It is difficult to imagine our favorite child stars as grown-ups because, in our minds, we always see them as the characters they play in movies on-screen. As they grow up, we grow up too. When these stars rejoin the industry, often after lengthy hiatuses, they’re unrecognizable, or you may have forgotten about them!
1. Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel will remain Harry Potter for many people, no matter how many movies he does now. Radcliffe was only eleven when he filmed the first Harry Potter movie in 2001. The franchise became the biggest one throughout eight very successful films. Since then, he has worked consistently, appeared in many movies, and even worked on Broadway – he’s a well-loved star even now!
2. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
A well-known pair of twins in the Hollywood industry – the Olsen Twins were just babies when they starred as Michelle Tanner on the hit show Full House. They two grew up on the show, and because it was so popular, they got their TV series right after. The twins have stopped acting and are focusing on their fashion pursuits.
3. Dylan and Cole Sprouse
Kids who grew up in the 2000s will know them as Zack and Cody. The two appeared in the Disney Channel show “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” As they grew up, they took a break from acting to attend school in New York, and now that’s over, they’re both back into acting. Cole was part of Netflix’s Riverdale, while Dylan has appeared in multiple hit movies.
4. Macaulay Culkin
You might know Culkin by the name of Kevin from the Home Alone movies that came out in the 90s when Culkin was ten years old. As a kid, he appeared in other films like “Richie Rich,” and “My Girl.” he then took a long break from acting but came up in the headlines for his wild behavior. Recently, he made his comeback and was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!
5. Emma Watson
We all know her as Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, part of the most well-known trio of friends from the Wizarding World. Watson grew up on the Harry Potter sets, where she was only 10 when the first movie came out. By the franchise’s end, she graduated college and became a feminist icon. Emma has multiple roles now, including Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Meg from Little Women.
6. Thomas Brodie-Sangster
Sangster has appeared in countless films and series throughout his life, but undoubtedly, people know him best as the “little boy from Love Actually.” He was only 13 when that movie came out, but as a child of actor parents, he has stayed in the business all his life, appearing in Game of Thrones, the Maze Runner films, and recently in Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit.
7. Emma Roberts
Emma comes from an actor family, her father being Eric Roberts. She grew up in the industry and made her acting debut at 9 in a drama film called Blow. After that, Roberts was in many films, including her TV show Unfabulous on Nickelodeon. She embraces her privilege as an actor and is still enjoying celebrity status.
8. Miley Cyrus
You may know Miley as a recent Grammy-winning singer, but before her successful music career, she was the star of the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana. Miley was only 13 years old when the show started, where she played the role of the pop star Hannah. Cyrus continued to be on-screen as an actor and a young pop star, leading to her success as a celebrity.
9. Lindsay Lohan
Lohan first appeared in a movie, The Parent Trap, when she was 11, which cemented her presence as a successful child star. After that success, she starred in many more movies like Mean Girls, Freaky Friday, and Life Size. She then took a long break from acting but has recently resurfaced with two new deals with Netflix.
10. Elijah Wood
Elijah is one of the very few child stars who remained humble as he grew up in the world of Hollywood. His first role in the movie Back to the Future II came when he was only eight years old. However, he is most known for his character, Frodo Baggins, in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Now an established actor in the fraternity, Elijah has many more accomplishments under his belt.
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