This week's theme is: Child Actors Venturing Out of Typecasting!
Now, this week's theme was a bit tough for me since I have to think really hard about what actors and actresses were child stars and what roles they took where they broke their typecasting. So, I had stumbled upon a couple of movies where the former child star actors had taken on roles that were very different from what they normally play as!
An idealistic, straight-edge teacher is drawn down a horrid rabbit hole by an honors student when he gives him a B+ on a paper.Remember the Disney Channel series, "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody?" Remember that Dylan Sprouse had played one of the twins in that show? Well, there was a movie called "Dismissed" where he played as an honors student who ends up going on a killing spree when his teacher gave him a decent grade! Yeah! I was actually shocked that Dylan Sprouse was playing as a psycho killer in this film that went against his more comedic role in "Zack and Cody!"
Recuperating from trauma, Jennifer remains in danger as she returns to a life she doesn't remember.Brenda Song was another actress who came from "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" (she played London, the ditzy hotel heiress)! So, imagine my shock and surprise when I found out that Brenda Song was playing as an amnesiac victim in this suspense thriller!
A young boy stays with his aunt and uncle and befriends his cousin, a boy of the same age who begins showing increasing signs of violent and pychopathic behavior.
Remember Kevin from the "Home Alone" movies? Well, Macaulay Culkin played an infamous role in "The Good Son" as a psychotic little kid who would murder people! Also, the fact that Macaulay Culkin was still a child when he played this role was pretty shocking!
The only one of these I've seen is the Culkin film. He was adequate but he didn't really impress me, but then he never did much for me. He screams well but that's about it. Sad that he seems to be such a mess now.
ReplyDeleteI'm familiar with Dylan Sprouse but I'm not completely sure from where, I never watched that show you mentioned but Brenda Song is unknown to me.
I also had a little trouble deciding exactly how to approach the theme so I stuck with performers (as it turned out all actresses) who successfully attempted something different while still in their teens. And as happened all three were nominated for Supporting Actress Oscars (none won) for either their typecasting role or the one that broke the mold.
Bonita Granville: The Nancy Drew Mysteries series
Rising to fame at 12 (and netting an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress) in 1936’s These Three as a cancerous, vicious child whose lies destroys three lives simply because she can’t have her own way for the next several years Bonita was reliably cast as odious little bitches making adult lives miserable until her studio took a chance and cast her as mischievous, scrappy Nancy Drew in a series of low budget films. The series was very successful enabling her to expand her persona and bounced back and forth between good girls and bad until her retirement from acting in 1950.
Jodie Foster: Taxi Driver
From the age of six (though she had been a child model since the age of two) the incredibly prolific Jodie was one of the top child stars of the late 60’s and early 70’s mostly through her television work including her own series-Paper Moon-as the plucky tomboyish girl next door. But that changed with her Oscar nominated performance as the child prostitute Iris in Taxi Driver. It’s a haunting worn down profoundly sad piece of work.
Natalie Wood: Rebel Without a Cause
Gaining fame at age nine (though in her own estimation not really achieving stardom rather being in her words “a utility actress” slotted into whatever role fit her image) as the pragmatic, prematurely wise Susie who comes to believe in Santa Claus in 1947’s Miracle on 34th Street Natalie played variations on that character for the next eight years. Then in 1955 Nicholas Ray cast her as Judy, the vulnerable and lost teen skirting juvenile delinquency resulting in an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress and changing the direction of her career.
Oh yeah! I forgot that Jodie Foster was a child actress! I need to rewatch some of her older movies!
DeleteI only know Sprouse from Big Daddy and have never heard of your second pick, but The Good Son is a fun choice. That movie is....something. Lol. Great stuff!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI loved The Good Son when I was younger. It's an amazing bad movie lol.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, aside from Big Daddy I remember when the Spouse twins did The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things and that doesn't match their Disney image at all, and they never talked about it. lol
Hmmm... I never heard of the Heart is Deceitful Above All Things before. I need to check it out!
DeleteNever seen any of those but I am sure going to watch Home Alone this Christmas lol
ReplyDeleteCool! I might watch Home Alone this Christmas too!
DeleteI don’t know the first 2 films at all but I know of the third one. I haven’t seen it but would like to one day.
ReplyDeleteI might rewatch the Good Son someday!
DeleteGood one with the Good Son.
ReplyDeleteI saw Secret Obsession...it was sooo bad.
Yeah, Secret Obsession was sort of dull for me.
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