Coping When Your Siblings are Famous

Get Bridgette's Book, "Overlooked."

BIG DREAMS
     “We were all happy and well-adjusted kids, but I was probably the happiest,” Bridgette says of her childhood perspective.  “I was a naturally eternal optimist, though I hadn’t any idea at that age what that was.”  Of the four Cameron kids, Kirk is the oldest, then Bridgette, Melissa, and Candace.  She says their childhood was full of family get-togethers, friends, and loads of fun.  “Between beach trips, family vacations, and sibling squabbles, I occasionally found myself in my room alone.  That was the place I dreamed of performing.  I loved to dance, sing, and act.  I twirled across my room, dreaming of playing this role or that, being a big singer, or dancing in some Broadway show.”  None of her siblings were as “entertainment-oriented” as she.     

OVERLOOKED
     Bridgette and her siblings all were born and raised in southern California.  Their mom, Barbara, got to be friends with a woman whose son, Adam Rich, landed a role in the late-70’s hit TV show, Eight is Enough.  She strongly encouraged Barbara to have her kids audition with their talent agent, Iris.  Bridgette says her parents weren’t interested and that school was extremely important in their family, especially since her dad, Robert, was a math teacher.  Barbara’s friend persisted and eventually, the Camerons decided it might be something fun for their kids, especially Bridgette, and called the agent.
     The whole family went to the 1979 audition in downtown L.A.  “My excitement for the day couldn’t be contained,” Bridgette remembers.  “My brother was the least enthusiastic about it all.”  Each Cameron child read copy for a commercial and followed Iris’ direction.  When they were all finished, the agent called Barbara into her office.  “Kirk got picked right away,” Bridgette remembers.  “She wanted Melissa, too.  Candace was too young at four, but Iris said to bring her back when she was six.  Mom leaned forward.  ‘What about Bridgette?  You’re not taking Bridgette?  Out of all my kids, Bridgette’s the one who really wants to do this.’  Iris simply replied, ‘She needs braces.  Bring her back when the braces are off.’”  Seven-year-old Bridgette was deeply disappointed, but soon enough was back to singing, dancing, and putting on little plays in her neighborhood.  She occasionally auditioned for parts that called for kids with braces, but still wasn’t selected. “In the meantime, I watched my brother’s acting career take off.  He was an overnight hit, winning everything he did.”
     In the ensuing years, success came easily to Kirk, who, in 1985, landed the role of Mike Seaver in the hit show Growing Pains.  Just two years later, Candace won the part of D.J. Tanner in the popular show, Full House.  Melissa also took some TV bit roles and commercials, but wasn’t as interested in ”show biz” as her siblings. Bridgette kept hoping for a breakthrough, but wore braces from second grade through high school, as well as a neck brace some of that time, to correct her underbite.  Still, Bridgette had lots of wonderful experiences connected to her siblings’ celebrity - thanks to her parents.  She says they were very intentional about including the whole family whenever one of the kids was part of a special event, e.g. The Peoples Choice Awards, for which Kirk was nominated several times.  She says she was also able to meet many entertainment legends from “Old Hollywood” at various parties, including Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Cary Grant, Patty Duke, Phyllis Diller, George Burns, and Betty White.  “One time we were at a table with Jimmy Stewart and Kirk leaned over for help placing his name. “‘Kirk!’ I whispered harshly.  ‘It’s Jimmy Stewart.  Jimmy Stewart.  You can’t be at a table with people like Jimmy Stewart and not know who he is!’  Kirk shrugged, unaffected as usual, as I cast a starry gaze across the table.”  Though experiences like that were marvelous, Bridgette continued to struggle with feeling left out and disappointed much of the time.    

FAMILY RIFT
     As Bridgette says, “There is no handbook for raising celebrity children.”  Barbara and Robert did their best to keep all the plates spinning, but after nearly a decade of Kirk and Candace being in the entertainment industry, it was obvious to all that it was taking a toll.  “My parents’ marriage was crumbling by the day,” Bridgette says.  “It wasn’t long before Mom moved to an apartment by herself, partly because of the rifts in their marriage, and partly because it was more convenient for managing my siblings’ careers.”  Meantime, her dad managed everything at home, and took primary care of Melissa and Bridgette.  She says they were all absolutely worried that their parents would divorce.  

COMING TO FAITH
     About the same time as their parents’ separation, when Kirk was 17, he began dating an actress who invited him to church.  The Camerons had never been religious, nor their extended families, so this was something new. He went to please the girlfriend, and was unprepared for what he heard.  The pastor, her father, asked the congregation the question, “If you died tonight would you go to heaven?” He then clearly laid out the requirements, which no one can meet, and explained the gospel.  “Kirk drove home that night in his Porsche, weaving along the 405 in the San Fernando Valley, deep in thought about everything the pastor had said.   Eventually he pulled into a parking lot and, for the first time in his life, talked to God.”  He continued going to church even after the dating relationship ended, and came to faith in Jesus.  Though Kirk mostly kept his fledgling faith to himself, Bridgette noticed he became nicer and more patient.  She says he also started asking for dialog changes for his TV character, not wanting to dishonor God.  Before long, Kirk invited his family to church.  Bridgette was the first to follow suit and ask Jesus to be her Savior.  “From there, the rest of my family slowly followed.  One by one Jesus took us to the place of repentance and brought us under His redemptive protection.  My dad, who’d always been a deep and logical thinker was the last one to accept Christ.”  Soon, their   Mom moved back home.  “My parents, though never divorced, returned to their marriage, and began doing the hard work they’d abandoned long ago.  Now, fifty-four years later, they’re still going.”

A NEW PERSPECTIVE
     As she grew in her faith and knowledge of God’s Word, Bridgette was able to see her life through a much different lens.  Though she had suffered many great disappointments, God’s hand of love and provision was clearer than before.  For instance, at 18, she was given the opportunity to be a “stand-in” for other child actors who were required to be in school several hours a day, starting with her sister on the set of Full House.  Her smaller stature turned out to be a big advantage.  That job grew into a 25-year career that she loved.  
     Another example comes from a horrendous accident in 2015.  Bridgette, her husband, John, and their three kids were driving cross country to join Kirk and his family as he hosted the K-LOVE music awards show in Nashville.  In Texas, an incredible dust storm arose, making it impossible to see the road.  John pulled off the road to wait it out, almost hitting a semi-truck which had stopped in the road.  Not long after, another semi, just as large as the first, slammed into the truck next to them – right where they’d been – and a fireball shot into the sky.  Then, yet another semi wedged itself into the space between their car and the burning semis.  One of the truck drivers yelled for them to get out of their car and run, which they did.  Unscathed, Bridgette saw God’s hand of protection like never before in her life.
     The main message that Bridgette wants others to take from her book is what she’s learned over the years of many ups and downs.  “Our purpose as human beings is to live in the will of God.  For some, that means motherhood.  For others, it’s being a devoted spouse.  For others, it is to provide for their families or to raise the next generation or to help those who are in need.  For all of us, though, our most important purpose is to point people to Jesus.”