You may recognize the talented Izabela Vidovic from her roles in Wonder, The Fosters, and more. One of her earliest breakout roles was playing Jason Statham‘s daughter Maddie in the 2013 action thriller Homefront, when she was just 10 years old. Let‘s dive into the details of Izabela‘s memorable performance in this film and how it showcased her skills at such a young age.
Getting to Know Rising Star Izabela Vidovic
Before we look at Izabela‘s specific age and experience in Homefront, let‘s get to know this impressive young actress a bit more.
Izabela Vidovic was born on May 6, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. From an early age, she displayed a passion for performing and bringing characters to life. Her family took note of her talents and helped enroll her in acting classes to develop her skills.
Izabela‘s first professional acting credit came at age 5 when she appeared in an episode of the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother in 2008. This kicked off a steady stream of TV and film roles throughout her childhood.
By age 7, she had significant acting experience under her belt from parts in shows like Dexter, Ghost Whisperer, and Rizzoli & Isles. Her first recurring TV role was as Christy on the sitcom CBS Life in Pieces beginning in 2015.
Despite her busy acting schedule growing up, Izabela‘s education remained a priority. She was homeschooled for much of her childhood which allowed her the flexibility to take on diverse acting projects.
According to an interview with Dubai One, Izabela has said her parents and siblings are all extremely supportive of her acting career and help ground her between roles. She credits her family for helping manage the pressures that come with acting from a young age.
Izabela‘s Pivotal Role in Homefront (2013)
In 2013, Izabela appeared in her first major feature film – the action thriller Homefront, starring Jason Statham. This role helped put her talent firmly on the map in Hollywood and was a pivotal early credit.
The Film:
- Directed by Gary Fleder
- Based on a novel by Chuck Logan
- Also starred James Franco, Winona Ryder, Kate Bosworth
The Plot:
Homefront follows former DEA agent Phil Broker (Jason Statham) who retires to a small town with his 10-year-old daughter Maddie. But he finds himself up against a ruthless local drug lord and has to take action to protect his family.
Izabela‘s Role:
- Plays Maddie, Phil Broker‘s intelligent, brave daughter
- Key emotional center of the film
- Scenes showcase loving father-daughter relationship
At just 10 years old when Homefront released, Izabela displayed maturity and nuance beyond her years in this role. She held her own in scenes with veteran dramatic actors and brought complexity to playing Broker‘s daughter.
According to director Gary Fleder:
“Izabela has tremendous instincts and is incredibly gifted for someone so young. She brought real poise and depth to her scenes.”
Izabela‘s Age and Experience Across Early Roles
To understand Izabela‘s young age while filming Homefront, let‘s look at how old she was during some of her earliest acting credits:
| Production | Age | Year |
|---|---|---|
| How I Met Your Mother | 5 years old | 2008 |
| Ghost Whisperer | 7 years old | 2009 |
| Homefront | 10 years old | 2013 |
| Wonder | 13 years old | 2017 |
| The Fosters | 15 years old | 2018 |
You can see that Homefront captured Izabela right on the cusp of her transition from child to teen actress, making her performance even more impressive.
Balancing School and Acting Growing Up
As mentioned, Izabela was homeschooled for much of her childhood in order to accommodate her acting roles. According to an interview with Variety magazine, she began homeschooling in third grade and continued through middle school.
However, she started attending a regular public high school in Los Angeles when she was older. Izabela has shared it was a bit of adjustment dealing with normal high school life after so many years acting and learning from home.
In the Variety interview she said:
“It was very strange, that whole high school experience. Freshman year was tough because I didn’t really know how to interact with so many kids my own age.”
But she settled in and enjoyed aspects of traditional school, continuing to balance academics with her busy acting schedule.
Spotlight on Reviews of Izabela‘s Homefront Performance
Let‘s look at what critics and reviewers said about Izabela‘s eye-catching performance in Homefront when she was just 10:
Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times:
"A very talented young actress named Izabela Vidovic damn near steals the movie as Statham’s daughter. She’s a little firecracker."
We Got This Covered:
"MATCHING STATHAM IN EVERY SCENE is 10-year old Izabela Vidovic who shows a great deal of promise here and nearly steals the film."
Time Out London:
"Young Izabela Vidovic serves up a mature, neatly layered performance as Broker’s daughter."
