Kid Stars Who Look So Different Now

1. Kristen Stewart

(Image/ Source: today.com)She was just 12 years old when she played Jodie Foster's daughter in the 2002 film Panic Room, and Kristen Stewart’s career has continued to soar. She received a Young Artist Award nomination for Panic Room, and famously played Bella Swan in the Twilight Series. She’s now known for indie flicks, as well as her stand-out performance in Spencer.

2. Macaulay Culkin

(Image/ Source: thesun.co.uk)Macaulay was just 10 ten years old when he hit the big time. Many of us are used to seeing him in Home Alone that it’s hard to see him as a grown adult! Macaulay has done a lot less acting as he’s gotten older, and tries to keep away from the limelight as best he can. However, he was still dragged into Michael Jackson’s sex trial back in 2005.

3. Miley Cyrus

(Image/ Source: vanityfair.com)Young Miley was the princess of the Disney channel thanks to her time as Hannah Montana. Since then though, Miley Cyrus has done her absolute best to destroy her former clean-cut image by being as risqué as possible (remember her performance at the MTV Music Awards?). We’re totally here for it though!

4. Abigail Breslin

(Image/ Source: people.com)How cute was Abigail in Little Miss Sunshine? This 2006 flick became a modern classic, and fans were keen to see more from the young starlet. She’s continued to act in the likes of Zombieland and Stillwater, but many cinemagoers haven’t actually recognized her thanks to her shiny new platinum blonde hair.

5. Ron Howard

(Image/ Source: todayonline.com)Remember when Ron was just a kid when he played Opie in The Andy Griffith Show? Or as the wise-cracking teen in Happy Days? He’s continued to be pretty busy in Hollywood since then; he’s now working as a director and producer, and has everything from Arrested Development to Cowboys & Aliens under his belt. Impressive stuff!

6. Drew Barrymore

(Image/ Source: mamamia.com.au)Drew is from an old-school Hollywood family, but they also had their fair share of troubles. She was just 11 months old when she started acting, and eventually fell into drug and alcohol problems in her teens- shortly after her breakout success in ET. But Drew’s come through the other side of it, and she looks happier than ever!

7. Mayim Bialik

(Image/ Source: ew.com)She was the granny-cardigan, sunflower-hatted starlet in Blossom during the 1990s. Mayim was just fifteen when she joined the cast, and went on to score her PhD in neuroscience. Which made her THE perfect casting choice as Amy Farrah Fowler in geek comedy The Big Bang Theory! She’s since starred in Call Me Kat and As They Made Us.

8. Ryan Gosling

(Image/ Source: lifeandstylemag.com)It’s hard to think of the Hollywood heartthrob as a child star, but Ryan Gosling was a regular on the Mickey Mouse Club back in the day. After his early days on the show, he then moved on to other family-friendly TV series like Goosebumps and Young Hercules – a far cry from his brooding movie roles in Drive and Blade Runner 2049.

9. Britney Spears

(Image/ Source: thestateindia.com)Britney actually used to star alongside Ryan Gosling on the Mickey Mouse Club- and they made quite the dream team! But as we all know, Britney went on to be a pop sensation, and her first two albums …Baby One More Time and Oops!... I Did it Again are still some of the most successful albums ever recorded. She’s now helping Elton John with a music video to run alongside their duet of his song, Hold Me Closer.

10. Christina Ricci

(Image/ Source: syfy.com)It's safe to say that Wednesday Adams has well and truly grown up. In 1991, Christina Ricci dazzled in the movie of The Adams Family, which was based on the much-loved TV show. She’s built on her early success to sustain a long Hollywood career, and even scored an Emmy nomination for her role in Grey’s Anatomy.

11. Neil Patrick Harris

(Image/ Source: today.com)Nowadays, Neil Patrick Harris is probably best known for his time as Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, but he had actually been busy with other acting work since he was just 15 years old. He played the starring role in Doogie Howser, and joined the cast of numerous Broadway plays. You can also see him in his new Netflix show, Uncoupled.

12. Justin Timberlake

(Image/ Source: wegotthiscovered.com)Like Ryan Gosling and his former girlfriend Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake was also a star of Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club. He went on to join the hunky 1990s boyband NSYNC, before eventually starting a solo career. He’s now made his way into acting, and has starred in plenty of cheesy movies like Bad Teacher, Friends With Benefits, and Trolls.

