Here are 12 powerful revelations from Hulus new documentaryChild Star.
Shirley Temple inspired Demi Lovatos own career.
Lovato shared they were inspired to pursue stardom while watching Shirley Temple at their great-grandparents house.
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I just have this memory of Shirley Temple appear on their TV.
And I thought, Im going to the next Shirley Temple.
Im going to be the next child star.
If she can do it, I can do it.
And I did, Lovato recalled.
I didnt realize it would have such a negative impact on my mental health.
Drew Barrymore started acting at 11 months old.
Barrymore then explained that her parents had a deeply toxic relationship.
And then she was just this single mom raising a baby in 1975 with no money, recalled Barrymore.
I wonder, why did my mom think it was a good idea for me to go into this?
Was it because she wanted to be an actress herself?
Was it the fact my dad and his family, The Barrymores, were actors?
Eventually, Barrymore got her big break onE.T.and that film changed her life.
Childhood actors and their families should beveryaware of exactly what the industry is before getting involved.
Its not a normal existence to have somebody in your family be famous, Thompson said.
Lovato equated success to their self-worth.
I looked at my success as my self-worth.
I had a really hard time differentiating the two.
Thompson shared he has felt the same way, experiencing that fear of not being perfect enough.
Christina Riccis father was a failed cult leader.
Acting becameAddams Familystar Christina Riccis safe haven from a broken home life.
There was never any peace in my house, Ricci said.
This was because Riccis father was a failed cult leader, meaning he had all the crazy narcissism.
He was often physically violent and kept her mother in a dark place.
It was consistent and stable.
For me, there was this refuge of emotional safety, Ricci said.
Both Lovato and Ricci experienced bullying due to their career at school.
This led Ricci to feel isolated and she never really felt like she had a group where she belonged.
Lovato also experienced bullying due to her career.
It was so extremely hurtful, said Lovato of the bullying.
Mental health problems are prevalent among childhood entertainers.
Mental health issues are common in the childhood entertainment industry.
Both Lovato and Alyson Stoner struggled with an eating disorder.
Industry executives severed Lovatos raw connection to music.
Raven-Symone felt pressured to support their family through acting.
Financial exploitation is common for child stars to experience.
Both Stoner and Thompson were both taken advantage of financially.
JoJo Siwa was treated differently by Disney when she came out.
Fame can have serious health consequences.
This is further proof of how difficult being famous can be.
It is not an easy path to follow and it can be especially difficult for young people to navigate.
Child Staris streaming now on Hulu.
