (who, even though she started acting at a very young age, was 17 before her first big break).
Children In Film will continue to keep you up-to-date on the Award Season buzz. Stay tuned as we highlight these inspiring performers as Hollywood gives them a pat-on-the-back for their incredible accomplishments. Like you, they started off with a goal and a dream and worked very hard, sometimes for many years, before ever receiving what the public would later deem their "breakout role."
These young-performers-turned-celebrities maintain a commitment to their careers through continual education, classes, networking events and giving-back efforts. You too can learn how to keep your career on the up-and-up via the rich resources available on Children In Film.