13. Jodie Foster

(Image/ Source: toofab.com)Jodie has been acting since she was a kid. She famously played a thirteen-year-old prostitute in the critically acclaimed movie Taxi Driver, and has continued to act ever since. She starred alongside fellow child actor Kristen Stewart in Panic Room, which she ended up winning an Oscar for! She’s also starred in the likes of Silence of the Lambs and The Mauritanian.

14. Christian Bale

(Image/ Source: instyle.com)Christian Bale was only 13 years old when he starred in Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun. An aspiring teen actor quickly turned into a suave (and sometimes stern) Hollywood actor who has starred in everything from American Psycho and The Big Short to Christopher Nolan’s Batman series. He’s currently filming the 2023 flick Ferrari.

15. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

(Image/ Source: mammamia.com.au)They starred as the adorable baby of the family in Full House, where they both played the role of Michelle Tanner. As millions watched them grow up on air, the twins started to assert themselves as fashion icons- a crown they still hold to this day! Mary-Kate and Ashley now run a ton of stylish businesses, including umbrella brand Dualstar and the billion-dollar empire The Row.

16. Lindsay Lohan

(Image/ Source: insider.com)Lindsay’s gone through a lot of changes since she starred in The Parent Trap. The former child star became a teen icon in the likes of Mean Girls, Just My Luck and Freaky Friday, but then things started to go pear-shaped. Her party antics got her in trouble, and she gained a bit of a reputation for being difficult to work with. However, she’s now bounced back with her own podcast series, and she’s set to star in a new Netflix rom-com.

17. Dakota Fanning

(Image/ Source: insider.com)Dakota Fanning made her acting breakthrough at age 7 in the 2001 movie, I Am Sam, which earned her a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award. After a stellar start, the young actress started taking on more movie roles in War of the Worlds and Man on Fire. She’s now busy with grown-up performances in the likes of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Postcard Killings.

18. Elle Fanning

(Image/ Source: teenvogue.com)Just like her big sister Dakota, Elle has been used to the limelight from an early age. She started out her acting career at just two years old, and would often play a younger version of Dakota’s characters in movies and TV shows. Her breakout role was in the teen flick Super 8 when she was just 13, but she’s now moved on to meatier roles in everything from Maleficent to We Bought a Zoo.

19. Christina Aguilera

(Image/ Source: toofab.com)Christina Aguilera was also a part of the Mickey Mouse Club, which meant she worked alongside Ryan, Britney, and Justin in her early years. Like her peers, she went on to have a glittering career as a singer, and received global recognition for her breakout single Genie in a Bottle in 1999. She was just 18 at the time!

20. Raven Symone

(Image/ Source: hollywoodlife.com)Remember That’s So Raven? We were HUGE fans back in the day! While a lot of us remember Raven Symone from this teen classic, she actually found fame in The Cosby Show when she was just three years old. Not only has she had a successful TV career, but she’s also released her own albums and performed on Broadway. You go gal.

21. Wil Wheaton

(Image/ Source: cbr.com)Stand By Me will forever be a classic. Will Wheaton’s breakout role earned him a lot of accolades, but he’s continued to earn his place in Hollywood thanks to some super famous roles. He played young genius Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and played himself (and Sheldon’s sometimes nemesis) in The Big Bang Theory.

22. Tatyana Ali

(Image/ Source: mirror.co.uk)Tatyana became a household name when she joined the cast of Fresh Prince of Bel Air as Ashley Banks. But after living a life in front of the cameras, a grown-up Tatyana decided to take a step back as wife and mom. She’s now slowly making her way back into acting thanks to her projects in the TV series Fly, as well as the movie The Reason.

23. Nicholas Hoult

(Image/ Source: ok.co.uk)His time in About A Boy opposite Hugh Grant launched Nicholas Hoult’s career. He was just 12 years old at the time! After this, he snapped up roles in everything from teen drama Skins to Jack the Giant Slayer, and his career has continued to go from strength to strength. You might have seen him in Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men: First Class, or Tolkien.

24. Elijah Wood

(Image/ Source: time.com)How cute was Elijah back in the day? The adorable child star had bagged roles in the likes of Good Son, North and Flipper (with the help of his mum), and he was determined to become a star as an adult. Safe to say his hard work paid off! While most of us know him as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, he’s done tons of off-the-wall projects too like Maniac and The Last Witch Hunter.

