Article Writing On Child Labour
The life of a child actor can be very difficult – long hours on set, the toll of fame, not having a “normal childhood.” At the same time, there are many rewards – and many of the children who pursue this career love what they do, taking the bad with the good to be a part of the performing arts. Unfortunately, many of these children have historically been exploited by their own families, who took all, or at least significant portions of, the child’s money earned. One such actor who this fate befell was Jackie Coogan.
Born in 1914, Jackie Coogan began acting when he was an infant, performing in both Vaudeville and film. He was born to an actor father, and was discovered by Charlie Chaplin when performing on stage at a Vaudeville theatre. Known for his skills as a mimic, Chaplin took to Coogan and started working with him. In 1921, he worked with Chaplin on The Kid, though he is probably best known for his lead role in Oliver Twist, released in 1922.
Beyond his success in acting, Coogan was one of the first people to have licensed products – his likeness was used on everything from whistles and dolls to peanut butter and stationery.
Despite his success, Jackie Coogan did not have money when he was older. His mother and step-father took at least $4 million he had earned from his acting and merchandise. Despite a 1935 lawsuit against them, he never saw more than just over $125,000. His life, difficult when his father and best friend were killed in a car crash, got even worse when he fell upon hard financial times, though it is believed the Charlie Chaplin helped Coogan financially. After flying planes in World War 2, the actor returned to the screen as an adult actor and in 1964, took on the role of Uncle Fester on The Addams Family. Coogan passed away in 1984 at the age of 69, due to a heart attack.
The Coogan Law, in California, was named after Jackie Coogan. The law requires a certain percentage of the child actor’s earnings to be placed in a locked trust fund, thereby preventing things like what happened to Coogan from happening to today’s actors.
Nicole Lero is concerned with the rights of child actors, especially under Caifornia child labor laws.
Social Worker – MALPRACTICE