Breslin is the daughter of Kim (née Walsh), a talent manager, and Michael Breslin,[3] a telecommunications expert, computer programmer, and consultant.[4] She has two older brothers, Ryan andSpencer, who are also actors.[citation needed] The Breslin siblings were raised inLower East Side, New York[5] in a "very close-knit" household.[6] Her mother is ofIrish ancestry, while her father was of mixedJewish and Irish descent.[7][6][8]
Breslin's career began at age three when she appeared in aToys "R" Us commercial.[10] Breslin's first acting role was inSigns (2002), directed byM. Night Shyamalan, where she played Bo Hess, the daughter of the main character, Graham Hess (Mel Gibson).Signs garnered mostly positive reviews[11] and was a box office success, grossing $408 million worldwide.[12] Breslin's performance in the film was praised by critics.[13][14] David Ansen ofNewsweek wrote that she and co-starRory Culkin gave "terrifically natural, nuanced performances".[15] In 2004, she appeared inRaising Helen, in which she and her brother Spencer played siblings, but the film fared poorly.[16] That same year, Breslin appeared inChestnut: Hero of Central Park.
Breslin had a small role as an orphan named Carolina inThe Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. In the independent filmKeane, she played Kira Bedik, a young girl who reminds the mentally disturbed protagonist William Keane (Damian Lewis) of his missing, abducted daughter.Keane had a limited theatrical release and grossed only $394,390 worldwide[17] but it received positive reviews and Breslin's performance was praised by critics.[18][19] Meghan Keane ofThe New York Sun wrote that "the scenes between Mr. Lewis and the charmingly fragile Kira, winningly played by Ms. Breslin, bring a captivating humanity to the film".[20]
Breslin's breakthrough role was in the 2006 comedy-dramaLittle Miss Sunshine, where she played Olive Hoover, a beauty pageant contestant, the youngest in adysfunctional family on a road trip. She was cast at the age of six, years before filming was started.[21] Her co-stars,Greg Kinnear andAlan Arkin, both stated that they were "astounded by her seriousness of purpose during shooting."[22]Little Miss Sunshine was a critical[23] and commercial success, grossing $100 million worldwide.[24] Her performance was highly praised;[25][26] Claudia Puig ofUSA Today wrote that, "If Olive had been played by any other little girl, she would not have affected us as mightily as [she] did."[27] She received nominations for theScreen Actors Guild Award andAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the fourth youngest actress to be nominated in that category.[28] AlthoughJennifer Hudson won the Oscar, Breslin co-presented with actorJaden Smith at the79th Academy Awards on February 25, 2007.[29] Breslin was part of the Disney Year of a Million Dreams celebration.Annie Leibovitz photographed her as Fira fromDisney Fairies with DameJulie Andrews as the Blue Fairy fromPinocchio.[30]
On October 27, 2007, Breslin made her stage debut in the playRight You Are (If You Think You Are) in New York City at the Guggenheim Museum starring in an ensemble cast, includingCate Blanchett,Dianne Wiest,Natalie Portman andPeter Sarsgaard.[31] In 2007, Breslin was ranked No. 8 inForbes magazine's list of "Young Hollywood's Top-Earning Stars", having earned $1.5 million in 2006.[32] Breslin next appeared in the 2007 romantic comedyNo Reservations, playing the niece of master chef Kate Armstrong (Catherine Zeta-Jones). The film garnered mostly negative reviews[33] but was successful at the box office, grossing $92 million worldwide.[34]Roger Ebert wrote that Breslin "has the stuff to emerge as a three-dimensional kid, if she weren't employed so resolutely as a pawn."[35] In 2007, she also starred inDefinitely, Maybe, as the daughter of a recently divorced father (played byRyan Reynolds); the film garnered generally favorable reviews,[36] with Steven Rea ofThe Philadelphia Inquirer writing that Breslin is "alarmingly cute – but she backs the cuteness up with serious acting instinct."[37]
In 2008, Breslin starred withJodie Foster in the filmNim's Island as Nim Rusoe, a young girl who lives on a remote tropical island.[38]Nim's Island received mixed reviews[39] but was successful financially, grossing $100 million worldwide.[40] In 2008, she appeared inKit Kittredge: An American Girl as the title role. The film was based on theAmerican Girl line of dolls, books, and accessories of which Breslin is a fan.[41]Kit Kittredge: An American Girl garnered favorable reviews[42] and grossed $17 million at the box office.[43] Breslin's performance in the film was praised by critics;[44][45]Joe Morgenstern ofThe Wall Street Journal wrote that she "carries the event-stuffed story with unflagging grace."[46]
