Academy Award-nominated actress Abigail Breslin is one of the most sought-after actors of her generation. Her unique and charismatic talents have contributed to her versatile roles in both comedy and drama.Abigail Kathleen Breslin (born April 14, 1996) is an American actress and singer.
She rose to prominence with the comedy-drama film Little Miss Sunshine (2006), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 10.She went on to establish herself as a mainstream actress with roles in the films No Reservations (2007), Nim’s Island (2008), Definitely, Maybe (2008), My Sister’s Keeper (2009), Zombieland (2009), Rango (2011), The Call (2013), August: Osage County (2013), Maggie (2015), Freak Show (2017), Zombieland: Double Tap (2019), and Stillwater (2021). Between 2015 and 2016, she had a starring role in the horror-comedy series Scream Queens on Fox, her first regular role in a television series.Â
She was born in New York City,the daughter of Kim (née Walsh), a talent manager, and Michael Breslin, a telecommunications expert, computer programmer, and consultant. She has two older brothers, Ryan Breslin (b. 1985) and Spencer Breslin (b. 1992), who are also actors.The Breslin siblings were raised in New York in a “very close-knit” household. Her father was of Jewish heritage.
Breslin is named after Abigail Adams, the first Second Lady of the United States. As of 2013, she was still residing in the same Lower East Side apartment in which she was raised.
Breslin’s career began at the age of three when she appeared in a Toys “R” Us commercial. Her first acting role was in Signs (2002), directed by M. Night Shyamalan, where she played Bo Hess, the daughter of the main character, Graham Hess (Mel Gibson). Signs garnered mostly positive reviews and was a box office success, grossing $408 million worldwide.
Breslin’s performance in the film was praised by critics. David Ansen of Newsweek wrote that she and co-star Rory Culkin gave “terrifically natural, nuanced performances”. In 2004, she appeared in Raising Helen, in which she and her brother Spencer played siblings, but the film fared poorly.
Breslin had a small role in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. In the independent film Keane, she played Kira Bedik, a young girl who reminds the mentally disturbed protagonist William Keane (Damian Lewis) of his missing, abducted daughter. Keane had a limited theatrical release and grossed only $394,390 worldwide but it received positive reviews and Breslin’s performance was praised by critics.Meghan Keane of The New York Sun wrote that “the scenes between Mr. Lewis and the charmingly fragile Kira, winningly played by Ms. Breslin, bring a captivating humanity to the film”.
Breslin’s breakthrough role was in the 2006 comedy-drama Little Miss Sunshine, where she played Olive Hoover, a beauty pageant contestant, the youngest in a dysfunctional family on a road trip. She was cast at the age of six, years before filming was started. Her co-stars, Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin, both stated that they were “astounded by her seriousness of purpose during shooting.” Little Miss Sunshine was a critical and commercial success, grossing $100 million worldwide. Her performance was highly praised;Claudia Puig of USA Today wrote that, “If Olive had been played by any other little girl, she would not have affected us as mightily as [she] did.”
She received nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the fourth youngest actress to be nominated in that category. Although Jennifer Hudson won the Oscar, Breslin co-presented with actor Jaden Smith at the 79th Academy Awards on February 25, 2007.[28] Breslin was part of the Disney Year of a Million Dreams celebration. Annie Leibovitz photographed her as Fira from Disney Fairies with Dame Julie Andrews as the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio.
On October 27, 2007, Breslin made her stage debut in the play Right You Are (If You Think You Are) in New York City at the Guggenheim Museum starring in an ensemble cast, including Cate Blanchett, Dianne Wiest, Natalie Portman and Peter Sarsgaard. In 2007, Breslin was ranked No. 8 in Forbes magazine’s list of “Young Hollywood’s Top-Earning Stars”, having earned $1.5 million in 2006. Breslin next appeared in the 2007 romantic comedy No Reservations, playing the niece of master chef Kate Armstrong (Catherine Zeta-Jones).
The film garnered mostly negative reviews but was successful at the box office, grossing $92 million worldwide. Roger Ebert wrote that Breslin “has the stuff to emerge as a three-dimensional kid, if she weren’t employed so resolutely as a pawn. In 2007, she also starred in Definitely, Maybe, as the daughter of a recently divorced father (played by Ryan Reynolds); the film garnered generally favorable reviews, with Steven Rea of The Philadelphia Inquirer writing that Breslin is “alarmingly cute – but she backs the cuteness up with serious acting instinct.”
