The Truth About Alyvia Alyn Lind's Famous Mom
Alyvia Alyn Lind is just 14 years old but has gained substantial experience in the entertainment industry. In 2012 and at just 5 years old she landed her first recurring mainstream television role on the sitcom "See Dad Run" and the ABC drama "Revenge." Since then she's added over 25 more credits to her roster. But, it was when the little girl joined the cast of daytime soap "The Young and the Restless" in 2011 that she started on a path to stardom. For ten years the actress portrayed the role of Faith Newman on the sudser, daughter of popular super couple Nick and Sharon Newman. Lind left "Y&R" in 2021 and the character was recast with Reylynn Caster, however the teen did make an appearance at the 2022 Daytime Emmy Awards where she received her third nomination for her work as Faith.
Though Lind has garnered much praise for her daytime role and many other projects, much of her ambition and industry know-how has come from her family—particularly her mom, well-known actress Barbara Alyn Woods, though her father and two older sisters are also in the industry. Woods is most recognized for her role on the Disney Channel sitcom "Honey I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show" and as Deb Scott on the classic teen drama "One Tree Hill." Let's look at how Woods has seamlessly juggled her family life with her work over the past several decades, and even managed to blend the two together.
Barbara Alyn Woods' family began on set
It was on the set of "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show" that Barbara Alyn Woods first met her husband John Lind in 1997. Lind was working as an assistant director on the show then and has gone on to direct and produce a number of shows and movies in the years since. The couple was married in 1999 and welcomed their three daughters soon after: Natalie that same year in 1999, Emily in 2002, and Alyvia in 2007.
Woods remained working while raising her young family. She starred on "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" when her first daughter was born, filming a TV movie with her second, and working on "One Tree Hill" with her third, with a full slate in between. In an interview with Emmys, Woods shared a funny anecdote about how she and her husband kept the birth of Alyvia a secret from their agent, saying "We didn't have time for another daughter!" Aly explained that the agent stopped by their house a few years later and was in for a surprise. "I came to the door and she says, 'Who are you?!' We had our introduction and it was like, here's another one ready for the business out of the gate," the young actress said.
That comment was certainly not an understatement, all three girls are now successful actresses, and each got their start at a very young age. Natalie told Glamour, "We were born into it."
Barbara Alyn Woods' three daughters are all actresses
The family's eldest daughter Natalie Alyn Lind got her first acting gig in 2006 when she accompanied her mom to the set of "One Tree Hill" and was cast in a guest-starring role. She then appeared on several shows including "iCarly," "Wizards of Waverly Place," "Army Wives," "Flashpoint," and "Criminal Minds." She got her first recurring role on the series "Gotham" in 2015, which she followed up with many episodes of Marvel series "The Gifted," psychological thriller "Tell Me a Story," sitcom "The Goldbergs," and most recently, landed a main role on hit ABC crime drama "Big Sky."
Following two movie roles, middle sister Emily Alyn Lind broke into television through soap acting. She appeared on an episode of "Days of Our Lives" in 2009 and the following year was cast as Emma Lavery on "All My Children." She also appeared on"Revenge," "Code Black," and "Scared Lies" for many years, before landing her latest role. Emily is currently portraying Audrey Hope on the 2021 "Gossip Girl" sequel from HBO Max. The actress told Interview Magazine, regarding her initial interest in acting, "I was so jealous [of Natalie]. So I think it really did stem from wanting to do what my older sister did. I was so competitive."
The youngest, Alyvia Alyn Lind, has starred on many TV shows in addition to her decade-long run on "The Young and the Restless." She appeared on "Transparent," "Masters of Sex," "Future Man," and "Daybreak," among others. In 2021, the actress was cast in a lead role on the SyFy and USA Network horror series "Chucky." In a fun coincidence, she gets to star alongside her mother Barbara Alyn Woods, who plays her TV mom.
Barbara Alyn Woods has acted alongside her daughters
Aside from the one episode of "One Tree Hill" that a very young Natalie Alyn Lind appeared on, as well as few episodes of "The Goldbergs" that the two shared, Barabara Alyn Woods hadn't had the opportunity to work with any of her daughters in any manner way until "Chucky" came along. Her youngest daughter Alyvia Alyn Lind plays one of the main teens of the show, Lexy Cross, and Woods plays her mother and mayor of the town, Michelle Cross. Lind told Emmys, "My mom and I have different last names so on the set of "Chucky," crew members would come up to us and say, 'Wow, casting did a really good job!' I had to explain that yeah, we're related."
Woods herself has found working on a long-term series with her daughter to be an extremely special experience. In an interview with TV Fanatic, she said "To be on set with her and for her to be my scene partner was absolutely amazing. And now I know more than ever how talented she is. I thank Don [Mancini, creator] for giving us this opportunity. It's enhanced our relationship to a whole new level." The "Chucky" franchise has a huge cult following and the reaction to this newest iteration has been nothing short of astounding. Season 2 of the show is currently in production so fans will only have to wait a few more months for the return of this mother-daughter duo (via The Digital Fix).
Deb Scott on One Tree Hill is the role closest to Barbara Alyn Lind's heart
When Barbara Alyn Lind first received the script for an available role on the new teen drama "One Tree Hill," she wasn't looking for a long-term acting gig at the time. The actress told People, "couldn't get Deb out of my mind. I had not even seen the entire script. I just knew that it was beautifully written." The role was for Deb Scott, mother to one the show's main stars with a tough "mama bear" personality and demons to overcome, who became a fan-favorite over the years.
However, Woods discovered that the show, which filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, was looking for a local to fill the role—so she became one. Taking an unorthodox approach to solving her location predicament, Woods tracked down a long-lost cousin that she'd never met who lived near NC and went to stay with them. She was then able to present the show with an address that would allow her to audition, and of course, she was successful.
The experience of filming "One Tree Hill" was special to Woods because the show tackled issues she believed were important to the droves of teenage viewers who tuned in every week—especially when very few shows were willing to tackle the controversial topics of alcoholism, drug addiction, suicidal thoughts, bullying, and teenage pregnancy. Woods has been quoted saying, "I am so very fortunate to be attached to a television show that has shaped millions of young lives. "One Tree Hill" addressed sensitive human issues that, not until recently, did I realize have had such major impact on teenage society," (via HSHS Foundation).
Barbara Alyn Woods credits her high school for making her who she is
Barbara Alyn Woods grew up in a suburb of Chicago called Darien, Illinois and didn't have any family connection to the entertainment industry. While in high school Woods was bitten by the acting bug when she joined the theater program and began starring in plays and musicals, according to the Hinsdale South High School Foundation who has inducted Woods into their Hall of Fame. In addition to Drama Club, Woods also participated in choir and cheerleading, was a member of the Student Council and National Honor Society, and was named Homecoming Queen.
Of her time in school there, Woods said, "I have never found friendly, more sincere, honest, hard working people than in the suburbs of Chicago . . . Darien has always been my home base. This is the place that nurtured me, taught me my values, and made me who I am." Not only does the actress have an appreciation for the place that she comes from, but also recognizes the way her high school in particular set her up for success throughout the rest of her career—especially in the entertainment industry. She added, "I feel beyond proud to call Hinsdale South my alma mater. It gave me the foundation and courage to pursue my dreams and passions in a very competitive and cut-throat, male-driven field, while maintaining my core values, strict work ethic, and most importantly... heart." That foundation has certainly served Woods well as she raised her own children in Los Angeles and was able to instill in them the same traits, which have helped make them successful in the very same profession as their mother.