In 2009, Breslin appeared inMy Sister's Keeper, where she played the role of Anna Fitzgerald, a young girl who was conceived to be a donor for her sister, Kate, who suffers from leukemia. SistersElle andDakota Fanning were slated to play the roles of Anna and Kate respectively;[47] however, Dakota refused to shave her head for the role, so she and Elle were replaced bySofia Vassilieva and Breslin.[48]My Sister's Keeper received mixed reviews[49] but was a financial success, grossing $95 million worldwide.[50]James Berardinelli wrote that Breslin and Vassilieva "display a natural bond one might expect from sisters, and there's no hint of artifice or overacting in either performance."[51] Also in 2009, Breslin appeared in the horror comedyZombieland as Little Rock.[52] Director Ruben Fleischer said that "the dream was always to get Abigail Breslin" for the role.[53] The film received positive reviews[54] and was successful at the box office, grossing $102 million worldwide.[55]
With previews beginning in February 2010, she made her Broadway debut asHelen Keller inThe Miracle Worker at theCircle in the Square Theatre.[56] Breslin has said that she was honored to play Keller,[57] who is one of her "biggest heroes".[58] The Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts, an advocacy group for blind and deaf actors, criticized the play's producers for not casting a deaf or blind actor in the role. Lead producer David Richenthal defended the decision, saying that he needed a well-known actress: "It's simply naïve to think that in this day and age, you'll be able to sell tickets to a play revival solely on the potential of the production to be a great show or on the potential for an unknown actress to give a breakthrough performance."[59] Vision-impaired actress Kyra Siegel was cast as Breslin's understudy.[60] Breslin's performance was praised by critics;[61][62][63] Frank Scheck ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote that she "well portrays Helen's feral rebelliousness in the play's early sections and is deeply touching as her character's bond with her teacher grows."[64] Ticket sales for the play, however, were considered disappointing, and the show closed in April 2010.[65][66] In September 2009, Breslin filmed inDes Moines, Iowa, playing the title role in the filmJanie Jones:[67] a 13-year-old girl who is abandoned by her former-groupie mother (Elisabeth Shue), and informs Ethan Brand (Alessandro Nivola), a fading rock star, that she is his daughter.[68] The film premiered at the2010 Toronto International Film Festival.[68]
In 2011, Breslin voiced Priscilla, a cactus mouse in the filmRango,[69] an animated throw-back to Spaghetti westerns, directed by Gore Verbinski.[70] That same year, she also appeared in the romantic comedyNew Year's Eve.[71] In 2013, she appeared in the thrillerThe Call. The film received mixed reviews from critics.[72] Andrew Barker ofVariety wrote that Breslin "acquits herself well enough for a problematic role in which she's forced to cry and scream nearly continuously."[73]The Call grossed $68 million worldwide.[74] In 2013, Breslin also appeared inHaunter in the role of Lisa, a ghost who bonds with a future girl living in her house to stop an evil killing spirit with the help of his many victims.[75]
In April 2017, Breslin stated that an ex-boyfriend had raped her, and she had since been diagnosed withPTSD.[86][87] Breslin explained that she did not report being raped at the time because she "was in complete shock and total denial", "feared not being believed" by the police, worried about revenge by the assailant if he found out and concerned about him hurting her family.[88][89] Breslin continues to advocate againstsexual assault.[90]
Her father, Michael, died at age 78 on February 26, 2021, of complications related toCOVID-19.[3]
In February 2022, Breslin revealed on Instagram that she was engaged to her longtime boyfriend Ira Kunyansky.[91][92] They got married on January 28, 2023.[93][94]
^Milton, Stephen (March 11, 2011)."Temp Head".Irish Independent.Archived from the original on January 29, 2026.Well my [paternal] grandfather was born in the north of Ireland, I think. I'm really bad, I should know this stuff. My mom has a really strong Irish background, too, but again, I'm a bit clueless. But we're, hopefully, planning a trip out there later this year, so maybe I can finally trace my heritage and get back to you on that.
^abcd"Abigail Breslin (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. RetrievedOctober 25, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
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