Child Stars Past and Present Online Trivia | Celebrities Mixture

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Known as Hollywood's first child star, I appeared with Charlie Chaplin in 1921's "The Kid." The Child Actor's Bill in California, mandating a portion of a child actor's salary is put into trust until adulthood, is named for me, as a result of my mother and step-father spending all of my early earnings. Who am I?

Answer: Jackie Coogan

The "Coogan Law" protects child stars from misuse of their funds from the adults in their lives. Jackie Coogan worked in both movies and television, until his death in 1984, including the role of Uncle Fester in the 1960's "The Addams Family" tv series.

His grandson, Keith Coogan, is also an actor, known best for his roles in "The Adventures in Babysitting" and "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead."

2. Born Joel Yule Jr, Mickey Rooney started in Vaudeville at the age of fifteen months. He was making silent shorts by the age of seven, and signed with MGM at the age of 14. He was the biggest box office draw in the country for years, lived large, and was still making films at the age of 80. He has also had eight wives. Which of these classic Hollywood beauties was once Mrs. Mickey Rooney?

Answer: Ava Gardner

Ava Gardner was Mickey's first wife. Lana Turner was Mickey's co-star in the first of his many Andy Hardy movies, "Love Finds Andy Hardy," as was Judy Garland. Betty Grable was married to, among others, Jackie Coogan. Mickey and Judy Garland were the best of friends from their teen years until her death in 1969. FYI-Ava and Lana did share a husband, band leader Artie Shaw. Keeping it all in this question, Judy Garland had a big crush on Artie and was devastated when Lana married him.

3. Child star extraordinaire, I could sing, dance, and act at the age of five, helping Depression Era Americans through their dark lives with my numerous films. I received the first Juvenile Oscar, had a drink named for me, became an Ambassador, and am a breast cancer survivor. Who am I?

Answer: Shirley Temple

The poster girl for the great Hollywood Child Star, Shirley was almost cast as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz." Both Shirley Jones and Shirley MacLaine were named for her.

4. Judy Garland was quite possibly the most gifted performer Hollywood has ever seen. Starring in "The Wizard of Oz" at the age of 16 cemented Judy's star status. Like most of Hollywood's great entertainers of that era, she used a stage name. Do you know her birth name?

Answer: Frances Gumm

Judy has an interesting chapter in the fight for gay rights in America. The 1969 riots at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village are said to have started when patrons were upset their bar was being raided the day of Judy's funeral, since she was an icon in the gay community.

This was the beginning of the gay rights movement. On the one year anniversary of the riots, the first gay rights march was held down Christopher Street in the Village. This was the first time the rainbow flag was used as a sign of gay rights, in honor of Judy's trademark song, "Over the Rainbow."

5. Patty Duke is the first child actor to win an Academy Award in a competitive category.

Answer: True

Though many juvenile Oscars had been given, Patty won the first Academy Award by the votes of Academy members. Sixteen years old when she won her Oscar, she became the youngest person to have a television show named after her, "The Patty Duke Show." She later starred in the great "bad" movie of all-time "Valley of the Dolls," a film Judy Garland was fired from.

6. Starting his acting career in his early teens, Richard Dreyfuss was, at the time, the youngest man to receive the Best Actor Oscar with his win for "The Goodbye Girl" at the age of thirty. One of his first jobs was on the 1960s television show, "Gidget" which starred what other child star who grew up to be an Academy Award Winner?

Answer: Sally Field

Richard Dreyfuss, my favorite living actor, was friends with Carrie Fisher and Rob Reiner at Beverly Hills High School. They are still supportive friends today. Rick pops up in Rob's films from time to time and they both had cameos in the film "Postcards From the Edge" which was based on Carrie's semi-autobiographical novel.

7. The king of the 1960s Disney film, Kurt Russell would rather have grown up to have another occupation besides acting. Do you know what he wanted to do?

Answer: professional baseball

Kurt was ten years old when he appeared in 1963's "It Happened at the World's Fair" with Elvis Presley. He played AA baseball for the California Angels until a torn shoulder muscle ended his career in 1973. He went on to play Elvis in the 1979 tv film "Elvis," was an Elvis impersonator in 2001's "3000 Miles to Graceland" and did the voice of Elvis in 1994's "Forrest Gump.

8. Jodie Foster started acting in commercials at the age of two and first appeared on television when she was seven. Her first Academy Award nomination came at the tender age of thirteen for a role she had to have a psychological examination to play. What was the movie?

