BEHIND THE CURTAIN BEHIND THE CURTAIN BEHIND THE CURTAIN by Dave Berg Page A
Authors: Dave Berg
Tags: Entertainment
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treating the earth.
Shortly after that, I booked Shirley to appear on the show. A writer told me he had an idea for her segment and handed me a sketch of a fake printout from a seismograph. The squiggly lines spelled out the word repent in large, bold letters. I thought it would be fun if Jay brought the sketch out during the interview. She was famous for her off-the-wall ideas and usually had a sense of humor about them.
When Shirley showed up for her appearance, I was excited to show her the printout. I thought it would get a big laugh out of her, but I was wrong. She looked at it, gave me an icy stare, and asked: “What part of this do you think is funny?” Needless to say, the “seismograph printout” was removed from her segment, and Shirley performed splendidly without it.
I could never bring myself to throw out the modern-day prophetic warning, so I placed it on the wall over my office door. It stayed there for fifteen years, enduring several more earthquakes.
Abigail and Spencer Breslin
There’s an old adage in show business: Never follow kids or animals. Cute kids and furry creatures are a draw, but there’s a downside with kids. Hollywood is full of very messed-up adults who were once child actors. I witnessed the ruin of many young lives over the years. It was so common that whenever a child actor debuted on the show my colleagues would speculate how long it would take him or her to go over to “the dark side.” Six months? One year? Two? It was dark humor, but often when the child returned for a second appearance they were already showing noticeable signs of disrespect for their parents and handlers. In subsequent visits, it got even worse. It was sad to watch cute, smart kids turn into spoiled brats—and then monsters—in only a few years. Not all cases were this extreme, but suffice it to say that Hollywood was not a family-friendly place.
There were some notable exceptions, especially Abigail and Spencer Breslin , who were entertaining guests and wonderful kids. Best known for his roles in Disney’s The Kid, The Santa Clause film sequels, and The Cat in the Hat, Spencer first came on the show at age four. Abigail made her debut appearance at age eight and had often accompanied her brother in the dressing room during his guest spots. She was in Signs, Little Miss Sunshine (for which she received an Oscar nomination), and Broadway’s The Miracle Worker. Thanks to their mom and manager, Kim, Abigail and Spencer lived relatively normal childhoods, attending public schools, going to church, and doing chores like taking care of pets for small weekly allowances. Kim was involved in making decisions about every aspect of their young careers, including the films and television shows they were in. As a result, the Breslin family stayed strong, and the dark side of Hollywood was held at bay.
Most child actors have no childhoods, instead growing up on movie and television sets. They have few friends their own age and are educated by studio-hired teachers. So when they were on the show, they were essentially acting the way they thought children should act. On the other hand, Abigail and Spencer, who experienced all the joys and frustrations of being kids, were for real, and they told Jay all about it. Abigail loved to chide Spencer for his unromantic treatment of his long-time girlfriend Skye, suggesting that he do such things as give her flowers. In turn, Spencer called out his sister for having a secret boyfriend, which she adamantly denied.
Jay had watched the Breslins grow up over the years, and there were many heart-warming, genuine moments with them. During the Christmas season, Abi often brought him homemade gifts, such as cookies and gingerbread houses. And when she was nominated for her amazing performance in Little Miss Sunshine, she told Jay it wouldn’t have happened without him. The director gave her the part after he saw her on The Tonight Show.
Shia LaBeouf
We began booking Shia LaBeouf
Shortly after that, I booked Shirley to appear on the show. A writer told me he had an idea for her segment and handed me a sketch of a fake printout from a seismograph. The squiggly lines spelled out the word repent in large, bold letters. I thought it would be fun if Jay brought the sketch out during the interview. She was famous for her off-the-wall ideas and usually had a sense of humor about them.
When Shirley showed up for her appearance, I was excited to show her the printout. I thought it would get a big laugh out of her, but I was wrong. She looked at it, gave me an icy stare, and asked: “What part of this do you think is funny?” Needless to say, the “seismograph printout” was removed from her segment, and Shirley performed splendidly without it.
I could never bring myself to throw out the modern-day prophetic warning, so I placed it on the wall over my office door. It stayed there for fifteen years, enduring several more earthquakes.
Abigail and Spencer Breslin
There’s an old adage in show business: Never follow kids or animals. Cute kids and furry creatures are a draw, but there’s a downside with kids. Hollywood is full of very messed-up adults who were once child actors. I witnessed the ruin of many young lives over the years. It was so common that whenever a child actor debuted on the show my colleagues would speculate how long it would take him or her to go over to “the dark side.” Six months? One year? Two? It was dark humor, but often when the child returned for a second appearance they were already showing noticeable signs of disrespect for their parents and handlers. In subsequent visits, it got even worse. It was sad to watch cute, smart kids turn into spoiled brats—and then monsters—in only a few years. Not all cases were this extreme, but suffice it to say that Hollywood was not a family-friendly place.
There were some notable exceptions, especially Abigail and Spencer Breslin , who were entertaining guests and wonderful kids. Best known for his roles in Disney’s The Kid, The Santa Clause film sequels, and The Cat in the Hat, Spencer first came on the show at age four. Abigail made her debut appearance at age eight and had often accompanied her brother in the dressing room during his guest spots. She was in Signs, Little Miss Sunshine (for which she received an Oscar nomination), and Broadway’s The Miracle Worker. Thanks to their mom and manager, Kim, Abigail and Spencer lived relatively normal childhoods, attending public schools, going to church, and doing chores like taking care of pets for small weekly allowances. Kim was involved in making decisions about every aspect of their young careers, including the films and television shows they were in. As a result, the Breslin family stayed strong, and the dark side of Hollywood was held at bay.
Most child actors have no childhoods, instead growing up on movie and television sets. They have few friends their own age and are educated by studio-hired teachers. So when they were on the show, they were essentially acting the way they thought children should act. On the other hand, Abigail and Spencer, who experienced all the joys and frustrations of being kids, were for real, and they told Jay all about it. Abigail loved to chide Spencer for his unromantic treatment of his long-time girlfriend Skye, suggesting that he do such things as give her flowers. In turn, Spencer called out his sister for having a secret boyfriend, which she adamantly denied.
Jay had watched the Breslins grow up over the years, and there were many heart-warming, genuine moments with them. During the Christmas season, Abi often brought him homemade gifts, such as cookies and gingerbread houses. And when she was nominated for her amazing performance in Little Miss Sunshine, she told Jay it wouldn’t have happened without him. The director gave her the part after he saw her on The Tonight Show.
Shia LaBeouf
We began booking Shia LaBeouf
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