Biography: Shirley Temple

A child actress can do worse than picking Shirley Temple as a role model. While still a young girl, Shirley made over forty films. During the Depression, some saw her as a shining beacon of hope, America's Princess of the Silver Screen. Like a modern-day child star, she had composure and talent beyond her age. This girl defined the term "triple threat"; she could sing, dance, and act with the best of them.

Her teenage years made it hard for Shirley to find work in Hollywood. No longer the adorable child, she could not say the sassy lines that had made her so famous without appearing rude. But this did not turn her into an alcoholic, drug addict, or party girl. Nor did she shave off all her hair. Shirley behaved like a proper young lady of her day.

Yet her life had its imperfections. She married too young. After about four years of marriage, Shirley filed for divorce from John Agar. They had a daughter together. Britney Spears could certainly learn a few lessons from Shirley. Divorce did not cause Shirley to have a nervous breakdown.

Shirley Temple went on with her life, and one day she met Charles Alden Black. The man proved to be her Prince Charming. Shirley married Charles. They had two children together. The couple shared a life for over five decades, until Charles died in 2005.

But marriage and motherhood were not the only responsibilities that occupied Shirley's adulthood. She got involved in the field of nonprofits, serving on quite a few boards. Then, politics came knocking. Shirley ran for Congress in 1967, but her opponent sunk the Good Ship Lollipop. Nixon's presidency saw Shirley serving as a delegate to the United Nations. The woman went on to become the US Ambassador to Ghana, US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia, and Chief of Protocol of the United States.

From child star to diplomat, Shirley Temple Black exhibited a dedication to public service that some of today's celebrities can only try to emulate. The woman realized that she was a symbol of America, and she took this responsibility seriously. The paparazzi would not have captured embarrassing photos of her.

I realize that the opinions sprinkled throughout this article show my admiration for Shirley Temple Black, so I will not even try to appear unbiased. She is a shining example of what I think child stars should be like. Early success if no reason to end up a loser. Today's child stars would benefit from following Shirley's example. Even normal people could learn from her story. Shirley is my role model because she knew what she wanted, she went after it, and she had the ability to set new goals after achieving the old.