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The number of child actors on television, in movies, and on stage has increased dramatically in recent years. While many regulations and laws are in place to protect the physical and financial well-being of these young performers, little attention has been given to their psychological health and the strength of their self-concepts. This paper reviews the literature related to child actors' psychological well-being and makes a case for future research into the topic. Available data are very limited but suggest that actors may have a weaker self-concept and more psychological concerns than people who are not actors, and that the personalities and behaviors actors display publically may be incorporated into their self-concepts. As a result, child actors appear to have unique psychological needs that should be addressed. Med Probl Perform Art 2011; 26(3):146-149.
I think the motivation for most people [who get into acting] is that they want to be loved... It can be hard, because you get used to having everyone around you. You get hooked on the noise and the light. But I think that if you can't face yourself, then you shouldn't be doing this, and you probably need to sort some things out, because one day you won't have the job and the fame, and then-when you're all grown up-you'll really be afraid.
-Child actor, age 11, as quoted in Fame Junkies1
The Screen Actors Guild, the actors' union in the United States, had over 5,000 members aged 17 years and younger in 2009,2 and that number does not include children who act in non-union productions, in theatre, or on reality TV shows, the numbers of whom are difficult to quantify. Child actors also work in Canada, the UK, and around the world. The increase in the number of reality television series since the early 1990s, as well as the growing popularity of media aimed at children, has made the promise of fame more accessible to the average person and has increased the number of child actors working in the entertainment industry.
Concern for the well-being of young actors already exists but has manifested primarily through laws to protect the child's earnings and to prevent exploitation and physical harm of the youngster. For example, the Coogan Law, named after...