During the last few years, films targeted at young people have created a new crop of young stars. Taylor Lautner, Daniel Radcliffe, and Demi Lovato are stalk-arazzi favorites.
Because of the release of Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, and Josh Hutcherson, will likely find that the world is much more interested in where they’re partying, who they’re wearing, and who they’re dating. I wonder how long it will last.
There’s no reliable way to predict which teen actors will continue in the profession, develop other interests, or just crash and burn. A good case in point is the Brat Pack. Some of its members are still going strong, others are tabloid messes and some just seem to have disappeared.
The Brat Pack, by the way, is a group of 80s teens in their early 20s who starred in movies for young people. Examples of these movies include St. Elmo’s Fire, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, and pretty much any other John Hughes Movie.
Members, such as Demi Moore, Robert Downey Jr., and Robe Lowe, continue to work as actors. All three have had difficulties with alcohol, addictions, or very public misbehavior. Despite this, they have all been able to transition into roles with more complexity than simple teen angst. Their names are familiar even to those who have seen none of the films they made in youth.
Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen may be brothers, but they ended up in very different places. Estevez has continued to act, but he has also found a place in directing. He has directed several feature films and television shows. He even directed his father, Martin Sheen. Younger brother Charlie, however, has become infamous for his truant behavior.
Others, like Molly Ringwald and Ralph Machio, have had a harder time finding a niche in show business. Ringwald has had several cameos in television shows. Machio was recently a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.
In the coming years, the Hunger Games trio could find themselves in either position—famous for their acting, or famous for their antics.