Former child star Freddie Highmore is not the same adorable seven-year-old that we all loved in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Finding Neverland”. Yes, he appeared alongside Johnny Depp in both films, but now he’s the leading man, playing Emma Roberts’ love interest in “The Art of Getting By”!
Perhaps it was the mixture of Depp’s influence and maintaining a normal childhood that helped Freddie “show us that not all child stars turn out to be a hot mess” (Tina Chadha, Metro). In 2010, our very own Cambridge University accepted the talented yet modest actor. He has immersed himself so fully in his studies at Emmanuel College, Cambridge that he’s not sure if he even wants to continue acting! Hmm, I smell a young, James Franco-esque renaissance man in the making.Of his acting and schooling, Freddie says, “I haven’t had to make a definite decision as to if this is what I want to do for the rest of my life, so I get to put that off for a few more years.”
In his new romantic comedy, he and Emma Roberts, another well-adjusted former child star, play adolescents enduring teen issues, such as first loves, misanthropy, and existentialism, through the cultural backdrop of New York City’s Upper West Side. With these roles, Highmore and Robberts hope to submerge themselves into a more mature light. While the movie didn’t get very good ratings on rottontomatoes.com, I think we should all get out there and decide for ourselves! Let’s show some support for our Cambridge University student and help convince him that he can be both an actor and a scholar!
Marie Cummings is the marketing intern for Cambridge University Press’ College Sales and Marketing group.
