Top 30 Child Stars Who Became Successful Adult Actors

Growing up in the business! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best young stars whose childhood fame continued into their adult lives! Our countdown includes actors Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson, Zendaya and more! Which child star do you think has had the best career as an adult? Let us know in the comments!
Check out these other actor-centric videos:
Top 20 Greatest Actors of All Time: • Top 20 Greatest Actors...
Top 20 Actors Who DESTROYED Their Careers with One Movie: • Top 20 Actors Who DEST...
Gone But Not Forgotten: 10 Actors We Still Think About Everyday: • Gone But Not Forgotten...
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#childactors #actors #success #drewbarrymore #zendaya #emmawatson #danielradcliffe

[@WatchMojo]

Which child star do you think has had the best career as an adult? Let us know in the comments! For more content like this, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKrNnZlooLeWsKM Don't forget to play our Live Trivia (www.watchmojo.com/play) games at 3pm EST for a chance to win cash! The faster you answer, the more points you get!

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love your content 😊😊😊❤❤

[@devingiles6597]

Zendaya Coleman

[@peterelliott7333]

I was on my final cast call for that role. And ended up with chicken pocks the same day. No jokes.

[@DragonKazooie89]

Kenan Thompson

[@adriennemeyer3408]

Y'all forgot to mention Ethan Hawk and Joaquin Phoenix

[@KinSlayer5220]

Leonardo DiCaprio.... Elle Fanning.... Chloe Grace Moretz..... Juliette Lewis.... C. Thomas Howell.... Jake Gyllenhaal.... Hayden Panettiere..... Jennifer Lawrence....

[@paulcarr5918]

C. Thomas Howell was much better than Thomas C. Howell.

[@batya7]

Yes, Leonardo !

[@WrenFaithBridger]

@@paulcarr5918 ...and Elle Fanning was much better than Ellie Fanning.

[@sudarshan1354]

Robert Downey Jr

[@GrinderCB]

A big one is Helen Hunt. She was in a lot of things in the 70's, appearing on shows like "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Bionic Woman," "The Facts of Life," and "Swiss Family Robinson." She started appearing more in movies when she was a teen and of course started getting Oscar caliber roles as an adult, in things like "As Good As It Gets" and "The Sessions."

[@bluebear1985]

Don't forget her time starring on the sitcom "Mad About You".

[@MHK1961]

I'm surprised Ron Howard wasn't mentioned in the video. He seemed to have done okay going from Opie on The Andy Griffith Show to Ritchie on Happy Days to a successful director 🙂

[@WrenFaithBridger]

Because his success IS as a director...not an adult actor.

[@MHK1961]

@@WrenFaithBridger True

[@twist58]

The much older actors like Kurt Russell was something that really caught my attention. He was part of Disney as a kid ever since Walt himself was still alive. He even spoke fondly about the young boy being somebody someday. Walt was right.

[@pjm3005]

when they found Walt's body, he was gripping a scrap of paper with Kurt's name on it...

[@lonewolfjedi493osswfan]

Anyone heard of Ron Howard? Started off as Opie Taylor in The Andy Griffith Show, Ritchie Cunningham in Happy Days, became a director, and has a daughter in Hollywood who acts and directs

[@cassie1264]

I haven't heard of half the people they chose for the list! But Ron Howard apparently isn't successful enough 😂

[@georgeharris6851]

Don't forget American Graffiti, which helped Happy Days get greenlit.

[@lonewolfjedi493osswfan]

@@georgeharris6851 It was also George Lucas’ first major project as a filmmaker

[@WrenFaithBridger]

It's because his success in adulthood came through because if directing...not acting. The title of this is "Child Stars Who Became Successful Adult ACTORS"...and having a daughter who acts doesn't count, either.

[@nissa9626]

You guys forgot Hailee Steinfeld, she was Oscar nominee at 14 for her role in True Grit, she has a successful career in music and acting.

[@KryptonitePeter]

Music not so much 😂🤦.

