Awkward Child Stars That Grew Into Incredible Adults

Published on November 9, 2022
Let’s face it, most of us went through an awkward phase while growing up. It’s an inevitable part of growing into who we are, and it’s totally normal. While most of us don’t grow up in the spotlight, these child stars went through their awkward phases with the whole world watching. However, these stars have grown into some of the most successful people in the world! Here are some amazing transformations of these child stars that grew up in front of our eyes.

Kylie Jenner

Who doesn’t know who Kylie Jenner is at this point? The reality star first appeared on our screens when she was known as Kim Kardashian’s little sister on Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Now, she has become a billionaire business owner, Instagram influencer, and a mother of two.

Kylie Jenner

Kylie Jenner

Danica McKellar

Danica was the crush for many boys who watched The Wonder Years. She shied away from the bright spotlight after the show ended, breaking away from Hollywood. However, she’s now acting and doing voiceover work here and there. She also appears in the show Project Mc2 and has been in several Hallmark Channel films.

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Danica McKellar

Danica McKellar

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Jonathan Lipnicki

Jonathan Lipnicki played the adorable Ray Boyd alongside Tom Cruise in the hit film Jerry Maguire. He went to appear in Stuart Little and its sequal as well as Dawson’s Creek. He has since had several small roles in TV shows and films and will appear in the upcoming film Camp Pleasant Lake.

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Jonathan Lipnicki

Jonathan Lipnicki

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Alexa PenaVega

Alexa became well known for appearing Sky Kids as well as its sequels. She then starred as the title character in Ruby & The Rockits. She has had small roles in TV shows and films ever since, and also has a successful YouTube channel with her husband Carlos, who is also an actor.

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Alexa PenaVega

Alexa PenaVega

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt first appeared in 3rd Rock from the Sun, and was beloved from the start. He later appeared in films like 10 Things I Hate About You, 500 Days of Summer, 50/50, Inception, Lincoln, Snowden, and The Trial of the Chicago 7.

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Joseph Gordon Levitt

Joseph Gordon Levitt

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Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan first captured our hearts in The Parent Trap. She then became a teen sensation, appearing in films like Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Freaky Friday, and Mean Girls. She took some time away from the spotlight in order to focus on herself, but has since come back and has signed a multi-film movie deal with Netflix.

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Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan

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Tatyana Ali

Tatyana Ali is most recognized for her role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, on which she played Ashley Banks. She also appeared in The Young and the Restless from 2007 until 2013. She also studied at Harvard, earning a BA in African-American Studies and Government in 2002.

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Tatyana Ali

Tatyana Ali

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Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe is best known for playing Harry Potter in the film series. While he grew up on screen, he has since tried to act in more diverse roles to showcase his talent. He has since appeared in films like The Woman in Black, Kill Your Darlings, Victor Frankenstein, Now You See Me 2,  and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.

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Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe

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Lacey Chabert

Lacy Chabert first started acting on All My Children when she played Erica Kane’s daughter. She later became known for appearing as Claudia Salinger on Party of Five. She also voiced the character of Eliza Thornberry on animated show The Wild Thornberrys, and became a household name when she appeared in Mean Girls as Gretchen Wieners.

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Lacey Chabert

Lacey Chabert

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Alyson Stoner

Alyson Stoner is an actress, singer, and dancer who became well known for appearing in Cheaper By the Dozen and its sequel, as well as the Step Up film franchise. She was the host of Mike’s Super Short Show on Disney Channel and appeared in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Camp Rock, and voiced Isabella Garcia-Shapiro in Phineas and Ferb. She also appeared in the music video for Missy Elliot’s song “Work It.”

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Alyson Stoner

Alyson Stoner

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Matthew Lewis

Matthew Lewis is the best example of an awkward child star that bloomed into an incredible looking adult. He started out playing the shy and dorky Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter film franchise, becoming a household name. He then appeared in The Rise, Me Before You, Ripper Street, Terminal, and Baby Done.

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Matthew Lewis

Matthew Lewis

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Anna Chlumsky

Anna Chlumsky became known as a child actress when she appeared in My Girl as Vada Sultenfuss, as well as its sequel. She left acting from 1999 until 2005 in order to attend the University of Chicago. She later returned to acting, appearing in films like The End of the Tour, Hala, and They/Them.

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Anna Chlumsky

Anna Chlumsky

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Jaleel White

Jaleel White became a well known actor for playing the iconic role of lovable nerd next door Steve Urkel on Family Matters, coining the catchphrase “Did I Do That?” He later appeared in films like Dumbbells, The 15:17 to Paris, and Hustle. He’s starred in TV shows including Psych, NCIS, Me Myself & I, and Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? on which he reprised the role of Steve Urkel for the first time in 21 years.

