When did Alyson Stoner start acting? Former child star talks about growing up in the spotlight in new memoir

Alyson Stoner, a former Disney Channel star, has been in the spotlight since she was a toddler, but her new memoir, Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything, provides a genuine and raw look at the challenges, dangers, and lessons she learned from growing up in Hollywood.

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Alyson Stoner book reveals stalkers, rehab, dark side of child fame​From USA Today:• Alyson Stoner details difficult experiences as a child star in their new memoir.• Stoner faced stalkers, exploitation, and safety concerns amid rising fame.• An eating disorder worsened during preparations for a 'Hunger Games' audition.• Stoner contemplated suicide after facing rejection for coming out as queer.

The book, which was released on August 12, contains all the personal experiences with a cultural critique of the movie industry, with the aim of pushing for structural reform to safeguard young performers.

Alyson Stoner rose to prominence at an early age. They began auditioning when they were six years old, after attending the International Modeling and Talent Association convention in New York City. By the age of seven, they had moved from Toledo, Ohio, to Los Angeles with their mother to seek a career in entertainment.

Stoner made their debut at the age of nine, appearing as a featured dancer in Missy Elliott's iconic Work It music video. That performance propelled them into the public eye, opening the route for acting opportunities in significant projects such as:

Cheaper by the Dozen in 2003, when she played the role of Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt's tomboy, then she was in Step Up in 2006 where she was Channing Tatum's foster sister Camille, then in Camp Rock where she starred next to Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers, and finally voicing Isabella Garcia-Shapiro voiced Phineas and Ferb which aired from 2007 to 2015.

Alyson Stoner told People about how writing is her preferred and strongest form of communication:

“Contrary to public knowledge, dance is not my strongest form of communication. Writing is my first and preferred form of processing. Even when I'm thinking through thoughts, I'm writing them out in my head. So this was actually a joy, while challenging, to be able to lean on my preferred mode of communication, finally.”

Alyson Stoner reveals the hidden cost of childhood stardom

According to them in their memoir, at the age of 9, Stoner was no longer in school, was unable to engage with others, and was carrying financial burdens related to their job. Stoner even mentioned that they had to deal with strangers, one of whom even claimed they were his wife "Cinderella" and also threatened harm over hairstyle.

Alyson Stoner went on to criticize how unsafe the industry was for children, as they had unsafe rehearsals and, at times, deepfake-style edited images surfacing online to almost being kidnapped. Stoner revealed that they ended up getting checked into a mental health facility to treat an eating disorder at the age of 17.

Stoner also revealed that many opportunities were taken away from them without their involvement. According to the memoir, Disney had a spin-off of That's So Raven with Stoner as the lead, but it was replaced with Hannah Montana. Similarly, Stoner was pitched to be the lead in a musical summer camp film, but was later pushed to the side with Demi Lovato leading Camp Rock.

Preparation for an audition for The Hunger Games resulted in a damaging stay at a "medical weight loss camp" despite being underweight, highlighting the industry's toxic beauty standards.

Advocacy and Mental Health

Alyson Stoner, who is now 32, is using their position to advocate for current and future generations of performers. They have cofounded Movement Genius, a digital wellness startup that promotes mental health via physical activity, developed the Artist Wellbeing Essentials Toolkit for young performers and their families, hosted the Dear Hollywood podcast, which discussed structural challenges in entertainment with experts and other artists and also became a certified mental health coordinator and helped build better, healthier production environments.

Stoner is also advocating for legislative changes, such as rules that safeguard child performers' earnings and give them the ability to withdraw consent for specific uses of their likeness after they turn 18.

Alyson Stoner will soon be heard again on the Phineas and Ferb reboot; they are also adapting to a more purposeful existence. They are concentrating on things that they missed out on while growing up.

Trending

As written in the memoir, this chapter in Alyson Stoner's life is "truly blank" and full of possibility, as she sees this as independence from fame.

Stay tuned to Soap Central for more information.

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