[@michaelmonthey5974]

Just two years ago, Kirsten Dunst starred in Jane Campion’s Oscar winning Western, “Power of the Dog”, and is set to star in Alex Garland’s upcoming dystopian war thriller, “Civil War”. She’s fully matured as an actress.

[@missdeejay]

You talked about Drew Barrymore, but completely ignored her E.T. co-star, Henry Thomas. He went from being a child actor, to an adult actor with many acting gigs to his name, including in "Legends of The Fall", "Gangs of New York", and many Mike Flanagan films, including his latest miniseries, "The Fall Of the House of Usher".

[@cameronjr8]

Scarlett Johansson was in Home Alone 3.

[@DragonKazooie89]

Where’s Kenan Thompson? The man has had success on television since his early teens!

[@J2341tube]

Your videos really need timestamps

[@jackinthebox1993]

I wish they kept doing that too

[@Bigheadtalking]

Or how about you watch the video without complaining

[@blamerebel]

It’s because they make these too fast and often miss a lot of edits

[@Bigheadtalking]

@@blamerebel rewind the video then

[@LucasGnagy]

@@Bigheadtalking I hate people with the “You can’t complain because you’re watching it” mentality

[@Jeremiah_Rivers76]

Ke Huy Kwan had an excellent role as Short Round in _Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom._ I don’t know how he did it, but his role in _Everything Everywhere All At Once_ still gets praise today. My mother couldn’t follow it, and I don’t think I can either.

[@joelwillems4081]

Few people watch more films than I do, and I know that movie was a mess. I'll try to watch it a third time sometime. I really couldn't care enough about the characters to finish it up. Great, time jumps or multi-dimensions, whoopee-do I guess.

[@kivulifenrir]

@@joelwillems4081 The movie was about the connections we form with people at it's core.

[@WrenFaithBridger]

I've watched it 5 times in the course of 3 months; THAT'S how much I enjoyed it. I had no trouble following it. It was incredibly entertaining from beginning to both ends (IYKYK) and deserved every bit of acclaim. (And the fact that my daughter attends The Daniels' alma mater, Emerson, has nothing to do with it.)

[@What_Makes_Climate_Tick]

I think Mayim Bialik belongs on the list, and her co-stars Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco might be runners-up.

[@Animeguy300]

1. 28:18 Elizabeth Taylor 2. 26:58 Jodie Foster 3. 26:00 Natalie Wood 4. 24:52 Judy Garland 5. 23:59 Drew Barrymore 6. 22:59 Kurt Russell 7. 22:06 Christian Bale 8. 21:10 Natalie Portman 9. 20:15 Kristen Dunst 10. 19:19 Scarlett Johansson 11. 18:19 Mickey Rooney 12. 17:21 Zendaya 13. 16:25 Anna Paquin 14. 15:25 Joseph Gordon-Levitt 15. 14:37 Saoirse Ronan 16. 13:46 Elijah Wood 17. 13:01 Christina Ricci 18. 12:12 Neil Patrick Harris 19. 11:17 Dakota Fanning 20. 10:20 Jason Bateman 21. 9:25 Sean Astin 22. 8:34 Emma Watson 23. 7:25 Keke Palmer 24. 6:37 Freddie Highmore 25. 5:37 Michael B. Jordan 26. 4:29 Jurnee Smollett 27. 3:24 Thomas Brodie-Sangster 28. 2:22 Alia Shawkat 29. 1:24 Kristen Stewart 30. 0:18 Daniel Radcliffe

[@adriennemeyer3408]

Y'all forgot Ethan Hawk and Joaquin Phoenix

[@angelapalmer3464]

Neve Campbell, Faruza Balk, Matthew Fox, Mila Kunis. Ralph Macchio, Rob Lowe. Yep, need a part two!

[@michaelmonthey5974]

What about Abigail Breslin, Hayden Pattenaire, Kieran Culken,or Chloe Grace Mortez?

