Taran Noah Smith
Clean your room, do your homework, and dodge the paparazzi.
Have you ever wondered what life would be like raising a successful child actor? Stardom Happens gives you all the information you need to help your child get into the business and have a positive experience while acting. Candy Bennici and her son Taran Noah Smith, who played the youngest son on the hit show Home Improvement for eight years, use their experiences, both good and bad, to help you and your child successfully navigate the fun but sometimes treacherous world of entertainment.
First you will learn the basics of entering the world of acting, such as finding an agent, creating a resume, working with photographers, and surviving the dreaded auditions. Handling finances, schooling, and expectations on the set are just a few more of the topics covered.
Then, with personal insight and occasional humor, Candy and Taran bring you into the world of child stardom and show you how to avoid the everyday problems fame can bring..
- How do you deal with producers who donʼt understand children?
- What do you do with mounds of fan mail?
- Should you help with charities?
- How do you make personal appearances fun?
- And, most important, how do you keep your child grounded and safe?
Whether you have a future child actor or are just curious about the entertainment business, Stardom Happens will answer your questions and help you create a positive experience for the whole family.
FOREWORD
I was just going to skim the book but it was such an easy, honest read, seen through Candy’s eyes, with Taran’s honest and interesting comments that I couldn’t stop. I think it is the most interesting and comprehensive book about a child working in this crazy and unreal world of show biz I have ever read.
In my thirty-five years of being an agent I have read many books of this sort and been interviewed by many of the authors. The simple and honest style of this book is so refreshing. I think this will help many parents who are trying to decide what to do if they have a talented child.
I am so proud of Candy and David for being such great supportive and loving parents. They were absolutely a pleasure to work with. And yes, it’s mostly the acts of the parents that makes a difference with the way a child actor turns out. I am also so proud of the young man Taran has become and the beautiful woman and mother his sister, Aria, has become. I am so lucky to be able to call them my friends.
Judy Savage, Children’s Acting Agent and CEO of the Savage Agency.