Ninth-grader Lance Chantiles-Wertz of Spring Garden Township plays a young Larry, left, in the new "Three Stooges" movie starring alongside Skylar Gisondo, center, and Robert Capron, right. (20th Century Fox)

There's a price to fame.

For ninth-grader Lance Chantiles-Wertz, fame cost him his head.

Or at least the blond curls on top of it.

The Spring Garden Township native landed a role as the younger version of Larry in "Three Stooges," which opened April 13.

Although Lance is no stranger to the entertainment business -- he's been on everything from Broadway to Nickelodeon -- it was his first feature film role.

And to play the childhood version of the iconic knucklehead, Lance had to get the horseshoe-shaped bald spot on his head.

Lance had no problem with it.

"If you asked my mother, she probably would have a different answer," Lance said.

He's right.

"I pretty much did freak out," Sharon Chantiles said with a laugh about her son's hair situation.

Temporary comedic baldness seemed like a small price, though, when it comes to getting time on the big screen.

"It was great. It was a lot of fun," Lance said of filming the comedy in Atlanta.

He got to spend face-to-face and screen time with celebrities such as Jennifer Hudson, Larry David and Sean Hayes of "Will and Grace" fame.

Hayes played the adult Larry, although he got away with wearing a bald wig, Sharon said. Lance's screen time is when Larry, Curly and Moe are shown as children.

Lance even shared a ride to the

set with Emmy winner Jane Lynch.

"They were really great people," Lance said of his co-stars.

Childhood full of acting: The role follows up voice-over and on-camera work on "Pan Am," "A Gifted Man," "Dora the Explorer" and "Go Diego Go," among other shows. Lance has also performed with the New York City Ballet and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, where he makes his second home.

It's been a lifetime of work in acting, although Lance said he's interested in math and science long-term.

For now, he said he's just soaking it all in, like how he got to do a red carpet premiere for "Stooges" in Hollywood and then got to go to Frank Theatres back in York with his friends and family.

"I'd gone to the movies when I was a kid, and now seeing myself up there, it's a different experience," he said.

Lance was able to get in "Stooges" partly because of some good timing. He was in the green room for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" as a guest of his movie star friend Abigail Breslin of "Little Miss Sunshine" fame. The pair had been performing together in Broadway's "The Miracle Worker."

Breslin's agent stopped by the green room. She had seen Lance perform in "The Miracle Worker," Sharon said, and thought he'd be perfect for playing the young Stooge.

"It's serendipity," Sharon said.

-- Reach Andrew Shaw at 505-5431 or ashaw@yorkdispatch.com, or on Twitter @ydblogwork