BEVERLY HILLS—In an interview with James Corden on the “Late Late Show,” actress Carla Gugino revealed that she once lied about her age.
“Basically this is the only time I ever lied about my age to get a job,” Gugino said. “Before IMDB, you could lie about your age, and I was fully rewarded for it.”
The role of Chica Barnfell in the 1989 comedy “Troop Beverly Hills.” In the cult classic, Gugino’s character is one of a handful of girls in naïve new den mother Phyllis Nefler’s (Shelley Long) Wilderness Girl troop. Despite her ignorance of traditional Wilderness Girl skills (due to rain, one campout is held in the Beverly Hills Hotel), Phyllis charms even the prickly Chica.
“I told the director like three weeks in, once I knew I couldn’t get fired, because we’d shot enough. I was like, ‘Just so you know, I’m 16.’ I thought for sure he was going to be like, ‘No big deal!’ But he was like, ‘Gasp! I never would have hired you if I knew you were 16.’”
The role launched Gugino into a successful career in show business. After “Troop Beverly Hills,” Gugino spent her teen years starring in shows like “Doogie Howser, M.D.” and “The Wonder Years.”
She would later become known for her role as superspy and supermom Ingrid Cortez in the “Spy Kids” franchise. She also took on riskier roles like Sally Jupiter in the movie adaptation of the (in)famous graphic novel “Watchmen.”
Despite temptation, since her stunt on “Troop Beverly Hills,” Gugino has never again lied about her age.
“I probably should have saved it for now when it would be really helpful to me,” she joked.
