Many child actors succeeded in filming their first time and became immortal child stars in people's minds. Time flies, but the roles played by child stars are forever immortal on the screen, leaving us with good memories. This time, let's take a look at some of the actors who have grown up and their career development after they became famous.
1. Marla Wilson as Matilda Wormwood in Matilda (1996)
Marla Wilson played Matilda Emwood, a curious and talented young girl, in Matilda (1996). Wilson became famous for the role, but in 2000 she temporarily quit show business. After graduating from college, she made a slow comeback to give voice to a variety of projects.
2. George Henry plays Lucy Pevensy in Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005).
George Henry played Lucy Pevensy in Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) and its two sequels. Lucy is just a young girl who, along with her siblings, has been brought into a magical world where Henry has been famous for a long time. Recently, she reappeared on screen as a Spanish princess.
3. Joseph Gordon-Levy in The Third Stone from the Sun between 1996 and 2001
Joseph Gordon Levitt played Tommy Solomon in The Third Stone from the Sun (1996-2001). Gordon Levitt rose to fame in the role of an alien creature living on Earth, after which he successfully transitioned to a more mature role. He has shown a penchant for music, he has released several singles, and currently he owns hitRecord, an online media co-op platform.
4. Christina Ritchie plays Wednesday Adams in The Addams Family (1991)
Christina Ritchie played Adams in The Addams Family (1991) and its sequel, Wednesday Adams. This gloomy and cute character was her breakout role, and she began to shoot more mature films, such as Sleep Valley (1999). She has won many awards for playing a child actor, and she has also voiced various cartoons.
5. Macaulay Calkin as Kevin McAllister (1990)
Macaulay Calkin played Kevin McAllister in The Lonely Man (1990) and its sequels. The Christmas series was Kalkin's big breakthrough, and he also appeared in the comedy My Girl (1991). In 1994, Kalgin retired from acting, but over the years he has made appearances in various projects and even tried singing. Currently, he is the CEO of a satirical pop culture website and podcast "Rabbit Ears."
6. Heli Joel Ausment as Cole Sear in The Sixth Sense (1999)
Heli Joel Osmente played Cole Sear in The Sixth Sense (1999), a boy who can see ghosts. The role was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and established Ausment as an influential actor. He later starred in more famous films such as Pay Forward (2000) and Artificial Intelligence (2001). In his English dubbing, Osment voiced the video game character Sora from Kingdom Hearts.
7. Darryl Sabara as Junie Cortez in Spy Kid (2001)
Daryl Sabara played Junie Cortez in Spy Kid (2001). He has appeared in various films and TV series many times, but never to the level of his role in spy children. Sabala even starred in a number of plays (most notably, a non-Broadway play, The Library). He also voices a number of animated characters.
8. Taylor Lautner as Shark Boy in the 3D film The Adventures of Shark Boys and Girls (2005)
Tyler Lautner played The Shark Boy in Shark Boy and Girl's Adventure 3D (2005). Before he becomes the werewolf in the vampire saga, Lottner plays a titular shark boy, a super capable young boy who has to work with his criminal partner to save the world from the bad guys!
9. Neil Patrick Harris played Dr. Douglas in The Little Doctor (1989–1993).
Neil Patrick Harris played Dr. Douglas "Doogie" Howser in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989–1993). A role as a young doctor earned him a Golden Globe nomination, which was Harris's path to fame, and he later became the lead cast in How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014). He also has experience in Broadway theater and musicals. Harris wrote his first novel, which was released in 2017.
10. Nikolai Tom Rees in Beethoven (1992)
Nichol Tom played Lece in Beethoven (1992) and its sequels, and she also voiced the cartoon. She also played Maggie Sheffield in The Nanny (1993-1999). Tom also has some interludes that appear in various shows and movies.
11. Mackenzie Foy as Twilight: Breaking Dawn (2011-2012)
Mackenzie Foy played The Twilight: Breaking Dawn parts 1 and 2 (2011-2012) as the daughter of a major couple, Renee May. After Twilight, she got a steady stream of roles, the most notable of which was Clara Stalbum in The Nutcracker and the Four Kingdoms (2018).
12. Ariane Richards as Lex Murphy in Jurassic Park (1993)
Ariane Richards played Lex Murphy in Jurassic Park (1993) and won several awards for it. She has made several small and occasional appearances in different films and shows, but has not been very popular. Richards later suspended her acting career to focus on other areas of the arts. Currently, she is a recognized artist and has won the first prize in the National Professional Oil Painting Competition.