[@matthiasdoineau8543]

Eliza Dushku from True Lies to Buffy & Banshee and more I feel she deserves a shout out.

[@maryhughes6372]

I was most surprised to see that ‘Denise’ Jurnee Smollett continued to have an acting career as an adult. I’ve seen her in her in movies as an adult but I didn’t know it was Michelle’s little friend Denise. Good for her.

[@Flipadelphiia]

I definitely misunderstood the term "adult actor"

[@kevinwebb82]

What about Ron Howard the child actor who went on to direct movies?

[@beaudure01]

One of the cutest bits of pop-culture trivia is that Thomas Brodie-Sangster did the voice of Ferb on Phineas and Ferb, while Olivia Olson (Joanna in Love Actually) provided the voice of Ferb's crush, Vanessa Doofenshmirtz.

[@GrinderCB]

Robert Blake. He was Mickey in the Little Rascals and was in a few movies as well, including "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" where he played the Mexican kid who sold Bogart the winning lottery ticket that gave them enough money to buy equipment to go hunt for gold. As an adult, aside from being a suspect in the murder of his wife, he played several adult roles and starred in the TV cop show "Beretta" in the 70's

[@moonprincessRN]

*Baretta

[@GrinderCB]

@@moonprincessRN spelling troll

[@moonprincessRN]

@@GrinderCB Not a troll. I occasionally correct spelling just as a tip for future reference.

[@overtiredcoffee]

How could they forget leonardo dicaprio

[@terricunningham6810]

my 1st two thoughts were Ron Howard and Kurt Russel. Kurt was in an elvis movie as a kid.

[@alexzandraepeters1846]

Kurt is on the list

[@battlegirldeb]

Should have had Kim Fields on this list. She started in Mrs. Butterworth commercials at the age of 5 than did the tv show "Baby, I'm Back" at seven then many guest roles on TV until "The Facts of Life" which she was on from ages 11-19. In the 90's she was "Living Single" and also became a TV director and now is on the show "The Upshaw's" on Netflix.

[@moon7shinev150]

Dakota Fanning also voiced Coraline Christina Ricci was also in Tim Burton's Wednesday

[@Deragon0416]

And once again Dean Stockwell gets the shaft... good job watch mojo...

[@ComaAlpha]

So I worked as a pin chaser at a bowling alley and the friend who got me the job turned 21 and became a bartender. We opened one day and I'm sitting there flipping through the channels and it stopped on 50 First Dates or whatever. Something Drew Barrymore. My buddy just making conversation looks at me and says "You know, I never found Drew Barrymore attractive." I responded abruptly with, "Really? I thought she was smoking hot in ET." He about pissed himself laughing.

[@debbiep8260]

What about … Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Ron Howard, Natalie Wood, Robert Blake?

[@alexzandraepeters1846]

Did you watch the entire video,? Elizabeth was number 1 on the list and Natalie and Mickey were also on the list

[@laceyjaye1262]

Did you not watch the entire list? 3/5 are listed..

[@user-md7up7rc5e]

I hope you included the very popular Kristy McNichol. Even today at autograph meetings, she still is down to earth. A good woman

[@azzurebleutarot5031]

I definitely agree with your picks!

[@juliejeanable]

Hayley Mills Roddy McDowell Shirley Temple Leonardo DiCaprio Josh Brolin etc etc

[@ItzMzJulez2U]

Dayam. I have never felt so old as I do at this very moment! I’ve literally watched most of these people grow up on screen!😬 When I watched ScarJo in ‘Horse Whisperer’ I knew she was going to be around awhile. Michael B. stole my heart in the ‘Friday Night Lights’ series as Vince. I totally missed that Freddie Highmore, whom I adore in the two Depp movies, was also ‘The Good Doctor.’ 🤦🏻‍♀️ I loved Sean Astin in ‘Rudy’ and ‘Mom’s Day Out.’ Missing from the list are Ron Howard and Reese Witherspoon (whom I first remember in ‘Man in the Moon’ with Sam Waterston and Tess Harper when she was 14 or 15.) Thx MoJo, another fun watch!🎥❤️

[@WatchMojo]

It's incredible how time flies, isn't it? Watching actors grow and evolve on screen can definitely make us feel a little nostalgic.