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Jaleel White

Jaleel White

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Claire Danes

Claire Danes first became known for playing Angela Chase on My So-Called Life. She went on to star in the Baz Luhrmann film Romeo + Juliet alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. She went to Yale, but didn’t graduate in order to return to acting. She also had a main role as Carrie Mathison on the hit show Homeland.

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Claire Danes

Claire Danes

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Nicola Peltz

Nicola Peltz first appeared in Deck the Halls when she was just 11 years old before appearing in The Last Airbender. She then starred in Transformers: Age of Extinction. She is now married to Brookyln Beckham.

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Nicola Peltz

Nicola Peltz

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Jerry O’Connell

Jerry O’Connell first appeared in the Rob Reiner film Stand By Me when he was just 11 years old. He later appeared in the Syfy series Sliders. O’Connell starred in many films including Jerry Maguire, Body Shots, Mission to Mars, Scream 2, and Kangaroo Jack. He is married to fellow actress Rebecca Romijn.

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Jerry O'Connell

Jerry O’Connell

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Abigail Breslin

Abigail Breslin first appeared in 2002 film Signs, but truly captivated audiences everywhere when she played Olive Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine. The role earned her an Academy Award nomination. Since then, she has appeared in numerous films including Definitely Maybe, Kitt Kittredge, My Sister’s Keeper, Zombieland, Rango, New Year’s Ever, and more.

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Abigail Breslin

Abigail Breslin

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Afshan Azad

British actress Afshan Azad is best known for playing Padma Patil in the Harry Potter series, starting from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. She has since not appeared in any other films. In 2018 she got married, and in 2021, she revealed on Instagram that she had given birth to a daughter.

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Afshan Azad

Afshan Azad

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Nicholas Hoult

Nicholas Hoult’s breakthrough role came in 2002 when he starred in About A Boy, which earned him a nomination for a Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer. He then appeared in the E4 series Skins and went on to film big budget films like Clash of the Titans, X-Men: First Class, Jack the Giant Slayer, Warm Bodies, Mad Max: Fury Road, and  Tolkein.

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Nicholas Hoult

Nicholas Hoult

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Amber Scott

Amber Scott first appeared in the live action film Hook, where she starred alongside Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman as Maggie Banning when she was only seven years old. However, it seems like she has not continued to be active in the entertainment industry since then.

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Amber Scott

Amber Scott

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Danielle Fishel

Danielle Fishel first appeared in small roles on Full House and Harry and the Hendersons before landing the role of Topanga Lawrence-Matthews on Boy Meets World. She reprised the role in the reboot Girl Meets World from 2014 until 2017. She also is the host of The Dish and is a resident reporter on PopSugar.

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Danielle Fishel

Danielle Fishel

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Zac Efron

Zac Efron became a teen sensation when he appeared in High School Musical and its subsequent sequels. He went on to star in films like Hairspray, 17 Again, New Year’s Eve, Neighbors, Dirty Grandpa, Baywatch, The Greatest Showman, Extremely Wicked Shockingly Evil and Vile, and his own Netflix show Down to Earth with Zac Efron.

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Zac Efron

Zac Efron

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Neil Patrick Harris

When Neil Patrick Harris was just 16 years old, he landed the main role on Doogie Howser, M.D., which he played from 1989 until 1993. He later played Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother, and then Count Olaf on A Series of Unfortunate Events. He’s appeared in films like Starship Troopers, Beastly, The Smurfs,  and A Million Ways to Die in the West.

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Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris

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Soleil Moon Frye

Soleil Moon Frye played the titular role on Punky Bewster from 1984 until 1988 and then reprised the role in 2021 for the show’s reboot. After Punky, she played Roxie King on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and then did a lot of voice acting roles.

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Soleil Moon Frye

Soleil Moon Frye

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Eric Lloyd

Eric Lloyd is best known for player Charlie Calvin in The Santa Clause film series, and he will be reviving the role in the limited series The Santa Clauses from Disney+. He also played “Little John” Warner in the show Jesse and Kyle Grant in Dunston Checks In.

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Eric Lloyd

Eric Lloyd

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Emma Watson

Emma Watson began her acting career as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film franchise, which made her a household name. She later went on to appear in The Tale of Desperaux, My Week with Marilyn, The Bling Ring, The Perks of Being A Wallflower, and Little Women.

