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Before she landed the role of Amy Brookheimer on the HBO series VEEP, Anna Chlumsky enjoyed a thriving career as a popular child actress. Like many children in her position, she earned a great deal of money -- certainly more than she would had she stuck with the normal route and existed as just another schoolgirl. Fortunately, no evidence exists that Anna fell victim to the types of excesses that often accompany a sudden rise to fame, particularly among the young. Although sometimes seen in the vicinity of renowned shopping district Bleeker Street during the holiday season shopping for gifts for friends and family, that seems to be the extent of any financial excesses on the part of the actress. 

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The Early Years

Anna became an overnight sensation at the age of 10, when she starred with fellow child actor McCauley Culkin in My Girl. McCauley was already riding the wave of fame thanks to his performance in Home Alone, which went to box office blockbuster to holiday season classic in a very short amount of time. Anna's 1991 debut film was followed by a sequel, My Girl 2, in 1994. She also starred with Sissy Spacek in 1994 film Trading Mom and with Christina Ricci in Gold Diggers: the Secret of Bear Mountain. She went on to appear in a variety of films and television appearances until 1999. 

The Hiatus Years

So what happened in 1999 to make the TV and movie appearances stop?

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What happened was that unlike many young celebrities in her enviable position, Anna decided to prepare for her future in a responsible way. Instead of going down the same old Hollywood road that led to ruin for so many of her contemporaries, McCauley Culkin included, Anna decided to take a hiatus from acting and get a college education. She attended the University of Chicago and graduated in 2002 with a degree in International Studies. She took a couple of regular jobs after college graduation, trying her hand at fact checking for a survey company and working as an editorial assistant for science fiction and fantasy publisher. The lure of acting proved too strong for her to resist, however, and she decided to return to her rightful place in front of the camera. True to form, Anna didn't jump into this headfirst without preparation. She enrolled in Manhattan's Atlantic Acting School to receive formal training in her craft. 

VEEP

After a full season on the hit TV series Law and Order in 2008, a stint on Off-Broadway, and a wide variety of TV and film appearances, Anna landed the role of Amy Brookheimer on VEEP in 2012. which she has held until the show recently came to and end. At some point during 2007, she managed to find the time to squeeze in a marriage ceremony to fellow University of Chicago student and Army Reserve member Shaun So. The couple have two daughters, each of who was born during Anna's seven-year run with VEEP. 

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Anna's performance in VEEP has earned her six nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Her character was sharp, attractive, and seemed to live only for her career, and at one, experiences a nervous breakdown largely thought to be a result of her overzealous dedication to her job and inability to relax and simply enjoy life. In real life, Anna's been able to achieve that elusive balance. 

What's Next for Anna

Anna began acting in the Netflix series Inventing Anna. Set to premiere in 2020, the limited series is based on a New York Magazine article chronicling how Russian con woman Anna Sorokin duped New York City's hoteliers, restaurateurs, merchants, and various members of that city's illustrious upper crust into believing that she was a wealthy German heiress. She was arrested in 2017 on several charges of larceny for scamming hotels and other businesses.

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Anna doesn't resemble this character much in real life, either, preferring to get her money the old-fashioned way by earning it honestly.