Top 10 Child Stars Who Made a Comeback As Adults
#10: Anna Chlumsky
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At the very young age of 10 years old, Anna Chlumsky was shot to stardom after making her feature film debut in the heartfelt coming-of-age drama “My Girl.” From 1999 to 2005, Chlumsky took a hiatus from the movie industry, during which she bagged a degree in International Studies. After trying out a few jobs as a fact-checker and an editorial assistant, the Chicago-born actress decided to retrace her steps back to the screen. She picked up guest appearances on multiple TV shows, before landing the role of Amy Brookheimer on “Veep,” which earned her a whopping six Emmy nominations. She further increased her star power in 2022 with a leading role on the Netflix miniseries “Inventing Anna.”
#9: Sean Astin
As the son of renowned Hollywood actors John Astin and Patty Duke, Sean Astin was introduced into the movie business at an early age. His cinematic debut came when he was just 13 years old, with the role of Mikey Walsh in “The Goonies.” Over the next few years, Astin appeared in supporting roles in multiple films but never quite capitalized on his childhood fame to secure another defining performance. That was, until “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, where he was cast as Samwise Gamgee, sidekick to Frodo Baggins. His performance, like every other part of the trilogy, received critical acclaim and won him multiple awards. Today, he can be spotted on well-known series like “The Big Bang Theory” and “Stranger Things.”
#8: Cole Sprouse
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Along with his twin brother, Dylan, Cole Sprouse started acting from as early as eight months old in TV shows, films, and commercials. Before his major breakthrough as a child star in “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” and its spin-off “The Suite Life on Deck,” he shared several roles with his brother. The first role that he didn’t play interchangeably with Dylan was Ross Geller’s son, Ben, on “Friends.” By the end of the “Suite Life” franchise in 2011, Sprouse moved on to college and graduated in 2015 with a major in archaeology. Following a five-year hiatus from acting, Sprouse was cast as Jughead Jones in “Riverdale,” bringing him back to the screens of those who watched him growing up.
#7: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a classic case of a famous child star who transitioned seamlessly into a successful adult career. But what many may not know is that the actor, who began his career at the age of six, once took a break from the hard and fast life of Hollywood superstardom. After playing Tommy Solomon on “3rd Rock from the Sun,” Gordon-Levitt moved to New York to attend college, but dropped out after a few years and returned to acting. Since then, he has appeared in many blockbuster movies and even made his directorial and screenwriting debut with the 2013 film “Don Jon.” If one thing’s for sure, Gordon-Levitt seems to have cracked the code on moving from teen idol to leading Hollywood man.
#6: Mayim Bialik
In the early 90s, Mayim Bialik donned her funky hat and rose to popularity as the quirky title character on NBC’s “Blossom.” The show was praised for its female-driven story and for dealing with serious topics that most other primetime series shied away from at the time. After “Blossom” ended, Bialik took a step back from the spotlight and spent some time earning a Bachelor of Science from UCLA. She returned to the screen in 2005 and continued her studies in the field of neuroscience to acquire her PhD. This was around the time that she began playing, fittingly, neuroscientist Amy Fowler in “The Big Bang Theory,” where she actually starred opposite Johnny Galecki, another former child star. Since 2021, Bialik has been the host of “Jeopardy!”
#5: Drew Barrymore
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For many child stars, early fame can get overwhelming and really negatively impact their lives. Sadly, this was the case for Drew Barrymore. Born into a family of renowned thespians, Barrymore was acting before she even knew how to read. Her breakout role came at the age of seven when she starred in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” The role was a pretty easy land given that her godfather is none other than Steven Spielberg. By 13, Barrymore had unfortunately developed alcohol addiction problems that sent her to rehab. Luckily, she beat the odds, cleaned up her act, and resurfaced in a host of successful films throughout the 2000s. Although she’s currently taken a hiatus from acting, we’re still graced with her lovable charm on her daytime talk show.
#4: Jason Bateman
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Throughout his long career, Jason Bateman has successfully transitioned from a child star to a teen idol, and now to an award-winning actor and director. That career progression was by no means easy, though. Following his run on the sitcom “The Hogan Family,” Bateman found himself going down the dangerous path of many child stars before and after him. By the early 2000s, we hadn’t heard much about him until he landed the central role of Michael Bluth on “Arrested Development.” This was followed up with a string of comedy flicks throughout the 2000s and early 2010s. Bateman finally made the switch from comedy to drama in 2017, with his lauded acting and directing work on the Netflix series “Ozark.”
#3: Neil Patrick Harris
After being discovered at a drama camp, Neil Patrick Harris got his first professional acting role in the 1988 film “Clara’s Heart.” Although he received a Golden Globe nomination for that movie, it was his performance as the titular child prodigy in “Doogie Howser, M.D.” that catapulted him to fame. His career on the screen stalled after that, but Harris continued being active on the Broadway scene. In 2004, he appeared as a vulgar, fictionalized version of himself in “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.” This paved the way for his comeback role in “How I Met Your Mother.” The show revitalized his career, which now boasts of multiple Emmys, a Tony, and several award show hosting credits.
#2: Jodie Foster
1976 was a great year for Jodie Foster. The intelligent, bright-eyed actress got her breakthrough role in Martin Scorsese’s Palme d’Or winning “Taxi Driver,” which saw her receive an Oscar nomination at just 14. That same year, she starred in four other films and also hosted “Saturday Night Live.” In 1980, Foster enrolled as a full-time student at Yale, and by the time she graduated, five years later, she had trouble finding movie roles. That all went away with the 1988 drama “The Accused,” where Foster played an assault survivor searching for justice. The role earned her her first Oscar for Best Actress, and marked the beginning of many mature performances that we would come to know and love Foster for.
#1: Christian Bale
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Long before he donned Batman’s cape in “The Dark Knight” trilogy, a teenaged Christian Bale got the lead part in Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun” out of 4,000 others. The movie brought him a lot of fame, a status he grew to dislike soon after. Nevertheless, he persisted, picking up a bunch of less popular roles over the next decade. By the 2000s, Bale began to establish himself as an actor willing to undergo a complete transformation for a role. His turn as Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho” reintroduced him to mature audiences and set the stage for his career-defining performance as Bruce Wayne. Child or adult, Bale was, and still is, one of the most captivating actors of his generation.
