VOTE The Greatest Former Child Stars

368.2k votes 16.8k voters 511.9k views 223 items

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.

list ordered by

1
6,481 1,391

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

2
5,501 1,375

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

3
4,646 1,621

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

4
4,719 1,192

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
4,001 1,746

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

6
4,442 1,303

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

7
3,338 1,402

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

8
4,284 1,359

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

9
5,243 3,141

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

10
4,007 1,348

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
3,091 1,301

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

12
4,623 1,839

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

13
4,941 1,470

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
2,648 598

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

15
2,981 1,414

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

16
2,786 1,503

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

17
2,864 1,189

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
3,158 2,167

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

19
2,431 1,548

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

20
2,022 1,548

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

21
1,906 1,140

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

22
2,670 1,316

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

23
2,055 1,094

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

24
1,919 1,140

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

25
2,719 1,389

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

26
2,540 1,319

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

27
2,003 1,236

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

28
2,212 1,269

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

29
1,979 1,208

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

30
2,166 1,268

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

31
2,303 1,338

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

32
1,665 1,209

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

33
1,665 1,165

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

34
1,628 1,377

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

35
1,707 1,191

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

36
1,693 1,239

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

37
1,461 1,208

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
1,768 1,441

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

39
1,608 1,129

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

40
1,428 1,035

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

41
1,935 1,037

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
1,631 1,006

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

43
2,008 1,321

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

44
1,157 1,063

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

45
1,248 1,088

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

46
1,135 893

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

47
1,126 916

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

48
974 770

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

49
1,236 348

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

50
1,230 917

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

1 6,481 1,391 carlybobarly added Drew Barrymore 1975-02-22 E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

2 5,501 1,375 carlybobarly added Leonardo DiCaprio 1974-11-11 "Growing Pains" (1991-92)

3 4,646 1,621 carlybobarly added Jodie Foster 1962-11-19 Tom Sawyer (1973)Freaky Friday (1976)Taxi Driver (1976)

4 4,719 1,192 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 4,001 1,746 carlybobarly added Ron Howard 1954-03-01 "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960-68)The Music Man (1962)

6 4,442 1,303 carlybobarly added Christina Ricci 1980-02-12 Mermaids (1990)The Addams Family (1991)Addams Family Values (1993)Casper (1995)Now and Then (1995)

7 3,338 1,402 carlybobarly added Kirsten Dunst 1982-04-30 Little Women (1994)Interview with the Vampire (1994)Jumanji (1995)The Virgin Suicides (1999)

8 4,284 1,359 carlybobarly added Neil Patrick Harris 1973-06-15 "Doogie Howser, M.D." (1989-1993)

9 5,243 3,141 carlybobarly added Natalie Portman 1981-06-09 The Professional (1994)Heat (1995)Beautiful Girls (1996)

10 4,007 1,348 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 3,091 1,301 carlybobarly added Kurt Russell 1951-03-17 The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit (1968)The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)

12 4,623 1,839 carlybobarly added Jessica Biel 1982-03-03 "7th Heaven" (1996-2006)I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)

13 4,941 1,470 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 2,648 598 RandallIkeKing added Emma Watson 1990-04-15 Harry Potter series (2001-11)

15 2,981 1,414 carlybobarly added Winona Ryder 1971-10-29 Lucas (1986)Beetlejuice (1988)Heathers (1989)

16 2,786 1,503 carlybobarly added Christina Applegate 1971-11-25 "Married... with Children" (1987-97)

17 2,864 1,189 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 3,158 2,167 carlybobarly added Alyssa Milano 1972-12-19 "Who's the Boss?" (1984-1992)

19 2,431 1,548 carlybobarly added Natalie Wood 1938-07-20 Tomorrow Is Forever (1946)Miracle on 34th Street (1947)Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

20 2,022 1,548 carlybobarly added Jennifer Connelly 1970-12-12 Once Upon a Time in America (1984)Labyrinth (1986)

21 1,906 1,140 MikeHumphrey added Christian Bale 1974-01-30 Empire of the Sun (1987)Newsies (1992)

