Should we ban child actors?

Real chimpanzees apparently haven't worked in Hollywood since 2020. Why child humans?

Ever since the smart 2011 revival of the Planet of the Apes franchise, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, I’ve been pointing out that video technology has improved to the point where the entertainment industry no longer needs baby chimps.

You can just have Andy Serkis jump around in a motion capture suit and, using enough trick photography, he will come out looking like a real ape.

That’s a good thing because kidnapping baby chimps from their troop in Africa so they can make money for a half-dozen years in the American entertainment industry before spending a half-century locked up as a no longer cute Great Ape that might rip your face off is a bad thing.

Similarly, I’ve been suggesting, we should phase out human child stars. A few children emerge from being young stars mature and mentally healthy, but way too many get seriously messed up. Natalie Portman now agrees with me.

From the New York Times:

A Former Child Star Writes a Tell-All. Sort Of.

Paywall here.