With Jennet McCurdy's book, I'm Glad My Mom Died, exposing the treatment of children in Hollywood in a new light, there is a lot of attention on other child starts who have spoken out. The Vulnerable podcast, hosted by former Disney Channel star Christy Carlson Romano, has become a platform for those who feel comfortable enough to share.

The show dissects the elements of being a child star that can lead to mistreatment and how former child stars are becoming advocates for themselves and children currently working in the film and television industry. Some of the most recognizable faces from networks like Nickelodeon and Disney Channel have opened up about the best and worst parts of their careers and revealed secrets that fans never knew.

Alexa Nikolas' Fitting Experience

Alexa Nikolas has been public about her Nickelodeon experiences similar to those Jennet McCurdy shared in her book, especially with the person that McCurdy refers to as "The Creator." She mentioned on the podcast, "There was always a curtain, and I always he was always so close on the other side...he would ask for the polaroids...my skirts were so short I had to wear biker shorts under them that had to be cut because they were so short."

Carlson Romano affirmed that Nikolas' experience was not the norm on a television set, especially one dealing with children, and spoke to "The Creators" actions as something that the other adults should not have accepted on location. This experience, along with a list of others, has led Nikolas to become an advocate for child actors.

Brittany Spears Yelled At Nikolas

Nikolas has also stated that she did not have a real friendship with Jamie Lynn Spears and was bullied by the child star to the point that she quit the show. One of the moments that affected Nikolas the most was when Brittany Spears confronted her about the situation between her little sister and her co-star. She said, "She (Brittany Spears) just started yelling at me...and I'm sitting there with an adult screaming at me; I'm never going to work again."

Nikolas' recounting of the event showed how unprotected the children on the set were, even with their parents nearby, and how much influence a child can have over the production of a show if they are allowed to be in power negatively or positively. She also noted that Brittany Spears did apologize to her recently, and the two are on better .

Paul Butcher and Type Casting

Many childhood stars have struggled with being seen as more than the little brother or sister on a show after they have left the role, and Paul Butcher is no different. After being on one of the best Nickelodeon live-action shows, Zoey 101, Butcher had difficulty getting parts that didn't involve him playing the kid brother to the main character. He said, "That's the beauty and the curse of being a child actor; everyone sees you as this one character..."

Paul's experience is not uncommon and explains why some child stars take on serious and mature roles as they get older, and their fans have a hard time seeing them as anyone but the character they used to play. This can lead to negative press that has nothing to do with their performance but more so with how audiences perceive former child stars.

Voice Acting Became A Safe Space

Paul Butcher has spent a good deal of his career doing voice-over work for shows and movies like Avatar: The Last Air Bender and Meet The Robinsons, and while he loves being in sitcoms and live actions dramas, voice-over work has become a safe space for Butcher to express himself and continue his career. He noted on the show, "You get to have fun with it...no one cares about looks; it's just positivity...I don't think I've ever had a bad voice-over experience."

Since many adults play adolescent characters' voices, voice-over work may seem like only a career option. Still, voice-over work can be for everyone and is an option for young actors who may not want to be in front of the camera but are ionate about bringing characters to life.

He Had A More Normal Acting Experience

Unlike other child stars, Butcher has been clear that he had a good experience as a child actor but acknowledges that not everyone he worked with had the same privileges. He attributes his positive experience to being able to go to a regular school and have a more normal childhood, but also because acting was his choice, not his parents'. He said, "I feel like I have a different story than a lot of child actors because I pushed it...they didn't want me to..."

By having a positive career, Butcher has been able to foster his love of the creative arts and continue his career into adulthood, unlike some of his co-stars who have left the spotlight as they try to heal from their negative experiences or because they never wanted to act in the first place but felt forced into the industry.

Becoming An Advocate

best shows set in the 90s, largely attributed to Will Friedle's performance as big brother Eric Mathews. Now that Friedle has grown up and moved away from his Disney career, he advocates for those struggling with anxiety and helps people cope. He said, "I always tell people there are three things that I've done in my life that help me with anxiety more than anything else...talking about it is the first thing you need to...if you say to people...I deal with some anxiety... it's just not a thing; there's no real stigma around it."

Friedle being open about his mental health can open the conversation around why people have anxiety and highlight the mental health struggles of other child stars who were in stressful situations at a young age and how that impacts them now, as well as how to get treatment should they need it.

Friedle Wasn't The Original Eric

It is hard to imagine Boy Meets World with anyone but Will Friedle playing Eric, but this was almost a reality. He revealed, "The day of the audition came, and I was sick and couldn't go...and they shot the pilot with another Eric Mathews." The choice between Friedle and the other actor who was cast came down to a matter of inches since Friedle was taller and looked older than Ben Savage, even when he would grow in later seasons.

Small details like someone's height can change their whole career in Hollywood and effectively change an actor's life forever, which was the case with Friedle. Boy Meets World may not have been as successful or ahead of its time with a different actor in the role, or Friedle may not have gone on to get parts like Ron Stoppable on Kim Possible.

Garrett Clayton Had To Hide His True Self

Garrett Clayton got his break with Teen Beach Movie, and while he was happy to get such a high-profile role behind the scenes, Clayton had to advocate for himself while simultaneously hiding his true identity to keep his management team happy. He said, "I have never been ashamed of being gay... I met with people on the team, and they asked if I was gay...and they said we're going to have to do something about this."

Clayton's experience highlights the issues still present regarding actors' sexuality, even in a more progressive time than the Golden Age of Hollywood when many actors were forced to hide their identities. Through his experience, Clayton advocates for the actual acceptance of actors' identities off-screen as much as who they play on screen.

Jonathan Lipnicki "Wasn't Cute Anymore"

Jonathan Lipnicki is a '90s star that some people have forgotten about, even though he played iconic roles as a child. Lipnicki tried to continue his acting career as he got older but ran into hurdles as casting directors tried to adjust to him as more than the cute little kid from Stuart Little. He noted that a casting director once told him, "he (the producer) goes, Lipnicki saw Jerry Maguire on TV last night, you used to be cute, so I think he was joking...and he's like no, you used to be cute."

Growing up in an industry that is focused on looks is hard enough as it is. Still, child actors have to deal with the challenges that come with their bodies and faces changing as they grow up since it affects how casting looks at them and the roles they can play in the future. This can lead to actors having insecurities with their bodies, causing deeper issues as they grow.