IndieWire:
"In her first major film role, child actress Izabela Vidovic is almost too good for ‘Homefront‘."
You can see that even at just 10 years old, Izabela displayed a screen presence and acting chops well beyond her years. Her breakout role in Homefront proved she had the skills necessary to transition into more mainstream feature films.
Izabela‘s Path to Acting and Early TV Work
So how did Izabela get her start as a professional actress leading up to Homefront?
According to an interview with Dreamteen Magazine, Izabela became fascinated with movies and creating characters as early as 3 years old. Her Kindergarten teacher was the first person to suggest she pursue acting professionally.
With support from her family, Izabela began taking acting classes and auditioning for commercials and small roles. As mentioned, her first professional credit was on How I Met Your Mother in 2008 at age 5.
Over the next few years, she appeared in various TV shows gaining valuable experience:
- Dexter (2009)
- Hawthorne (2009)
- Ghost Whisperer (2009)
- Zeke and Luther (2011)
- Wilfred (2012)
Izabela also did modeling work, appeared in short films, and refined her acting techniques through intensive training. All of this built up her skills and laid the groundwork for more high-profile roles.
Expanding Her Acting Repertoire After Homefront
Izabela has continued her upwards career trajectory after her breakthrough performance in Homefront as a child actor. Some of her most notable roles since include:
Wonder (2017)
This family drama starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson featured Izabela as the younger version of Roberts‘ character. She had to adopt mannerisms and an emotional range similar to the veteran actress. This displayed her versatility to take on more complex adult roles.
The Fosters (2018)
Izabela played the recurring role of Lou Chan in the fifth and final season of this popular teen drama series. As an edgier, more troubled teen character, this allowed Izabela to showcase greater maturity in her acting skills.
Younger (2018)
Appearing in two episodes of this comedy series, Izabela proved she could convincingly take on mature storylines as a young professional dating an older man.
Tell Me a Story (2018)
This dark fantasy drama offered Izabela the chance to play a grittier character dealing with violence and trauma. She held her own in intense scenes, proving her versatility as an actress.
Accolades and Awards for Her Work
Despite her young age, Izabela‘s acting achievements have already earned her recognition through award nominations and honors:
- Young Artist Award nomination for Best Performance in a Feature Film (Homefront)
- Inducted into the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Hall of Fame (2019)
- Received the Horizon Award at the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival (2018)
As she continues to take on more challenging roles in her teens and beyond, there are surely more accolades in store for this rising talent.
Izabela‘s Musical Pursuits
In addition to her thriving acting career, Izabela has been cultivating her skills as a musical artist in recent years. She has released several singles that showcase her vocal talents in a new light:
- "Go Away" (2016) – Her debut single blends pop and R&B styles.
- "All I‘ve Ever Needed" (2017) – This pop ballad has emotional lyrics about friendship and belonging.
- "Love on the Weekend" (2019) – An upbeat, bubblegum pop ode to young summer love.
Transitioning more into music allows Izabela to connect with fans in a more personal way through lyrics she writes herself. Expect more music releases as she continues nurturing this side of her artistic talents.
What‘s Next for Izabela Vidovic?
Izabela has shown she is more than just a child star – she has the skills and versatility to continue taking on complex, challenging roles. Some of her upcoming projects to look out for include:
-
Short film See You Soon – A drama centered around addiction and its impact on families.
-
Animated movie Harold and the Purple Crayon – She will voice the character of Bonnie.
-
Evel – Limited series portraying the story of stuntman Evel Knievel where she will play Evel‘s daughter.
At just 20 years old in 2024, Izabela has already built up an impressive resume across TV, film and music. Her poise and maturity in Homefront at age 10 demonstrated she was far more than just a child actor. No doubt she will continue to showcase her talents in diverse, compelling roles in the years to come.
Conclusion
So in summary, Izabela Vidovic delivered a truly impressive performance in the 2013 action thriller Homefront when she was just 10 years old. As one of her earliest major feature film roles, it demonstrated her solid acting instincts and screen presence at a very young age.
Since then, Izabela has continued expanding her repertoire with roles of greater maturity and complexity across many genres. But her turn as Jason Statham‘s brave daughter in Homefront still stands out as a pivotal point in her journey from child actress to leading Hollywood star. Her talent and work ethic ensure many more accomplishments lie ahead for this gifted young performer.