22 2,670 1,316 carlybobarly added Elizabeth Taylor 1932-02-27 Lassie Come Home (1943)The White Cliffs of Dover (1943)National Velvet (1944)Little Women (1949)

23 2,055 1,094 carlybobarly added Sean Astin 1971-02-25 The Goonies (1985)Like Father Like Son (1987)

24 1,919 1,140 moosiclvr added Hilary Duff 1987-09-28 "Lizzie McGuire" (2001-04)Agent Cody Banks (2003)A Cinderella Story (2004)Material Girls (2006)

25 2,719 1,389 carlybobarly added Mila Kunis 1983-08-14 "That '70s Show" (1998-2006)

26 2,540 1,319 carlybobarly added Scarlett Johansson 1984-11-22 North (1994)Just Cause (1995)Manny & Lo (1996)Ghost World (2001)

27 2,003 1,236 carlybobarly added Fred Savage 1976-07-09 The Princess Bride (1987)"The Wonder Years" (1988-1993)Little Monsters (1989)

28 2,212 1,269 carlybobarly added Jason Bateman 1969-01-14 "Little House on the Prairie" (1981-82)"Silver Spoons" (1982-84)

29 1,979 1,208 carlybobarly added Sarah Michelle Gellar 1977-04-14 "All My Children" (1993-1995)"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997-2003)

30 2,166 1,268 carlybobarly added Jennifer Love Hewitt 1979-02-21 "Kids Incorporated" (1989-91)Sister Act 2 (1993)"Party of Five" (1995-99)House Arrest (1996)

31 2,303 1,338 carlybobarly added Brooke Shields 1965-05-31 Pretty Baby (1978)The Blue Lagoon (1980)Endless Love (1981)

32 1,665 1,209 carlybobarly added Jeff Bridges 1949-12-04 "Sea Hunt" (1958-60)"The Lloyd Bridges Show" (1962-63)The Loner (1965)

33 1,665 1,165 carlybobarly added Joaquin Phoenix 1974-10-28 Russkies (1987)Parenthood (1989)

34 1,628 1,377 carlybobarly added Tiffani Thiessen 1974-01-23 Saved By The Bell (1989-1993)

35 1,707 1,191 carlybobarly added Milla Jovovich 1975-12-17 Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991)Chaplin (1992)Dazed and Confused (1993)

36 1,693 1,239 carlybobarly added Claire Danes 1979-04-12 "My So-Called Life" (1994-95)Little Women (1994)Romeo + Juliet (1996)

37 1,461 1,208 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 1,768 1,441 carlybobarly added Macaulay Culkin 1980-08-26 Uncle Buck (1989)Home Alone (1990)My Girl (1991)The Good Son (1993)

39 1,608 1,129 carlybobarly added Anna Paquin 1982-07-24 The Piano (1993)Fly Away Home (1996)Amistad (1997)She's All That (1999)

40 1,428 1,035 carlybobarly added Seth Green 1974-02-08 Can't Buy Me Love (1988)My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988)It (1990)

41 1,935 1,037 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 1,631 1,006 carlybobarly added Helen Hunt "Amy Prentiss" (1974-75)"The Swiss Family Robinson" (1975-76)

43 2,008 1,321 carlybobarly added Jessica Alba 1981-04-28 Camp Nowhere (1991)"Flipper" (1995-96)

44 1,157 1,063 carlybobarly added Juliette Lewis 1973-06-21 National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)Cape Fear (1991)

45 1,248 1,088 carlybobarly added Josh Brolin 1968-02-12 The Goonies (1985)

46 1,135 893 carlybobarly added Diane Lane 1965-01-22 A Little Romance (1979)The Outsiders (1983)Rumble Fish (1983)

47 1,126 916 carlybobarly added Michelle Williams 1980-09-09 Lassie (1994)Species (1995)Killing Mr. Griffin (1997)"Dawson's Creek (1998-2003)

48 974 770 Christian Slater 1969-08-18 The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)"Ryan's Hope" (1985)

49 1,236 348 Daniel Radcliffe 1989-07-23 Harry Potter series (2001-11)

50 1,230 917 carlybobarly added Shia LaBeouf 1986-06-11 "Even Stevens" (1999-2003)The Battle of Shaker Heights (2003)