Entertainment

19.2k voters

The Greatest Child Stars Who Are Still Acting

Updated May 2, 2020 343.6k votes 19.2k voters 549.5k views191 items

List RulesActors who became stars before they were 18 and remain successful and famous as adults.

List of Hollywood kids: actors who grew up on the big screen and child stars you recognize working today. While there are many child stars, it takes someone special to make it from kid to adult in the entertainment industry. There are lots of pitfalls a former child star can succumb to, like drug use, gambling, and other addictions. It's also hard to overcome the fact that, in many cases, you simply cannot just 'get by' on your cute kid looks.

Who are the most successful former child stars? Some young actors actually do make the crossover into adulthood. These former child stars are some of the few that have made it over the hurdle of adolescence and into adulthood in tact - people like Jason Bateman, Natalie Portman, Neil Patrick Harris and even Ron Howard. They not only made it out of the former child star pit unscathed, but have florished as adult working actors, writers and directors.

Photo:

1
6,007
1,427
Drew Barrymore
1975-02-22
Age: 45
Birthplace: Culver City, California, USA
Gender: Female
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
2
5,440
1,305
Leonardo DiCaprio
1974-11-11
Age: 45
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Gender: Male
"Growing Pains" (1991-92)
3
4,532
1,260
Reese Witherspoon
1976-03-22
Age: 44
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Gender: Female
The Man in the Moon (1991)
A Far Off Place (1993)
Jack the Bear (1993)
Return to Lonesome Dove (1993)
4
4,195
1,321
Christina Ricci
1980-02-12
Age: 40
Birthplace: Santa Monica, California, USA
Gender: Female
Mermaids (1990)
The Addams Family (1991)
Addams Family Values (1993)
Casper (1995)
Now and Then (1995)
5
4,376
1,356
Dakota Fanning
1994-02-23
Age: 26
Birthplace: Conyers, Georgia, USA
Gender: Female
I Am Sam (2001)
Uptown Girls (2003)
Man on Fire (2004)
War of the Worlds (2005)
Charlotte's Web (2006)
The Runaways (2010)
6
3,395
724
Emma Watson
1990-04-15
Age: 30
Birthplace: Paris, France
Gender: Female
Harry Potter series (2001-11)
7
3,990
1,351
Neil Patrick Harris
1973-06-15
Age: 47
Birthplace: Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
Gender: Male
"Doogie Howser, M.D." (1989-1993)
8
4,262
1,657
Jodie Foster
1962-11-19
Age: 57
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
Gender: Female
Tom Sawyer (1973)
Freaky Friday (1976)
Taxi Driver (1976)
9
3,567
1,354
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
1981-02-17
Age: 39
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
Gender: Male
Alternative Name: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
A River Runs Through It (1992)
Angels in the Outfield (1994)
"3rd Rock from the Sun" (1996-2001)
10
2,888
1,264
Kurt Russell
1951-03-17
Age: 69
Birthplace: Springfield, Massachusetts, United States of America
Gender: Male
The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit (1968)
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)

11
3,204
1,443
Kirsten Dunst
1982-04-30
Age: 38
Birthplace: Point Pleasant, New Jersey, USA
Gender: Female
Little Women (1994)
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Jumanji (1995)
The Virgin Suicides (1999)
12
3,585
1,726
Ron Howard
1954-03-01
Age: 66
Birthplace: Duncan, Oklahoma, USA
Gender: Male
Alternative Name: Ron Howard^! Ronny Howard
"The Andy Griffith Show" (1960-68)
The Music Man (1962)
13
2,714
1,178
Elijah Wood
1981-01-28
Age: 39
Birthplace: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA
Gender: Male
Radio Flyer (1992)
Forever Young (1992)
The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993)
The Good Son (1993)
North (1994)
The War (1994)
Flipper (1996)
14
2,872
1,327
Winona Ryder
1971-10-29
Age: 48
Birthplace: Winona, Minnesota, USA
Gender: Female
Lucas (1986)
Beetlejuice (1988)
Heathers (1989)
15
4,578
2,376
Natalie Portman
1981-06-09
Age: 34
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine
Gender: Female
The Professional (1994)
Heat (1995)
Beautiful Girls (1996)
16
2,499
1,183
Scarlett Johansson
1984-11-22
Age: 35
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States of America
Gender: Female
North (1994)
Just Cause (1995)
Manny & Lo (1996)
Ghost World (2001)
17
2,404
1,160
Elizabeth Taylor
1932-02-27
Age: Dec. at 79 (1932-2011)
Birthplace: Hampstead, London, England, UK
Gender: Female
Lassie Come Home (1943)
The White Cliffs of Dover (1943)
National Velvet (1944)
Little Women (1949)
18
1,553
503
Daniel Radcliffe
1989-07-23
Age: 31
Birthplace: Fulham, London, England
Gender: Male
Alternative Name: Daniel Radcliffe, Dan Radcliffe
Harry Potter series (2001-11)
19
2,498
1,165
Mila Kunis
1983-08-14
Age: 37
Birthplace: Kiev, Ukraine, Soviet Union
Gender: Female
"That '70s Show" (1998-2006)
20
2,043
1,079
Sean Astin
1971-02-25
Age: 49
Birthplace: Santa Monica, California, United States of America
Gender: Male
The Goonies (1985)
Like Father Like Son (1987)

21
2,494
1,500
Christina Applegate
1971-11-25
Age: 48
Birthplace: Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Gender: Female
"Married... with Children" (1987-97)
22
1,985
1,135
Jason Bateman
1969-01-14
Age: 51
Birthplace: Rye, New York, USA
Gender: Male
"Little House on the Prairie" (1981-82)
"Silver Spoons" (1982-84)
23
2,028
1,174
Brooke Shields
1965-05-31
Age: 55
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, USA
Gender: Female
Alternative Name: Brooke Shields
Pretty Baby (1978)
The Blue Lagoon (1980)
Endless Love (1981)
24
1,939
1,157
Jennifer Love Hewitt
1979-02-21
Age: 41
Birthplace: Waco, Texas, USA
Gender: Female
Alternative Name: Love Hewitt^! Jennifer Love Hewitt^! Jennifer Hewitt
"Kids Incorporated" (1989-91)
Sister Act 2 (1993)
"Party of Five" (1995-99)
House Arrest (1996)
25
1,779
961
Hayden Panettiere
1989-08-21
Age: 31
Birthplace: Palisades, New York, USA
Gender: Female
"One Life to Live" (1994-97)
Guiding Light (1997-2000)
Remember the Titans (2000)
"Ally McBeal" (2001-02)
"Heroes" (2006-2010)