Abigail Breslin, the versatile star of “The Call,” began her career at age 5 opposite Mel Gibson in “Signs,” and became involved with Project Sunshine shortly after being Oscar-nommed for her role in indie sensation “Little Miss Sunshine.”
“They have a gala every year, they invited me, and I got really inspired by the work they do with the kids and families,” Breslin says of the org, which provides activities for children living with disabilities, HIV or other special needs. “Their volunteers visit hospitals and do various programs, like arts and crafts, and their ‘star for a day’ program, where the girl is a princess and the boy’s a prince. What’s really special is that they also help the families; they bring in people to give the parents massages and visit the siblings of the a ected children.”
When the New York-based actress isn’t on set, she often visits local hospitals. Breslin recalls a recent pre-Halloween visit where she made masks with the children: “It’s one of my favorite memories of being involved with Project Sunshine. There was a little girl who had the same kind of cat as me, so we shared cat pictures. All the kids are so sweet, and their families are so appreciative of the work the Project does.”
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This is an unusually busy year for the actress. In addition to sci-fi franchise starter “Ender’s Game” and stage-to-screen drama “August: Osage County,” her upcoming slate includes three chillers “Haunter,” “Final Girl” and “Wicked Blood.” Activities like Project Sunshine help to keep her priorities in check, Breslin says, noting that many of the volunteers “go in to visit kids every day, and really devote their lives to this, which is so inspiring.”
