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It’s not easy being a child star.
And, unfortunately, not everyone succeeds.
Others still have completely transformed their careers, becoming more famous than they ever once were.
Here is what a number of famous child stars look like today.
Fair warning: You might not recognize some of them anymore!
After that film’s success, she really hit it big in the early 2000s.
That year she starred inChapter 27,Georgia Rule, andI Know Who Killed Me.
Unfortunately, that yearwas also the firsttime the former child star was arrested for driving under the influence.
With mandatory court appearances and house arrest to contend with, Lohan’s career stalled.
She spent thenext few years partyinguntil she decided she “needed to grow up” and moved to London.
She said it was thebest thing she’s ever done.
Clearly, she’s been keeping busy.
Needless to say, peoplehave been worriedabout Lohan’s mental health.
And she did all that while starring on the TV seriesWhat I Like About You.
But just when her career was at its peak, Bynes hit rock bottom.
In 2010, sheretired (and then un-retired)from acting.
In 2014, she revealed via Twitter that she wasdiagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Macaulay Culkin
No,he isn’t dead.
After starring inHome Alonein 1990, Macaulay Culkinbecamearguably the most famous child star ever.
He even played a violent and pretty much legit evil kid inThe Good Son.
Culkin later signed on to star in Seth Green’sChangeland.
From her role as the youngest daughter in 1993’sMrs.
Then the child star quit acting, basically retiring after her role inThomas and the Magic Railroadin 2000.
Instead of acting, she’s been pursuing her passion for writing.
In 1982, she stole hearts as the adorable little sister inE.T.
the Extra-Terrestrialbefore then playing Charlie the little girl with pyrokinesis in 1984’sFirestarter.
She then followed these films up with the 1985 horror filmCat’s Eye.
From rom-coms likeNever Been KissedandThe Wedding SingertoDonnie DarkoandCharlie’s Angels, Barrymore stayed busy.
Now clean and sober,Barrymore has saidthat her battle with addiction has made her a better mom.
Chlumsky’s performance garnered hersix Primetime Emmy nominationsfor Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
The series premiered in 1994, and, despite a connection change, it continued until 1999.
During that time, the sisters alsomade appearanceson episodes ofAre You Afraid of the Dark?andSmart Guy.
In 2019, she starred in the Netflix showFamily Reunion.
She alsowrote a cookbookto accompany her showTia Mowry at Homeon the Cooking Channel.
And her career certainly didn’t stop there.
He also appeared inThe Big Show ShowandRaven’s Home.
White clearly aims to show audiences everywhere that he’s so much more than Urkel!
Together with Arnold Schwarzenegger, they work to save themselves (and the world) from an evil cyborg.
And it made Edward Furlong a certified ’90s heartthrob.
Poised to make a comeback, he found himselfhospitalized in 2001of a suspected overdose.
Drug abuse, arrests, and restraining ordersdefined the next several yearswhile he occasionally took on smaller acting projects.
He’s still acting, however.
Here’s hoping he can get out of his own way.
These days her focus is a bit different.
She hostedHome Made Simpleon OWN from 2013 to 2014.
She also signed on foraPunky Brewsterreboot because whatisn’tbeing rebooted these days?
Hallie Eisenberg
Remember the days before DVRs and on-demand television when you actually had to watch commercials?
If so, you probably rememberHallie Eisenbergasthe Pepsi girlfrom the ’90s.
Jonathan Lipnicki
The too-cute-for-wordslittle boy fromJerry Maguireis all grown up.
I guess nothing really scares you anymore once you’ve survived being a child star.
Kel Mitchell
Who loves orange soda?Kel loves orange soda!
While his comedic partner Kenan Thompson found success onSaturday Night Live, Mitchell’s success was harder earned.
During his hardest times, Mitchell turned to drugs and alcohol and battled suicidal thoughts.
His return to faith also coincided with a return to work.
Since 2015, he has starred as Double G on the Nickelodeon showGame Shakers.
In 2019, he appeared in theAll Thatrevival.
Tina Majorino
Even if you don’t know her name, you definitely know her face.
Regardless, the early ’90s were good to this child star.
and then, “Whatever happened to the girl that played Deb?”
But it was perhaps her run onGrey’s AnatomyasDr.
Heather Brooksthat thrust her back into the spotlight.
She later reprised her role as Mac on theVeronica Marsmovieand appeared in the short-livedTNT seriesLegendsand the CBS showScorpion.
Oh Draco, how we love to hate you.
