Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything: A Memoir

In the early days of their acting career, Alyson Stoner was told to wear a flipper to cover their baby and missing teeth. The flipper was “a metal retainer with plastic false teeth that hooked into [their] mouth to give the illusion of a perfect smile” (41). Meant to disguise Stoner’s true age, the flipper is a symbol of superficiality that highlights the difficulty of Self-Discovery amid Hollywood Culture and Childhood Trauma. As Stoner explains, “Beyond an aesthetic flaw, missing teeth narrowed the range of ages I could portray […] thereby reducing potential auditions and chances to book work” (41). To break into the industry, Stoner was therefore not allowed to be themselves. They could not even reveal their actual smile or stage of development for fear these truths would jeopardize their acting prospects. This echoes Stoner’s overarching experience in the industry, as Stoner quickly learned to quash their true self—hiding behind scripts, costumes, and roles—to make themselves marketable to networks, producers, and casting directors.

When Stoner was 10 years old, they were cast in the feature film Cheaper by the Dozen as Sarah Baker. This was a breakout role for Stoner, as it was their first feature film and offered them the chance to work with A-list actors (most notably, Steve Martin).