Sober young actors - Staying healthy in a business with unhealthy pressures

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Sober young actors – Staying healthy in a business with unhealthy pressures

Danielle Panabaker

Danielle Panabaker [left] cautions, “You’d be surprised how many people are headed in the wrong direction [in Hollywood] and it makes me very sad to see these people with so much potential at such young ages getting involved in things that they should not be getting involved in.

“I try to surround myself with people who won’t encourage me to do bad things but people change and I’ve lost friendships because of it, because of decisions people have made. I prefer to be safe and healthy among so many other things. People who would persuade me to be otherwise, I just try and steer clear of.”

TheStarScoop.Com interview / photo from daniellepanabaker.com

Michelle Trachtenberg

Another talented young actor – Michelle Trachtenberg – has affirmed, “You can be successful without drugs, without alcohol. You know, I am where I am today because I didn’t get involved in that stuff and I think even if you come from an underprivilged family or not a secure background you can be amazing and successful no matter what.” [Back Stage Pass, Feb 24, 2003]

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman has acknowledged she has had ”a lot” of life experience, but says the quality is what matters: “Usually when you hear of someone having experience beyond their years, that has a negative connotation. But it hasn’t been for me; it’s been really positive. I don’t feel jaded or that I have a burden of experience. I feel the world is so full, and every second so full of life. Every minute I’m so stimulated and interested and attracted by the world, sort of in wonder to the world. And it’s not related to youth, it’s related to how much you fill up your seconds.” [Premiere, March, 2005]

Lindsay Lohan

According to a recent Reuters news story, Lindsay Lohan has been accused of “heavy partying” by a producer of her latest movie: “You and your representatives have told us that your various late arrivals and absences from the set have been the result of illness; today we were told it was ‘heat exhaustion,’ James Robinson, chief executive of Morgan Creek Productions, wrote in a letter. “We are well aware that your ongoing all night heavy partying is the real reason for your so called ‘exhaustion.’ We refuse to accept bogus excuses for your behavior,” Robinson added.

Leelee Sobieski

But there can be strong pressures on young stars to drink or use drugs, even from people who should be protective. Leelee Sobieski once commented she was shocked at the lengths to which the “adults” went to please young actors: “They kept going, ‘Hey, you want some wine? You want some beer?’ This one agent said to my friend, ‘Anytime you want some pot, I’ll hook you up.’ I was shocked… All these grown-ups are working for you. They want to get you into their game. They want to make their money off the money that you’re making. And you’re thinking, ‘I should be working in an ice-cream place.’” [tvguide.com, July 24, 1999]

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