What the 'Harvard for Hollywood' Gets You

April 14, 2005 -- -- If there ever was a Harvard for Hollywood, it would probably be the Oakwood Apartments. A sprawling complex of more than 1,000 units in Los Angeles, it's where would-be child actors come to live, act, study -- and be discovered during pilot season.

Oakwood owes its reputation to its location -- just down the road from many of the major studios.

Hilary Duff and Jennifer Love Hewitt are among the many stars who were discovered at Oakwood. The complex is now a destination for kids from every corner of the country, who arrive with the hope they will be able to join that list of distinguished alums.

But Oakwood is not cheap. Rent alone costs $3,000 a month -- everything else is extra: headshots for $500; private acting coaches for $100 an hour; private singing coaches for up to $150 an hour -- and agents and managers each take 15 percent.

"Primetime Live" recently spent three months at the Oakwood Apartments, following the paths of five kids chasing the Hollywood dream -- as well as the parents who came with them.

Taylor Bright, 11, came from Chicago with her mother, Shane, leaving her dad to run the auto repair shop back home. Taylor had already appeared in commercials and was paying for the trip herself.

Diandra Newlin, 13, from Richmond, Va., had already been living at the Oakwood on and off for a year and a half when "Primetime" arrived. She was there with her mother, Donna, and already had a manager, two agents and a résumé that included victories at Junior Miss beauty pageants and a Faith Hill video.

"I just have this passion of being on the set," she told "Primetime Live" co-anchor Cynthia McFadden.

Zach Green, 11, arrived with his mother from Madison, Wis., leaving his dad at home. His idol is the comic Gene Wilder.

Chase Edwards, 10, arrived from Flint, Mich., where he performed in school plays and local theater. His mother, Corinne, arranged to take a two-month leave of absence from her job, but his father remained at home.