Who is Ellen Hamilton Latzen?

Born on July 26, 1980 in the United States of America, Ellen Hamilton Latzen is an actress, best known for her career as a child, appearing in the movies “Fatal Attraction” and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”. She worked on television shows and movies until her teens when she decided to retire from acting.

The Wealth of Ellen Hamilton Latzen

As of the beginning of 2020, Ellen Hamilton Latzen’s net worth is estimated to be over $900,000 earned through success in her various endeavors. Although she earned a little income through acting, she later tried several jobs, gaining her experience before returning 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 and grew up alongside an older sister. When she was six years old, a casting was done for an untitled film, looking for girls from six to eight years old. Thousands of girls auditioned, and although she wasn’t really interested in acting at first, she tried and was selected for the part.

The film turned out to be “Fatal Attraction”, in which she teamed up with stars Michael Douglas and Anne Archer, in the role of their character’s daughter.

The film was released in 1987 and is based on the short film “Diversion”, which came out seven years earlier. It follows the story of a married man who has an affair with a woman who turns out to be obsessed with him, as she doesn’t want the marriage to end just like that. The film was a box office success, becoming the second highest-grossing film of the year and nominated for several Academy Awards. The movie stirred controversy during his time, due to the themes of stalking and mental health issues.

National Lampoon and other projects

Thanks to her work in “Fatal Attraction”, more opportunities opened up for Latzen.

She appeared in the movie “Mr. North,” based on the Thornton Wilder novel “Theophilus North,” set in the 1920s and starring Anthony Edwards, which follows the titular character as he navigates a wealthy neighborhood amid rumors about him that may destroy his relationships.

In 1989, she landed another major role when she was cast in the movie “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, the third movie in the series. The film is based on the short story “Christmas ’59” which was initially published in “National Lampoon” magazine. The movie starred Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid and Beverly D’Angelo, and was successful, considered one classic Christmas movie.

It is the only sequel to feature a sequel, although the sequel did not do as well as the original as it was released directly to television.

Retiring from acting

As Ellen Hamilton progressed through her teenage years, she found it more difficult to balance acting with schooling. She did a few independent film projects in the 1990s, but eventually moved to New York to attend boarding school nearby. When she left home, her career stalled and she hasn’t returned to it since. While she was silent, some publications contacted her about a possible return to acting, but she showed no interest in continuing in the profession, preferring to keep it closed.

After graduating from high school, she moved to San Francisco where she studied at the California College of Arts.

The school has an extensive history, originating during the height of the arts and crafts movement. After completing her studies there, she had no clear direction in her career and worked in various fields, first in travel and hospitality, then she tried jobs in advertising and publishing. She even worked for a few start-ups during her childhood. Eventually, she realized that she was still very much interested in entertainment, and although she is no longer an actress, she wanted to stay connected to her roots.

Recent Efforts and Child Stars

Eventually, Ellen moved back to Los Angeles, California hoping to pursue various entertainment-related interests. She started working more behind the scenes and became 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 goes on behind the scenes in the lives of child actors.

Often, child actors find it difficult to transition into adult roles within the profession due to numerous factors.

Acting can be a job full of pressure and the problems they faced as a child can demotivate them to continue with their initial interest. Other child actors are being typecast, or their current appearance no longer fits what most productions are looking for. She admitted that she wasn’t the typical kid to be cast in movies in the first place, which already limited her opportunities except for her first few projects. Many child stars have difficult lives as adults, with addiction or mental health issues, as seen with names like Macaulay Culkin and Lindsay Lohan, often stemming from issues they had with their parents when they were younger.

Private life

There is no information about Ellen Hamilton’s romantic endeavours, so it is not known if she is married or if she has any children. Some people speculate that she already has a family, but this has never been confirmed. She gained some weight in 2016 attention when she met Michael Douglas again at a Motion Picture and Television Fund event. He posted a picture of them together online which received a lot of positive attention. This was the first time they were together since working on “Fatal Attraction”.