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Emma Watson

Emma Watson

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Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf starred as Louis Stevens on Even Stevens from 2000 until 2003, becoming well known with young audiences. He later went on to appear in films like Holes, Constantine, and Disturbia, which became his first breakthrough film. He then was the star of the Transformers series and appeared in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

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Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf

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Michelle Trachtenberg

Michelle Trachtenberg started out as a child star on Nickelodeon show The Adventures of Pete & Pete, and later in the film Harriet the Spy. She went on to appear in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ice Princess, 17 Again, and Gossip Girl.

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Michelle Trachtenberg

Michelle Trachtenberg

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Daniel Curtis Lee

Daniel Curtis Lee became known for playing Simon “Cookie” Nelson-Cook on the Nickelodeon show Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. He later appeared as Kornelius “Kojo” Jonesworth on the Disney XD show IZeke and Luther. He had a story arc on Glee and most recently appeared on Game On: A Comedy Crossover Event.

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Daniel Curtis Lee

Daniel Curtis Lee

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Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano first became known to audience when she played Samantha Micelli on Who’s The Boss? and then went on to star in Commando alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger when she was only 12. She then appeared as Jennifer Mancini on Melrose Place, Phoebe Halliwell on Charmed, Billie Cunningham on My Name Is Earl, and Renata Murphy on Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later.

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Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano

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Freddie Highmore

Freddie Highmore started out as a child actor when he starred in Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, August Rush, and The Spiderwick Chronicles. He then starred as Norman Bates on Bates Motel, and is currently starring on ABC drama The Good Doctor as Dr. Shaun Murphy.

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Freddie Highmore

Freddie Highmore

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Kristen Stewart

Although Kristen Stewart will always be most associated with her role as Bella Swan in the Twilight series, she actually started out acting at a very young age. When she was just 12, she starred in Panic Room, playing Jodie Foster’s character’s daughter. She continued acting throughout her teens and then after her big break with Twilight, has been appearing in many films ever since.

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Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart

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Christina Ricci

Christina Ricci made her debut when she was only 9 when she appeared in 1990 film Mermaids, but her breakout role was in The Addams Family in which she played Wednesday Addams. She went on to stay in Casper, Sleepy Hollow, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and The Matrix Resurrections.

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Christina Ricci

Christina Ricci

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Elijah Wood

Elijah Wood started out acting since he was a child, with a small role in Back to the Future II and then roles in films like Avalon, Paradise, Radio Flyer, Forever Young, The Adventures of Huck Finn, and The Faculty. He became a household name when he appeared in the Lord of the Rings trilogy from 2001 until 2003. He then starred in films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Everything Is Illuminated, Sin City, and Come to Daddy.

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Elijah Wood

Elijah Wood

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Demi Lovato

Demi Lovator first appeared in Barney & Friends from 2002 until 2004 before going to to star in Disney Channel Original Camp Rock, which propelled her to fame. She also started to release music at the time, going on to become one of the most successful pop stars of the time.

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Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato

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Candice Cameron Bure

Candice Cameron Bure became well known for starring as DJ Tanner on Full House, and later reprised this role in the Netflix reboot Fuller House. She also appeared in 18 Hallmark Channel Aurora Teagarden Mysteries films as the titular character.

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Candice Cameron Bure

Candice Cameron Bure

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Alex D. Linz

Alex D. Linz is a former child star who first got attention for roles in films like One Fine Day, Home Alone 3, Tarzan, Max Keeble’s Big Move, and The Amateurs. He also starred in some small TV show roles until the mid-2000s, but has not been active in the industry much since then.

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Alex D. Linz

Alex D. Linz

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Alisan Porter

Before winning the 10th season of The Voice, Alisan Porter actually was a successful child actress. She appeared in roles in films like Parenthood, Stella, I Love You To Death, Curly Sue, and TV shows like Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Chicken Soup, and even The Golden Girls for one episode.

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Alisan Porter

Alisan Porter

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Evanna Lynch

Evanna Lynch is best known for her role as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter film franchise. She was an avid fan of the series and the character before she was ever cast in the films. She has since appeared in a few films and TV shows including My Name Is Emily, Madness in the Metho, Danny and the Hunan Zoo, and Dancing with the Stars.

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Evanna Lynch

Evanna Lynch

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Bonnie Wright

Bonnie Wright played Ginnie Weasley in the Harry Potter film franchise, and later went on to appear in several indie films like Before I Sleep, The Sea, and After the Dark. She has opened her own production company and directed films like Separate We Came, Know Thyself, Sextant, as well as music videos for Scarlet Johansson, Pete Yorn, and Sophie Lowe.

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Bonnie Wright

Bonnie Wright

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