Jake Gyllenhaal thinks being a child star can be "dangerous".
Jake Gyllenhaal
The 'Southpaw' star - who started acting himself at the age of 11 in 1991's 'City Slickers' - believes "kids should be allowed to be kids" and says his parents always preached to him about the importance of education.
He said: "I think any professional business for a child where they're not allowed to necessarily be a child is always dangerous. You know? I think kids should be allowed to be kids. But I also think that, I always believe in an education, I think that you can have however much talent and people can tell you that or not but an education has always been the thing that's gotten me through.
"My parents, even though I was acting at a young age, always emphasised that and I went to school and I was lucky enough to go to college and as a result of that I think I really know what good material is. I know what moves me because I read the great material."
And the 35-year-old actor also revealed he enjoys working alongside younger actors and actresses because they are always so "honest by nature".
He added to FOX411: "I would also say to any adult actor that if you want to learn the most from a scene always find, if there's a child in the scene, or a young adult follow them because they're closer to something more honest than you'll ever be just by the nature of them being younger."
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