HBO’s latest documentary, Showbiz Kids, takes a look at the dark truth of kid fame through the lens of those who lived it.
Evan Rachel Wood, Jada Pinkett Smith, Wil Wheaton, Todd Bridges, Mila Jovovich, Henry Thomas, Mara Wilson and the late Cameron Boyce paint a sobering image of the rate they paid to pursue their dreams (and sometimes the imagine their moms and dads) in Hollywood.
“I gave up my childhood for this industry, and it wasn’t my choice,” Wheaton, most noteworthy for his functions in Stand By Me and Star Trek: The Next Generation, stated. Similarly, Wood kept in mind a desire to just have fun with her pals, keeping in mind, “…it was apparent early on that you would get in trouble if you wanted to play. It would be very disappointing to people if I didn’t want to do this because I was talented.”
The 90-minute documentary, directed by Alex Winter of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures, traces these previous kid stars’ trajectories to present day and reveals the memories they still can’t shake.
