Do parents need set with child actors?

It’s not easy to be the parent of a young working actor. You’re required by law to be on set, within sight and sound of your child… but you are also basically expected to be seen and not heard.

This can be challenging for many parents. Unlike other activities your kid might be involved in—soccer, gymnastics, whatever—you can’t just drop them off and come back when the activity is over. You need to be there for the duration, and that may mean all day!

The best (and by best I mean most successful in terms of doing right by their kid) stage parents manage to stay nearby, keep an eye on their kid, and stay out of the way otherwise.

Parents who cannot resist getting into the business of the other professionals on set run the very real risk of damaging, or even derailing their child’s career altogether. The list is probably endless, but here are some examples of things parents might be tempted to do that will make their kid less desirable to work with:

• Directing their child (this is the director’s job!)
• Interfering with the wardrobe department
• Interfering with the hair and makeup department
• Interfering with other actors in any way
• Stepping onto set while filming is occurring unless their child is in immediate danger
• Arguing with the director unless their child’s safety is in question
• Arguing with anyone who is doing their job unless their child’s safety is in question
• Demanding special treatment for their child
• Complaining routinely and vocally
• Creating conflict with other parents on set

What is sad is that the parents who engage in these kinds of behaviors rarely see themselves as overstepping, or understand that all departments share information. If a parent causes grief to the hair and makeup department, for example, the artists will probably report the issue to production. If production hears or sees numerous red flags, they will get back to casting.

Ultimately, a child who may be very talented but whose parent consistently makes life difficult on set will not be hired back, and may well miss out on future opportunities because the word has spread. If the problem is bad enough, the child may get written out of the show or simply replaced. In some cases, even a popular show that is so broken by the negative impact of out-of-bounds parents may be prematurely cancelled.

Parents are part of the package that comes with a child actor. There are so many talented kids whose parents are easy to work with—who contribute to a positive environment, who simply do the work of being a great parent and then stay clear of the other areas of production that are not their own—that it isn’t difficult for casting or production to choose those kids to work with.

If you have the good fortune to find yourself on a working set with your child, it means that you have both worked pretty hard to get there. Help your child continue to get work by consciously sticking to your own job—being their parent—and resist the temptation to cross that boundary. Everyone on set thanks you, and your child’s future does too.

My book, The Hollywood Parents Guide, available on Amazon contains everything I wish I’d known when Dove and I started this journey, and will save you untold amounts of time, money, and stress. Full of information you MUST know, it also features stories from parents of other kids who’ve made it!

Or book an hour consulting with me to come up with an individualized plan that takes your own unique needs into account. For about the cost of an hour with a professional acting coach, you can get your questions answered and a road map to help you move forward toward your dream.

Invest a little in your kid’s future today.

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Most parents would prefer to be on set with their kids if given a choice. Kids need support, whether they are just starting their career or are seasoned professionals. In addition to support, there are safety concerns in leaving your child unattended on a set, even if they are old enough that you can do so legally.

Feelings aside, the rules that dictate when a parent must be within sight and sound of their minor actor are pretty strict. Whether you have any choice at all before they are 18 depends in part on where your child is working.

Here are the rules for when a child is old enough to be on set without a parent:

If a minor is working in California, then California labor laws apply.

They state that a parent is required to be on set (within sight and sound) if the child is under 16.

If a minor is working outside of California, then SAG-AFTRA rules apply.

They state that if a minor is under 18, a parent must be on set (within sight and sound) UNLESS the minor has passed the CHSPE (California High School Proficiency Exam). A minor who has passed the CHSPE is considered a “legal 18” in the eyes of the industry. They are considered an adult for the purposes of the production.

Note that a young actor must be 16 to take the CHSPE if they are based outside of California. Kids who reside in California can take the CHSPE either when they are 16, or in the 2nd semester of their sophomore year. So, a California-based actor who is young for their grade could conceivably pass the CHSPE at 15. They would then be eligible to work as a legal 18, on a set without parental supervision.

So that’s the legal end of it.

However, the legal aspect is only the most basic consideration for a parent.

Most young actors, even experienced ones, will do better with a parent on set to offer moral as well as material support. And for this reason, most productions will actually prefer that a parent be on set with their young actor. Even if they are legally able to be there on their own. A safe and supported actor will give a better performance, and likely have fewer problems on set.

After a young actor can legally work on set without a parent, whether the parent continues to accompany them becomes more a matter of family dynamics. Sometimes a parent has sacrificed their own career for years and needs to return to work as soon as they are able. Sometimes the tension between a teenage actor and their parent leads both to decide that things would be smoother without the parent on set constantly.

If you find yourself in the position of having a choice to be on set with your kid—which is to say if they are 16 or 17 in California, or have passed the CHSPE, outside of California—I would encourage you to be there if you can. Even though (in California) the set teacher is also is responsible for the welfare of minors on set, no one can protect or advocate for your kid like you.

Parents occupy a role like no other, and when their child is a young actor, they can be thrust into an unfamiliar world with opaque and counter-intuitive rules. Navigating this world can be frustrating, confusing, and keep you up at night wondering if you’re doing the right things to help your child succeed. If you feel like there might be more that you could be doing—or want to get a reality-check on how things are going—book a consultation session with me. 60 or 90 minutes over Skype, phone, or in person in LA can give you peace of mind and an action plan. I look forward to talking with you!

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