Recognize this face? If you’re over the age of 25, you definitely should. Anna Chlumsky played the precocious Vada Sultenfuss in 1991’s My Girl opposite Macaulay Culkin — you remember, the feel-good childhood-crush-gets-killed-by-bees film of the early ’90s? At the age of 8, I emerged from that film bawling. I was expecting Kevin McCallister and his wacky robber-thwarting antics, and instead what I got was a lifelong traumatic fear of bees. But I also came out idolizing Vada Sultenpuss and, correspondingly, Anna Chlumsky. I’d often wondered where she’d disappeared for during all this time.
Eighteen years later, Anna has two flicks showing at the Tribeca Film Festival — The Good Guy and In the Loop — and she’s as excited about it as I am! “You plug along and you do your work and sometimes a lot of people see what you do,” she said on the red carpet. “I think it’s so special that people know what I do. It all kind of comes together at once in this moment … I would be living under a rock if I thought that people don’t know the movie My Girl and that it didn’t mean something to people. I think that’s been the blessing of growing up and having every fan of mine tell me what it meant to them…And, yeah, people want to know what I’m doing and it kinda gives you a little extra umph when you’re doing your thing.”
During her absence from the big screen, Anna got a degree from the University of Chicago, worked for Zagat, and met her husband, Shaun So. “There are good guys out there,” she says. “There really, really are. You’ve just gotta be open for it. I think that I actually kinda got what I envisioned when I was 10!”
Good to have you back, Vada Sultenpuss!
Gosh she’s so pretty.
=]
Vada was my hero as a young girl. I may just pop in My Girl right now and love her all over (and possibly cry over everything).
that dress is so strange and unflattering. i loved my girl!
I was just going to say the same thing! I loved My Girl and I always wondered what Anna Chlumsky did with her life after My Girl and Gold Diggers (..another pre teen movie obsession of mine.. it was a great one- anyone else remeber it? :) )
One thing I really don’t understand is her dress and shoe choice.. the dress is extremely unflattering for such a gorgeous girl, and her shoes are the exact same shade as the red carpet, making them disappear. I don’t understand why celebrities pay thousands and thousands of dollars on boring dresses when I could find a form flattering, appropriate dress for less that $300 at Fairweather.
aaaa Vada! I hope she makes it. she is one I’d love to see more on the red carpet….Go Anna Go!
I had such a crush on her back in the day (though she couldn’t run worth shit!) She’s gorgeous now. However, my heart is broken that she’s married! First Wendy now Anna.
Now I’m sad all of the hot single women are taken. :( (Except for you Beet! :D)
she needs a stylist.
her children are going to be gorgeous mixed babies… so jealous!
omg. my girl was one of the first movies that i cried buckets over! i’m glad see her all grown up to be so pretty, and with a college degree to boot! :D she’s my child actress postergirl now!
I was so excited when I saw her on 30 Rock… I’m glad to see that she stepped out of the spotlight and didn’t self implode like other child stars.
Love her! Great to have her back!
Also, she should not wear that black dress again, really unflattering.
She is still beautiful! I love Veda. Glad she didn’t go down the Lindsey road
Sultenpuss… ehehhehehhe Sultenpuss *chuckle*.
Yeah I am 20 I have never seen that film nor did I know who the girl is!!
WTF is she wearing?
I was born in 1991 and i’ve seen that movie a million times. I love it. It always makes me cry though.
Also, courteney, yes, i’ve seen gold diggers too. I loved it. But I remember my older sister watching it all the time. She’s 21 now. lol.
I’m 24 and that movie was my favorite! My Girl 2 as well, because Austin O’Brien was adorable. Thanks for the post!
jami lee curtis was so cute in the movie too. just had to throw that in. i have a stepmother who is a real bitch, and i always wished i had one like jami. LOL
I remember her from Gold Diggers: Secret of Bear Mountain. Watched it at age 14, I had a huge crush on her.