Rise to Fame
At 12, she trained with Jackie Chan's stunt crew for three months and filmed most of her own stunts for Kick-Ass. Roger Ebert gave the film one star and still wrote that she had 'presence and appeal.' By 13, the trade press was reportedly calling her the busiest actress in Hollywood. Hit-Girl wasn't just a breakout, it was a brand statement: a kid actor willing to go places older actors wouldn't.
In the Spotlight
A viral body-shaming meme turned her into a recluse for years. She's talked openly about how the 'Family Guy' comparison wrecked her confidence at red carpets and sent her to therapy. During the 2024 election, she came out publicly as a gay woman. She married model Kate Harrison in 2025, returned to the stage off-Broadway, and has several films in the works. The quiet decade appears to be over.
Side Notes
Disney cast her as the voice of Penny in Bolt before replacing her with Miley Cyrus for marquee value. She stayed on as Young Penny in the flashbacks. Her brother Trevor put his own acting career on hold to become her full-time coach and manager. By 17, she'd starred in seven remakes. Her career was built on decisions other people made, which makes her recent move into producing her own projects feel like the first time she's actually in charge.