By the age of six, Alyson Stoner was already spending her time jumping from audition to audition in the hopes of making it big. In 2003, she landed a role in the Steve Martin film Cheaper by the Dozen, and also appeared in its 2005 sequel Cheaper by the Dozen 2.
Later, she appeared in the Disney Channel Camp Rock films alongside Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers. She’s also appeared as a voice actress in projects like Disney’s Phineas and Ferb, Pete the Cat, The Loud House, and Young Justice.
Recently, Stoner opened up about what her experience as a child star in Hollywood was really like behind the scenes, revealing to fans that her life was far from the glamorous fairy tale that it seemed. Several former child stars share similar sentiments, including KeKe Palmer who has revealed she felt “misunderstood” when she was a young person in Hollywood.
Stoner is still working on recovering from the industry trauma she experienced and has a few suggestions for how Hollywood can be made safer for young people.
What Alyson Stoner’s Experience As A Child Star Was Like
Alyson Stoner has opened up about what her life was really like as a child star in an op-ed for People. In the essay, the actress revealed disturbing details of experiences she dealt with while navigating Hollywood as a young person, particularly pointing out that she would often perform emotionally difficult scenes which then had lasting effects on her.
The Cheaper by the Dozen alum recalled one incident in which she auditioned for a role at six years old where the character was kidnapped and violated. She reminisced on hearing the screams of the other children auditioning as she left and went on to the next audition, with no opportunity to recover herself from the disturbing scene she had acted out.
Stoner also detailed how children in Hollywood are overworked, with many companies sneakily getting around child labor laws and providing “inappropriate and hazardous” working conditions.
She revealed that it wasn’t just entertainment companies that acted negligently. Her agents also encouraged her to apply for early emancipation from her parents, so she could work longer hours.
Though the essay contains many confronting details about Stoner’s “harrowing” experience, she also explained that there were experiences she decided not to share: “I didn't mention the sexual harassment, stolen IP and money, paparazzi, psychological impact of the new influencer landscape, toxic power plays, and what actually happened on all of those sets.”
How Alyson Stoner Is Recovering
Stoner has been commended for opening up about her experience in the open letter, and speaking out is one of the actions she has taken to recover from the past.
In her essay, Stoner mentioned that she had checked into a rehab facility (against the wishes of her team) after becoming more than 20 pounds underweight. Teen Vogue reports that the actress lost weight after auditioning for the role of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, a gig which eventually went to Jennifer Lawrence.
“I was so committed to the audition process that I underwent very intense physical training, and I was on a very restrictive diet,” she told Access Hollywood (via Teen Vogue).
“My hair is starting to fall out, my skin is sallow, and I’m medically underweight,” Stoner went on. “I feel obsessive about these behaviors, and I really need help. So I checked myself into rehab.”
In addition to seeking help from health professionals, Stoner is also reflective about her experiences and committed to improving the industry for other child stars. In her essay, she made several helpful suggestions that could be implemented to make Hollywood a safer place for children and teenagers.
She proposed that there should be a qualified, third-party mental health professional present on every set, particularly when minors are involved. Support in this way would be especially helpful for entertainers who have to shift between identities and “discharging residual inner turbulence after emotional performances.”
She also suggested it become mandatory for guardians of child actors and their representatives to take Basic Industry and Media Literacy courses
The Struggles Of Other Former Child Stars
Alyson Stoner certainly isn’t alone in sharing her difficult experiences as a child star. Other former child stars, including Drew Barrymore and Demi Lovato, have also spoken out about the immense pressure that was put on them as minors in the industry.
On The Drew Barrymore Show, Lovato revealed that she worked like an adult when she was still a child, and the dynamic of always being around adults led her to “party like one” when she was still young. Barrymore also touched on her struggles with drinking over the years, which led to the release of her autobiography Little Girl Lost.
