Child Actors

This blog is exploring the work of child actors, how they are casted, their careers as actors and more! Our names are Katie and Megan and this project is called our Deep Dive project for our Film class at Truman State University. We wanted to look at how child actors differ from adults and look at the process of how it all happens a little closer. In this blog we will be analyzing auditions, actors and scenes to try and get a better understanding of what casting crews and directors are looking for out of child actors. We hope you enjoy!

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Jacob Tremblay in Room

Jacob Tremblay is by far one of favorite child actors currently. After watching him in Room really solidified that for me. I didn't see Room when it first came out, so I had already seen Jacob Tremblay in other movies so I already knew how talented he was. Room was different than the other movies for me just because how young he was in the movie and how well he was able to interact with Brie Larson, who plays Joy and was in her mid 20′s during the filming of this movie. I read an article ( I will link it to this blog post) that talked about how during the scene where Tremblay’s character, Jack, shouts at his mother, Joy, Tremblay was very uncomfortable with shouting. Things like that show you the struggles directors probably deal with when working with young actors because of kids not being comfortable performing certain acts, such as shouting, because it is usually frowned upon in the real world. I think when watching movies with such young kids, like Tremblay, we really forget to realize how young these kids are and what mature roles they take on. Tremblay was only 7 when this movie was filmed... SEVEN! At seven, I probably would not have even been able to read the entire script without help, let alone memorize the lines and give this character so much depth. I think for Room being Tremblay's first big time movie, similar to DiCaprio, he did an outstanding job. One of the coolest parts about him scoring such a great first role is that he had the ability to let his true skills really shine through. Literally at seven years old he became the youngest actor nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role and that is insane. Focusing more on his performance in Room, I think the work he did is far beyond what people would have expected from him. The directors took so much time making sure Tremblay was comfortable with Larson and it really shows throughout the film. He just has an ability to really give you so much emotion without it feeling forced. In part of the movie, Joy is trying to explain to Jack how their life is not just in Room and that there is life outside out Room that she lived in. He interrupts and shouts and looks confused all while not overplaying it. Everything he does feels so authentic, which may seem like an easy task considering he is a kid acting like a kid, but the life he has to portray is such a sheltered life. I think the connection between the two was important to build and that's what made his performance so successful. I am starting to really understand the importance of the relationship of the actors outside of the film, because that is also something I brought up in the blog about Leonardo DiCaprio. Hmm... something to think about. 

Link to the article mentioned above :

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/how-room-landed-brie-larson-839036

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What does it really take?

After some research I have come to the conclusion that being a kid in Hollywood is not easy and thats to say the least. Based on most feedback from directors and casting agencies casting children is actually way harder than casting a full grown experienced adult. One of the biggest problems seems to come from simply being at an age where a lot of things are so new. Kids between the age of 8-15 find themselves at the center of these big scary projects all while being not only under pressure to perform for the people around them but also just from life in general. Let’s throw it back for second, think back to when you were between these ages and think about some of the major life and body changes that happen at this age, now think about all that plus having to feel comfortable in your ever changing body to not only perform in front of a bunch of Hollywood big wigs but also be comfortable with how your body looks on camera, how your voice sounds in audio, it literally seems like a full in nightmare. With that being said kudos to the kids in this world that are able to go out there and literally perform at such high levels you expect them to be so much older than they actually are. Not only are these kids not allowed to be shy they literally can’t act like kids they have to hold some sort of professionalism to standard in their everyday lives as well. They have to make it natural and it all has to flow while still being themselves. Many directors today cast children based on their overall personality which totally makes sense because most kids don't have a large resume like Leo or Brad they just don't have the experience they have to work for that. Most casting calls will start with the directors asking these kids basic questions about their families, lives, what they like to do, sometimes they have them sing, and most of the time they have them say lines back after being told what to say to check memory capabilities. Based on how the child responds to these questions and different actions such as singing and memory of lines the director will ask themselves some questions to see if this particular kids is what they are actually looking for. Some of these common questions are listed below: 

Was the child’s response creative and natural? (not practiced with their parents before their casting interview) 

Did the child seem timid and shy? 

Does the personality fit? 

Is it hard to get information out of the child? or does he/she want to answer my questions? 

Will this child be interesting enough to captivate the intended audience? 

