Countdown to Halloween: Scout Taylor-Compton...'I Was a Teen Runaway!'

[Brian Damage]

Two years ago, rising young actress Scout Taylor-Compton, who starred in films including 13 Going on 30 and Sleepover, disappeared for two weeks. She was a 16-year-old runaway.

"I made a mistake," she told reporters this week during press rounds for her new movie, Rob Zombie's remake of Halloween. "I was a regular teenager. I was going through regular teenager stuff. There's nothing more honestly 'cause it's the past. I mean, I honestly didn't think it would be a big thing."

Taylor-Compton was discovered by police deputies at a house in Apple Valley, Calif., where she reportedly hadn't been harmed, nor was there any evidence of criminal activity during her absence.

Looking back now, Taylor-Compton insists that the whole incident was blown way out of proportion, adding that she's pretty much put it behind her. "The past is the past," she said. "Who the hell knew who I was at that time anyway?

"But, I guess, when you're an actor and you just started Sleepover – don't run away," she joked.

Taylor-Compton, 18, currently resides in Apple Valley, away from the temptations of Hollywood, stays grounded through family, outdoor sports and work. She also likes to spend time with her current boyfriend, the lead singer of an up-and-coming rock group.

"I feel great about myself," she continued. "I feel like I'm actually doing a good job and people enjoy my work. To be Rob Zombie's first choice for a movie, that's insane to me, that's a blessing. It took me ten years to get here. I just want to keep on going the path that I'm going. Obviously, I'm doing something right."

Next up for the young star: American Crime with Catherine Keener and James Franco slated for October, and more horror from the budding scream queen, as she'll be starring in the remake of the '80s campy cult classic April Fools' Day.


http://www.people.com/people/article...053270,00.html