The role earned Felton twoMTV Movie Awards for Best Villainand, weirdly, inspired fans to love the villain.
Notably, evenHarry Potterauthor J.K. Rowling has said howunnerving it isthat teenage girls fall for the villainous Malfoy.
Grandeappearedas flighty Cat Valentine first inVictoriousand then in the crossover hitSam & Cat, oppositeiCarlystar Jennette McCurdy.
It was a little frustrating."
Unfortunately, the devastating 2017 terrorist attack at her show in Manchester, England threw her for a loop.
But Grande showed wisdom far beyond her years in the aftermath, using her experiences to create her albumSweetener.
Radcliffe also starred on the TV showMiracle Workers.
He stayed until 2000, and in 2003, he joinedSNL.
Peck and Bellreunitedon Peck’s short-lived sitcomGrandfathered, much to fans' delight.
Miranda Cosgrove
The world first fell in love withMiranda Cosgroveas the plucky Summer inSchool of Rock.
Cosgrove also managed to juggle lending her voice to movies like theDespicable Mefranchise and having a successful music career.
However, when asked bySeventeenabout her favorite thing to do, Cosgrove shared that it was acting iniCarly.
It’s just like an adventure every episode," she explained.
Zendaya
Nowadays, the artist known simply as Zendaya is all grown up.
Zendaya later became one of the youngest Disney producerseverwhen she parlayed her position into producing and starring inK.C.
Undercover, a popular show about a family of secret agents.
However, Zendaya may perhaps best be known as an activist.
The singer and actress memorablycalled outa magazine for Photoshopping an image to make her appear skinnier.
In an interview withGQ, he admitted that he hadn’t sought out the material.
I think there’s a market for that, honestly.
And I honestly would totally be down for that!"
Wood is interested primarily in the art of filmmaking itself.
He simply chooses projects that he wants to be a part of.
Hopefully his mother approves.
In that career-spanning discussion, LaBeouf stated emphatically, “I’m a buffoon.
My public outbursts are failures.
“It was bad, it was bad.
Don’t look for photos.”
Joey King
Actress Joey King started her career with a commercial for Life cereal.
That’s a weird word.'
As King started navigating her late teens and 20s, the roles she’s chosen have been varied.
She’s starred inThe Act,Netflix rom-comsThe Kissing Booth 1and2,and horror movieSlender Man.
Kiernan Shipka
Mad Menwas a defining moment for television.
WhenMad Menwrapped, Shipka found herself at a loss, as she admitted toGlamour.
But she doesn’t define herself by her job.
She ensured that her post-Mad Menyears were filled with all manner of different experiences, as she explained toE!
That’s actually where his heart truly lies, particularly as an adult.
He’s releasedfour albumstotal to date and scored a hit with the Latin-inspired “Fuego Lento.”
First,Clarissa Explains It Allhelped us figure out our lives.
I get why people have that familiarity,” she said.
Hart has usedSabrinaas a learning tool for her kids, re-enforcing the show’s still-potent moral core.
Not content with justClarissaandSabrina, Hart fronted another TV hit later on.
In Hoult’s late teens, he had another major breakout moment in the celebrated dramaSkinsas the scheming Tony.
He certainly has no issuegetting jobs, starring inMad Max: Fury Road,portraying author J.R.R.
Tolkien in the biopicTolkien, and playing against pop in inTrue History of the Kelly Gang.
She’s diversified her roles extensively since graduating to adult acting, appearing in Quentin Tarantino’sOnce Upon a Time…
In Hollywoodand in the dark TV showThe Alienist: Angel of Darkness,among many others.
“I expanded it once, it didn’t work out, so I brought it back in.
“Producing is a very selfless job.
Madison relished the challenge, just as she did when she decided to write a young adult novel.
As theGood Witchstar toldDarling,it was about creating a space for herself where there wasn’t one before.
“My family has been really important in keeping me normal.
Danica McKellar
For a whole generation of little girls, Winnie Cooper fromThe Wonder Yearswas their idol.
For a whole generation of little boys, she was their No.
Looking back onThe Wonder Yearsnow, McKellar cannot overstate its importance.
Some people ask me if it bothers me when they bring up Winnie [Cooper].
Sabrina Carpenter
Thestunning Sabrina Carpenterenjoyed a star-making role as the sassy Maya inGirl Meets World.
Carpenter explained toTeen Vogue,“I’m kind of always focused on both of them.
They help each other out.”
