Generally speaking, two kinds of stories about former child stars usually garner public attention. More often than not, the most lurid headlines are reserved for those for whom time and age are not kind. Many child performers struggle to make the transition from cute children to mature roles. Others battle substance use disorders. Some are consumed by financial problems, their earnings squandered by the parents, managers, and agents who were supposed to protect their interests. There are arrests and barely recognizable faces in widely circulated mugshots and other legal problems. Too many of them die too young, reduced to another cautionary tale about the pitfalls of fame.
