Cape actor: ‘why I withdrew my toddler from industry’
|Published
William Shakespeare coined the phrase “all that glitters is not gold”, and parents of young stars are now waking up to the realities of what comes along with fame for children in the entertainment industry.
From the international stage to closer to home, children who have grown up in front of thousands and at times millions of fans have felt both the positive and negative sides of fame.
As much as the television industry is glitz and glamour, parents of children in the industry say they have had to be extra careful of what their children are signing up for.
One such parent in Cape Town actor, Christian Bennett whose daughter Phoenix made her television debut at just 2 weeks-old on the popular soapie “Suidooster”.
Bennett, who played Gif (Poison) in the movie “Noem My Skollie”, has been in the industry since the early 2000s and has a role on “Suidooster”, said he was proud to see himself live out his dream of being on the big screen and have his daughter follow in his footsteps.
Phoenix, now six, played the role of baby Stella for three years.
“Just as the industry chose me, it also chose her,“ he said.
The father of two told Weekend Argus that when “Suidooster” approached him and said they were looking for a newborn baby, he said his daughter was a perfect fit.
“I took her to the set every day and she was involved in the series until the age of three and then we just withdrew her from the entertainment world,” he said.
According to Bennett, he knows how vicious the industry can be, so he decided to withdraw Phoenix from the public eye for now.
“People recognised her in public and would touch her a lot. It's just part of the package when you're in the industry. At one point, she became very ill and I had to decide to be a father and put all her gigs on hold for the time being.
“We must not forget that child actors work. It's a job they do and I wanted Phoenix to have the opportunity to be a child. To be carefree and go to the crèche and play outside,” he said.
However, if Phoenix wanted to return to the industry in a few years, Bennett would not stop her.
“There is a lot of glitz and glamour that comes with the industry, but there is also the rough side. Parents should be aware of that. The world outside is cruel and when you put your child on a platform where you expose them to the public, you as a parent must make the conscious decision to prioritise your child's interests and withdraw them if necessary.“
On the other side of the coin, some parents have big dream about their children getting into showbiz.
Wendy Marsh from Paarl said she has been trying to get her 14-year-old daughter into the industry for the past three years.
“I would so much like to register my child with a casting agency, but it is too expensive. We live so far from the city which makes it a challenge ... I’ve never been able to get her booked or cast,” she said.
Marsh said you must have a connection or know someone to get a foot in the door.
“Usually, you see children of people who are also in the industry. But, I want my child to participate in extracurricular activities and find her rhythm in life,” she said.
Belinda Oberholster, a booker for Talent Squad in Cape Town, said while there were challenges, children in South Africa’s entertainment industry did not face the same as pressure as Hollywood.
“The pressure on set is not the same as in Hollywood. We don't overwork the children and its more fun and extra money than anything else. Of course, there is a bit of pressure during auditions, but for the most part it’s a fun experience,” she said.
Oberholster added that while there were moms who pushed their children to work a little harder, this was mostly a trend for older children and teenagers.
Liezl Thom, a life coach who works on television sets, said the toll that a career in the entertainment industry takes on a child is often only visible later. There is even a name for it today: Child Star Syndrome.
“More and more stars who grew up in front of the cameras are speaking openly about how their development was negatively affected by the constant pressure they were exposed to,” she said.
Thom said children often do not yet have the personal boundaries that enable them to say no.
“Unfortunately, this lack of boundaries often leads to emotional, sexual, and financial abuse. The long working hours to which child stars are exposed also take a toll on their development.”
“Many former child stars struggle with anxiety and depression, which they attribute to their formative years in the limelight.”
Weekend Argus