25. Daniel Radcliffe

(Image/ Source: intouchweekly.com)After growing up in the limelight during the Harry Potter movies, Daniel Radcliffe had enough money for life. The former child actor decided to take on a LOT of wild projects (remember when he got naked on stage in Equus?!) including Horns, Swiss Army Man, and Trainwreck. You might have recently seen him in The Lost City too!

26. Shia LaBeouf

(Image/ Source: popcrush.com)Hands up- who used to watch Even Stevens? We LOVED it, and we were big fans of Holes too! Shia made a name for himself with these roles, but as he grew up, he became more disillusioned with Hollywood. He famously put on a bag on his head and declared he was no longer famous, and he also starred in Sia’s Elastic Heart video. He hasn’t really done much more than that recently.

27. Zendaya

(Image/ Source: insider.com)Once upon a time, Zendaya was a cute kid on the Disney show Shake It Up. Fast forward a few years though, and she’s now the most in-demand actress on the planet! She’s starred in everything from The Greatest Showman to Spiderman, and has released her own album too. You can currently catch her in the Dune franchise, as well as the hit show Euphoria.

28. Mara Wilson

(Image/ Source: npr.org)Mara Wilson made a name for herself when she played bright young thing Matilda back in the 1990s. She also starred in other childhood classics like Miracle on 34^th Street and Mrs Doubtfire before deciding to turn her back on the acting world. She now mainly writes, but occasionally does a few TV appearances and web series.

29. Corey Feldman

(Image/ Source: ew.com)Corey was set for superstardom thanks to his 70s and 80s roles in the likes of Friday 13^th: The Final Chapter, Friday 13^th: A New Beginning, and of course, The Goonies! But the acting work started to dry up for Corey in the late 90s, and he only managed to land bit parts. He eventually spoke out about an alleged pedophile ring in Hollywood.

30. Ariana Grande

(Image/ Source: dailymail.co.uk)Long before she was teaching us to say Thank U, Next to those pesky exes, Ariana Grande was a pre-teen Nickelodeon star. She played Cat Valentine in Victorious before moving on to the crossover hit Sam & Cat. But as we know, her career exploded when she started singing, and she’s now one of the most popular songstresses in the world!

31. Amanda Bynes

Image Source / Us WeeklyAmanda Bynes first stepped into the spotlight in the 90's Nickelodeon show All That. She even landed her own series, The Amanda Show, for a while. Any kid of the 90s will know that Amanda Bynes was a face of their childhood. While she did have a successful acting career, she seemingly disappeared from the acting map several years ago and had some incidents with arrests.

32. Daryl Sabara (Spy Kids)

Image Source / Eonline.comDaryl played 9-year-old Juni in the film of many of our childhoods, Spy Kids. Since that time, he's had acting success but mainly with TV and voice acting roles rather than big movies. Nowadays, he's also happily married to All About That Bass pop singer, Meghan Trainor.

33. Taylor Momsen (The Grinch)

Image Source / Hollywood LifeThe adorable Cindy Lou has quite the transformation over the years. Taylor Momsen had a standout role in Gossip Girl, as well as heading her own rock band, the Pretty Reckless. Alongside her successful music and acting career, she's also done modelling, and is notable for heavy eye makeup and blonde hair.

34. Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Love Actually)

Image Source / TODAYWe all remember the adorable Sam from Love Actually, who was raised right by chasing his love through an airport even though they'd barely had a conversation beforehand, and he's since had huge success in other hit movies like The Maze Runner, as well as standout TV shows like Game of Thrones and The Queen's Gambit.

35. Liesel Pritzker Simmons (Little Princess)

Image Source / ZimbioChild actress Liesel Pritzker Simmons had a memorable role in A Little Princess, as well as appearing in other movies like Air Force One. In her adult years, she left the acting field behind to switch to business and philanthropy. She leads impact investing, as well as founding the Blue Haven Initiative, which is a venture capital company.

36. Alexa PenaVega (Spy Kids)

Image Source / Eonline.comAnother child actor from Spy Kids fame, the baby-faced actress is now completely unrecognisable. Alexa went on to appear in TV shows and movies to continue her acting career, but she's also given dancing and singing a whirl too! Appearing on Dancing with the Stars, and recording and releasing soundtrack music.

37. Jonathan Lipnicki (Stuart Little)

Image Source / PinterestNow 31-years-old (makes you feel old, right?), Jonathan is most known for being a child actor, with his 'younger' films his most memorable, but he's still starred in acting roles throughout the years. He's also a huge advocate for good causes, such as the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and also works with animal rights groups.

