Is that law about U.S. child actors a lie?

[Chris cc]

People say that U.S. school class scenes are played by adults because the law says children are not allowed to act, or something. . . .
What about the scene at the start of Donnie Darko, the conversation matter at the dining table, and of course the classroom scenes.
Isn't it more convenience, an opportunity to say to the rest of the world (including the TV mad 3rd world communities, tribes etc). . . "look how big kids grow in OUR (capitalist) system!"

[Beth]

Children are allowed to act, there is just a restriction on how many hours they can work per day. Whatever you heard is either not true, or you misheard it. You're giving the entertainment industry way too much credit.

[poetica]

The only laws I know of concerning child actors deal with labor laws as to how many hours they can work...and those laws can vary from state to state.