13. Matthew Lawrence as Chris Hillard in Mrs. Dotfield (1993)
Matthew Lawrence played Chris Hilllard with Robin Williams in Mrs. Dotfield (1993). Lawrence plays the son of a father who pretends to be a nanny in order to solve family problems. The actor is also best known for playing the role in the TV series Boys Meet the World.
14. Anna Krumsky as Vada Surenforce in My Girl (1991)
Anna Kerensky played Vada Surenforce in My Girl (1991) and its sequels. She took a leave of absence from college and returned to play Amy Brookheimer in Veep (2012-2019), where she was the lead actress.
15. Raven Simonias Olivia Kendall in The Cosby Show (1989-1992).
Raven Simone played Olivia Kendall in The Cosby Show (1989-1992). Her career may have started with tv dramas, but she eventually expanded into film and other media, and she is now a singer, songwriter and director. One of her most famous shows is The Raven (2004) and its sequel.
16. George W. Cantarini's Life Is Beautiful (1997)
Giorgio Cantarini played Josu in Life Is Beautiful (1997). The Italian actor also starred in Gladiator (2000). After that, he starred in some small roles. In 2005, he also starred in the Italian version of "Dancing with the Stars".
17. Lindsay Rohan as Anne and Harley in Parents' Trap (1998)
Lindsay Rohan played Anne and Harley in Parent trap (1998). Rohan played two different roles, a pair of twins trying to reunite their parents. After the breakthrough, Rohan's appearances in movies and TV series have been stable, and even released several albums in early 2000. Rohan hasn't made a smooth transition to a more mature role and has had to contend with health issues, but for now, she seems to be making a steady comeback.
18. Lisa Yakub as Lydia Hillard in Mrs. Dotfil (1993)
Lisa Yakub plays Lydia Hilard, the daughter of Robin Williams' character in Mrs. Dotfil (1993). In 2001, Yakubu retired from acting and began writing, and currently has two books. In addition, she is a qualified Kripara Yoga teacher.
19. Jonathan Lipniki as Ray Boyd in Jerry Maguire (1996)
Jonathan Lipniki played Ray Boyd in Jerry Maguire (1996). He also starred in Stuart Little and its sequel. The actor has several more roles to play, but he should be equally known for his philanthropy. He is involved in the work of the Adolescent Diabetes Research Foundation and various animal rights organizations.
20. Noah Hathaway plays Atreu in The Never-Ending Story (1984).
Noah Hathaway played Atreu in The Never Ending Story (1984). The Never-Ending Story is a classic by Hathaway, in which one of its protagonists is destined to save the land from evil. He performed some stunts himself and even won awards for his performances, and although he has been performing, the actor has never reached his previous level of fame.
21. In Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Edward Furlong plays John Connor
Edward Furlong played John Connor, a teenager who saved the world, in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). After an adventure with the Terminator, Furlong has appeared in other films and shows. He also dabbled in music, releasing an album in Japan. Unfortunately, the actor broke the law for drug abuse.
22. Alexa Penaviga as Carmen Cortez in Spy Kid (2001)
Penaviga played Cortez in Spy Child (2001) and its sequel. After that, her acting career stabilized, but there were not many high-profile roles.
23. Mary Kate and Ashley Olson as Michelle Tanner in The Full House (1987-1995)
Mary Kate and Ashley Olson played Michelle Tanner (1987-1995) in The Full House. The twins actually played a single girl, mostly to comply with child labor laws regarding working hours, as they started filming at 9 months old. They later appeared on their own runways and are now prominent figures in the fashion industry.
24. Yvian Schwan played Trixie Young in Problem Child 2 (1991).
In 1991's Problem Child 2, Yvian Schwan played Tricy Young, a mischievous child who keeps adults on constant alert (as the title suggests). Schwan has had different appearances on many other shows, including a character in Bill Nye's The Scientific Man.
25. Madison Linz as Sophia Pelletier in The Walking Dead (2010-2012)
Madison Linz played Sophia Pelletier in The Walking Dead (2010-2012). After she played the daughter of a major character, Linz played Maddie Bosch in Bosch (2015-2021).
26. Jeremy Dunn Jackson as Hobby Buchanon in GulfWatch (1991-1999)
Jeremy played Hobby Bu Cannon in GulfWatch, where he starred in more than 150 episodes and even dabbled in the music industry. However, the former child star also unfortunately broke the law, most notably jailed for stabbing someone else.
27. Patrick Rayner as Hamilton's "Ham" Porter in Sandlow (1993)
Patrick Renner played Hamilton in Sandlow (1993). The actor is best known for the role and has appeared several times in various shows and movies.
How many of these foreign child stars do you know?