From Breakout Stars to Hollywood Royalty: Unveiling the Remarkable Journeys of 'American Girl' Movie Leading Ladies
Discover the captivating journey of 'American Girl' movie leading ladies From Shailene Woodley to Olivia Rodrigo, these talented stars, including AnnaSophia Robb and Abigail Breslin, began their careers portraying beloved American Girl dolls Follow their inspiring rise to success
Shailene Woodley, Olivia Rodrigo, and other celebrities were American Girls even before their rise to Hollywood stardom. The cherished toy brand, previously owned by Pleasant Company and later acquired by Mattel in 1998, was renowned for its collection of historically-inspired dolls that depicted different eras in American history.
In 2004, the holiday film featured AnnaSophia Robb, who portrayed the character Samantha Parkington, a Victorian preteen in the movie adaptation of "The Carrie Diaries". The following year, Shailene Woodley became the next leading actress in an American Girl film, where she played the role of Felicity Merriman, a pioneer-era character in "Felicity: An American Girl Adventure".
The American Girl movies, which are either direct-to-DVD productions or web series, aim to showcase the unique stories of different dolls. In her first major acting role, Isabel Rodrigo portrayed the character Grace Thomas, also known as the "Girl of the Year", in the film "An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success".
After starring in Black-ish, Marsai Martin went on to portray doll Melody Ellison in her very own American Girl movie. The film was centered around the civil rights movement in Alabama during the 1960s.
"I didn't fully realize the challenges my grandparents faced simply because of their skin color until I worked on this movie," said Martin, who was 12 at the time, in a interview with CelebSecrets.com in October 2016. "My hope is that this film will open up conversations among kids, parents, and grandparents about the past, so that we can avoid making the same mistakes in the future."
Scroll below to check in with the American Girl child stars — and see where they are now:
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'American Girl' Movie Leading Ladies: Where Are They Now? From Shailene Woodley to Olivia Rodrigo
Shailene Woodley, Olivia Rodrigo, and other celebrities were American Girls even before they achieved A-list status in Hollywood.
The popular toy brand, previously owned by Pleasant Company and later acquired by Mattel in 1998, was renowned for its collection of dolls inspired by historical events and representing different time periods in American history.
Victorian preteen Samantha Parkington was the first character from the American Girl franchise to be featured in a movie. In 2004, AnnaSophia Robb portrayed Samantha in the holiday film titled "The Carrie Diaries". Following this, Woodley took on the lead role in the next American Girl film, released in 2005, where she portrayed the character Felicity Merriman from the Pioneer-era in "Felicity: An American Girl Adventure".
The American Girl movies are all produced directly for DVD or web series, with each highlighting the story of a different doll. Rodrigo also had her first major acting role in an American Girl film, playing the character Grace Thomas, who was bestowed the title of "Girl of the Year" in "An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success".
Marsai Martin, known for her role in Black-ish, portrayed the doll Melody Ellison in her own American Girl film. The movie, set in Alabama during the 1960s civil rights movement, shed light on the experiences faced by Martin's grandparents due to their skin color. In an October 2016 interview with CelebSecrets.com, the then 12-year-old expressed her hope that the movie would encourage discussions about the past, ultimately preventing the repetition of those previous mistakes.
Scroll below to check in with the American Girl child stars — and see where they are now:
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AnnaSophia Robb
Robb had a notable role in Samantha: An American Girl Holiday alongside Mia Farrow and Rebecca Mader, who portrayed her grandmother and aunt, respectively. After establishing herself as a child star, she embarked on a successful acting career with appearances in Bridge to Terebithia, Soul Surfer, and The Carrie Diaries, a prequel to Sex and the City. In 2023, Robb secured a leading role in the second season of Dr. Death. Additionally, she tied the knot with Trevor Paul in September 2022.
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Shailene Woodley
Woodley rose to fame after her portrayal of Felicity in Felicity: An American Girl Adventure. Following that, she joined the cast of The O.C., playing the younger sister of Mischa Barton's character for the show's first season. Her breakthrough role came when she landed the part of Amy Juergens in ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager, a popular series that aired for five seasons.
In addition to her television success, Woodley has made a mark in the film industry, starring in notable movies such as the Divergent franchise, Big Little Lies, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Descendants.
Outside of her acting career, Woodley made headlines when she began dating professional football player Aaron Rodgers during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The couple got engaged a year later, but it was announced in February 2022 that they had called off their engagement.
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Maya Ritter
In 2006’s Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front, Ritter portrayed the character of Molly McEntire, set in the backdrop of World War II. As a young actress, Ritter secured notable roles in Finn’s Girl, Holiday Switch, Rookie Blue, and Goldie and Bear. However, she later decided to take a break from the acting industry. Currently, Ritter resides in her native Canada and shares her home with her rescue dog Cantik, whom she lovingly adopted after a visit to Bali.
