It’s not often that famous child stars transition into a successful adult acting career, but Abigail Breslin is one of the few actresses who managed to grow up entirely on our screens. From a wildly popular child actor to a frequently cast adult in shows like “Scream Queens,” Breslin has often discussed the struggles of being a child actor.
She told iNews in 2021 that people sometimes forget she’s “25 years old and not 9 anymore. People tend to want to keep you in one specific pigeonhole.” Regardless of that, Abigail has definitely not put herself in a pigeonhole and has filmed tons of highly-acclaimed projects. She’s also an emerging musician and a verified social media starlet. Yet despite all these accolades and her still-growing career, Breslin has remained modest.
An early acting career
Born in New York City, Abigail was destined for success. She started acting at the young age of 3, starting with a Toys ’R’ Us commercial. A couple of years later, she starred as Bo Hess in the 2002 sci-fi drama “Signs” and co-starred with her sibling Spencer in “Raising Helen”.
The role that changed everything
Most of you probably remember Ms. Breslin from her breakthrough role in “Little Miss Sunshine.” In it, she played the role of Olive Hoover, a child beauty pageant contestant who road trips across the country in a Volkswagen bus with her dysfunctional yet extremely funny family. She was cast at just 6, although filming started when she was 8 years old. Earning over $100 million at the box office, this film launched Abigail Breslin into the world of celebrity.
She was nominated for a SAG award and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2007, making her one of only 4 young actresses to ever be nominated in that category for an Oscar. The director of the film, Valerie Faris, told the “LA Times” that Abigail’s performance was consistent and there was never a “false moment” with her, which was rare with child actors.
The mainstream success that followed
With all these impressive award nominations, new roles came to Abigail easily. She was cast in films like “The Ultimate Gift” and “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause” as well as her 2007 role in “No Reservations” alongside A-listers Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart.
Soon, she started being cast in lead roles, like “Definitely, Maybe” and “Nim’s Island”, leading up to “My Sister’s Keeper”. Abigail liked the movie because although it depicted family as being problematic, it also shows the love that they all have for each other.
