The Rise of Abigail Breslin

by Helen Earnshaw | 23 July 2015

Abigail Breslin is one of the most exciting young actresses around and someone we have literally seen grow up on screen. During her career, we have seen her show offer her versatility with sci-fi, comedy, drama, and now horror projects under her belt - she has also worked with a whole host of great directors along the way.

Abigail Breslin in Maggie

Breslin is back on the big screen this week with zombie/horror Maggie, which sees her team up with Arnold Schwarzenegger for the first time. Schwarzenegger and Breslin are set to play father and daughter in the film, while Henry Hobson makes his feature film directorial debut.

To celebrate the release of Maggie, we look back over Breslin's career at the movies that helped turn her into a star.

- Signs (2002)

It was back in 2002 when Signs hit the big screen and it marked the big screen debut for Breslin - she was just six years old at the time.

The film tells the story of a family who find mysterious crop circles forming near their home, it some becomes clear that extra-terrestrial beings may be behind them.

The movie also starred Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, and Cherry Jones, while M. Night Shyamalan was back in the director's chair. The movie saw Breslin play Gibson's young daughter Bo in a performance that saw her labelled as 'one to watch.'

Gibson, Phoenix, Culkin, and Breslin all give great performances as a family that is haunted by the past and are struggling to survive against the alien invasion. But does Bo's obsession with water hold the key?

Signs remains one of my favourite M. Night Shyamalan as he once again showed that he was the master of suspense - building up frame by frame and keeping audiences guessing until the end.

- Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Signs may have been the debut film for Breslin, but it was her performance in Little Miss Sunshine that really put her on the acting map in 2006.

Breslin was cast as Olive Hoover, who goes on a cross-country trip with her family so she can compete at the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. As expected, the trip is full of drama and tears however, Olive eventually makes it to give an unforgettable performance.

For me, Little Miss Sunshine was one of the best movies to hit the big screen in 2006 and the ensemble cast of Breslin, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Paul Dano, and Alan Arkin well and truly make this movie what it is. This wonderful dysfunctional family are laugh out loud funny and see all the actors at the top of their game.

However, it is Breslin who really shines as Olive, the innocent young girl who is trained by her grandfather and wants to compete in the pageant. It is the scenes in the motel room with her grandfather that are the best in the film as Olive questions if her father will love her should she not 'be a winner.'

For her performance, Breslin went on to pick up a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination - the first of her career. She lost out to Jennifer Hudson for her role in Dreamgirls.

- My Sister's Keeper (2009)

Breslin return to a family drama role in 2009 when she starred in My Sister's Keeper, which was an adaptation of the same name by Jodi Picoult. The movie saw Nick Cassavetes in the director's chair; he had also penned the screenplay with Jeremy Leven.

My Sister's Keeper follows the story of Kate (Kate Fitzgerald), who is suffering from leukaemia, and her parents who conceived another child in hope that there would be a bone marrow match. Years later, Anna takes her parents to court for the right to have control over her own body.

Breslin takes on the role of youngest daughter Anna in what is an emotional film that also explores some interesting ethical and moral issues.

My Sister's Keeper is an intelligent and moving film with a touching relationship between sisters Kate and Anna. Both Fitzgerald and Breslin give great performances as the young sisters - exploring very different sides of the battle against leukaemia. While the end of the film is different to the book, it is by no means any less satisfying or moving.

- Zombieland (2009)

Breslin is one of the most versatile young actresses around and she switched moving family drama for horror comedy in 2009, when she starred in the much-loved Zombieland.

Breslin took on the role of apocalypse survivor Little Rock who, along with her big sister Wichita, cleverly con other survivors, stealing their food and weapons, as a means of getting by. However, when they meet Columbus and Tallahassee, they team up to make their way across America.

Breslin is joined on the cast list by Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg and the fantastic Woody Harrelson, while Ruben Fleischer made his feature film directorial debut with Zombieland.

Zombieland was a departure from the sweet and innocent roles that we had seen Breslin tackle as Zombieland showed that she had a kick-ass side to her as well. Above all, Zombieland is a movie that is a lot of fun with Breslin, Stone, Eisenberg, and Harrelson proving they were a terrific action and comedic team. They created memorable and great characters as well as bringing some fantastic and snappy dialogue to life.

Zombieland is a movie that is packed with humour, gore, and action and was a movie that wasn't afraid to break all of the rules.

- The Call (2013)

Breslin turned her attention to the crime thriller in 2013 when she teamed up with Halle Berry for the first time for the call.

Breslin took on the role of Casey Welson, a teenage girl who is abducted by a killer. She speaks to veteran 911 operator Jordan Turner, who goes above and beyond the call of duty to save this young girl's life.

The Calls is a tense and edge of your seat ride as Berry's character Jordan attempts to help Casey escape from the man who took her. This is a role that has two very strong female characters at its core and both Berry and Breslin deliver great performances.

The Calls is a relentless suspense movie as director Brad Anderson really ratchets up the tension and suspense moment by moment.

Breslin does spend most of the movie trapped in the boot of a car, but she delivers a performance that is packed with fear and really heightens the claustrophobic setting in which she finds herself.

- August Osage County (2014)

Breslin joined a huge ensemble cast at the beginning of 2014 as she starred in August Osage County, which saw John Wells in the director's chair.

August Osage County was based on the play by Tracy Letts and followed a dysfunctional family that are brought back together after a death. The movie explores strained relationships, drags up the past, and is packed with strong women.

Meryl Streep is on board as the family, matriarch, while Julia Roberts, Margo Martindale, Juliette Lewis, Julianne Nicholson, Chris Cooper, Ewan McGregor and Benedict Cumberbatch are also on board. Breslin starred as Roberts' teenage daughter Jean.

There is so much great acting talent on show in August Osage County and is great to see Breslin mixing it with the likes of Streep and Roberts - she more than holds her own.

August Osage County went on to pick up a string of nominations during the awards season - including a Best Cast nod at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

- Maggie (2015)

Breslin is set to return to the big screen this week with Maggie with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Joely Richardson on the cast list behind her.

Breslin gives a captivating performance as Maggie, a teenage girl who becomes infected by an outbreak of a disease that slowly turns her into a cannibalistic zombie. During her transformation, her loving father stays by her side.

Maggie looks set to be a role that we have never seen Breslin tackle before. While Maggie is a zombie/horror film, there is also a father and daughter tale at its core which does set it apart from anything else we have seen in this genre of late.