Evan Rachel Wood, Cameron Boyce, and more discuss being Showbiz Kids in trailer for HBO doc
The term "child star" comes with a lot of baggage, and the upcoming HBO documentary Showbiz Kids will try to unpack some of it.
Directed by Alex Winter, himself a former child star who went on to appear in movies like The Lost Boys and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, the film features interviews with actors who have remained in or departed the industry they started working in as children, including Evan Rachel Wood, Mara Wilson, and Milla Jovovich.
Notably, one of the talking heads featured is the late Disney star Cameron Boyce, who serves as a representative for child stars amid a transition into more adult roles. Sadly, the Mrs. Fletcher actor died last year from complications of epilepsy.
Other featured subjects, some of whom illustrate the potential downsides of being a child star, include E.T. star Henry Thomas and Diff'rent Strokes actor Todd Bridges. Jada Pinkett Smith appears in the documentary as well, being someone who both raised child stars and acted on shows like A Different World right out of high school.
"This is a story I've been wanting to tell for many years," Winter said in a statement accompanying the trailer announcement. "Having grown up in the business I've never seen the experiences of a child actor, from their early career through to the transition into adulthood, told from the perspective of those involved. I'm honored that these talented actors trusted me with their very personal stories."
In contrast to its accounts of abuse and exploitation, the film also has a more hopeful side in its depiction of Demi Singleton and Marc Slater, two young actors with supportive parents helping them try to break into the entertainment industry.
Showbiz Kids premiere on July 14 on HBO at 9 p.m. ET. Watch the new trailer above.
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