Top 10 Childhood Stars You Forgot About
#10: Michael Oliver
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Michael Oliver wasn’t a problem child, but he played one in the movies. In 1990, an 8-year-old Oliver played Junior, the titular “Problem Child” in the film. He would go on to star in the sequel the following year as well. While the latter movie was less of a hit, it still did pretty well financially. The role definitely put the actor in the limelight. But besides one more credited movie role and appearances in a few TV episodes, he hasn’t acted much since the mid ‘90s. And while he does appreciate his short time as a celeb, he was quoted as saying he was living “a nice, quiet existence.”
#9: Christy Carlson Romano
If you grew up watching the Disney channel in the 2000s there’s a good chance that you recognize Christy Carlson Romano. Besides starring in “Even Stevens,” she also appeared opposite Hilary Duff in “Cadet Kelly.” But if her face doesn’t ring a bell, her voice surely will, as she was the woman behind beloved animated character Kim Possible herself. Romano has talked about her various struggles after her fame died down. But she came out the other side stronger and has continued to work as an actress while also sharing her life through her YouTube channel. In 2019, she went back to the “Kim Possible” universe, playing Poppy Blu in a live-action made for TV movie.
#8: Josh Saviano
Political science student Josh Saviano graduated from Yale, earned his law degree from Yeshiva University, and became a partner at Morrison Cohen LLP. By 2015, he decided to go his own way, founding his own law firm and celebrity brand consulting agency. As of 2018, he’s the President and co-founder of the Spotlight Advisory Group. Oh, did we forget to mention that before all that, Saviano was one of TV’s most recognizable faces? He was Paul Pfeiffer on “The Wonder Years”! He left the entertainment industry following the show’s end. Still, fans got to see him flex his lawyer chops on the small screen during a few episodes of “Law & Order: SVU” in the 2010s.
#7: Ariana Richards
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Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, Ariana Richards appeared in movies like “Prancer”, “Tremors” and a little project about dinosaurs called “Jurassic Park.” She won a Bambi Award and a Young Artist Award for her work in the latter. The movie arguably made her a child star— the 98th greatest one according to VH1. But if you don’t remember what she acted in after that, it’s because she didn’t do a lot. “Jurassic Park” was the peak of her stardom. Besides a few TV roles and some more movies, she has spent most of her time since then establishing herself as a painter.
#6: Jimmy Workman
When it came to acting he was a workchild and a workteen. But by the time he became an adult Jimmy Workman’s career in front of the camera was mostly over. He reached the heights of his celebrity with his first two major film acting jobs, playing Pugsley Addams in “The Addams Family” and its sequel “Addams Family Values”. However, while he left the limelight behind, he wouldn’t be the last member of his family to find success at a young age. Workman’s younger sister, Ariel Winter, hit the big time playing Alex Dunphy on “Modern Family”.
#5: Bradley Pierce
Bradley Pierce was in his first hit movie in 1991. Well, technically his voice was in it. You see, he was the adorable little teacup Chip in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”. While that was his first blockbuster, it wasn’t his last. Just four years later, he found himself playing a game of Jumanji in the film of the same name. And a couple years after that, he had a role in “The Borrowers”. But while Pierce worked consistently throughout the ‘90s, the next decade saw a slow-down in his on-screen acting roles. Most of his work since has consisted of voices for animation and video games. He’s also gotten involved in the production side of the business.
#4: Peter Ostrum
One couldn’t be blamed for forgetting about Peter Ostrum’s career because, for a while, he himself wanted people to forget about it. He was Charlie in the 1971 film, “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”. He was offered a three-film deal, but turned it down and never made another movie again. Instead, he became a veterinarian. In an effort to not be judged by his past childhood endeavors, he would also typically not talk about the film. He even pretended that his brother had played Charlie for some time. He’s since grown somewhat more open to discussing his acting past. For instance, some school-aged kids have gotten a yearly chance to pick his brain.
#3: Charlie Korsmo
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In 2019, Charlie Korsmo had a part in the film “Chained for Life.” Though it didn’t make a ton of money at the box office, it did manage to snag an impressive 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Yet prior to that, the actor hadn’t been seen on screen since the ‘90s. The 1990 release “Dick Tracy”, as well as the 1991’s “What About Bob?” and “Hook,” made him a name to know. He even racked up a few Young Artist Award nominations in those early years. And if you watched the 1998 film “Can’t Hardly Wait,” you may recognize him as William.
#2: Jonathan Lipnicki
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How much does the human head weigh? If you think the answer is eight pounds, it’s probably because of Jonathan Lipnicki. Remember that cute kid in “Jerry Maguire”? That was him. It was his film debut and it made him an instant child star - leading to roles in movies like “Stuart Little.” He also had a recurring role on “The Jeff Foxworthy Show” playing one of Foxworthy’s sons along with Haley Joel Osment. Lipnicki even made a cameo on “Saturday Night Live” in 2003. While he has continued to act in the intervening years, he’s also spent much of the last few decades training!
#1: Edward Furlong
His IMDb page features a long list of film and television credits spanning decades. But Furlong is best remembered for his work in the 1990s, starting with his breakout portrayal of John Conner in the sci-fi classic, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” After that, he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for the “American Heart” film. He also appeared in Aerosmith’s “Livin' on the Edge” video, and in 1998 he could be seen in “American History X.” Legal and substance use issues followed Furlong around throughout the years, but as of 2022, he’s been clean and sober for about 4 years.
