Mia Talerico, who has played Charlie on Disney Channel's "Good Luck Charlie" since the show premiered in 2010, said she has worked with her family to balance a career in show business with her senior year of high school.
"I don't find it really hard to balance this life," Talerico, 17, told Entertainment Tonight in an interview shared Sept. 4. "My parents thought it was really important for me to have a childhood because a lot of child stars just continue working, or they just get burnt out."
"Good Luck Charlie" followed the Duncan family as they raised their youngest daughter, Charlie, with Talerico originating the role as a toddler. Since the show ended, she has starred in the YouTube comedy "Mani" and has the upcoming movie "American Summer."
Talerico said her parents also stressed the importance of school alongside acting. "My parents didn't want that to happen to me, and having an education is also really important in my family," she said. "I'm going to go to college. I'm going to get a degree in something, and that's really important to me as well."
Scrapbooking and the Viral Meme
Talerico has been documenting her final year of high school, including an Aug. 21 video of a scrapbooking session with friends. "Such a fun activity!" she wrote at the time. "I can't wait to look back at this one day and see all the amazing memories i'll make my senior year."
One thing that won't make it into the scrapbook is the viral meme of a toddler-age Talerico shrugging, which has become a permanent fixture online. Talerico said she encounters the image nearly every week but doesn't use it herself. "My friends send it to me, I see it in my comments," she told Entertainment Tonight. "It's funny to see all the different ways that people use it."
On Aug. 19, Talerico marked her "last first day" of school on Instagram. "Last First Day!" she captioned the post. "Now I'm starting to feel old."
Other Celebrities Share Back to School Moments
Talerico was one of several famous parents and former child stars marking the start of the school year in August:
- Craig Melvin and Lindsay Czarniak: The "Today" show anchor and his sports journalist wife sent their children, Sybil and Delano, back to school on Aug. 26. "So proud of these two," Melvin wrote on Instagram, "and can't wait to see all they accomplish this year."
- Jamie Lynn Spears: The "Zoey 101" alum helped her daughter Maddie move into her dorm at the University of Southern Mississippi in mid-August before sending her daughter Ivey off to third grade, writing on Aug. 19 that she was "definitely crying."
- Kendra Wilkinson: The "Girls Next Door" alum shared a drop off selfie on Aug. 19 with her daughter Alijah, whom she shares with ex husband Hank Baskett, writing that the seventh grader got a chicken quesadilla for lunch.
- Richard Blais: The "Top Chef: All Stars" winner sent his daughter Riley to her freshman year at Indiana University Bloomington on Aug. 18, writing, "Gonna miss you kiddo."
- Trista Sutter and Ryan Sutter: The "Bachelor" couple dropped their son Maxwell off at the University of Colorado Boulder on Aug. 17 and sent their daughter Blakesley off to her senior year of high school.
- Sheryl Crow: The singer sent her son Wyatt off to his freshman year of college, writing on Aug. 17, "Where does the time go?"
- Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert: The former couple celebrated their daughters Junie and Rue's first day of school on Aug. 13.
- Giada De Laurentiis: The Food Network star reunited with her ex, Todd Thompson, on Aug. 8 for a college send off party for their daughter Jade.
- Tristan Thompson: The NBA player escorted his son Prince, whom he shares with ex Jordan Craig, to his first day of fourth grade on Aug. 12, joking, "Man I'm getting old."
- Melissa Joan Hart: The "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" alum and her husband, Mark Wilkerson, sent their sons Braydon and Tucker back to school on Aug. 12, marking Braydon's senior year and Tucker's start of seventh grade.
- Kelly Stafford: NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford's wife shared a photo of the couple sending their twins, Chandler and Sawyer, to their first day of fourth grade on Aug. 12, captioning it, "New school, same girls."
- Lindsay Arnold: The former "Dancing With the Stars" pro and her husband, Sam Cusick, sent their daughters Sage and June to class on Aug. 12.
- Jana Kramer: The "Whine Down" podcaster sent her children Jolie and Jace, whom she shares with ex Mike Caussin, and her son Roman, whom she shares with husband Allan Russell, to their first day of Pre-K3, fifth grade and second grade on Aug. 10.
- Brittany Aldean: Jason Aldean's wife shared photos of their children Navy and Memphis heading back to school on Aug. 11, calling it an "emotional Tuesday."
- DeAnna Pappas: The "Bachelorette" alum saw her daughter Addison start seventh grade on Aug. 11, writing, "Praying for a great year in middle school!"
- Taylor Selfridge: The "Ex on the Beach" alum helped her and Cory Wharton's daughter Mila get ready for elementary school on Aug. 12, calling her "my little first grader."
