The Actor Bella Thorne Replaced in ‘Big Love’ Left Hollywood After She Was Fired
Child stars usually have a small window of time before they are no longer considered for roles requiring children. Things can get dicey when a child actor appears on a TV show that lasts a long time. Puberty hits, and the child actor has to be replaced.
For some of these beloved child stars, the transition is tough, and they resort to a quiet life outside the spotlight. The actor Bella Thorne replaced in Big Love left Hollywood after she was fired.
Bella Thorne got into acting at a young age
Thorne was born in 1997 and raised by her mother after her father died when the star was only 9. The Florida native began modeling as a baby, appearing in magazines and TV commercials. Thorne made her acting debut in 2003 as an extra on Stuck On You.
Thorne’s career seemed to burgeon after her appearance in the film as she got cast in TV shows such as Dirty Sexy Money and Entourage. Thorne’s big break came in 2010 when she landed a role in the HBO show Big Love. Her work on the show opened doors for the star as she landed her career-defining stint in Disney Channel’s Shake It Up.
Thorne and her Shake It Up co-star Zendaya began making waves in the industry. They starred in Shake It Up for three seasons before Disney axed the show. Meanwhile, Thorne explored her other talents, focusing on music.
After exiting Disney, the young star started making regular movie appearances, mainly starring in teen projects. Her most prominent roles include The DUFF, Blended, You Get Me, I Still See You, Amityville: The Awakening, The Midnight Sun, Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Road Chip, and The Babysitter.
The actor Bella Thorne replaced in ‘Big Love’ retired after she was fired
As The Goonies star Jeff Cohen once pointed out, puberty is a “career ender” for many child actors. Jolean Wejbe appeared on Big Love since its debut in 2006, playing Teenie. However, when Season 4 rolled around, Wejbe was fired and replaced with Thorne.
As it turns out, the primary reason Wejbe needed to be replaced was that she grew up. Speaking to the LA Times, Big Love creator and showrunner Will Scheffer said, “Because our show is structured so tightly, we usually don’t have year breaks between seasons in show time. We never have time for our characters to age with our actors, which is OK generally.”
“Unfortunately, our Teenie [Jolean] — our cute little pixie — just shot up,” Scheffer continued. He said that by the time Wejbe turned 13, she was still playing an 11-year-old but had gotten too tall “and looked like she was turning into a 15-year-old.” Wejbe decided to leave Hollywood and hasn’t had any acting credits since her time on Big Love.
‘Big Love’ followed a polygamist Mormon family
Big Love detailed the lives of a fundamentalist Mormon family that practices polygamy and resides in Utah. The show starred Bill Paxton as the patriarch, while Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloё Sevigny, and Ginnifer Goodwin played his wives.
The show was a success for HBO and ran for five seasons ending its run in 2011. Big Love received numerous nominations throughout its run, including a Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, Television Critics Association Award, and an AFI Award.
The actors were also nominated separately. Sevigny, who played Nicki, Paxton’s character’s second wife, won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. The series averaged an 80% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the last season earning a 90% rating.
