Abigail Breslin Biography and Profile

Abigail Breslin Profile
Name: Abigail Breslin
Birth Name: Abigail Kathleen Breslin
Height: 4' 4"
Sex: F
Nationality: American
Birth Date: April 14, 1996
Birth Place: New York, New York, USA
Profession: Actress, Actor
Father: Michael Breslin
Mother: Kim Breslin
Brother: Spencer Breslin (actor; born on May 18, 1992), Ryan Breslin (born in 1985)
Claim to fame: Her role in the sleeper comedy hit “Little Miss Sunshine” (2006)

Abigail Breslin Biography

Of the many pleasures found in the sleeper comedy hit “Little Miss Sunshine” (2006), none were more endearing than the performance by child actress Abigail Breslin. As seven-year-old Olive, her unflagging enthusiasm blinded her to both the fact that her doughy, bespectacled appearance was entirely at odds with a child beauty pageant that she wished to participate in, and that her family – who are constantly on the verge of mental and emotional collapse – might provide her biggest stumbling block in achieving the title of “Little Miss Sunshine.” Drawing comparisons to a young Dakota Fanning and even Drew Barrymore in her younger, “E.T.” (1982) days, Breslin’s astonishing performance was alternately hilarious, heartbreaking and hopeful, and helped secure the promise of the talent beyond her years she had shown in her earlier films. Born April 14, 1996, Breslin was the younger sister of child actor Spencer Breslin, who starred in “Disney’s The Kid” (2000) and “The Cat in the Hat” (2003); the siblings appeared together in the 2004 weeper “Raising Helen” and “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.” Her acting career began with appearances in several national television commercials, starting with a spot for Toys ‘R’ Us at the age of three. Her big break came in 2002 when M. Night Shyamalan cast her as Mel Gibson’s youngest daughter in his science fiction hit, “Signs.” Her character in the film – a curiously grave adolescent girl dealing with the traumatic death of her mother – clearly showed that Breslin had the chops to handle complex parts even at the tender age of six. Turns on episodic series such as “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” (NBC, 1999- ) and “Navy N.C.I.S.” (CBS, 2003- ) preceded a trio of films in 2004 – all very different in tone and audience. In “Raising Helen,” she was one of three recently orphaned children being raised by their career-minded aunt, while in the frothy teen comedy/romance “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” (2004), she had what amounted to a cameo as a parade girl. Her final 2004 film was the dark, psychological drama “Keane” by “Clean, Shaven” (1995) director Lodge Kerrigan, in which she played the young daughter of a down-and-out mother who entrusts her child to a man who appears to be teetering on the edge of madness. More TV and a direct-to-video feature – the kids’ movie “Chestnut: Hero of Central Park,” (2006) – followed, but “Little Miss Sunshine” was primed and sitting in the wings. Breslin found herself once again the subject of critical praise and movie audiences’ adoration. Her entrancing, star-making performance – which stood out in a cast peopled by such top talent as Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carrell, and the esteemed Alan Arkin, with whom she shared some of the film’s funniest scenes – was recognized by the Gotham Awards, who nominated her for Breakthrough Performance and as part of the Best Ensemble Cast. She also got a nod from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, earning a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role – Theatrical Motion Pictures. The ultimate recognition came in early 2007 when Breslin garnered an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress, making her the fourth-youngest actress ever nominated. Since her summer triumph in “Little Miss Sunshine,” Breslin kept busy on both film and television; among her 2006 credits was a turn on “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC, 2005- ) as a child who can not experience physical pain, and several features, including the Vince Vaughn comedy “Fred Claus” (2007) and “Definitely, Maybe” (2008), a romantic comedy in which she played the daughter of divorcee Ryan Reynolds.

Abigail Breslin Milestones
* 2002 Discovered by M. Night Shyamalan who cast her as Mel Gibson’s daughter in “Signs”
* 2002 Made guest appearances on “What I Like About You” (WB) and “Hack” (CBS)
* 2004 Starred opposite Kate Hudson and older brother, Spencer Breslin in “Raising Helen”
* 2006 Breakout role as a beauty pageant contestant in the independent film “Little Miss Sunshine”; received SAG and Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress
* 2007 Co-starred with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart in “No Reservations”
* 2008 Co-starred with Jodie Foster in the adventure-fantasy film Nim s Island
* 2008 Played Ryan Reynolds daughter in “Definitely Maybe”
* 2008 Played the title role in the family film, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
* Appeared in her first commercial for Toys R Us when she was three years old

Abigail Breslin Filmography
* Rango (2011)
* Quantum Quest (2010)
* My Sister's Keeper (2009) Andromeda 'Anna' Fitzgerald
* Definitely, Maybe (2008) Maya Hayes
* Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008) Kit Kittredge
* Nim's Island (2008) Nim Rusoe
* No Reservations (2007) Zoe
* The Ultimate Gift (2007) Emily Rose
* Chestnut: Hero of Central Park (2006) Ray
* Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Olive/ Olive
* The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006) Trish
* Keane (2005) Kyra Bedik
* Raising Helen (2004) Sarah Davis
* The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004) Parade Girl Carolina
* Signs (2002) Bo Hess
* The Wild Bunch

Abigail Breslin Gossip, News & Trivia
# Ranked #4 on Forbes' List Of Valuable Young Stars. (March 2009)
# Will replace Dakota Fanning in New Line drama MY SISTER'S KEEPER, directed by Nick Cassavetes. (February 2008)
# The youngest Academy Award-nominated American actress since Tatum O'Neal.
# Abby and Kate Hudson bonded while on the set of RAISING HELEN (2004)
# Was spoofed in the 2003 comedy, SCARY MOVIE 3 (2003).
# Is doublejointed.
# Is very good friends with fellow young actress Skye McCole Bartusiak.
# Said that if she were a superhero, she would want to fly and be able to speak every other language.
# When speaking for Kids with a Cause, said she thought everybody needed a friend.
# Her on-screen brother in RAISING HELEN (2004) was played by her real- life brother, Spencer Breslin.
# Her favorite Disney film is FINDING NEMO (2003).
# Donated many items to Rocky Stone to be given to less fortunate kids as part of the Toy Mountain Campaign.
# Became friends with Dakota Fanning when Dakota filmed THE CAT IN THE HAT (2003) with her older brother Spencer Breslin.
# Sometimes Credited As: cast of Miss Sunshine
# Nickname: Abby
# Nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role at Academy Awards for LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2007)
# Nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at BAFTA Awards for LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2007)
# Nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at Screen Actors Guild Awards for LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2007)