'Showbiz Kids' Trailer: What's It Like To Be A Child Star?

Promising an "unvarnished look at the high risk, high reward business of working as a child actor in the entertainment industry," HBO's documentary Showbiz Kids comes from writer-director-actor Alex Winter (of Bill and Ted fame), and features interviews with former child stars, as well as young hopefuls trying to make it big in the industry. Watch the Showbiz Kids trailer below.

Arriving on HBO next month, Showbiz Kids follows the price of fame that befalls many young actors in the industry. Writer-director Alex Winter "relies on the perspectives of many of his peers to explore the complexities of growing up under the glare of Hollywood's spotlight, refusing to shy away from the more difficult truths about the industry. Winter's commitment to creating an honest representation of a complicated industry stems from his own childhood in show business, beginning as a child actor on Broadway at the age of ten."

Regarding the doc, Winter said:

"This is a story I've been wanting to tell for many years. Having grown up in the business I've never seen the experiences of a child actor, from their early career through to the transition into adulthood, told from the perspective of those involved. I'm honored that these talented actors trusted me with their very personal stories."

While being a child actor no doubt has its perks, it also comes with the sometimes brutal reality of being constantly under the spotlight, and while some kid actors grow up without any problems and even manage to have careers as adults, others suffer as they become obsolete the older they get. The doc features interviews with the following:

Henry Thomas, who starred in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" at the age of 11; Mara Wilson, who first appeared in "Mrs. Doubtfire" at the age of 6; Todd Bridges, who was featured in TV's "Diff'rent Strokes" beginning at age 13; Milla Jovovich, who made her screen debut at age 13 in "The Night Train To Kathmandu", Evan Rachel Wood, who starred in "Thirteen" at the age of 14; the late Cameron Boyce, star of Disney TV's "Jessie" at age 12; Jada Pinkett Smith, who starred in "A Different World" and is also a mother to young child actors; Wil Wheaton, who starred in "Stand by Me" at the age of 14 and the late Diana Serra Cary ("Baby Peggy"), who became a huge silent film star at the age of 2 in 1920.

The doc also features "two aspiring young hopefuls: Demi Singleton, an up and coming teenage performer looking to book her next big Broadway show; and Marc Slater, a young unknown from Florida who moved to Los Angeles with his mother for pilot season."

Showbiz Kids will premiere on HBO and HBO Max on July 14.