[@PrinceIsot]

This is not what i thought the list was 😂

[@trusha_tungare]

oh god, i just re-read the title... 🤣

[@PrinceIsot]

@@trusha_tungare yeah the lack of mfm threw me off 🤣

[@What_Makes_Climate_Tick]

OK. I re-read the title, too, and now get the joke. The one that springs to mind for that other list is Dana Plato.

[@snowdenwyatt6276]

@@What_Makes_Climate_TickThere really is only one for that "other" list as far as sheer output goes. His name is Stephen Geoffreys, one of the stars of the original Fright Night from 1985.

[@chingiztulegenov]

Jamie Bell? And I think Kristen Stewart is way too low in this rating, especially considering her success in European cinema

[@MichieHM]

Jason Bateman

[@spencersharp4599]

Elijah wood was originally cast in radio flyer I think...

[@MaxModded]

This was a great list full of inspiring stories, and offers a reminder that any Attack of the Clones clip is always super cringe!

[@acdragonrider]

Should’ve talked more about Kirsten’s continuing work with Sofia, Bring it On, etc.

[@shelly_lee]

how is ron howard NOT on this list?

[@devingiles6597]

Honorable mentions: Melissa Joan Hart Shirley Temple Miranda Cosgrove Olivia Rodrigo Taylor Lautner Leonardo DiCaprio

[@Metalmarius1]

Devon Sawa Shawnee Smith

[@Phanthief95]

Don’t forget Jennifer Connolly & Ke Huy Quan.

[@Beth_Alice_Kaplan]

Well there are a lot of children out there, and they insist on growing up…(Okay, okay,I‘ll stop! 😏)

[@raptorfromthe6ix833]

robert blake and ron howard

[@mamatoad246]

Where is Macaulay Culkin?? Anna Chlumsky is still active too!

[@snowdenwyatt6276]

Macaulay, much like Elle Fanning, has been overshadowed by his younger sibling. Both Elle and Macauley rose to fame quicker as a child actor but it was Dakota and Kieran who ended up having the bigger careers as adults.

[@joannewilson1162]

I love Freddy highmore! The good doctor is such a good show…❤❤ Kiki Palmer is awesome too!

[@NickCC23]

Meredith Salenger: deservedly won a Young Artist Award for "The Journey of Natty Gann" went on to teen movie fare, Harvard and steady work as an adult (and marriage to Patton Oswalt). Danny Nucci had at least 8 IMBD credits before age 18 including Family Ties and went on to Titanic and the Fosters. Tyler James Williams was the title character in "Everybody Hates Chris" as a child and now stars in "Abbott Elementary"

[@timothycollins3829]

Mayim Bialik deserves to be on here as well. From Blossom to Amy on BBT, she shows she has the comedic chops.

[@seanwhipple7839]

How did leo not make the list

[@joshuaaird4349]

What number is Leo?

[@isyed37]

Leonardo Dicaprio!!!

[@sburris65]

Wow..did you really not have Ron Howard on there??? You also left off Brooke Shields, Austin Butler, Regina King, Kerri Russell, Zac Effron, Sarah Jessica Parker, Emma Roberts, Sean Murray, Michael J Fox, Christiana Applegate, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Mayim Bailik, Will Weaton, Sarah Gilbert, or Ke Hu Quan (who's lawyer is Chunk from the Goonies) just to name the hundreds of child actors who have become successful adults. And even when they do get off the rails like Drew or Robert Downey Jr, it doesn't mean they end up train wrecks.

[@girardedward]

I think Josh Brolin was 15 in the Goonies…

[@abhishekpaul9261]

what about Connelly

[@user-sc9dv5ni7c]

Hi WatchMojo. I have a request for you 😊. Please do a video about a few times Static shock tackled serious issues. Will you?

