10 Child Stars Who Look Surprisingly Different Today

September 2024 · 5 minute read

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 05: Presenter Jerry O'Connell poses in the press room during the 2011 People's Choice Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on January 5, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

It’s not uncommon for people’s appearance to change as they grow.  For most people, these changes don’t happen in front of the spotlight.  But for celebrities who enter the industry as children, it’s almost impossible for them to undergo changes without the world watching.  Most people love watching little kids on-screen, and it can be hard to accept that one day they won’t be so little anymore. Throughout the years, it’s been interesting to see child stars transform, and some of them have changed so much that they no longer look like the same little stars who once appeared on-screen.  Here are 10 child stars who look surprisingly different today.

Abigail Breslin

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Abigail Breslin has been in the industry since she was just three years old. During her childhood, she appeared in several popular films including Signs and Little Miss Sunshine. However, unlike some people who look the same throughout their entire lives, Breslin’s look started to change during her teenage years.  As she blossomed into a young woman, many people could not believe that she was the same little quirky kid. Now 19 years-old, Breslin is still working and continuing to add on to her already impressive resume.

(image via https://twitter.com/imablinker)

Haley Joel Osment

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If the phrase, “I see dead people,” means anything to you, then you know exactly who Haley Joel Osment is.  Best-known for his role in the film The Sixth Sense, Osment was one of the most popular young stars until he disappeared from the spotlight.  However, even if he were to return now, there’s a pretty good chance that many people wouldn’t even recognize him.  As an adult, he looks almost completely different from he did as a child.

(image via https://twitter.com/Daily_Express)

Danny Bonaduce

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Best-known for his role as Danny Partridge on the popular 70s show, The Partridge Family, Danny Bonaduce has decided to work outside of acting as an adult.  In recent years, he’s written a book, and boxed and wrestled competitively.   Since 2011, he has also worked as a radio talk show host in Seattle. Although he still has the same red-haired look, he definitely doesn’t look like a member of the Partridge family anymore.

(image via https://twitter.com/chuckagautier)

Ron Howard

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Ron Howard is quite possibly one of the most successful former child stars of all-time. Howard began his role as an uncredited actor in the 1956 film, Frontier Woman. Throughout the 50s and 60s, Howard’s career began to take off, most notably with his portrayal of Opie Taylor in The Andy Griffith Show. His red hair and cute smile made him extremely popular among fans, and even though he’s had a great career as an adult, many still see him the way he looked as a child. Although Howard doesn’t appear much in front of the camera these days, he’s found great success working as a director and producer.

(image via https://twitter.com/CHANNINGPOSTERS)

Lark Voorhies

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Best-known for her role as Lisa Turtle on the popular TV show, Saved By the Bell, many fans are stunned by Voorhies’ present appearances.  On the show, her looks and fashion sense were a large part of her character, but recently her skin has appeared very blotchy and discolored.  Some believe that she has been undergoing a skin lightening procedure commonly known as ‘bleaching’ while others believe she’s simply become prone to having make up mishaps.  Either way, she definitely looks a lot different from she did during the height of her career.

(image via https://twitter.com/B_Ronnn)

Taj Mowry

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As the younger brother of actresses Tia and Tamera Mowry, Taj Mowry was no stranger to the spotlight during his childhood.  However, in 1997, he landed his own sitcom, Smart Guy, in which he played a wiz kid who attended high school with his older brother.  Like most child stars, Mowry took a break from the spotlight for a couple of years before returning as an adult – and when he reappeared many were stunned at how different he looked.  Now back in front of the camera, Mowry stars on the ABC Family sitcom, Baby Daddy.

(image via https://twitter.com/ako_mrdoodles)

Macaulay Culkin

At the height of his career, Macaulay Culkin was the most popular child star on the scene.  As the star of Home Alone, he instantly became a household name, and many had large predictions for the future of his career. However, familiar issues and disputes with his earnings caused Culkin to withdraw and ultimately retire from acting.  Once known for his cute face, in recent years, Culkin has appeared to be very thin and almost unrecognizable from his days as a child star.

 (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)

Jonathan Lipnicki

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As a child, Jonathan Lipnicki became well-known for his apperance in several popular films like Jerry Maguire, Stuart Little, and Like Mike. Viewers loved Lipnicki and his cute face and personality.  However, now a 24 year-old mixed martial artist, Lipnicki has grown into a handsome young man who has definitely left his baby face in the past.  Fans who see Lipnicki today will definitely have a hard time believing he’s the same person.

(image via https://twitter.com/portalfamososbr)

Alyson Stoner

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If you grew up during the early 2000s, you probably know Alyson Stoner as Sally from Mike’s Super Short Show, or as the little backup dancer in Missy Elliot’s music videos.  Earlier this year, Stoner released a dance tribute to Missy, and fans could not believe that she was the same little girl.  With that being said, you’ve probably seen Stoner on-screen over the years, without even realizing who you were looking at.

(image via https://twitter.com/thekelsness)

Jerry O’Connell

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It’s hard to believe that Jerry O’Connell is the same chubby kid from the 1986 film, Stand by Me. Now a successful adult star, O’Connell grew out of the chubby cheeks. Unlike some other former child stars, O’Connell might actually be better known for his work as an adult.

(Getty Images)

lead (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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