Lindsay Lohan is in the news again. Like so many of the alumni of the Disney and Nickelodeon starlet factory, she has failed to make the transition from teen sensation to responsible adult. However, rather than focusing on her troubles (or those of Britney, Jamie Lynn, Miley or Mary-Kate), this post will focus on some girls who are actually good role models. Unfortunately, the bar is rather low. To make this list, the actress must be at least twenty years old, have had a successful second act as an adult and not been arrested or pregnant outside of marriage.
Hilary Duff. Hilary Duff, age 23, is the queen of the good girls. As Lizzie McGuire, she played a middle school every-girl complete with a cartoon alter ego to act out her insecurities. The show concluded when she gave guy friend Gordo a chaste kiss on the cheek. Since then, she has had a successful career as a singer, actress, writer, fashion designer and philanthropist. She has recorded three albums, including the appropriately titled Dignity, appeared on the TV show Gossip Girl and has written a young adult book titled Elixir. She serves on the Board of Kids with a Cause and donated $250,000 for Hurricane Katrina Relief. She dated singer Nick Carter and Good Charlotte rocker Joel Madden without incident and is now married to Canadian hockey player Mike Comrie. She has accomplished a lot in 23 years and is a great role model.
Raven Symone. Raven Symone, age 25, began her acting career on the Cosby Show when she was only three. She appeared as the star of That's So Raven, Disney's highest rated and longest running show. Since then, she has recorded four albums, provided the voice of Tinker Bell in a Disney movie and has acted in several movies. Her ABC Family movie Revenge of the Bridesmaids attracted 2.5 million viewers in its premiere making it the number one movie on basic cable among women 18-34. She will be returning to TV with the upcoming ABC Family show The Great State of Georgia. Two additional factors qualify her for a high place on the good girls list. First, she had to dispel rumors that she was pregnant or had a child. The important thing is that the rumors were absolutely false. Second, she has been very comfortable with her size. While she has been somewhat heavy at times, she maintained a positive self image throughout and eventually lost the weight without resorting to fad diets or surgery.
Amanda Bynes. Amanda Bynes, age 24, was the star of Nickelodeon's The Amanda Show. I loved her Judge Trudy segment which always ended with "send in the dancing lobsters." She has acted in several successful movies including Big Fat Liar, She's the Man, Hairspray and Easy A. While she has appeared in Maxim, she also said, "I think I’ll go out as much as I’ve ever gone out... which is not a lot. I like to dance and stuff, but drinking isn’t good for you in every way. It’s not good for your skin; it makes you feel horrible. So, drinking-wise, no."
Alyson Michalka. Alyson Michalka, age 21, was the co-star of Disney's Phil of the Future. She played the BFF and love interest of Ricky Ullman's stranded time traveler Phil. She also has had a successful recording career with her sister in the pop duo Aly and AJ, now known as 78violet. She has successfully made the transition to adult actress with a supporting role in the movie Easy A and appears in the cheerleader series Hellcats on CW. While her pictures in men's magazine Maxim were a reminder that she does possess an adult body, they were still on the tasteful side of sexy.
Alison Scagliotti. Allison Scagliotti, age 20, had a small role in Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh as Mindy Crenshaw, an ultra competitive know it all. However, she has really blossomed as ultra cool computer hacker Claudia Donovan on Sy Fy's series Warehouse 13. The lead characters of Warehouse 13, Pete and Myka, share a similar vibe to the X-Files Scully and Mulder. However, what really makes the show work is its quirky supporting cast and no one is quirkier than Alison Scagliotti. She will also be appearing in the upcoming indie movie Losers Take All.
You may notice that except for Hilary Duff, I haven't mentioned much about their personal life. That is because they have been successful in keeping their private life private. And that's a good thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment