Child Actors The Greatest Former Child Stars

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List Rules Actors 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.

1
6,380 1,359

carlybobarly added Drew Barrymore 1975-02-22
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

2
5,397 1,352

carlybobarly added Leonardo DiCaprio 1974-11-11
"Growing Pains" (1991-92)

3
4,579 1,587

carlybobarly added Jodie Foster 1962-11-19
Tom Sawyer (1973)
Freaky Friday (1976)
Taxi Driver (1976)

4
4,655 1,165

carlybobarly added Reese Witherspoon 1976-03-22
The Man in the Moon (1991)
A Far Off Place (1993)
Jack the Bear (1993)
Return to Lonesome Dove (1993)

5
3,958 1,715

carlybobarly added Ron Howard 1954-03-01
"The Andy Griffith Show" (1960-68)
The Music Man (1962)

6
4,378 1,282

carlybobarly added Christina Ricci 1980-02-12
Mermaids (1990)
The Addams Family (1991)
Addams Family Values (1993)
Casper (1995)
Now and Then (1995)

7
3,292 1,372

carlybobarly added Kirsten Dunst 1982-04-30
Little Women (1994)
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Jumanji (1995)
The Virgin Suicides (1999)

8
4,231 1,334

carlybobarly added Neil Patrick Harris 1973-06-15
"Doogie Howser, M.D." (1989-1993)

9
5,165 3,122

carlybobarly added Natalie Portman 1981-06-09
The Professional (1994)
Heat (1995)
Beautiful Girls (1996)

10
3,956 1,327

carlybobarly added Joseph Gordon-Levitt 1981-02-17
A River Runs Through It (1992)
Angels in the Outfield (1994)
"3rd Rock from the Sun" (1996-2001)

11
3,049 1,279

carlybobarly added Kurt Russell 1951-03-17
The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit (1968)
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)

12
4,592 1,813

carlybobarly added Jessica Biel 1982-03-03
"7th Heaven" (1996-2006)
I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)

13
4,874 1,454

carlybobarly added Dakota Fanning 1994-02-23
I Am Sam (2001)
Uptown Girls (2003)
Man on Fire (2004)
War of the Worlds (2005)
Charlotte's Web (2006)
The Runaways (2010)

14
2,567 580

RandallIkeKing added Emma Watson 1990-04-15
Harry Potter series (2001-11)

15
2,925 1,390

carlybobarly added Winona Ryder 1971-10-29
Lucas (1986)
Beetlejuice (1988)
Heathers (1989)

16
2,746 1,482

carlybobarly added Christina Applegate 1971-11-25
"Married... with Children" (1987-97)

17
2,822 1,169

carlybobarly added Elijah Wood 1981-01-28
Radio Flyer (1992)
Forever Young (1992)
The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993)
The Good Son (1993)
North (1994)
The War (1994)
Flipper (1996)

18
3,121 2,145

carlybobarly added Alyssa Milano 1972-12-19
"Who's the Boss?" (1984-1992)

19
2,404 1,528

carlybobarly added Natalie Wood 1938-07-20
Tomorrow Is Forever (1946)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

20
1,996 1,525

carlybobarly added Jennifer Connelly 1970-12-12
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Labyrinth (1986)

21
1,881 1,117

MikeHumphrey added Christian Bale 1974-01-30
Empire of the Sun (1987)
Newsies (1992)

22
2,635 1,299

carlybobarly added Elizabeth Taylor 1932-02-27
Lassie Come Home (1943)
The White Cliffs of Dover (1943)
National Velvet (1944)
Little Women (1949)

23
2,020 1,075

carlybobarly added Sean Astin 1971-02-25
The Goonies (1985)
Like Father Like Son (1987)

24
1,878 1,118

moosiclvr added Hilary Duff 1987-09-28
"Lizzie McGuire" (2001-04)
Agent Cody Banks (2003)
A Cinderella Story (2004)
Material Girls (2006)

25
2,676 1,369

carlybobarly added Mila Kunis 1983-08-14
"That '70s Show" (1998-2006)

