Mia Talerico

Back in 2009, writer-producers Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen set out to create a sitcom for Disney that would appeal to children and adults alike. The plot of 'Good Luck Charlie', therefore, revolved around a theme that's all too familiar to the average American household - of a family trying to adjust to the surprise birth of their fourth child, Charlie. The creators knew instinctively that they had a winner in their hands, but the greatest challenge in the process of chronicling the Duncan family's hilarious misadventures was the casting of the titular character, Charlie.

The initial plan was to stick to the protocol and cast identical twins, thereby bypassing the risk of violating child labour laws and ensuring that the filming won't be interrupted by the issue of unavailability. As it turned out, finding the identical twins proved to be an insurmountable problem. It was at this point that Mia toddled her way into the frame, and almost immediately, the decision to cast her was made. It was quite the gamble, but soon enough, Mia proved how much of an invaluable asset she was to the show.

Disney executive Gary Marsh admits that casting Mia for the role of Charlie was the biggest risk and challenge for the show. "It's like flying without a net. She may have a bad day and we can't shoot and it'll cost us tens of thousands of dollars. But so far, so good. She's the most obedient actor I've ever worked with. My own daughter, who's 4 now, would never perform this well in front of a camera," said Marsh in a 2010 interview.

All credit to Mia, who took to the camera and lights like a duck takes to water. She wasn't bewildered by the spotlight, but embraced it - like a born performer would. The interesting aspect was that while the series largely revolved around Mia, being a toddler meant she had very few lines. But thanks to some clever writing that incorporated Mia's antics and idiosyncrasies into the storyline, even her simple interjections and expressive reactions occasioned a lot of laughter.

The success of 'Good Luck Charlie' made Mia a household name in the country. But with all the adoration and accolades came the inevitable share of problems. In early 2014, Disney took a remarkably progressive step when they featured a lesbian couple in the episode, 'Down a Tree'. This was a first in the history of a Disney Channel series, and though generally well-received, a few conservative groups vocally protested the decision. However, things took an ugly turn when a few reactionaries took to social media and started flooding Mia's Instagram account (managed by her mother) with abuse and death threats.

Thankfully, before things could further escalate, the police and the media sprang into action and the bad blood was quelled. And blissfully unaware of the chaos that surrounded her and the show for a short while, Mia continued to charm the viewers with her disarming innocence.