Then and Now: Child Stars From the 80s, 90s and 00s

When most of us were kids, our greatest achievement was managing to not fall asleep until 4:00am when our friends came over for a slumber party. But child actors are not like most of us. From an early age, their acting skills put them directly in the spotlight and they end up with millions of fans even before they’re legally able to drive a car. Then they grow up and a lot of them vanish, either by choice or because they’re not cute anymore. But that’s not always the case. In fact, many childhood stars continue to make an impact in the entertainment industry while others have found success in other careers. Here’s a look at 10 actors who were huge as children and what they’re up to today.

1. Dylan and Cole Sprouse

The twin actors got their start when they were 8 months old as the “stars” of a diaper commercial. They got their first break in Hollywood when they shared the role of Julian in the Adam Sandler movie Big Daddy. But they achieved huge success in the Disney Channel show The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, which made them the wealthiest child actors of the mid-2000s, commanding as much as $40,000 an episode. They took a break from acting to attend New York University. Today Cole plays the role of Jughead Jones in the CW series Riverdale while Dylan works as a brewmaster and owner of a meadery in Brooklyn.

2. Mara Wilson

You might recognize Wilson from the 1994 Robin Williams vehicle Mrs. Doubtfire where she played the daughter Nattie. After her mother died of breast cancer, she lost her passion for acting and left in 2000. She’s returned to do a bit of voice acting, but she has stated that she’s done with acting and now wants to focus on writing. Her cousin is conservative pundit Ben Shapiro, who blabbers in a tone that sounds reasonable, but if you actually pay attention to what he’s saying it really is a bunch of nonsense.

3. Macauley Culkin

One of the biggest childhood actors of all time, Culkin really made a name for himself in Home Alone, which has since become an annual Christmas movie-watching tradition. Although his child acting roles began to dry up once he made the terrible biological choice to, you know, grow up, he’s still enjoying life out of the spotlight. He is very selective about the movies he acts in these days since, as he has put it, he doesn’t need the money. He is also busy hosting a popular comedy podcast Bunny Ears.

4. Anna Chlumsky

Chlumsky co-starred in My Girl alongside Culkin and again in My Girl 2: The One Without Culkin. After taking a hiatus from acting to attend college at the University of Chicago, she has flourished on television, starring in the hit comedy Veep, for which she was nominated for 6 Primetime Emmy Awards.