Child actor
The term child actor is generally applied to a child acting in film or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion the latter is also called a former child actor.Examples (movies in which they played are mentioned only if they were still a child):
- Drew Barrymore (born 1975)
- Altered States (1980)
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
- Firestarter (1984)
- Gary Coleman (born 1968)
- Diff'rent Strokes (1978–86)
- Macaulay Culkin (born 1980)
- Home Alone (1990)
- Home Alone 2 (1992)
- The Good Son (1993)
- Richie Rich (1994)
- Leonardo DiCaprio (born 1974)
- Growing Pains (1991)
- This Boy's Life (1993)
- What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
- Dakota Fanning (born 1994)
- I Am Sam (2001)
- ''Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
- ''Stephen Spielberg's Taken (2002)
- The Cat in The Hat (2003)
- Jodie Foster (born 1962)
- Freaky Friday (1965)
- The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)
- Taxi Driver (1976)
- Ron Howard (born 1954)
- The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
- The Music Man (1962)
- The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963)
- Anissa Jones (born 1958)
- Family Affair (1966–71)
- Mark Lester (born 1958)
- Oliver (1968)
- Emmanuel Lewis (born 1971)
- Pat Mastroianni (born 1971)
- Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High (1986–91)
- Sal Mineo (born 1939)
- Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
- Giant (1956)
- Danny de Munk (born 1970)
- Ciske de Rat (1984)
- Heather O'Rourke (1975–88)
- Poltergeist series (1982–88)
- Peter Ostrum (born 1957)
- Ke Huy Quan (born 1971)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
- The Goonies (1985)
- Daniel Radcliffe (born 1989)
- Harry Potter series (2001–)
- Brad Renfro (born 1982)
- The Client (1994)
- The Cure (1995)
- Christina Ricci (born 1980)
- Addams Family series (1991, 1993)
- Ricky Schroder (born 1970)
- The Champ (1979)
- Jeremy Sumpter (born 1989)
- Peter Pan (2003)
- Erik Sullivan (born 1991)
- Emma Watson (born 1990)
- Harry Potter series (2001–)
- Jack Wild (born 1952)
- Oliver (1968)
- H. R. Pufnstuf (1969)
- Pufnstuf (1970)
- Loretta Young (1913–2000)
- The Primrose Ring (1917)
- Sirens of the Sea (1917)
The term "child actor" carries some stigma as child actors sometimes have troubled adult lives, due in part to their unusual upbringings. A well-known example of this is the child cast of the 1980s sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes." Child members of that cast grew into adults who had several run-ins with the law.
On the other hand, there are child actors who had successful careers in adulthood like Roddy McDowall and Bill Mumy.
See also child singer.