26
2,487 1,307

carlybobarly added Scarlett Johansson 1984-11-22
North (1994)
Just Cause (1995)
Manny & Lo (1996)
Ghost World (2001)

27
1,975 1,218

carlybobarly added Fred Savage 1976-07-09
The Princess Bride (1987)
"The Wonder Years" (1988-1993)
Little Monsters (1989)

28
2,179 1,252

carlybobarly added Jason Bateman 1969-01-14
"Little House on the Prairie" (1981-82)
"Silver Spoons" (1982-84)

29
1,951 1,190

carlybobarly added Sarah Michelle Gellar 1977-04-14
"All My Children" (1993-1995)
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997-2003)

30
2,272 1,323

carlybobarly added Brooke Shields 1965-05-31
Pretty Baby (1978)
The Blue Lagoon (1980)
Endless Love (1981)

31
2,131 1,255

carlybobarly added Jennifer Love Hewitt 1979-02-21
"Kids Incorporated" (1989-91)
Sister Act 2 (1993)
"Party of Five" (1995-99)
House Arrest (1996)

32
1,645 1,195

carlybobarly added Jeff Bridges 1949-12-04
"Sea Hunt" (1958-60)
"The Lloyd Bridges Show" (1962-63)
The Loner (1965)

33
1,646 1,149

carlybobarly added Joaquin Phoenix 1974-10-28
Russkies (1987)
Parenthood (1989)

34
1,608 1,358

carlybobarly added Tiffani Thiessen 1974-01-23
Saved By The Bell (1989-1993)

35
1,683 1,173

carlybobarly added Milla Jovovich 1975-12-17
Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991)
Chaplin (1992)
Dazed and Confused (1993)

36
1,672 1,221

carlybobarly added Claire Danes 1979-04-12
"My So-Called Life" (1994-95)
Little Women (1994)
Romeo + Juliet (1996)

37
1,435 1,194

carlybobarly added Michelle Trachtenberg 1985-10-11
"The Adventures of Pete & Pete" (1994-96)
Harriet the Spy (1996)
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (2000-2003)

38
1,730 1,417

carlybobarly added Macaulay Culkin 1980-08-26
Uncle Buck (1989)
Home Alone (1990)
My Girl (1991)
The Good Son (1993)

39
1,412 1,013

carlybobarly added Seth Green 1974-02-08
Can't Buy Me Love (1988)
My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988)
It (1990)

40
1,583 1,113

carlybobarly added Anna Paquin 1982-07-24
The Piano (1993)
Fly Away Home (1996)
Amistad (1997)
She's All That (1999)

41
1,907 1,027

carlybobarly added Hayden Panettiere 1989-08-21
"One Life to Live" (1994-97)
Guiding Light (1997-2000)
Remember the Titans (2000)
"Ally McBeal" (2001-02)
"Heroes" (2006-2010)

42
1,611 989

carlybobarly added Helen Hunt
"Amy Prentiss" (1974-75)
"The Swiss Family Robinson" (1975-76)

43
1,975 1,308

carlybobarly added Jessica Alba 1981-04-28
Camp Nowhere (1991)
"Flipper" (1995-96)

44
1,141 1,043

carlybobarly added Juliette Lewis 1973-06-21
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Cape Fear (1991)

45
1,227 1,071

carlybobarly added Josh Brolin 1968-02-12
The Goonies (1985)

46
1,111 881

carlybobarly added Diane Lane 1965-01-22
A Little Romance (1979)
The Outsiders (1983)
Rumble Fish (1983)

47
1,110 896

carlybobarly added Michelle Williams 1980-09-09
Lassie (1994)
Species (1995)
Killing Mr. Griffin (1997)
"Dawson's Creek (1998-2003)

48
958 751

Christian Slater 1969-08-18
The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)
"Ryan's Hope" (1985)

49
1,194 336

Daniel Radcliffe 1989-07-23
Harry Potter series (2001-11)

