Though Hallmark star and “Grey’s Anatomy” alum Sarah Drew knew she wanted to be an actress when she was growing up, she didn’t start acting professionally until after college. Now that her own kids are showing an interest in the industry, she’s hoping to keep them from jumping into the fray until they’re adults.
“I’ve just seen it go wrong so many times, and sets are just not a good place for kids,” Drew explains in the newest issue of LA Parent, out on March 1, 2025.
The “Mistletoe Murders” star and her husband, college professor Peter Lanfer, are raising 13-year-old Micah and nine-year-old Hannah in Los Angeles. Though she’s happy to cheer on her kids’ creative aspirations, she wants them — and other youngsters — to just have fun exploring and developing their skills and passions without the pressures of Hollywood.
Sarah Drew Says Pressures of a Set Can ‘Pull Out Some of the Joy’ For Kids in Professional Productions
When LA Parent asked Drew what her advice would be for parents of kids eager to get into Hollywood productions, she replied, “Honestly, I would tell them all to hold off doing anything professionally until after college.”
“I would encourage them to do what I did, which was to do as much school and community theater as possible,” she continued. “Get all the experience you can and allow it to be fun and to be playful.”
Drew told LA Parent that what she has witnessed time and time again with kid actors is that the standards they’re expected to meet can be far too demanding.
“As soon as a kid is on set, there’s a stressful clock on them, and it doesn’t matter how they feel or if they need a nap — they need to do their work,” Drew explained. “It’s a lot of pressure for a kid, and I think it can kill some of the joy of the play of storytelling.”
I’m committed as a professional adult in this industry to keep playing every day I’m on set,” she continued. “No story sings without play being at the heart of it, in my opinion. But it can be hard work to remember to do that, work that a kid shouldn’t have to do.”
Drew, who also works as a producer and screenwriter, acknowledged that she has written parts for kids, telling LA Parent, “We need kids to tell all the stories, but if it were my kid, I’d tell them to hold off.”
Sarah Drew’s Son Has Begun Making Elaborate Movies Just For Fun
Though Drew doesn’t want her kids professionally acting until they’re much older, she’s happy to cheer them on in playful, community-based acting and movie-making. The proud mama has periodically posted scenes from their local productions.
Her son is obsessed with filmmaking and editing, she told LA Parent, teaching himself how to create special effects. In August, she posted a short ‘Star Wars’-esque movie (seen above) Micah made with special effects including explosions and light tricks that left her “mind blown.”
For a speeder bike chase, she explained, “He built those speeder bikes out of Legos, then shot himself in front of a green screen with a fan blowing his hair and then put himself on the bike. I mean….. constantly blown away by this kiddo’s creativity.”
The actress half-joked to LA Parent, “We’ll all be working for him someday.”
Drew’s daughter Hannah, meanwhile, is really into “musical theater,” she told the outlet, adding that “she’s currently in two productions where she’s playing the lead in both,” and is always singing and dancing around the house.
In her own professional life, Drew told LA Parent she’s waiting for word on the future of “Mistletoe Murders,” hoping for a season two renewal on Hallmark+.
Comments
Sarah Drew Wants Her Talented Kids to Avoid the Limelight — For Now