Popularly known as Little Miss Sunshine in Hollywood, Abigail Breslin received her first Academy Award nomination at the age of 10 in 2006 for the movie by the same name. Breslin appeared in a TV commercial at the age of three and signed her first movie at the age of five with Mel Gibson. She has a regular role in Fox’s horror-comedy show Scream Queens, and was seen in movies like Definitely Maybe, Ender’s Game, and Freak Show.
Early Life
Breslin was born to Michael Breslin, a computer programmer and consultant, and his wife Kim on April 14, 1996, in New York, US. Spencer Breslin, her older brother, acted in more than 50 commercials at the age of three and Abigail Breslin followed his footsteps by appearing in the Toys R Us commercial at the age of three. Both her brothers, Ryan Breslin and Spencer Breslin. are actors.
Personal Life
Breslin was reportedly dating 5 Seconds of Summer guitarist Michael Clifford in 2013. According to reports, Breslin released a song named ‘You Suck’, throwing major shade at Clifford, however, the young actress refuted the rumors of her supposed romance with the rocker. She was then said to be dating the All Time Low front man Jack Barakar the same year, but the two never confirmed to the relationship. As of 2016, Breslin has been dating English actor Freddie Highmore.
TV Career
Breslin has appeared in various single episodes in the television series such as What I Like About You, Law & Order, Ghost Whisperer, Grey’s Anatomy. In 2015, she was cast to play the lead role of Libbe Putney on Fox’s horror-comedy Scream Queens. The following year, she was cast to play Frances Houseman in Dirty Dancing, a TV movie adaptation of the 1987 movie by the same name.
Movie Career
Breslin’s first acting stint was as Mel Gibson’s daughter in the 2002 movie Signs, which went on to become a box office success and garnered positive reviews from the critics, with Breslin’s performance being appreciated. In 2004, she acted in the movie Raising Helen with her brother Spencer Breselin where they played on-screen siblings. However, the film fared poorly at the box office. Breslin was then seen in smaller roles in movies such as The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), and the independent film Keane (2004), both of her performances were appreciated.
In 2006 she lent her voice for the character of Rosebud for the straight to DVD comedy film, Air Buddies. Her breakthrough performance came with her portrayal of the titular character in the comedy-drama road film Little Miss Sunshine in 2006. She played the role of Olive Hoover, an ordinary girl who aspired to win a beauty pageant. Her performance was highly praised, and the movie grossed about USD 100 million worldwide. Breslin became the fourth youngest to be nominated in the category for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Screen Actors Guild Award for the movie.
In 2007, she played one of the central characters, Zoe, the nine-year- old niece of Christine, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, in the romantic-comedy drama No Reservations. Breslin was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film by a Leading Young Actress for her performance. The following year, Breslin had three releases; Definitely Maybe, Nim’s Island, and Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, all of which received favorable reviews from the critics and audiences alike. Breslin played the role of the 11- year-old daughter of a political consultant and advertising wizard father going through a divorce in Definitely, Maybe. While in Nim’s Island, she is played the role of the central character, Nim, an 11-year- old whose mother has died. The comedy drama Kit Kittredge: An American Girl saw Breslin play the role of Kit, an aspiring reporter.
Breslin then played the role of Anna Fitzgerald in the 2009 movie My Sister’s Keeper, which, although, received mixed reviews was a financial success. She went on to lend her voices to different characters from movies like Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey (2010), Rango (2011), and Zambezia (2011). Her 2009 release, Janie Jones, received mixed reviews from critics and subsequently her 2011 release New Year's Eve, which comprised of an ensemble cast, was panned by the critics. Playing the role of Casey Welson, Breslin was seen in the 2013 crime thriller The Call (2013) alongside Halle Berry, who played the role of a 9-1-1 operator Jordon. The movie surpassed expectations and grossed $17 million in its first three days of release, making it a commercial success.
Playing the ghost of a teenage girl Lisa Johnson, Breslin was seen in the 2013 supernatural horror movie Haunter. The movie about the Lisa’s ghost haunting a house in northern Ontario was well-received by the audience but received mainly mixed reviews from the critics. Next, she was seen in the American science fiction action film Ender's Game alongside Asa Butterfield. The movie was declared a box office flop and was included in "Hollywood's Biggest Bombs of 2013" list by Variety Magazine. Breslin, along with the entire cast of the American comedy-drama August: Osage County (2013), went on to win the Ensemble of the year Award at Hollywood Film Festival, Screen Actors Guild, and Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association.
In Perfect Sisters (2014), a Canadian crime drama that was based on the real-life murder of Linda Anderson, Breslin played Sandra Anderson, one of the teenaged-sisters accused of their mother’s death. Breslin then starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the post- apocalyptic horror drama Maggie (2015), where their performances were acclaimed, but the movie received mixed reviews. Her 2017 projects include the American drama Freak Show, where she plays the role of the head cheerleader and high school queen bee.
Theater Career
In February 2010, Breslin made her Broadway debut at the Circle in the Square Theatre as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. Breslin’s performance won immense praise with critics stating, “(Breslin) well portrays Helen's feral rebelliousness in the play's early sections and is deeply touching as her character's bond with her teacher grows.”
Independent Projects
Apart from being an actor, Breslin is also a singer. She has sang singles such as “Fight for Me" (2011), "Christmas In New York" (2013) and "You Suck" (2014). On July 15, 2015, she released her album titled The World Now.