Dafne Keen recently opened up on the Inside of You podcast about being offered cocaine at Hollywood wrap parties when she was only 11 years old, highlighting the early pressures she faced as a child actor in the competitive entertainment industry. The 21-year-old actor shot to international stardom playing the young mutant Laura alongside Hugh Jackman in the 2017 blockbuster film Logan, entering the public spotlight just months before her 12th birthday. Reflecting on her formative years in Los Angeles, she explained to host Michael Rosenbaum that witnessing substance use around her at such a young age instilled a strict personal boundary against recreational drugs and alcohol, allowing her to maintain complete control over her personal choices.
Dafne Keen Reveals Child Star Hazards & Hugh Jackman’s Protection
Keen credited her former co-star Hugh Jackman with providing essential protection and professional guidance during the demanding production of Logan, noting that he acted as a true parental figure on set. She recalled that Jackman actively ensured her working hours were strictly managed according to labor regulations, that she was shielded from behind the scenes tension, and that she felt safe and supported throughout the entire filming process. Following her breakout role as X-23, Keen expanded her television and film portfolio by securing the lead role in the fantasy series His Dark Materials, appearing in the Star Wars television project The Acolyte, and reprising her superhero role in Deadpool and Wolverine. Her impressive professional trajectory established her as one of the most reliable and sought-after young performers working across major studio franchises today.
Maintaining her grounded approach into adulthood, Keen continues to avoid alcohol and recreational substances, choosing instead to stay out late dancing simply for the enjoyment of music and social connection. She noted that during her teenage years, she often relied on polite refusals or harmless white lies to navigate peer pressure without compromising her personal values or feeling alienated by her peers. Her extensive professional resume also includes upcoming appearances in major television projects, demonstrating a steady transition from a celebrated child star into a versatile adult performer in modern media.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been drunk enough to even have a hangover. I’m such a control freak with that,” Keen told podcast host Michael Rosenbaum. “Because also I think as a child actor I witnessed so much of that as a child that I just had no interest… I was getting offered coke at wrap parties. Like, tiny. Like 11, 12, 13. So I saw what that was, so I was like, ‘I don’t really have any interest in that’… I was saying no, fortunately.”
Keen said she continues to avoiding drugs and alcohol even as an adult, explaining: “I don’t really need it. I’ll go out and stay out ‘til 6, but sober. Just for the vibes, just ‘cause I like music and I like dancing and I like people… I did used to lie as a teenager so I wouldn’t get peer pressured. I’d be like, ‘Nah, I’m good. I don’t wanna drink. I already took something.’ Dead sober. Like, the goodest goody-two-shoes ever.”
“[Hugh Jackman] gave me a lot of really positive reinforcement and a lot of really good advice. And he was always so lovely,” Keen remembered of her co-star. “He’s the best number one you could ever wish for. And he’s the best on-screen dad. He genuinely felt like a sort of parental figure…. He made sure that no one was abusing my hours, that I was having fun on set, that I wasn’t aware of any tensions that would’ve been happening behind the scenes. He was so incredibly protective and amazing.”
Whether her early experiences in the industry will inspire broader conversations about child actor welfare and workplace protections remains an open question as Hollywood continues examining its standards for young performers. As Keen prepares for her next theatrical and streaming projects, her journey offers a unique perspective on growing up under the intense scrutiny of the global entertainment spotlight while staying true to her personal boundaries.
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