[@bluknight99]

As a rule, I generally don't care too much about celebrities or "celebrity culture" as it's filled with egomaniacal, sell-serving, virtue-signaling jerks. That said, I love to see a story about someone who gets sucked up into the meat grinder that is the entertainment industry as a child who survives into adulthood with some success and (hopefully) with their soul intact.

[@Beth_Alice_Kaplan]

Um…okay? 🫤

[@ytwyvern4240]

Josh Hutcherson. Why wasn't Josh Hutcherson in this list?

[@manchesterunitedno7]

Christian Bale hardly what we called a baby face when he was a kid. Even back then his face already shown some intensity. Drew Barrymore, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, Leonardo DiCaprio, those are baby face kid. Bale never was.

[@YuniorGamboa]

It's good to see they all made it as child actors for a change and kept doing projects as adults

[@CRJII]

I had no idea that was Kristen Stewart in Panic Room. One of my all time favorite thrillers.

[@ProjectPhoenix21]

Watch Mojo is wild for that title

[@peterelliott7333]

Elijah also had a big appearance in, In Search of Bobby Fisher.

[@girardedward]

Candace Cameron Bure’s transition to “the queen of Hallmark” movies for over 10 years seems pretty successful.

[@khartgarrett]

I still get goosebumps hearing Judy Garland sing Somewhere Over The Rainbow

[@gracestayner2033]

One I hold a special connection with is Zendya. I’ve been with her since Shake It Up and now that I actually think about it it’s amazing to see how much she grown. I mean you go from Disney Shake It Up to Euphoria just wow

[@Hectorferjr2]

One of the reasons why these actors made a successful transition into adulthood is because they didn't take shortcuts to achieve their status as serious actors. They build their trajectory slowly because by building a slow trajectory you are a taking things carefully because speed in execution requires skill, care, and time to prepare for a performance in a movie like The Iron Claw.

[@lee120458]

What about Ann Jillian? I heard she started acting since she was three and did two movies from Disney in 1961's( Babes in Toyland), and 1962's (Sammy the Way out Seal).

[@devingiles6597]

Honorable mention: Ron Howard - He was known as Opie in The Andy Griffith Show when he was a child actor. He became the founder and CEO of his production company, Imagine Entertainment. Also, he was an executive producer of Arrested Development, he starred in American Graffiti alongside Harrison Ford and Richard Dreyfuss. Among many others.

[@moonprincessRN]

He deserves top billing rather than honorable mention. He started acting at age 4 and has been hugely successful since then, first in acting and then directing. He has 2 Oscars, 2 Emmys, 2 Golden Globes, a Grammy and 2 stars on the Hollywood walk of Fame.

[@Ben3901K]

The clickbait is stunning😄😂

[@ismailmayet6181]

Kurt Russell he is definitely one of the most successful ones

[@GrinderCB]

Russell was in a 1st season episode of Gilligan's Island, playing a jungle boy they found on the island. He didn't have much in the way of dialogue since the character didn't know how to talk until they taught him to say "no" and "girl" and "boy."

[@BlackHatCinephile]

🏆🥇

[@kleine.5438]

WOOOW😮!

[@jonell4254]

Not mentioned but Elijah Wood was amazing as a young actor in movie Radio Flyer along with his little brother played by Joseph Mazzelo...amazing acting

[@the_myth_of_the_catechism]

Dean Stockwell. First role 1945 (Anchors Away) Last was in 2021 (The timekeepers of eternity)

[@angelapalmer3464]

...Kirk Cameron, Candace Cameron, Alphonso Ribeiro, Shannon Dougherty, Jason Bateman

[@gregorious111]

Scarlett Johansson the love of my life

[@AndreaDoesYoga]

🎬 Incredible journey from child stars to big-screen icons! 🌟

[@Guilty_Crown]

Scarlet Johansson is also in Eight Legged Freaks in her early years too

[@ricardoman8018]

Don't forget Elijah wood played in radio flyer with Tom Hanks very underrated

[@RedX101]

Does “Doctor Who” count for Neil Patrick Harris?

