Anthony Michael Hall Credits His Mother for Keeping Him 'Real' as a Child Star

Hall starred in 'National Lampoon's Vacation' at age 15 and 'Sixteen Candles at 16

Anthony Michael Hall is glad he survived child stardom — with some help from his mom.

During an appearance on The View’s June 21 episode, Hall, 56, reminisced about his early-career films and dealing with the resulting fame from a young age. The actor starred in the 1983 comedy National Lampoon’s Vacation at 15 years old as the son of Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo’s Clark and Ellen Griswold. One year later, he starred opposite Molly Ringwald and Michael Schoeffling in the classic rom-com Sixteen Candles.

“You turned out normal,” remarked co-host Joy Behar. “A lot of those child actors are all nuts.”

The Saturday Night Live alumnus explained that living in New York City with a “tough Irish-Italian Catholic mom” kept him and his sister “real.”

“Thank God I had that foundation of my faith and my family. Just kept pressing on,” Hall said.

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Of working on National Lampoon’s Vacation with comedy icons like Chase and John Candy, Hall told the panel the experience was “incredible.” He expressed his longtime love for SNL and described the gig as “a real ‘eyes wide open’ summer” where he polished his comedy chops with “legends.”

Co-host Sunny Hostin then mentioned that Sixteen Candles marked its 40th anniversary this year, which Hall called “a trip.” She joked that even though Hall was only 16 at the time, he poured a drink in a scene as if he were a “seasoned bartender.”

“Well, you know us Irish — we can’t pass the bar in the morning,” Hall said with a laugh. “It was so funny ‘cause my memory is getting on set and [director John Hughes] looked at me and said, ‘We’re gonna get the Sinatra song.’ And then I put on the apron and then I get the cocktail nuts and I’m crossing my leg like an old man … it just cracked him up.”

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The Breakfast Club star has previously opened up about his struggles with fame. In a 2021 interview with The Independent, he said being a celebrity was “off-putting” and “not unlike a horror movie.” He cited people staring at him in “odd ways,” not knowing what others thought of him and people whispering behind his back.

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To Fox Digital News in September 2022, he admitted he “didn’t anticipate being famous at 15.” The first time he was recognized in public for his high-profile roles, he told the outlet that it spooked him.

“The idea of being recognized ... It was very challenging,” the Halloween Kills actor explained. “I would joke, but it’s true, that it took me probably 20 years to process being 15 because I had experienced so much in between."

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