TV to Pop Star: Hollywood’s Rite of Passage Business Model

It’s no surprise that Nickelodeon and Disney actors are cast as triple-threat talent as children, and like child actors of the past, most struggle to break out of the mold to achieve success in Hollywood as adults. Fans don’t buy into child stars in adult roles, but they are very willing to follow their childhood idols into the realm of young adult music. Household names like Britney Spears, Drake, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, and Ariana Grande have used their “triple threat” skills to launch successful careers as pop stars from their beginnings on TV. While their success is exceptional, the trend seems likely to continue as more young actors make the leap from the small screen to the pop scene. The transition from adolescence to adulthood in the public eye can be tricky for child stars and their adoring fans. No one can resist the squeaky-voiced innocence of childhood, and it’s hard for viewers to forget the youthfulness that made them love their favorite young talent. But, like it or not, everyone grows up–even celebrities. Unfortunately, most young actors are typecast as kids and find it difficult to re-invent themselves for their maturing audience in order to further their careers. Music bridges the gap to adulthood by giving young actors a platform for introducing mature themes not suitable for younger audiences targeted by their tv shows. Miley Cyrus’s 2010 “Can’t Be Tamed” is a prime example; she used the song and music video to distance herself from her younger fan base and transition to an audience of young adults. Cyrus, who many parents loved as Hannah Montana, became off-limits for their children with “Can’t Be Tamed,” as well as when she further destroyed her wholesome image by twerking with Robin Thicke to the hit song Wrecking Ball at the VMA’s and posing nude in V magazine. But the stunts worked; Miley Cyrus went on to dominate the young adult music market, making her success as a child actor and young adult musician virtually unprecedented. While most young actors stop short of Miley Cyrus’s antics to shed the kiddie image, they do seek to convey more mature, real-world personas than those of their Nickelodeon and Disney TV counterparts. Upstarts like Zendaya of Disney’s “Shake It Up” and Chris Grant Jr. of Nickelodeon’s “The Backyardigans” represents a new breed of talented young actors seeking to transition from the small screen to make a mark in pop music. Zendaya’s breakout single “Replay” peaked at No. 40 on Billboard in 2013, and she released “Something New” featuring Chris Brown in February 2016 to make her more palatable to older teens and young adults. Chris Grant Jr.’s debut EP “Departure, Part One” released March 24, 2017, and showcases his talents as a hip-hop/pop artist while dealing with themes that are more mature in nature. For example, the song “Up” deals with serious issues like staying above the darkness of depression. The explosive growth in recent years in the number of tween actors who successfully use music as a vehicle for growing up with their fans and gaining new ones is compelling, and Hollywood is burgeoning with young actors eager to adopt the new business model. Transitioning from TV to pop star has become a profitable rite of passage for the newest generation of child stars.