20 Former Child Actors Who Conquered Hollywood As Adults

After captivating global audiences at age seven in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Drew Barrymore navigated turbulent teenage years before launching Flower Films. She produced blockbuster hits like Charlie's Angels and now hosts her own syndicated daytime talk series.

Starting out alongside young pop talents on The Mickey Mouse Club, Ryan Gosling pivoted into gritty independent cinema like Half Nelson. He solidified his status as an A-list box office draw with dramatic triumphs in Drive, La La Land, and Barbie.

Following standout childhood roles in Avalon and The Good Son, Elijah Wood achieved immortal fantasy recognition as Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In adulthood, he founded SpectreVision to produce bold indie genre films.

Rising to fame on 3rd Rock from the Sun, Joseph Gordon-Levitt took time away to study at Columbia University before returning with riveting turns in Brick, Inception, and 500 Days of Summer. He also created the hit collaborative platform HitRecord.

Receiving a Golden Globe nod at age eleven for Interview with the Vampire, Kirsten Dunst transitioned seamlessly through the Spider-Man trilogy into auteur collaborations. Her work in Melancholia and The Power of the Dog secured her place among cinema greats.

Making a stunning screen debut at age twelve in Léon: The Professional, Natalie Portman balanced international Star Wars fame with earning a Harvard psychology degree. She captured the Best Actress Academy Award for her transformative performance in Black Swan.

Cast at thirteen by Steven Spielberg in Empire of the Sun, Christian Bale became renowned for extreme physical dedication and dramatic intensity. He redefined superhero cinema in The Dark Knight trilogy and won an Oscar for The Fighter.

Earning an Oscar nomination as a young teenager in Taxi Driver, Jodie Foster attended Yale University before winning Best Actress Academy Awards for The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs. She has since expanded into directing prestige television and films.

Beloved in the late 1980s as the precocious title physician on Doogie Howser, M.D., Neil Patrick Harris staged a brilliant adult comeback as Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother. He also captured Tony and Emmy awards for his magnetic stage work.

Appearing across childhood favorites like Little House on the Prairie and Silver Spoons, Jason Bateman mounted a major career revival on Arrested Development before directing and starring in the critically acclaimed drama series Ozark.

Capturing hearts as the quirky teenage protagonist on Blossom, Mayim Bialik stepped back from Hollywood to complete a Ph.D. in neuroscience at UCLA. She returned triumphantly to star in The Big Bang Theory and serve as host on Jeopardy!

Charming millions in classics like Mrs. Doubtfire and Matilda, Mara Wilson chose to leave Hollywood movie sets to focus on personal writing. She established a celebrated career as a cultural essayist, memoirist, and voice actor on popular animated series.

Achieving fame at age ten in My Girl, Anna Chlumsky left the entertainment industry to complete college and work in publishing. She staged a stellar Hollywood return with her six-time Emmy-nominated performance as Amy Brookheimer on HBO's Veep.

Leading the beloved comedy series Malcolm in the Middle throughout his teenage years, Frankie Muniz branched out into successful business ventures, musical performance, and a full-time competitive career as a NASCAR stock car driver.

Known to a generation as Topanga Lawrence on Boy Meets World, Danielle Fishel reprised her iconic role in Girl Meets World before pivoting behind the camera, directing dozens of network episodes for Disney Channel and mainstream sitcoms.

Rising to fame as Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell and continuing on Beverly Hills, 90210, Tiffani Thiessen avoided teen star pitfalls. She starred for five seasons on the hit USA network drama White Collar and authored popular cookbooks.

Dominating 1990s youth culture on Clarissa Explains It All and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Melissa Joan Hart transitioned smoothly into adult work, starring in Melissa & Joey while directing television episodes and executive producing holiday features.

Capturing hearts as Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show and Richie Cunningham on Happy Days, Ron Howard made history by transitioning behind the camera, directing masterpieces like Apollo 13 and winning the Best Director Oscar for A Beautiful Mind.

Shooting to fame in Rob Reiner's classic Stand by Me and Star Trek: The Next Generation, Wil Wheaton forged an enduring adult career celebrating geek culture, authoring books, and hosting popular web gaming programs.

Beginning commercial work at age four and winning a Daytime Emmy on All My Children, Sarah Michelle Gellar defined an era of television on Buffy the Vampire Slayer before co-founding the successful organic baking company Foodstirs.