Elijah Wood Talks About Juggling Film Sets and Schoolwork During His Child Star Years

Elijah Wood is amazed by how much he managed to juggle as a child actor. The 43-year-old actor looked back on his years as a child star, recalling how busy he was with both acting and schoolwork on an episode of the Inside of You podcast with Michael Rosenbaum. He admitted that he "can't imagine" how he got all his assignments done while working on set.

Wood made his acting debut at just 8 years old in Back to the Future Part II (1989). He quickly found himself appearing in multiple films each year, including Avalon (1990), Child in the Night, Forever Young, Radio Flyer, and The Adventures of Huck Finn, to name just a few.

Reflecting on his education, Wood shared that by the time he reached high school, he was enrolled in a correspondence program due to his hectic schedule. "I was traveling a lot and working on films," he explained, noting that his schoolwork was handled through email and computer correspondence with his teachers. "All of it was like email and writing on my computer and then sending everything to my teacher," he recalled.

This setup allowed him to stay more focused on his education, Wood added. Rosenbaum pointed out that this level of attention could have its benefits, to which Wood agreed, explaining that by high school, it had become normal for him. Wood had an on-set tutor from the time he started acting at age 8.

However, balancing acting and schoolwork wasn't always easy. Wood confessed he often felt "anxiety" trying to meet the demands of both. “It’s really interesting to think about it now because I kind of can't imagine how I managed to juggle those two things,” he admitted. “You’re supposed to do three hours a day of school on set, per the union rules. I was doing that and also remembering my lines, and having enough time to divvy those two things up. I kind of can't imagine it now.” He added that it was "wild" to reflect on it, but also acknowledged that kids’ brains can be more “elastic.”

In addition to his career and studies, Wood credited his mother, Debbie Wood, for helping shape him into the person he is today. He shared how she always prioritized raising him to be a "good human being" over making him a successful actor. One of the key lessons she taught him was humility. Wood explained that while assistant directors often rushed actors to the front of the lunch line, his mother always made him wait his turn. "She never let me do that," he recalled. "She'd be like, 'No. Get in line with everybody else.’” At the end of the day, she’d also ensure he hung up his costumes, a task he continues to do to this day.

Wood credited these values with shaping his approach to both his professional career and his personal life. He also mentioned that The Lord of the Rings (which he landed at age 18) was the first film set where he was on his own without his mom.

Source: People Magazine