People don’t really know how to react when I say that I’m a retired child actress, but it’s totally normal to me. I moved to Los Angeles from Chicago when I was 10-years-old, and went into retirement at age 19, mostly because acting was too intense for me as a kid.
Although out of habit, when I meet people, I still say, “I’m Jaycee Levin, and I’m SAG-AFTRA.” When I go to a job interview, I instinctively bring my headshot along with my resume. Keep reading to learn all the juicy details about what it was like to be a child actress, and why I retired before my twenties.
I’m pretty sure that I was the only child actor who wasn’t homeschooled. I actually went to a regular high school, and I would have to get pulled out of school to go to auditions in the middle of the day. I sometimes even went to two auditions a day, and it was a great opportunity to run into other actors I was friendly with.
On the weekends, I went to acting classes alongside everyone who skyrocketed to fame on Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and more. I’m still friends with one of the actresses from my class who’s been in popular movie franchises, and recently went to see “Hamilton” with her in New York.
Jaycee Levin | Instagram
I’ve known her for years. In 2008, we both auditioned for a popular horror film. At the audition, I went up to her and tried to give her a hug. I was shocked when she literally gave me the silent treatment and wouldn’t even acknowledge me.
After she auditioned, she apologized to me and said that she was preparing by not talking. It clearly worked, because she booked the lead role. A lot of actors tended to be very nice and friendly at auditions, but some people took them very seriously.
I auditioned for everything from “Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” to “(500) Days of Summer,” to “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,“ along with many episodes of “Criminal Minds.” To this day, I can’t watch an episode of “Criminal Minds” without recognizing at least one crying kid who booked a role over me.
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I acted in popular Nickelodeon shows like “iCarly” and “True Jackson, VP.” I even had the chance to be an American Girl doll in an ad. Someone once told me, “I look better as a doll,” and I still don’t know how to take that.
Jaycee Levin | Instagram
I had a lot of fun filming these Nickelodeon shows, and it was especially fun to take time off from school, although I would have to go to school on set. When I was on “iCarly,” I was tutored alongside some of the stars.
I played the role of Becca, a speaking role, on the episode “iLost My Mind.” I was on the set of the show for a whole week and attended the table read, rehearsal, and even had my own dressing room. Jim Parsons was also a guest star, and it was the infamous episode that features Sam and Freddy kissing.
It was definitely a fun experience, but it felt very professional at the same time. I went to school on set and basically stayed in my dressing room until I had to film. The other actors were always very nice and welcoming.
Disney Channel stars tended to be the most popular, and it wasn’t unusual for other child actors to feel like one of them was their arch nemesis. Anyone who was acting around the time that this particular Disney star got her big break undoubtedly thought of her as their acting enemy.
Many child actors have crazy audition stories about the star or her parents being rude, which is wild to me. We both auditioned for a popular game show at the time, and the Disney star’s mom told the other kids at the audition that they shouldn’t even try because her daughter “will be the one to get cast.” Neither of us moved forward in the casting process.
I didn’t hate the actress and even considered her a friend. That didn’t stop her from always insulting me and making rude comments, though. She would ask me questions like, “Where did you get your ugly outfit from? Limited Too?” which still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
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The idea that everyone knows everyone in the acting world is completely true, and we all hung out together.
Every week, there would be different events that all the same kid actors would go to. We would go to birthday parties, play mini-golf, go to the movies, or ice skate. It gave us a sense of community and normalcy, and it was nice to do things kids my own age were doing with their own friends, even if it wasn’t exactly the same.
However, the event that everyone always wanted to go to was a party hosted by a YouTube boy band. They’d throw a house party every single Wednesday with security at the door, so you had to know someone to get in.
After being on “iCarly” in 2011, I made the decision to retire from acting. It had lost its excitement for me, and I didn’t enjoy missing school for auditions because I had found a home in my high school theatre department. I wasn’t really passionate about the things I was auditioning for either.
However, I did make a comeback in 2014 when I went to my final audition for a dream role. I’m obsessed with comedy, and stand-up comedian Bo Burnham is my idol. At that time, he was having an open call for his music video “Repeat Stuff.”
I didn’t even have an agent or manager anymore, but I decided to attend anyway because I was so passionate about him and his work. It was the only audition I truly cared about, so I gave it my all.
The same night of the audition, I got the call that I booked the role in the music video, and I got to spend all day on set with Bo Burnham. It was the greatest day ever, and he even sat next to me at lunch. He was extra nice to me because he sensed how much the experience meant. He let me sit in his director’s chair and checked in on me in between takes. It was the best ending to my acting career I could’ve asked for.
The entertainment bug hasn’t left me completely. Although I stopped acting, I still want to be on TV in some capacity. Now, I’m more interested in reality TV. I was almost on Matt James’s season of “The Bachelor,” and I’m currently auditioning for other competition-style reality shows.
My days as a child actress feel far behind me now, but I’m still grateful for the experiences I had and the lessons I learned.
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Jaycee Levin is an Instagram influencer, actress, and freelance writer who covers astrology, entertainment, love, and relationships.