Recently, Breslin headlined the first season of the horror-comedy series, Scream Queens (2015), opposite Emma Roberts, Lea Michele and Jamie Lee Curtis, and starred in the coveted role of “Baby” in ABC/Lionsgate’s recreation of the pop-culture classic, Dirty Dancing (2017).
Abigail Kathleen Breslin was born in New York City, New York, to Kim and Michael Breslin, a telecommunications expert and consultant. She has two sibling, Ryan Breslin and Spencer Breslin, who is also an actor. She is of Irish, Austrian Jewish, and English descent.
Abigail has acted since she was a small child. She is widely recognized for her role in the critically-acclaimed Little Miss Sunshine (2006), the irreverent, antic comedy which created a sensation at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, Breslin played the role of “Olive”, an ambitious young girl who is obsessed with winning a beauty pageant.
For her performance, she received a Best Actress Award from the Tokyo International Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award, SAG and BAFTA Best Supporting Actress awards. In addition, she was honored as ShoWest’s “Female Star of Tomorrow” in 2008, and made her Broadway debut in 2010 in “The Miracle Worker”.
Her many credits include Ender’s Game (2013), Haunter (2013), The Call (2013), Rango (2011), Janie Jones (2010), Zombieland (2009), My Sister’s Keeper (2009), New Year’s Eve (2011), Raising Helen (2004), The Ultimate Gift (2006), The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006), No Reservations (2007), Definitely, Maybe (2008), Nim’s Island (2008), Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008) and M. Night Shyamalan‘s 2002 film, Signs (2002), opposite Mel Gibson.
Breslin was seen in The Weinstein Company film, August: Osage County (2013), opposite Meryl Streep, Ewan McGregor, Julia Roberts, Sam Shepard, Dermot Mulroney and Juliette Lewis. She starred in the coveted role of “Jean Fordham”, the daughter of Julia Roberts’ and Ewan McGregor’s characters.
She starred in the Lionsgate film, Maggie (2015), opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film follows a teenage girl (Breslin) from a small town in the Midwest, who becomes infected by a disease that slowly turns her into a zombie. The film premiered at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival in New York and was released on May 8, 2015.
In October of 2015, Harper Collins published Breslin’s first book, “This May Sound Crazy”. The book is based on her popular Tumblr “Mixtapes & Winter Coats”, in which she writes honest, funny and emotional observations on her daily life as a young adult.
Has an older brother, Spencer Breslin.
Abigail was spoofed in the 2003 comedy, Scary Movie 3 (2003).
Abigail has joint hypermobility, (commonly referred to as being “double-jointed”).
She was very good friends with the late fellow young actress Skye McCole Bartusiak.
She 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 favourite Disney film is Finding Nemo (2003).
She donated many items to Rocky Stone to be given to less fortunate kids as part of the Toy Mountain Campaign.
In 2007, she became the fifth youngest actress ever to be nominated for best supporting actress at the age of 10 years. Those younger than Abigail were Tatum O’Neal (10 years old), Mary Badham (10 years old), Quinn Cummings (10 years old) and Justin Henry at 8 years old.
Was directed by Adam Arkin, the son of her Little Miss Sunshine (2006) costar Alan Arkin, in the TV episode Grey’s Anatomy: Sometimes a Fantasy (2006).
Has an older brother by 11 years, Ryan Breslin.
Her favorite movie is Meet Me in St. Louis (1944).
Was ranked #18 on Entertainment Weekly’s ’30 Under 30′ the actress list.(2008).
When she’s older, if she doesn’t continue acting, she would like to become either a veterinarian or a fashion designer.
She has two dogs, a cat and a turtle.
Collects American Girl dolls and stuffed animals.
In 2007, she was ranked #8 in Forbes Magazine’s list of “Young Hollywood’s Top-Earning Stars“, having earned $1.5 million in 2006.
Was ranked #8 alongside Dakota Fanning on TV Guide Top 10 Teen Star Countdown (2008).