[@peterelliott7333]

Drew in The Cat's Eye. And Firestarter

[@Misterious_xxas3]

You should change the title of the video, because it brings whole different meaning. 😂😂😂🎉🎉

[@Beth_Alice_Kaplan]

That’s right folks; the original lyrics to Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas were actually *more* depressing. The lyric Garland refused to sing was "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last.” 😮 (Maybe that’s what happens when you ask people to write songs during a war?) It’s hilarious they were changed again when vocalists started performing the song outside of Meet Me in St. Louis…because everyone the line “Until Then We’ll Have to Muddle Through Somehow” was too much of a bummer. 🤨

[@georgeharris6851]

Leo and Ron are the biggest misses, because they should be in the top 5, but Diane Lane was in movies at 14, and has gone on to play a lot of roles, including Superman's mom.

[@tiamzy]

14:54 That is not Saoirse Ronan in Atonement! It’s the same character but not her!!

[@WrenFaithBridger]

Apropos to nuthin', that "movie about a man and his beaver puppet" is an incredible movie that I can't recommend enough. Mel Gibson (whom Jodie Foster fought to have in it) gives a great performance in "The Beaver", and the movie is a wonderful piece depicting mental illness. It was this movie, and "Big Hero 6", that caused my daughter to minor in psychology in college.

[@ninagee4511]

Remember Michael B. Jordon's role in Hardball? Poor Jamal wanted to play ball more than anything. Because of a DOB technicality, he was kicked off the team and had to join a gang :(

[@evemercier3460]

What about Thora Birch, Mia Kirshner, Joaquin Phoenix and Leonardo DiCaprio?

[@angelapalmer3464]

Yes, a few more for the next list: Kenan Thompson and Brooke Sheilds

[@girardedward]

Kenan hasn’t stopped since All That.

[@kallmeoompa]

I was like when did Scarlett became an adult actress

[@jayestrada3852]

Just started the video...Bale better be #1!!!!

[@angelapalmer3464]

....Fred savage, Justin Timberlake, Mckenna Grace, Ryan Gosling

[@usachris7731]

Leonardo DiCaprio was definitely at the biggest miss.

[@robbinruffino1201]

Jackie Cooper? Roddy McDowall? Jane Withers? Ann Miller? Ron Howard? Lucas Haas?

[@GamerFunOriginallyAarush]

Good example: Cole Sprouse!

[@jamesbochnik1696]

Chloë Grace Moretz

[@audreemaurice4899]

I always taught her name was Kristen and I just realized her name is Kirsten 😂😂

[@Naruto0s44]

Number 1 Leonardo dicaprio of course

[@trexrt]

what was you thinking you forgot about Jackie Cooper!!!!

[@elivanto1673]

Just look at Goonies and Red Dawn and you'll fill up quite the roster.

[@angelapalmer3464]

Yep, Josh Brolin!!

[@girardedward]

@@angelapalmer3464^^^^^ How do people forget Brolin?!

[@kfircohen8689]

Leonardo DiCaprio, johnny depp

[@vickthashredder]

You forgot hardball for Michael b Jordan, roll bounce for Jurnee Smolett

[@shayden998]

Hey! Phrasing.

[@GrinderCB]

Joseph Mazzello. He played Tim, the grandson of John Hammond, in Jurassic Park, the kid who got stuck on the electric fence when the power came on. As an adult, he played U.S. Marine Corporal Eugene Sledge in the HBO miniseries "The Pacific" that followed several Marines through the island hopping campaign of WWII.

[@ItzMzJulez2U]

And John ‘Deaky’ Deacon in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ 🎶❤️

[@joelwillems4081]

Like many others mentioned in this, he really wasn't a star as a child nor is one today as an adult. He acted when young and now acts as an adult, that's all.