Alyson Stoner Was a Disney Child Star. Now, They’re Advocating for the Next Generation of Actors (Exclusive)

Alyson Stoner knows firsthand the impact the entertainment industry can have on an actor, let alone a child actor. Ever since getting their big break at just 9 years old, as a dancer in Missy Elliott’s 2002 “Work It” music video, Stoner has worked onscreen in a number of beloved roles — most notably in Disney Channel hits like Camp Rock and Phineas and Ferb.

In their new memoir Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything, out now from St. Martin’s Press, Stoner, 32, reveals the emotional toll of growing up in the spotlight. In addition to the culture shock of going from a young dancer growing up in Ohio to the sets of movies like Step Up and Cheaper by the Dozen, Stoner dealt with issues like stalkers, an attempted kidnapping plot and an eating disorder, the latter of which sent them to rehab in 2011.

“I’ve been contemplating the reality of being this honest and sharing this much information about my childhood, both on camera and behind the scenes,” Stoner says, adding that the book “represents a culmination of everything I’ve experienced, as well as all of the training and professional skill-building I’ve accumulated in this first portion of my life.”

Stoner’s next phase, however, is dedicated to advocating for mental wellbeing. In 2021, they launched Movement Genius alongside their sister Correy. The siblings formed the digital wellness platform, which utilizes movement to improve emotional and physical health, because mental health discussions often “didn’t incorporate the body and nervous system into the conversation.”

“We humans store stress and emotion and even trauma in our muscles, in the form of tension. It affects our breathing patterns, our ability to regulate, process, release,” Stoner says. “We wanted to make sure that if we were going to provide mental health tools, that they were holistic in being able to tend to both the mind and the body.”

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“I’m deeply moved every time we host a community session, and real people are able to say they now have the tools to manage daily life, the highs, the lows and everything in between,” they add.

Working as a mental health coordinator also helped Stoner gain some valuable skills, many that were “overlooked” throughout their childhood. That’s why it felt timely to release their memoir now, particularly as they’ve noticed a shift in the cultural conversation surrounding child stardom.

“People are ready to see it all laid bare and to feel in on it,” Stoner says. “Not just duped as an audience member, but privy to what this looks like because, realistically. experiences that once were reserved for people in the public eye, like curating an online persona and managing comments from strangers and privacy and safety issues, are now actually common experiences for anyone with a Wi-Fi connection.”

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Stoner is also a vocal advocate for child actors today. Alongside a team of experts and educators, they created the Artist Wellbeing Essentials toolkit, which serves as a guide for parents and kids entering the industry. Stoner also hopes to use their certifications to support productions and create healthier on-set environments.

“Neither children in traditional entertainment nor children in digital influencer spaces have adequate protections in place, including resources that provide preventative education and tools, as well as industrial policies, as well as legislation,” Stoner says.

“Children who had a professional interest in performing at least understood that there was a separation between their home and the set location. Now, a child might wake up and be filmed. There’s no distinction between playing a character and simply being the product directly commodified yourself.”

That’s part of the urgency of Semi-Well-Adjusted, they add.

“While the memoir does utilize my story as the narrative vehicle, it actually surfaces a lot of timely conversations that we’re all grappling with in our society and increasingly digital world,” Stoner says. But recounting their lived experiences has its own benefits, too.

“It’s allowing me now to let that story live in its space, and then turn from here and see where I want to go as an artist, as a writer, as a founder of a mental health company, as a public citizen,” they say. “And that’s incredibly exciting.”

Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything is now available, wherever books are sold.