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Abigail Breslin
Following her early success in child acting roles such as Little Miss Sunshine and Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, Breslin took on the role of doll Kit Kittredge in the 2008 American Girl movie. As she grew older, Breslin continued to act in films such as New Year's Eve, The Call, August: Osage County, and the 2017 TV remake of Dirty Dancing. In 2014, the Stillwater actress released her first music single titled "You Suck," which was allegedly inspired by her breakup with Michael Clifford from 5 Seconds of Summer.
Breslin got engaged to longtime boyfriend Ira Kunyansky in February 2022. They wed one year later in January 2023.
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Samantha Hanratty
With her debut in 2005, Hanratty quickly gained recognition by securing guest roles in popular TV shows including Charmed, Drake & Josh, That’s So Raven, and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. In 2009, she took the lead in the American Girl movie, Chrissa Stands Strong, which was the first film to depict the story of a "Girl of the Year" doll. Following that, Hanratty made appearances on well-known shows like The Vampire Diaries, Shameless, and Another Girl. Her latest achievement includes being cast as the teenage version of Misty in HBO's highly acclaimed series Yellowjackets, set to premiere in 2021.
Adding to her accomplishments, Hanratty accepted a marriage proposal from her longtime boyfriend, Christian DeAnda, in November 2021.
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Jade Pettyjohn
After appearing in several guest roles on various TV shows, Pettyjohn achieved her breakthrough in the 2012 film An American Girl: McKenna Shoots for the Stars. In the movie, she portrayed the character McKenna Brooks, an aspiring gymnast. Pettyjohn played the on-screen daughter of Nia Vardalos and Ian Ziering, and she went on to secure roles in The Last Ship, Nickelodeon's School of Rock, The Righteous Gemstones, Little Fires Everywhere, and Big Sky.
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Erin Pitt
Pitt's rise to fame began in 2010 when they landed small roles in popular shows like Disney Channel's Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam and Silent Hill: Revelation. Building on this early success, Pitt showcased their talent by portraying Isabelle Palmer, an ambitious dancer, in the 2014 film An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight. Pitt's passion for acting and dance led them to their current role as Laura in the dance-focused series Tiny Pretty Things, which can be streamed on Netflix.
Pitt, who graduated from Toronto's York University in 2022, is currently in a relationship with Tye Argent.
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Olivia Rodrigo
Rodrigo made her debut acting performance as young baker Grace Thomas in the 2015 film "An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success." The following year, she landed a starring role on Disney Channel's "Bizaardvark," which aired until 2019. Rodrigo then portrayed Nini on Disney+'s "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series." However, she left during season 3 to pursue her music career full-time. Her debut album, "Sour," was released in May 2021 and has since won three Grammys. Her second album, "Guts," is scheduled to be released in September 2023.
During her time on "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series," Rodrigo was linked to her onscreen love interest, Joshua Bassett. Their respective breakup ballads appeared to reference each other, but neither Rodrigo nor Bassett have publicly addressed their relationship. In her debut single "Driver's License," Rodrigo seemingly alleged that Bassett had cheated on her with fellow pop star Sabrina Carpenter. Rodrigo briefly dated her "Bizaardvark" costar Ethan Wacker in 2019 before moving on to Adam Faze in June 2021. However, their relationship ended in February 2022. Rodrigo then dated Zack Bia, but their connection ended in August 2022.
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Maggie Elizabeth Jones
Sophie Jones rose to fame by portraying the endearing, ginger-haired young girl in a series of well-received movies. Noteworthy among these are Footloose (2011), We Bought a Zoo, Identity Thief, and Mother's Day. Subsequently, the talented actress graced the screen as the intrepid Lea Clark in the 2016 film An American Girl: Lea to the Rescue. Presently, Jones pursues her higher education as an undergraduate student at Auburn University in Alabama.
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Marsai Martin
Martin brought Melody, the AG doll from the civil rights movement-era, to life in the 2016 American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win. This came two years after Martin landed the role of Diane Johnson in ABC’s Black-ish, which ran for eight seasons. Amid the sitcom’s success, Martin went on to produce and star in the film Little alongside Issa Rae and Regina Hall. Black-ish wrapped in 2022, but Martin continues to act and produce new projects. Her other credits include projects such as Fantasy Football, Spirit & Friends, and PAW Patrol: The Movie. Martin has also made appearances in the Black-ish spinoffs, Grown-ish and Mixed-ish, reprising her role from the original show.
