Alyson Stoner speaks out on the pressures of childhood stardom

When they entered show business, Alyson Stoner was a little girl. Today, they openly admit that it wasn't a place for a child.

Alyson Stoner is among the child stars from popular TV channels who regret being pushed into show business so quickly. Stoner acted in movies like "Cheaper by the Dozen" and gained recognition for their role in "Step Up." By the time they appeared in "Camp Rock," they had already starred in a music video for one of Missy Elliot's songs. Years later, they returned for "Step Up 3D," followed by "Step Up: All In." Their most recent project is the 2022 series "The Guardians of Justice." Soon, their story will be available in the documentary "Child Star," which reveals the behind-the-scenes life of young American stars.

Stoner gave an interview with Demi Lovato, their former nemesis from Camp Rock. The young stars had long conflicted, but they have now reconciled. Lovato, who directed the documentary Child Star, asks, among other things, whether children like Stoner are aware of what they are getting into when joining television or film projects. The answer seems simple: no. In an online teaser for the film, Stoner admits that they felt dragged through the media and were constantly under pressure.

"FMy story has always been in my head that I've said in interviews for years is like, 'Yeah! I chose this, and then we chose this because I wanted this.' And I'm like I was 3 years old when I was performing. I was 6 years old. Six-year-olds want a lot of things, and it doesn't mean that that all just happens," they said in an "E!" interview.

"The world has had a story of all of us, right? Your friends, your family, your teachers, all the people around you—they know you for a thing and sometimes we glue people to who we've known them as. And then, for example, you come out and they're like, 'But wait, you're not my little' whatever thing that they wanted you to be anymore. Or, ‘You don't fit into the box of how I knew you. You've changed," comments Stoner, who a few years ago admitted they are pansexual.

"I'm trying to give myself that space to say, 'Yeah, I might truly never be in the entertainment industry ever again and that would be totally fine," says the actress.

The documentary "Child Star" is set to premiere on September 17 on Hulu. It is directed by Demi Lovato, who herself suffered significantly from starting their career in show business as a child. In 2021, their online documentary, in which they talked about their addiction, rehab, and being raped as a teenager, was widely discussed.