38. Anna Chlumsky (My Girl)

Image Source / ScreenCrushI don't think any of us really got over My Girl, the childhood movie that was labelled as a 'family' movie but was more like a punch in the heart. Anna Chlumsky took a break from acting after this movie to go to college, but she returned for various movie and TV roles, including Veep. She's now married with children.

39. Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the Teenage Witch)

Image Source / ZimbioI think we all wanted to be Sabrina at some point - magical powers, a sarcastic talking cat and cool aunts. It's Melissa Joan Hart's most well-known role, but she's appeared in a ton of other acting roles, and has also been in the directing and producing chair. She's also opened her own candy shop and started her own fashion line with her husband.

40. Alyson Stoner (Cheaper by the Dozen)

Image Source / InsiderStoner has had a career in acting, singing and dancing. Alongside her Cheaper by the Dozen roles, she also appeared in the Step Up movies. She's also been a backup dancer for many musicians and bands. She's also spoken openly about faith and sexuality after she came out as being attracted to various genders.

41. Miranda Cosgrove (School Of Rock)

Image Source / PinterestSummer is one of the most memorable characters from School of Rock when it comes to the child cast, and her school career reached new heights when she became band manager. Miranda Cosgrove is now all grown up, and she also had career success with iCarly before grabbing voice acting roles, too.

42. Thora Birch (Hocus Pocus)

Image Source / ZimbioThora Birch is who we all wanted to dress as for Halloween as kids - and by that I mean dressing up as her Halloween costume from Hocus Pocus, of course. Since, she's had a great number of memorable movie roles, such as American Beauty and The Hole. She's also worked on TV programs, too.

43. Madiaon De La Garza (Desperate Housewives)

Image Source / Closer WeeklyRemember the adorable Juanita from Desperate Housewives, daughter of Gabrielle and Carlos? The actress is now all grown up and looks completely different to that baby-faced Juanita from the hit TV show. She seems to have remained quiet from acting roles since, but hey - she's only young!

44. Melissa Gilbert (Little House On The Prairie)

Image Source / Closer WeeklyLittle House on The Prairie was a legendary TV show, and a pinnacle of many people's childhoods - which is why it's always fun to see what the child cast looks like now. Laura Ingalls Wilder was an intelligent and memorable character, and her actress Melissa Gilbert is now all grown up - and putting her brains into politics rather than acting. She ran for the Democratic party in the 2016 elections.

45. Alfred Enoch (Harry Potter)

Image Source / QuirkyByteAll characters from Harry Potter, even background ones, were memorable, and Dean Thomas was no exception. Alfred Enoch originally played the fellow Gryffindor before growing into a man (and it always makes you feel old when you see the HP child stars as adults now). He starred in the TV show How to Get Away with Murder.

46. Aileen Quinn (Annie)

Image Source / TheFWWho can forget the red-haired, freckled little orphan Annie? Did the sun ever come out? Aileen Quinn played the memorable role in the film adaption of the Broadway hit. Now in her adult years, Quinn is still enjoying singing - though not on Broadway. She's the lead singer of Rockabilly band Leapin' Lizards!

47. Jimmy Karz (Matilda)

Image Source / The TabAnother standout star from the childhood movie Matilda is poor Bruce Bogtrotter - and we all remember feeling pretty darn sick after seeing that cake. Well, his actor Jimmy Karz has shed all those cake pounds and is now a full grown man, can you believe. One even Miss Trunchbull would even find intimidating.

48. Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid)

Image Source / ScreenCrushThe Karate Kid is now The Karate Adult. Ralph Macchio had huge success in the 80s with the Karate Kid movies we all know and love. His acting career continued and is still going strong in recent years, with appearances in TV series like Robot Chicken and follow up to Karate Kid, Cobra Kai.

49. Danica McKeller (Wonder Years)

Image Source / PinterestDanica McKeller, alongside co-star Fred Savage, made an adorable pair on the hit show The Wonder Years. But what's Winnie Cooper's actress up to these days? Well, she's continued her career with voice acting and has voiced Miss Martian in Young Justice. She has also reunited with the Wonder Years cast in recent years!

50. Peter Ostrum (Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory)

Image Source / InsiderPeter Ostrum starred as Charlie Bucket in the memorable adaption of Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder. It was actually his one and only film role, and apparently he didn't even want to do it! So understandably, he's turned away from acting, and he's now a veterinarian, preferring animals over the acting spotlight.