Breslin had to wear a shoulder length, blonde wig for her role in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008). In reality, she is a light brunette.
Abigail is in a band called “CABB” with her friend, Cassidy Reiff.
Her performance in Little Miss Sunshine (2006) earned her an Academy Award nomination. She lost out to Jennifer Hudson.
Named after the First Lady of USA, Abigail Adams.
Has two brothers: Ryan Breslin and Spencer Breslin.
Her favorite actresses are Meryl Streep and Margaret O’Brien.
Friends with Chloë Grace Moretz, Jake Busey, Harry Cook & Alexa PenaVega.
She was once threatened to leave a movie theatre because she was yelling at the screen during a scary movie.
Currently starring as Helen Keller in “The Miracle Worker” on Broadway. [March 2010]
She posed topless for a photo shoot, with celebrity photographer Tyler Shields, when she was just age 17.
She had a severe asthma attack during the filming of a scene for her movie, Haunter (2013).
Her first real-life kiss was with Jake T. Austin.
Abigail Breslin and Chloë Grace Moretz both auditioned for the role of “Jean Fordham” in August: Osage County (2013). Abigail, who auditioned with a 103-degree fever, was able to secure the role.
She taught herself how to play guitar through YouTube.
Her mother taught her how to roll a joint and how to properly light one in preparation for her role in Perfect Sisters (2014).
In both Raising Helen (2004) and No Reservations (2007) she plays a young girl who’s orphaned in a car accident and raised by her childless, unmarried aunt.
She is the first person born in the 1990s to have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (for Little Miss Sunshine, 2006). Keisha Castle-Hughes was the first person born in that decade to have been nominated for an acting Oscar (Best Actress, for 2002’s Whale Rider (2002), nominated for 2003’s movie year).
Her paternal grandfather was an Irish immigrant and her paternal grandmother was born in New York, to Austrian Jewish parents. Abigail’s mother has Irish and English ancestry.
Born at 2:00 PM (EDT).
On February 22, 2022. Breslin announced engagement to longtime boyfriend Ira Kunyansky.
Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Signs | Bo Hess | |
| 2004 | Raising Helen | Sarah Davis | |
| 2004 | The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement | Parade Girl Carolina | |
| 2004 | Keane | Kira Bedik | |
| 2004 | Chestnut: Hero of Central Park | Ray | |
| 2005 | Family Plan | Nicole | Television movie |
| 2006 | Little Miss Sunshine | Olive Hoover | |
| 2006 | Imaginary Friend | Hally | |
| 2006 | The Ultimate Gift | Emily Rose | |
| 2006 | The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause | Trish | |
| 2006 | Air Buddies | Rosebud | Voice |
| 2007 | No Reservations | Zoe Armstrong | |
| 2008 | Definitely, Maybe | Maya Hayes | |
| 2008 | Nim’s Island | Nim Rusoe | |
| 2008 | Kit Kittredge: An American Girl | Kit Kittredge | |
| 2009 | My Sister’s Keeper | Anna Fitzgerald | |
| 2009 | Zombieland | Little Rock | |
| 2010 | Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey | Jeana | Voice |
| 2010 | Janie Jones | Janie Jones | |
| 2011 | The Wild Bunch | Daisy | Voice |
| 2011 | Rango | Priscilla | |
| 2011 | New Year’s Eve | Hailey |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–2009 | Fairfax | Brooke Jacoby | Main role |
| 2002 | What I Like About You | Josie | Episode: “The Teddy Bear“ |
| Hack | Kayla Adams | Episode: “Domestic Disturbance” | |
| 2004 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Patty Branson | Episode: “Birthright“ |
| NCIS | Sandy Watson | Episode: “See No Evil“ | |
| 2005 | Family Plan | Nicole | Television film |
| 2006 | Ghost Whisperer | Sarah Applewhite | Episode: “Melinda’s First Ghost“ |
| Grey’s Anatomy | Megan Clover | Episode: “Sometimes a Fantasy“ | |
| 2015–2016 | Scream Queens | Libby Putney / Chanel #5 | Main role |
| 2017 | Dirty Dancing | Frances “Baby” Houseman | Television film |
| 2023 | Accused | Esme | Episode: “Esme’s Story” |
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