If you were anywhere near social media during the Wicked: For Good New York City premiere last week, you probably saw 8-year-old Scarlett Spears. The young actress, who plays young Glinda in the film, seemed like an Ariana Grande in training — smiling ear-to-ear on the red carpet, doing the "toss, toss" and posing for cameras like she’d been doing red carpets her whole life.

But behind the glitter and the bubblegum-pink gowns is a very grounded family from Orlando — and at the center of it all is Scarlett’s mom, Sharline Spears. Sharline isn’t interested in creating a viral child. She’s focused on raising a happy, humble 8-year-old who just happens to be in the No. 1 movie in the world. From navigating early auditions to managing school, safety, travel and the realities of a career that started before Scarlett even learned to read, Sharline has been guiding her daughter through it all.

In this interview with Yahoo's Taryn Ryder, Sharline walks us through the journey in her own words — from the moment she realized Scarlett had “something special” to the life-changing Wicked casting call and watching her daughter step onto that bubble platform next to Grande. Here’s what it’s really like raising a child star in today’s world.

How it started

Scarlett’s whole journey started in such a simple way — with pictures. She was doing some print modeling jobs, and people kept telling me how cute she was. I thought she was adorable, of course, but I didn’t have a big plan. I just signed her with an agency to see what would happen.

Then our manager, Randy, found us on Instagram. We were so new, so green, and I truly had no idea what I was doing. But signing with her changed everything. Within a week, actual TV auditions started coming in.

Scarlett couldn’t even read yet, so I would feed her the lines for her auditions. She would absorb everything instantly. She has always been a little sponge. At four years old, she would memorize entire scripts instantly. I remember thinking, OK, this is not normal. I could also tell there was something in her that lit up when she performed.

Her first audition was for The Conners. She didn’t book it, but it was such a good sign that we were on the right track. And honestly, even then, we set the tone for how we handle disappointment. I’ve always told her: If it’s a yes, wonderful. If it’s a no, that’s OK too. You show up, you do your best and then we move on with our day. Keeping it that simple has helped her stay so grounded.

A few weeks later, she auditioned for General Hospital. I remember being in the waiting room, watching other girls go in and come out quickly. Scarlett was in there for eight minutes. When she walked out, she told me she killed it. And on the drive off the lot, we got the call that she had booked the role of Donna Corinthos. She's been on the show now since 2022.

People ask if I ever hesitated about letting Scarlett act. I really didn’t. Parents are required to be on set, and I’m always with her. I don’t leave her side. If she loves something this much, my job is to support her and protect her at the same time.

Landing Wicked

After General Hospital, everything kind of snowballed. Scarlett booked Pink’s music video — she was the tantrum girl — and Pink was literally the sweetest person. Then she booked Dora [and the Search for Sol Dorado], playing young Dora, which took us to Colombia for a few weeks.

And then Wicked came into our lives.

We were sent a scene from the first movie for her to audition with — it was the scene when Glinda keeps mispronouncing Boq's name — and Scarlett learned it in no time. She ended up doing a 15-minute director session on Zoom instead of sending in a tape. I knew it was a big deal, but I tried not to get ahead of myself. She was auditioning against girls in London and all over the States. I kept telling myself: If this is meant for her, it’ll be for her.

Later, our manager asked to get on a Zoom with us. She noticed I was wearing pink and asked if it was on purpose. It wasn’t. Then she smiled and told us Scarlett booked the role. I was completely ecstatic.

We flew to London for production. The first people we met were director Jon M. Chu and producer Marc Platt. They were so warm and kind. A few days later, Scarlett got into her full Glinda look, and there were whispers she might get to meet Ariana. But with Ariana’s busy schedule, nothing was guaranteed. I told Scarlett it was OK if it didn’t happen — she’d lived her whole life without meeting her so far.

Then they walked Scarlett into the huge soundstage, and by the time I caught up, she was standing on the bubble platform next to Ariana. Everyone was clapping. It was the sweetest, most surreal moment. Later, when they came down, Ariana walked over to introduce herself. She was so genuine and warm — and she told me that if we ever needed anything communicated, we could let the crew know and they’d reach out to her. It was such a kind gesture and made us feel really cared for on set.

Rules and misconceptions

People don’t always see the structure behind the scenes for kids in this industry. Scarlett is 8 now and homeschooled, but she didn’t start that way.

She was in public school at first — and we loved her teachers — but the schedule just wasn’t workable once her career took off. At one point, we even had a principal who excused her absences, and then a new one came in who wouldn’t. Homeschooling ended up being such a blessing. She gets to learn at her own pace with a tutor we love.

And when she’s on set, Scarlett's with the teacher. Every child actor has one — they’re certified teachers who handle the schoolwork and also make sure the kids aren’t overworked. If Scarlett’s not filming, she’s doing math or reading with them. It’s all very structured.

At home in Florida, she just gets to be Scarlett. She rides her bike, plays with friends, goes to her grandparents’, splashes in mud puddles. We don’t talk about work when we’re off set. That’s one of our family rules — home is home. It keeps her grounded and gives her a childhood outside of acting.

Social media is another big rule in our house. Scarlett doesn’t look at it. She doesn’t know her follower count. We don’t talk about numbers. I’m the one who posts, and I try to balance her work with her real life so people understand she’s a normal little girl.

And honestly, that’s the biggest misconception: that she’s constantly working. She absolutely does not work 24/7. People think that because of what I post, but there are entire weeks where she has no auditions at all. Sometimes she’s home in her pajamas watching movies. Sometimes she’s at hip-hop or ballet. Sometimes she’s doing nothing but being 8.

For parents whose kids want to act, I always say this: There are way more noes than yeses. It takes commitment. It takes travel. It takes being ready to show up on short notice. It’s not just about the child — it’s a family effort.

We’ve stayed in Florida, and that’s been grounding too. We only go to L.A. when she books something. And Scarlett has two older brothers, 18 and 19, who adore her and keep her humble in the best possible way. They’re not in the industry at all, which probably helps keep everything feeling normal.

Raising a little girl in a very big world

At the end of the day, I just want people to know who we are as a family and what really matters to us. We try to stay humble, proud and grateful for every single opportunity Scarlett’s been given. She loves to act — she lights up when she’s on set — but she’s still only 8. She’s still learning, still growing, still figuring out the world the way any child does.

I always tell her she doesn’t have to be perfect. Nobody is. You just show up, do your best and be proud of the way you try. And tomorrow, you try to be a little better than you were today. That’s all I ever want for her — a strong heart, a kind spirit and the understanding that her worth isn’t tied to a job or a “yes” or a “no.”

This journey has brought us so many beautiful memories — going to Colombia for Dora, dancing around on Pink’s set, watching her stand on that bubble platform next to Ariana Grande like it was the most natural thing in the world. These are moments we’ll cherish forever.

But no matter what happens, no matter where this career takes her, our foundation stays the same. Our faith guides us. That’s what grounds us. And that’s helpful in keeping this whole experience joyful, no matter what comes next.