From jetsetting abroad and working with Hollywood A-listers to rejection, tears and long days on set, we step into the world of Ireland’s child actors and the parents supporting their dreams
Some of Ireland’s top actors as child stars
It’s long been said that Ireland punches well above its weight when it comes to producing acting talent – and when it comes to creating child actors, we certainly have stellar form. Saoirse Ronan, Sarah Bolger, Alisha Weir, Andrew Scott, Evanna Lynch and Jack Gleeson… all got their start in the industry at a young age, and have gone on to enjoy lasting, substantial careers.
Behind every child actor, there often lies a supportive and encouraging family, yet the cliches remain: that the parents of child actors are attempting to live out their unfulfilled dreams via their children, or that they push them into the industry to live vicariously through them. According to Maureen Ward, owner of Talented Kids Performing Arts School and MVW Talent Agency Ireland, the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.