"We're the Lucky Ones" is the title of Joey King and Logan Lerman's new Hulu miniseries, and it turns out it's also a phrase that sums up what it was like for them as actors growing up in the entertainment industry. When the pair appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show on April 5, they described themselves as "traumatized" by their experiences as child stars.
King, 24, and Lerman, 32, were both still in elementary school when they landed their breakout roles - she in 2010's Ramona and Beezus and he in 2000 Played the role of Mel Gibson's youngest son in the film "The Patriot" . Lerman told Clarkson they first met at a Q&A 10 or 11 years ago. It wasn't until later, after Shinkansen's release in 2022, that they "had time to really hang out" and "really became friends," they said. King revealed that Lerman's fiancée Anna Corrigan called them a "trauma bonder," which he attributed to "the weirdness of the industry."
A “dark” TikTok
King deepened their connection by sharing the story of their failed attempts at making a fun TikTok. After "a few margaritas," the two decided to follow the "of course" trend, in which you can say in the video: "I'm a [blank]. Of course I'm [blank]." Kim recalled, They spent about an hour making a piece about child actors, which they initially thought was "hysterical."
It didn't take long for their views to change. "The next morning, we were like, 'This is really not funny. This is really dark,'" King said, adding, "We were like, 'Maybe let's not release this.'"
shared passion
On the bright side, despite the difficulties faced by child actors, the pair also drew good things from their past. "We kind of enjoyed the ride, and ... some weird things happened, but it didn't really change the fact that we just loved making movies and TV shows," Lerman said. He emphasized that they were bonded by their "resilience," and King said they "all have a positive outlook."
Both continue to be able to do the jobs they love. King said she wants to be in show business "for the long haul," and Lerman called it "not just a job" but "a passion." "It's an honor," he said. "Not everyone can do it. You might start at a certain point and you get a little bit of luck, a little bit of work, and then it goes away. The fact that we were able to keep doing what we love, really Very lucky.”
Watch the interview below.
We Are the Lucky Ones is now available.
