Hayley Mills was arguably one of the biggest child stars of the ‘60s but growing up in the limelight came with its share of struggles.
As the actress pointed out in an interview with Fox News, being surrounded by wealth and constantly showered with attention could be "very intense" and made it easy to "lose your way." Although she had the support and grounding of her parents, who were both film stars, Mills still struggled.
"I certainly had my struggles," she admitted. "But I think we all face struggles in growing up. You’re trying to make sense of life and who you are, except you’re trying to figure all of this out in Hollywood. When you’re in that environment, it’s hard to hang on to reality. But after I worked, I went home. I went to boarding school in England. So in some ways, I think I had it better than others."
Mills was 12 years old when she began to pursue an acting career. She went on to star in dozens of films including 1961's "The Parent Trap," "That Darn Cat!" (1965) and "Good Morning, Miss Bliss," which was later re-named "Saved by the Bell," according to IMDb. Mills also personally worked with Walt Disney, who she described as "warm and friendly," "shy," and a "very sweet man." There were many high moments in her career but having success at such a young age also made her teenage years difficult.
"Adolescence is a nightmare for everybody. One of the reasons you suddenly become self-conscious is because that innocence of childhood when you’re completely in the moment is gone," Mills said. "You suddenly look at yourself in a different way. You’re judging yourself, comparing yourself to others. It was a struggle."
This is not the first time Mills has admitted to the ups and downs of being a child star. In a 2018 interview with The Wrap, the now 75-year-old recalled feeling isolated.
"It was a great childhood in many respects. I loved the Disney studio, and Walt, and there was never any exploitation. Still, I had to forfeit friends, as I was always leaving my boarding school and struggling to catch up," she said. "I believe education is fundamental and mine definitely was impacted. There was a price to pay and that kind of fame can be very isolating. I am only grateful I didn’t become famous in the time of social media."
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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