What is it about this eleven year old that makes her the household name in female child acting? It’s almost as if films are made so that she can be in them (rather than the other way round)
I know that’s probably not true, but as I say it seems that way. She has a filmography that would be envied by most adult actors, let alone children.
She’s cute. But so are billions of other children. She’s talented, but that aint rare in kids either. So what does she have that other kid actors don’t?
I’d like to know this, too. I’m not that impressed by her acting.
It’s like she’s some sorta 11 year old female Tom Cruise.
OOOH! OOOH! I KNOW! Some maniacal driven obsessive adult (mother/father/manager/agent) making it happen for her? Hey, she ain’t doing it on her own, m’kay?
Right, but IMO no amount of maniacal parenting seems capable of making her appear in so many box office films.
Her younger sister, Elle, isn’t doing too badly either. Check her out at age five in The Door in the Floor.
I think Hollywood has a rule about how there can only be 2 or 3 “It” child actors at a time. Plus chances are high that as she grows older she’ll no longer have any appeal and no longer get any decent roles or any roles at all.
No, she’s not.
No, they’re not.
No.
Yes, it is.
Allow me:
The force is strong with this one.
(I like saying that)
She seems very…overmature for her age.
I take this to indicate that she doesn’t actually have a childhood. God knows what she’ll be when she grows up - could either take the Jodie Foster route (good) or the Macaulay Culkin route (bad).
I never feel quite right about saying this, but I’m a fan.
That kid’s got some serious chops. I think, after I Am Sam, she gets a lot of work because she can act. She’s a total pro. Even when she’s in a total stinker, she really does a fantastic job.
I think it’s pretty clear from looking at her work that she’ll continue to get work and turn out good performances for as long as she chooses to. Definitely in the Jodie Foster column.
Seriously, the first time I saw I Am Sam, my reaction was pretty much “Who is that girl? Is she really as young as she appears to be in this film? How is this possible?”
Not your run-of-the-mill child actor.
I have to agree, even though I detest most child actors and most kids in general. She has a maturity about her and a naturalness to her acting that is refreshing in a child actor, and is reminiscent of Jody Foster.
Yep – pretty simple. She can act. Oh, I’m sure her parents have been active in supporting her “career,” but she’s the real deal.
–Cliffy
I would guess she’s (and/or her parents) are easier to deal with than other child actors. It would make sense that she continues to get roles if she doesn’t cause a lot of problems on set. Just a WAG, though.
Yeah, some kids are just natural born actors. How this transfers into teen years and adulthood remains to be seen.
Haley Joel Osment- (Sixth Sense, A.I., Second Hand Lions) is in his teens now. Early work was good, haven’t seen too much recently.
Kirsten Dunst- Remarkable job in Interview with a Vampire. Has gotten steady work but nothing too serious. Spiderman and a lot of romance stories.
Same with Anna Paquin in The Piano. She had the stuff. Her work since then hasn’t been particularly remarkable, though. Jeez, she’s 23 now? I feel old.
Who was that kid that starred in the Sixth Sense?*
*Copyright Trivia Pursuit 2010 edition.
She’s just charismatic. Sure she can act but a lot of people can act. It takes something special to make someone instantly watchable.
I never saw I am Sam but I loved her in Man on Fire.
Whoosh.
The girl does have talent. She can act without the syrupy, overly sweet I’m-so-cute thing that way too many child actors have that makes me want to strangle their character in the film. I also like Haley Joel Osment for the same reasons.
I think the reason we haven’t seen Haley Joel in a while is he has wisely decided to get his puberty over with in private. No one needs those years immortilized on screen. shudder
Dakota and Haley Joel were about the only child actors I could ever stand. Never mugging for the “I’m so cute” shot, actual acting, etc… I hope in 15-20 years they get together and make us a troop of great child actors.
OTOH, I hated and continue to hate Kirsten Dunst.