Emily Osment‘s career has encompassed TV and movie throughout the years, making her pretty recognizable by audiences at home. Capturing childhood joy, coming of age, and the trials of adulthood, her career has encouraged viewers to grow with her. Her brother is Haley Joel Osment, and their father Michael Eugene Osment is an actor as well; each of their careers definitely seem supported by their native Los Angeles.
Osment is most often remembered from her roles on Disney Channel and on 2010s sitcoms as time went by. Let’s go back through a collection of her best performances, ranked.
12 Dadnapped (2009)
Dadnapped is definitely not the best Disney Channel original movie, nor is it Osment’s best work, but it’s entertaining. Its story follows Osment as Melissa Morris, who must rescue her author father from his adoring fans and essentially become the character in his books that took her place as his first priority. The movie isn’t extremely memorable, but it did serve as a starting point upon which Osment could refine her film acting.
11 Family Guy (2012-2021)
Osment has dabbled in some voiceover roles as well, especially in animation geared towards older audiences. She’s appeared in over two dozen episodes of Family Guy as several different minor characters, including Ruth (pictured), Ashley’s Granddaughter, and a character credited Blackjack Dealer.
These particular performances exemplify her adaptability in her work, and how easily she can fit into an established show through a guest role.
10 Almost Family (2019-2020)
Fox’s Almost Family includes Osment’s portrayal of Roxy Doyle, an alum of the Olympic Games who discovers her connection to main character Julia Bechley (Brittany Snow) through their sperm donor father entangled in controversy. The series proceeds through Julia’s realization of her siblings’ existence and the consequences that come about as a result.
Osment’s complex character here struggles with addiction, which makes her more realistically human.
9 The Kominsky Method (2018-2021)
The Kominsky Method is about the continuing career of Sandy Kominsky (Michael Douglas), who coaches actors as a previously successful actor himself. Osment plays Theresa, a young woman who takes acting classes and gives audiences the unique opportunity to watch a real actress herself proceed through acting exercises while portraying a character the entire time.
Haley Joel Osment plays Robby in several episodes as well, reuniting the siblings.
8 Cleaners (2013-2014)
In Cleaners, two female murderers-for-hire take on a task for their higher-up that lands them in deeper water than they ever could have imagined. The women become fugitives and start to become tracked down from all sides. Roxie is Osment’s role, portraying one of the two main characters, next to Emmanuelle Chriqui as Veronica.
This performance breaks Osment out of her realm of typical acting jobs, and putting her in a more thrilling and bloody series than one with a laugh track was a promising and perceptive choice for her.
7 Dead End: Paranormal Park (2022)
In Netflix’s Dead End: Paranormal Park, Osment takes on the unique animated role of a fallen angel and/or demon named Courtney. This role really stands out from a lot of her others; it’s a single recurring role in animation, as opposed to voicing a few minor characters within one animated show. Courtney’s character and personality are typical of what one might expect of a devious creature like her, and Osment’s voice-acting work seems energetic.
6 Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009)
Hannah Montana: The Movie continues the story of Hannah Montana midway through the series in a film, following Miley Stewart’s return home to Tennessee and her choice between “the best of both worlds.” Lilly Truscott, Osment’s character, falls victim to the chaos around her as Miley ditches her other priorities for the demand of her fame, especially in the beginning during Lilly’s birthday party.
The movie additionally emphasizes Lilly’s enduring friendship with Miley despite their struggles.
5 Young Sheldon (2022-2023)
Young Sheldon travels back in time to Sheldon’s childhood before his presence in The Big Bang Theory. Osment’s character, Amanda “Mandy” McAllister, is generally known as the mother of Georgie Cooper’s child, and her pregnancy adds to the complexity of their situation along with their own ages.
It also allows more character development in someone who hasn’t been in every episode like clockwork. Osment was since “elevated to series regular for Season 6, TVLine has learned.”
4 Young & Hungry (2014-2018)
Young & Hungry was among ABC Family’s sitcoms during what might have been their best era – the 2010s. On the show, Osment played its bold blogger and foodie lead, Gabi Diamond, who becomes a personal chef to someone from the “other half.” Gabi’s job allows the show to explore social media across a significant chunk of the decade, and her recurrence as the main character gives Osment a chance to explore TV stardom herself.
3 Love Is All You Need? (2016)
Love Is All You Need? expands upon its preceding short film that bears the same name. The movie proposes a world in which societal perceptions of queerness and straightness are flipped, meaning that heterosexuality is the rarer path. Osment’s character is Kelly Williams, a very feminine girl who becomes a bully towards certain characters who express their deviance from the widely-accepted homosexuality. In an extremely enlightening film, Osment’s role appears out of character for her, but she sells her character well.
2 Cyber Bully (2011)
In the same year Hannah Montana ended, Osment starred in Cyber Bully (also referred to as Cyberbully or Cyberbu//y) as Taylor Hillridge. The ABC Family original movie was a much more serious turn for her, as she brought to life the story of a girl bullied online who develops mental health issues as a result.
Cyber Bully is extremely well-done for a made-for-TV film, and it can be pretty hard to watch at certain points, affirming that Osment was ready to take on a more complex and emotional role than her previous credits.
1 Hannah Montana (2006-2011)
The performance that Emily Osment is definitely most known for is her role as Lilly Truscott in Hannah Montana. The Disney series really emphasized Osment as a young actress, and costarring with Miley Cyrus as Miley Stewart’s best friend was an enviable opportunity for just about any girl in the tween age group during that era.
As Lilly, Osment was spontaneous, tomboyish, and loyal, and the longevity of the role allowed audiences to witness her growing maturity into a stronger performer.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
