My career was full of struggles and dreams, disappointments and peaks and valleys. But there was no Twitter, no Facebook or TMZ. Young actors could make mistakes and not become the focus of tabloids.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
My whole goal was to be able to work in television and film and maintain a normal life, never be in a tabloid.
The world when I was 13 wasn't truly driven by tabloid magazines and social media and reality shows. I was able to have a little more of a private life.
After an 18-year career, I left the film industry, not wanting to become one of those child-actor cautionary tales.
When you have had the kind of fame I had, I was always hounded by the media and I lived a very isolated life. Now it's even more difficult. The world has changed dramatically.
I felt like the news business was a little rough for me and a little sleazy. So I glided right over into acting.
I would not have a career without Facebook and Twitter. That's the truth.
I wanted to be an actor from a young age, but actually becoming one and seen the ugly side of the world does feel different and sometimes unwelcome. There are shallow, vapid, untalented people zombieing the streets of Hollywood, adding decadence and immorality to an already extravagant business.
When I started, there were no big interviews, no television, no profiles and all that. The publishers were quite shockingly uncommercial, but they did look after their writers.
I didn't want to be famous. I just wanted to earn enough money to have a nice life and enjoy acting.
I am not hungry for roles on TV or in films. I am happy being a social media sensation.