Remember the awesome movie, Whale Rider? The stunning actress from that film is all grown up, starring as a bold female warrior on Game of Thrones and opening up about her struggle with depression.
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Over the years, we’ve seen the toll childhood celebrity can take on growing actors. We know the harsh truth is that not everyone makes it out alive. And of the ones who do, they usually don’t make it to adulthood unscathed. Growing up in the public eye can be an ugly, cruel thing. Former Whale Rider star and current Game of Thrones cast member, Keisha Castle-Hughes, recently opened up to People about her struggles since she starred in Whale Rider at 13.
Castle-Hughes may have been the youngest person to ever be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, but that attention didn’t come without its downside. “I was so young,” Castle-Hughes told People. “There was a huge amount of pressure to continue on with it while various people were telling me this is the beginning of the end of my life if I didn’t utilize the opportunity to work. I was like, ‘But I’m 13 years old!'”
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The ‘beginning of the end,’ indeed. Within the year, the young actress was diagnosed with depression. Her life was bumpy and her issues were well-documented. By the time she was 17, she was a mother. And, of course, the press had plenty to say about that. Being one of the only celebrities who stayed in New Zealand, nearly every move was documented and speculated on.
Things are better now, though. She’s married and recently celebrated her two-year anniversary. And, of course, she’s back in the acting game. Not only that, but she’s landed a role on one of the biggest shows in history. The 25-year-old mom is rocking her new role as a young female warrior and we couldn’t be more stoked for her.
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