Living in a teenage dream
SPOTS, unrequited love, and terrible trends — who’d want to be a teenager anyway?
British actress Rachel Weisz is gracing the big screen in Oz the Great and Powerful — the much-anticipated prequel to The Wizard of Oz. And the stylish star has revealed how she’d love to click her heels together three times, and forget all about her dodgy teenage dress sense.
“As a teenager, I used to dress in big, baggy men’s suits, with lots of red lipstick,” tells the mum-of-one, who’s married to Daniel Craig.
“I didn’t start really growing up until my 30s, but I hope I don’t ever get too grown-up.”
But Weisz won’t be the only one left red-faced down the line.
Despite the rise of social-networking, a new study has shown that 83% of girls aged 16-19 still keep a diary.
And like fictional diarists Adrian Mole and Bridget Jones before them, school, secret crushes, and clothes are just some of the preoccupations driving today’s teens to put pen to paper.
Here, four celebs — all grown up now — recall the ups and downs of adolescence.
“When I was about five, I got a Paul Daniels magic set for Christmas. But it wasn’t until my teens that I really became interested in the art of illusion.
“At 14, I bought The Klutz Book of Magic on a school tour to Scotland. I remember doing my homework with the magic book hidden underneath, in case my mother walked in! After practising all the tricks in front of a mirror, I began performing at weddings and kids’ parties. But my parents insisted that, while magic was great as a hobby, I still had to go to college.
“I wasn’t exactly a swot. I repeated my Leaving Cert to get the points needed to study Chemistry at Galway university. But I wasn’t lazy either. During the summer holidays, I worked on farms with a vet and used to play soccer with a local team.
“Apart from magic, I was really into Taekwondo as a teenager — and have a black belt to prove it.
“Unlike now, growing up, Dunmore East was proper countryside, so we had to make our own fun. That’s when my Atari ST, Bigtrak [computer-controlled tank] and A-Team action figures came in handy.
“As I got a bit older, on Friday nights, myself and my friends would try to get into the nightclub in Waterford. Even if we didn’t succeed, it was always great fun! As lads, the burning issue of the day was: ‘Tiffany or Debbie Gibson?’ I was Team Tiffany, all the way.
“Now when I look back of old photos of me with a bowl haircut, I don’t get embarrassed. I just laugh and say, ‘Look at the state of me!’”
“Youth may be wasted on the young, but I wouldn’t go back to my teens for love or money.
“As a teenager, I was spotty, slightly pudgy and boys only liked me for the craic. Baywatch was big at the time, and I was no Pamela Anderson. In hindsight, maybe that was a good thing, as it meant I could concentrate on school, whether I wanted to or not.
“Plagued by zits, I spent much of my teens searching for a miracle cure, and tried every cream and gadget going. Years later, I’m still doing nightly beauty slots on Xposé. Although these days, wrinkles are my biggest enemy!
“My most enduring memory of secondary school, however, is having a laugh with my hilarious best friend, Samantha Wright. Unfortunately for me, Samantha was also tall and gorgeous — and still is. Valentine’s Day was particularly tough. Guys would literally chase after her declaring their love or, worse, give me love letters to give to her. One year, I remember Samantha got 14 Valentines Day cards. Meanwhile, I got none.
“Away from the classroom, I loved escaping into fashion magazines and was a big fan of Kate Moss when she first burst onto the scene.
“As for the Leaving Cert itself, once was definitely enough! To this day, it remains one of the most comprehensive things I’ve ever done. Even though my student days are long behind me, as a mum, I still learn something new every day.”
“When I was 15, I changed schools because of bullying. During that time, I decided I was never getting bullied again. Fashion helped me reinvent myself. So I bleached my hair, got a bright red leather jacket and stuck Grolsch bottle tops on my shoes like Bros. Then I rocked up to my new school in Clondalkin, where I had the best few years of my life.
“From a young age, I had a separate linen basket from the rest of the family because nobody was allowed touch my clothes! When it comes to fashion, the eighties sometimes get a bad rap. But I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for the decade. Looking back on my teens, I think of Adrian Mole books, Curly Wurly bars and Top of the Pops on a Thursday night. I was obsessed with Depeche Mode, who were the first concert I ever went to.
“As a gay teenager in eighties Ireland, Channel 4 changed my life — its late-night Pink Triangle films always had nudity! I wasn’t out in my teens, so I always had lots of girlfriends — but I never wanted to go all the way.Luckily, I had a wonderful support system in my family and friends.
“If I could give my teenage self any advice it would be: ‘Don’t change’. I’ve never been afraid to stand out. In fact, I quite enjoy it!”
“Like most people, when I look back on my teenage years — I cringe.
“Each month, I used to go to a local under-18s disco called ‘Lazer Disco’ with all my friends. If for some reason you didn’t get in, it was the end of the world.
“At the time, ra-ra skirts and furry boots were all the rage. Meanwhile, I had just discovered fake tan, so I usually ended up a strange hue of orange — not to mention the blue eyeshadow!
“As a teenager, I was a total geek and studied Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Drama for my A-levels.
“While all my friends had boyfriends, I was more interested in studying than boys.
“But it paid off when I was accepted to study Pharmacy at Queens University in Belfast.
“When I finally did get a boyfriend, he had a very bad hairstyle and drove a horrible green car. Suffice to say, it didn’t last too long!
“After all that swotting, I looked forward to my debs for ages and put weeks of preparation into it.
“My dress cost a small fortune, so I remember working part-time so that I could pay a little off it every week.
But I still love it and actually wore the dress for both Miss Ireland and Miss World as well!”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
