Christy Carlson Romano knows how to play a role, but finding herself has proven to be her greatest performance.
The Emmy-nominated actress and Disney Channel alum looks back on her turbulent upbringing in the spotlight in her debut memoir "Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Fall and Rise of a Child Star" (out now).
Romano, alongside fellow Disney darlings Shia LaBeouf, Hilary Duff and Raven-Symoné, epitomized teen stardom in the early 2000s, appearing in beloved TV shows and movies such as "Even Stevens," "Cadet Kelly" and "Kim Possible."
Despite her success, Romano often felt adrift in young Hollywood, intimidated by the upper echelons of prime-time dramas and glossy magazine covers.
"Looking back, I was really just trying to fit into whatever opportunity
was thrown my way, rather than kind of create my own identity so that opportunities would find me in a different light," Romano tells USA TODAY. "I didn't have a stylist or a publicist, and I didn't really invest in myself the way that maybe I should have, to get to know exactly who I wanted to be, even if [that] changed over the years."
Romano learned to hone that identity with the help of social media. Beginning in 2019, the former child star launched a series of vlogs and podcasts, which allowed her to both embrace nostalgia and redefine her image.
"I feel like I've managed to actually come out on top in my own way because I've been able to find multiple platforms, whether it's been in podcasting successfully or creating content," Romano says. "I've been able to create a whole other path of income for my family and myself, as well as really touch new lives and be able to find old followers. … But it's on my terms."
Christy Carlson Romano shares her surprising stance on child stars
Romano may have been a showbiz kid, but that doesn't mean she wants the next generation to follow in her footsteps.
The actress, who began her entertainment career at 6, writes candidly about her "opposition to child labor in Hollywood," arguing that there's a "fine line between supporting a child's dreams and setting them up for failure."
Although Romano enjoyed the performing arts, she shared that her childhood outlook was heavily distorted by the "adult environments" she grew up in, which often featured sexual humor and nudity backstage.
Now 42, Romano stresses the importance of having "strict regulations" for young artists, such as requiring social workers to be present on set and assigning individual workers to represent every child performer.
"Having advocates around you as a child will help you grow up with a more healthy understanding that you had people there in your corner protecting you as a child," Romano says. "I think that trauma compounds when you get older and you look back and say, 'No one was there for me.'"
Why Christy Carlson Romano doesn’t want to be a stage mom
Romano's rise to stardom was a family affair, but she wants to do things differently with her own kids.
In "Once Upon a Trainwreck,” she reflects on her relationship with mother Sharon, who closely guided her early career. Romano details her mom's tireless dedication – shepherding her through the bustling streets of New York City for Broadway auditions and later moving cross-country when she was cast on the Disney Channel – as well as the emotional complications of their professionally driven bond.
Romano, who shares daughters Isabella and Sofia with husband Brendan Rooney, has no ambition of raising the next superstar.
"My husband and I would make really great stage parents, but it's also a tremendous amount of responsibility to sacrifice your career for your children's career. And it's not for everyone," Romano says.
The actress said while she would support her children's involvement in the arts, any of their pursuits would have to "start small, and certainly not at a level that would be like pushing them into a casting office just because I have the resources to do that.
"I do think that stage parents have a certain psychological profile in being so self-sacrificial, and that's not for me," Romano says. "Making money from something becomes a very different experience than just enjoying it for the sake of learning about it."
Christy Carlson Romano gushes over 'joyful' acting comeback
This holiday season will be extra special for Romano.
The actress stars in the upcoming Hallmark Channel film "Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True," her first major role in seven years, alongside fellow millennial favorite Lacey Chabert. The Christmas movie, set at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, marks something of a full circle for the former Disney Channel star.
"It felt like coming home because I have a skillset that I started with very, very young," Romano says, describing the filming process as a "really beautiful experience."
"I play Lacey Chabert's older sister, but I'm in the entire movie with her because we're at Walt Disney World and running around and riding rides and talking about her boy trouble," Romano continues. "Not all sets are the same, but this particular set was really a very joyful place."
Twenty-six years after she made her Disney debut in "Even Stevens," Romano hopes her now-classic roles can continue to bring "fun and joy" to fans' lives, even with the vulnerable revelations she shares in her memoir.
"Me talking about my life in the context of a serious tone just gives people maybe more appreciation for the sacrifices that were made to keep them sort of enjoying it," Romano says. "I don't wish to scare or hurt anybody by talking about the truth. There's this cognitive dissonance that I think affects people differently – sometimes they get mad, sometimes they're terribly sad. But ultimately, I just hope that the work can be appreciated as time goes by."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Disney star Christy Carlson Romano isn't ready to be a stage mom