Answer: Taxi Driver

She found it bizarre she needed to see a shrink to prove she was "normal enough" to play a teen-age prostitute in "Taxi Driver." She must be okay. She had won two Oscars by the time she was thirty.

9. Quinn Cummings was ten years old when she received her Oscar nomination as Marsha Mason's precious daughter in 1977's "The Goodbye Girl." She later had a role on the short-lived television series "Hail to the Chief" playing the daughter of the first woman President of the United States. What former child star played the President?

Answer: Patty Duke

Though she no longer acts, Quinn did have some great experiences during her short stint in Hollywood. After losing the 1977 Oscar she was using the bathroom during the ceremony. There was an older woman there who told her she was sorry she had lost but she would have other chances since she was a talented little girl.

Then the woman asked Quinn if she knew who she was. When she said no, the woman told her to go back out and tell her mother she had just met Bette Davis.

10. Justin Henry had no acting experience when he was cast in "Kramer vs. Kramer" (1979). He was nominated for an Oscar at the age of eight (no, that is NOT a misprint) for his undeniably brilliant performance as the child over which the divorced couple Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep fight for custody. In his teen years he had a memorable role in what John Hughes classic?

Answer: Sixteen Candles

Remember Molly Ringwald's annoying little brother, Mike? That was the heartbreaking little boy from "Kramer vs. Kramer" Justin Henry! After quitting acting to attend college, Justin can now be found in small, independent films. Dear Hollywood Big Wigs, Great actor named Justin Henry working in little movies. Give him a big-time contract, fast! He is the major talent you have been searching for!

11. Henry Thomas became famous overnight at the age of ten when he played the role of Elliot in 1982's "E.T.the Extra-Terrestrial." After attending Texas A&M, he slowly made his way back into film, notably in what Brad Pitt movie?

Answer: Legends of the Fall

Henry played Samuel, the brother who dies in World War I, in "Legends of the Fall." He was also in the 1998 television version of "Moby Dick" and 2002's "Gangs of New York." His audition for "E.T." was so impressive he was hired on the spot.

12. Cast in his first major film role at four years old, Ron Howard has been in the spotlight ever since. Cast in "The Andy Griffith Show" at the age of five, directing his first major motion picture, 1977's "Grand Theft Auto" at the age of 25, and winning Best Director Academy Award for 2001's "A Beautiful Mind," Ron Howard is a great example of a successful child star. As Russell Crowe said, "Opie done good!" Howard's 1989 film "Parenthood" is one of my favorites. Was actor Joaquin Phoenix in this film?

Answer: yes

In his early career, including "Parenthood" he was billed under the name Leaf Phoenix. He was quiet, suffering Gary, the teen-age son of Dianne Wiest. Though today I don't think he looks like his fellow child-star brother River, in the "Parenthood" era, the resemblance is obvious.

In the short-lived television show based on the film, the role of Gary was played by a young, unknown actor named Leonardo DiCaprio.

13. Rivaling Shirley Temple as the most famous and successful child star is Macaulay Culkin, who was paid 8 million dollars for the 1994 film "Richie Rich," a movie he made when he was fourteen. Having a successful childhood career and a tumultuous life, Mac bonded with what controversial former child recording artist, becoming the godfather to his first child?

Answer: Michael Jackson

Mac faded from the spotlight in his teen years, making a comeback on stage in 1995. His long awaited film comeback was in 2003's "Party Monster."

14. Haley Joel Osment is my nomination for The Ron Howard Award, someone who will still be successfully working in show business when he is fifty. Early in his career, Haley played the news making child on what television show?

Answer: Murphy Brown

Then Vice-President Dan Quayle was upset Murphy Brown would casually have a child out of wedlock. That child was Avery, played by Haley Joel Osment. Haley starred with Helen Hunt in 2000's "Pay it Forward." Helen Hunt got her first job, a television movie called "Pioneer Women," when she was ten.

15. Laurence Fishburne joined the cast of "One Life to Live" at the age of twelve, though his real initiation into acting was in what Vietnam film?

Answer: Apocalypse Now

Scheduled to be shot in six months but lasting over a year, "Apocalypse Now" is famous for the trouble had while making the film. Star Martin Sheen had a heart attack, the set was destroyed by a typhoon, and cast member Marlon Brando was, well, Marlon Brando. (Marlon has never been known for showing respect his directors.) Laurence Fishburne, billed in this film as Larry, lied about his age to get the job.

He played an American G.I. in this film at the age of fourteen.

Source: Author nic6987

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Linda1 before going online.
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Child Stars Past and Present Trivia Quiz

The Child Star is a great phenomenon of Hollywood. See how much you know about child stars of the past and present.

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