Although it may seem a little harsh a lot goes into making these films and shows and casting someone that isn't read to put in the work and just doesn't work on the camera can be expensive and waste a lot of precious time. Ultimately to me it seems like it comes down to the simple fact of is this child ready to grow up quick and read to be professional in order to advance their career and make these films/shows as great as they can be? Hollywood can be a cold place and these children must be ready to grow up and work hard, which is why I amend current children in Hollywood because in no way shape or form is it easy, it takes drive, the ability to adapt, and professional finesse which can be hard when you are so young because everyone wants to enjoy their time as a kid, unfortunately in Hollywood this easy going childhood is rarely ever a choice. 

-Katie HD

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What Makes the Stranger Things Franchise so Great?

Almost anybody who isn’t living under a rock has heard of Netflix’s widely popular show Stranger Things it is easily to relatable to so many demographics of audience people of all ages are able to watch it without being completely bored or confused. Although there is probably much a large debate on what actually makes the show so great i.e. the plot, the humor, the conflict etc. the kids are really what pulls the people in and keeps them coming back. It is basically undeniable that we as viewer live vicariously through these kids. I mean who wouldn't want to take on a super scary alien with their best friends, and with the help of their super cool older siblings and of course Joyce the super mom and we can't forget about the totally kickass Hawkins sheriff Jim Hopper. But back to the kids of course, they are truly what embodies the whole idea of the show and not only do the make Stranger Things the show that it is today they are also growing rapid popularity among the public in real life. Many of the kids can be found in other popular movies such as IT, up and coming Godzilla, Law and Order: SVU cameos, The Blacklist, plus tons of voices for characters in animation films plus much much more. But like most it isn’t just there charisma that lights up the screen when we turn on an episode of Stranger Things, it is the simple fact of the large scale of capabilities as actors at such a young age that leave audience members in awe I mean they show raw emotion, their completely vulnerable, they put their all into it and they keep people glued to the screen. I mean literally every time I watch Stranger Things it takes a minute for me to be like, “wow these kids are acting at almost an Oscar level and most of them are almost 5 years younger than me”, I mean most of us couldn't say we could act with such finesse and flow at age let alone act that well in general. With that being said I highly suggest that you check of Stranger Things if you have Netflix because it is truly one of companies best productions that they have put out, and that is saying a lot because Netflix is notoriously known for putting out some kick ass shit movies and shows. This show in particular is especially great for those of you who love sci-fi action thrillers, but even if that genre doesn't sound like your cup of tea, which trust me I get it because I am definitely not much of a sci-fi person, this show is truly addicting and will have you at the edge of your seat all they way til end, and then have you screaming at the monitor when its over and you have to wait like the rest of us for season 3 which is greatly anticipated to be nothing less than epic. For those of you already all caught up you can expect Netflix to release the new season of Stranger Things on July 4th this summer, and I don't know about you but I fully plan on watching fireworks and then completely binging the whole season because I am OBSESSED. 

-Katie HD

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Leonardo DiCaprio in  What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

What's Eating Gilbert Grape was made in 1993, which made Leonardo DiCaprio only 19. Even though he is technically considered an adult, we wanted to look at his performance because of the specific requirements needed for this role. DiCaprio in this movie plays a mentally impaired 17 year old named Arnie Grape. This role was one of the first he's ever received, which is why it is so interesting. He takes on the qualities of a child with developmental issues extremely well. Even being so young and inexperienced, he truly captures the feeling of someone struggling with a disability. In fact, his performance was so well executed that he ended up being nominated for an Oscar for his role in this movie (of course, he did not win yet). I think working with someone like Johnny Depp really benefited his performance as well because of Depp’s ability to portray so many different personalities. I loved the interaction between the two and I think DiCaprio played off Depp in a great way. Overall, I think that for this being one of DiCaprio’s first real film performances, it was very well done. 

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Why Child Actors?

Child actors are one of the most unique type of actors when it comes to casting. More often than not, getting a young child to perform a very specific task a certain way is hard. Casting directors use a variety of different techniques and follow certain standards when picking the kids that will be a part of movies or shows. It is interesting for us to understand just what is required when casting such young kids. Mainly, we will be expressing our opinions on the different child actors across the board and what we think about the roles they have played. We will also be looking at different child actors from older movies and seeing where they are now. 

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What is this blog?

This blog is exploring the work of child actors, how they are casted, their careers as actors and more! Our names are Katie and Megan and this project is called our Deep Dive project for our Film class at Truman State University. We wanted to look at how child actors differ from adults and look at the process of how it all happens a little closer. In this blog we will be analyzing auditions, actors and scenes to try and get a better understanding of what casting crews and directors are looking for out of child actors. 

We hope you enjoy!