50
1,204 900

carlybobarly added Shia LaBeouf 1986-06-11
"Even Stevens" (1999-2003)
The Battle of Shaker Heights (2003)

1 6,380 1,359 carlybobarly added Drew Barrymore 1975-02-22 E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

2 5,397 1,352 carlybobarly added Leonardo DiCaprio 1974-11-11 "Growing Pains" (1991-92)

3 4,579 1,587 carlybobarly added Jodie Foster 1962-11-19 Tom Sawyer (1973)Freaky Friday (1976)Taxi Driver (1976)

4 4,655 1,165 carlybobarly added Reese Witherspoon 1976-03-22 The Man in the Moon (1991)A Far Off Place (1993)Jack the Bear (1993)Return to Lonesome Dove (1993)

5 3,958 1,715 carlybobarly added Ron Howard 1954-03-01 "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960-68)The Music Man (1962)

6 4,378 1,282 carlybobarly added Christina Ricci 1980-02-12 Mermaids (1990)The Addams Family (1991)Addams Family Values (1993)Casper (1995)Now and Then (1995)

7 3,292 1,372 carlybobarly added Kirsten Dunst 1982-04-30 Little Women (1994)Interview with the Vampire (1994)Jumanji (1995)The Virgin Suicides (1999)

8 4,231 1,334 carlybobarly added Neil Patrick Harris 1973-06-15 "Doogie Howser, M.D." (1989-1993)

9 5,165 3,122 carlybobarly added Natalie Portman 1981-06-09 The Professional (1994)Heat (1995)Beautiful Girls (1996)

10 3,956 1,327 carlybobarly added Joseph Gordon-Levitt 1981-02-17 A River Runs Through It (1992)Angels in the Outfield (1994)"3rd Rock from the Sun" (1996-2001)

11 3,049 1,279 carlybobarly added Kurt Russell 1951-03-17 The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit (1968)The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)

12 4,592 1,813 carlybobarly added Jessica Biel 1982-03-03 "7th Heaven" (1996-2006)I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)

13 4,874 1,454 carlybobarly added Dakota Fanning 1994-02-23 I Am Sam (2001)Uptown Girls (2003)Man on Fire (2004)War of the Worlds (2005)Charlotte's Web (2006)The Runaways (2010)

14 2,567 580 RandallIkeKing added Emma Watson 1990-04-15 Harry Potter series (2001-11)

15 2,925 1,390 carlybobarly added Winona Ryder 1971-10-29 Lucas (1986)Beetlejuice (1988)Heathers (1989)

16 2,746 1,482 carlybobarly added Christina Applegate 1971-11-25 "Married... with Children" (1987-97)

17 2,822 1,169 carlybobarly added Elijah Wood 1981-01-28 Radio Flyer (1992)Forever Young (1992)The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993)The Good Son (1993)North (1994)The War (1994)Flipper (1996)

18 3,121 2,145 carlybobarly added Alyssa Milano 1972-12-19 "Who's the Boss?" (1984-1992)

19 2,404 1,528 carlybobarly added Natalie Wood 1938-07-20 Tomorrow Is Forever (1946)Miracle on 34th Street (1947)Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

20 1,996 1,525 carlybobarly added Jennifer Connelly 1970-12-12 Once Upon a Time in America (1984)Labyrinth (1986)

21 1,881 1,117 MikeHumphrey added Christian Bale 1974-01-30 Empire of the Sun (1987)Newsies (1992)

22 2,635 1,299 carlybobarly added Elizabeth Taylor 1932-02-27 Lassie Come Home (1943)The White Cliffs of Dover (1943)National Velvet (1944)Little Women (1949)

23 2,020 1,075 carlybobarly added Sean Astin 1971-02-25 The Goonies (1985)Like Father Like Son (1987)

24 1,878 1,118 moosiclvr added Hilary Duff 1987-09-28 "Lizzie McGuire" (2001-04)Agent Cody Banks (2003)A Cinderella Story (2004)Material Girls (2006)

25 2,676 1,369 carlybobarly added Mila Kunis 1983-08-14 "That '70s Show" (1998-2006)

