Who is Ellen Hamilton Latzen?
Ellen Hamilton Latzen was born on 26 July 1980, in the United States of America, and is an actress, best known for her career as a child, appearing in the films “Fatal Attraction” and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”. She worked on television shows and films up to her teenage years, when she decided to move away from acting.
The Riches of Ellen Hamilton Latzen
As of early-2020, Ellen Hamilton Latzen’s net worth is estimated to be over $900,000, earned through success in her various endeavors. While she did earn a bit of income through acting work, she later tried various jobs, building her experience before turning back to the entertainment industry.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Ellen grew up in the US and is the daughter of a web designer. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she stayed closer to her mother, growing up alongside an older sister. When she was six years old, a casting call was made for an untitled film, looking for girls aged from six to eight. Thousands of girls auditioned, and while she wasn’t particularly interested in acting at the start, she gave it a try and was selected for the role.
The film turned out to be “Fatal Attraction”, which saw her work with stars Michael Douglas and Anne Archer, playing the role of their character’s daughter.
The film was released in 1987 and is based on the short film “Diversion”, which was released seven years earlier. It follows the story of a married man who enters into an affair with a woman who turns out to be obsessed with him, as she doesn’t want the marriage to simply end. The film was a success at the box office, becoming the second highest-grossing film of the year, and being nominated for several Academy Awards. The film stirred controversy during its time, due to its themes of stalking, and mental health problems.
National Lampoon and Other Projects
Thanks to her work in “Fatal Attraction”, more opportunities opened for Latzen.
She appeared in the film “Mr. North” which is based on the Thornton Wilder novel “Theophilus North”, set in the 1920s and starring Anthony Edwards, which follows the titular character as he navigates through a wealthy neighborhood amidst rumors about him that may turn to destroy his relationships.
In 1989, she gained another big role as she was cast in the film “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, the third film in the series. The film is based on the short story “Christmas ‘59” which was initially published in the magazine “National Lampoon”. The film starred Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid and Beverly D’Angelo, and was successful, considered a classic Christmas film.
It is the only sequel to have a continuation film though its sequel didn’t fare as well as the original, being released straight to television.
Retiring From Acting
As Ellen Hamilton went through her teenage years, she found it more difficult to balance acting work with schooling. She did a few independent film projects during the 1990s, but eventually, moved to New York to attend a boarding school in the area. Leaving home, her career stopped and she has not returned to it since. As she stayed silent, some publications reached out to her about a possible return to acting, but she expressed disinterest in continuing in the profession, preferring to keep it closed.
After matriculating from high school, she then moved to San Francisco where she attended at the California College of Arts.
The school has an extensive history, created during the height of the arts and crafts movement. After completing a degree there, she didn’t have a clear direction in her career, and worked in various fields, first in travel and hospitality, then tried jobs in advertising and publishing. She even worked for a few start-ups during her youth. Eventually, she realized that she was still very interested in entertainment, and while she is no longer an actress, she wanted to stay connected to her roots.
Recent Endeavors and Child Stars
Eventually, Ellen moved back to Los Angeles, California in hopes of pursuing various entertainment-related interests. She began working more behind the scenes, becoming the producer of a few independent projects. She started a podcast about her experiences as a child actor, and working with some of the big names in Hollywood at the time. She also helped produce the show “Watched” which looks at what occurs behind the scenes in the lives of child actors.
Often, child actors find it difficult to transition within the profession to adult roles, due to numerous factors.
Acting can be a job filled with pressures and the problems they experienced as a child may demotivate them from continuing with their initial interest. Other child actors become typecast, or due to their current look no longer fitting-in with what most productions are looking for. She admitted that she wasn’t the typical kid to be cast in films in the first place, which already limited her opportunities save for her first few projects. Many child stars find troubled lives as adults, with problems of addiction or mental health, as seen with names such as Macaulay Culkin and Lindsay Lohan, often stemming from issues they had with their parents when they were younger.
Personal Life
There hasn’t been any information about Ellen Hamilton’s romantic endeavors, so it’s not known if she’s married or if she has any children. Some people speculate that she already has a family but this has never been confirmed. In 2016 she gained a bit of attention when she met Michael Douglas once more during an event held by the Motion Picture and Television Fund. He posted a photo of them together online which got a lot of positive attention. This was the first time they had been together since they worked on “Fatal Attraction”.