Little Miss Sunshine

Background:

Up-and-coming child actress Abigail Breslin first received praise in her debut film, M. Night Shyamalan’s booming critical success sci-fi/thriller/drama film Signs (2002), in which she played Bo Hess, a former Episcopal priest’s (played by Mel Gibson) daughter who had to deal with the traumatic death of her mother. She subsequently secured significant roles in Raising Helen and Keane (both in 2004), before garnering critical acclaim for her star-making turn as a 7-year-old girl named Olive, who wants to perform in a child beauty pageant in husband-wife team of directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' comedy-drama film Little Miss Sunshine (2006).

The pint-sized actress, who has landed plum roles in her short career and has been compared to a young sensation Dakota Fanning and even Drew Barrymore in her younger, “E.T.” (1982) days, recently appeared in The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006). She will star in the upcoming films No Reservations (with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart), Definitely, Maybe, (opposite Ryan Reynolds) and The Ultimate Gift (alongside James Garner and Drew Fuller).


Abby

Childhood and Family:

On September 16, 1996, Abigail Kathleen Breslin, nicknamed “Abby,” was born New York, New York to Michael Breslin and Kim Breslin (now manages Abigail's career). She is the younger sister of child-actor Spencer Breslin, star of Disney’s The Kid (2000) and The Cat in the Hat (2003). They appeared together in 2004 films Raising Helen and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Abigail also has another older brother, Ryan Breslin, born in 1985.


Signs

Career:

"It was the coolest experience ever! I hadn't done any other movie roles, so I was really nervous." Abigail Breslin (about her first movie role in Signs (2002)).

Since the age of three, Abigail Breslin has been in front of the camera while making commercials, starting with a spot for Toys ‘R’ Us. At age six, she entered the big screen, thanks to director M. Night Shyamalan who has discovered and cast her to play Bo Hess, a former Episcopal priest’s (played by Mel Gibson) daughter who had to deal with the traumatic death of her mother, in the booming critical success sci-fi/thriller/drama film, Signs (2002; also starring Joaquin Phoenix).

"Everyone was just so nice. The director would ask me if I was ok with my scenes and if something was too scary. Joaquin was great too. We would thumb-wrestle between takes. I always won!" Abigail Breslin (on her experience on the set of Signs (2002)).

Breslin's performance in Signs garnered her great praise which led her television jobs as well as additional movie roles. After guest starring in an episode of CBS series “Hack” and WB sitcom "What I Like About You," she was offered to star opposite Kate Hudson and older brother, Spencer Breslin, in Garry Marshall's box office hit, Raising Helen (2004). In the comedy/drama film, she played 5-year-old Sarah, one of Hudson's orphaned nieces who would much rather have their parents back.

That same year, Breslin film director Garry Marshall recruited her again to appear in his sequel to 2001's The Princess Diaries, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, a romantic family comedy movie starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews in which she had a cameo role as a parade girl. She also starred as a 7-year-old girl through whom the schizophrenic title character (played by Damian Lewis) searches for redemption following the loss of his daughter in Lodge Kerrigan's dark, psychological drama Keane, and co-starred with Makenzie Vega, playing orphaned sisters in Robert Vince's direct-to-video feature, Chestnut: Hero of Central Park. Meanwhile, TV viewers could catch her in an episode of NBC police procedural drama "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and CBS drama "Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service," as well as in the comedy TV-movie The Family Plan (2005), starring Tori Spelling.

2006 saw Breslin playing another breakout role in husband-wife team of directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' comedy-drama film Little Miss Sunshine. In the film about a fictional dysfunctional family from Albuquerque, New Mexico which also stars Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette and Steve Carell, Breslin delivered a star-making turn as an extremely sweet 7-year-old girl named Olive who wants to perform in a child beauty pageant. Her brilliant performance later won her a Best Supporting Actress award at the Online Film Critics Society Awards and Best Actress award at the Tokyo International Film Festival. She was also nominated an award at the BAFTA, Broadcast Film Critics Association, Chicago Film Critics Association, Gotham, and Screen Actors Guild awards.

Following her success in Little Miss Sunshine, Breslin becomes busier on both the small and big screen. She was spotted as a guest in an episode of CBS supernatural drama-fantasy- thriller "Ghost Whisperer" and ABC award-winning primetime medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" (as a child who can not experience physical pain). She also lent her voice as Rosebud in Robert Vince's sixth film in the Air Bud series, Air Buddies, and appeared in Michael Lembeck's sequel to The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause 2, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (starring Tim Allen and Martin Short).

Breslin will soon complete her upcoming films: director Scott Hicks’ remake of the German comedy “Mostly Martha,” No Reservations, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart, and writer-director Adam Brooks' romantic comedy Definitely, Maybe, in which she played the daughter of divorcee Ryan Reynolds’ character. She also has completed The Ultimate Gift, Michael O. Sajbel's theatrical production based off author Jim Stovall's bestselling novel, in which she played a mysterious girl called Emily. The film, which also stars James Garner and Drew Fuller, will be released on March 9, 2007.


Awards:

• Online Film Critics Society: Best Supporting Actress, Little Miss Sunshine, 2007
• Tokyo International Film Festival: Best Actress Award, Little Miss Sunshine, 2006