26 2,487 1,307 carlybobarly added Scarlett Johansson 1984-11-22 North (1994)Just Cause (1995)Manny & Lo (1996)Ghost World (2001)

27 1,975 1,218 carlybobarly added Fred Savage 1976-07-09 The Princess Bride (1987)"The Wonder Years" (1988-1993)Little Monsters (1989)

28 2,179 1,252 carlybobarly added Jason Bateman 1969-01-14 "Little House on the Prairie" (1981-82)"Silver Spoons" (1982-84)

29 1,951 1,190 carlybobarly added Sarah Michelle Gellar 1977-04-14 "All My Children" (1993-1995)"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997-2003)

30 2,272 1,323 carlybobarly added Brooke Shields 1965-05-31 Pretty Baby (1978)The Blue Lagoon (1980)Endless Love (1981)

31 2,131 1,255 carlybobarly added Jennifer Love Hewitt 1979-02-21 "Kids Incorporated" (1989-91)Sister Act 2 (1993)"Party of Five" (1995-99)House Arrest (1996)

32 1,645 1,195 carlybobarly added Jeff Bridges 1949-12-04 "Sea Hunt" (1958-60)"The Lloyd Bridges Show" (1962-63)The Loner (1965)

33 1,646 1,149 carlybobarly added Joaquin Phoenix 1974-10-28 Russkies (1987)Parenthood (1989)

34 1,608 1,358 carlybobarly added Tiffani Thiessen 1974-01-23 Saved By The Bell (1989-1993)

35 1,683 1,173 carlybobarly added Milla Jovovich 1975-12-17 Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991)Chaplin (1992)Dazed and Confused (1993)

36 1,672 1,221 carlybobarly added Claire Danes 1979-04-12 "My So-Called Life" (1994-95)Little Women (1994)Romeo + Juliet (1996)

37 1,435 1,194 carlybobarly added Michelle Trachtenberg 1985-10-11 "The Adventures of Pete & Pete" (1994-96)Harriet the Spy (1996)"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (2000-2003)

38 1,730 1,417 carlybobarly added Macaulay Culkin 1980-08-26 Uncle Buck (1989)Home Alone (1990)My Girl (1991)The Good Son (1993)

39 1,412 1,013 carlybobarly added Seth Green 1974-02-08 Can't Buy Me Love (1988)My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988)It (1990)

40 1,583 1,113 carlybobarly added Anna Paquin 1982-07-24 The Piano (1993)Fly Away Home (1996)Amistad (1997)She's All That (1999)

41 1,907 1,027 carlybobarly added Hayden Panettiere 1989-08-21 "One Life to Live" (1994-97)Guiding Light (1997-2000)Remember the Titans (2000)"Ally McBeal" (2001-02)"Heroes" (2006-2010)

42 1,611 989 carlybobarly added Helen Hunt "Amy Prentiss" (1974-75)"The Swiss Family Robinson" (1975-76)

43 1,975 1,308 carlybobarly added Jessica Alba 1981-04-28 Camp Nowhere (1991)"Flipper" (1995-96)

44 1,141 1,043 carlybobarly added Juliette Lewis 1973-06-21 National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)Cape Fear (1991)

45 1,227 1,071 carlybobarly added Josh Brolin 1968-02-12 The Goonies (1985)

46 1,111 881 carlybobarly added Diane Lane 1965-01-22 A Little Romance (1979)The Outsiders (1983)Rumble Fish (1983)

47 1,110 896 carlybobarly added Michelle Williams 1980-09-09 Lassie (1994)Species (1995)Killing Mr. Griffin (1997)"Dawson's Creek (1998-2003)

48 958 751 Christian Slater 1969-08-18 The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)"Ryan's Hope" (1985)

49 1,194 336 Daniel Radcliffe 1989-07-23 Harry Potter series (2001-11)

50 1,204 900 carlybobarly added Shia LaBeouf 1986-06-11 "Even Stevens" (1999-2003)The Battle of Shaker Heights (2003)