Child Movie Stars: Where are they now?

I decided to start this thread because I couldn't find one, and I feel like it's a conversation worth having.🙂 When we watch movies, we usually focus on the main actors or the "little people," meaning the child stars. I'm curious to know which of those young talents you actually consider gifted. Do you think any of them are destined to follow in the footsteps of legends like Jack Nicholson, Paul Newman, Al Pacino, De Niro, Anthony Hopkins, Meryl Streep, and others?

For example: Dakota Fanning, born in 1994 (which just goes to show how young she still is). I think she deserves a mention because she has managed to land an impressive number of roles for someone so young.
She appeared in films such as:
-Man on Fire
-The Cat in the Hat
-Uptown Girls
-Hansel & Gretel
-Sweet Home Alabama
-I Am Sam
And maybe some others too...

I suppose she might be our next big Hollywood favorite.😁

Heather O'Rourke from Poltergeist, R.I.P. 😢

I’ve sat through several of her films now—and honestly, she nails it every single time. She’s just a phenomenal actress. In my opinion, she actually outshines plenty of much bigger names—people you’d think were peers, like Julia or Brad Pitt. When you look at her age versus her sheer level of experience—it's almost embarrassing for them! She’s one of those rare teenage talents where you can say with absolute certainty that she’s headed for superstardom. I even caught wind of her being considered for a role in the New Moon installment of the Twilight Saga, so I'm genuinely curious to see how she handles that.

😍

Dakota Fanning is truly incredible—I’m honestly speechless. Every single role she takes on is executed phenomenally.
I have no idea what her career trajectory will look like from here, but I truly believe she’s something special. We aren't just talking about some fleeting pop culture phenomenon; we’re talking about genuine, high-caliber acting talent. We've seen child stars come and go before, but she stands apart.

That being said, even though I enjoy this discussion, I’d actually love to see the thread title corrected because it feels a bit off to me.
To my mind, "child movie stars" should refer to actors who specifically belong to the world of children's cinema—essentially, stars of movies made for kids.
That was my initial thought when I first clicked on the topic. However, it's clear now that we are actually discussing child actors who have become major cinematic stars—young talents who are icons to everyone, not just to children. NHF
Cheers 😁

gentlebadger88 said:Heather O'Rourke from Poltergeist R.I.P. 😢

Oh man, I just saw her on IMDb... it's actually so sad, she was seriously such a cutie 😢

Honestly, Dakota Fanning totally let me down in War of the Worlds... her acting was just straight-up abysmal. Though, to be fair, the entire movie was a complete disaster, so maybe that’s why it felt so off.

What are we even talking about when it comes to Dakota Fanning? Honestly, she was incredible in The Beatles. 🙏 Sure, it might have been her only major role—and who knows if it’ll be her last since she flew under the radar after that—but man, her performance alone will have you leaning forward in your seat. She's a little wonder...

I would like to ask the moderators to please lock this thread, thank you!

Most of them don't actually make it as stars once they hit adulthood, and honestly, way too many of them end up spiraling into addiction...

Dakota Fanning absolutely killed it in The Runaways (even if the movie itself was kind of meh), but she was totally unrecognizable and honestly, I think it’s her best role yet.👍

Dakota Fanning is a phenomenal actress—honestly, she puts most adult actors to shame with her range. She’s just easy to watch and incredibly professional.

I'd probably throw Dakota Fanning into that list too.

What actually happens to those little child prodigies who burst onto the scene and then just... vanish? Like 😕 Dakota Fanning, for instance. Who actually made it out the other side and is still working in the industry today, regardless of what they're doing? I was just looking up Dakota Fanning and saw they’re doing alright. Same with Dakota Fanning, though they seem to take these massive twenty-year breaks from the screen! Wow.

It feels like there are way more kids who nail one incredible performance and then disappear from the spotlight forever than there are those long-term "success stories"—you know, the ones with careers that actually span decades, like Brooke Shields.
I mean, hats off to Jodie Foster. She really stuck the landing on that one.

The kid from Poltergeist. It’s a shame he faded away; he absolutely nailed that role.

gentlebadger88 said:Dakota Fanning from Poltergeist Dakota Fanning 😢

I was actually just about to post her... she was absolutely precious...😢

William Lee34 said:That kid from Poltergeist—too bad he vanished, he absolutely killed that role.

Dakota Fanning. He basically went off the grid due to some substance issues. Didn't act for nearly four years, but apparently, he's making a comeback with a new flick. 😁

I’ve always had a soft spot for Dakota Fanning (you know, from Dakota Fanning and Dakota Fanning).

Ugh, I honestly get such a bad vibe whenever I see her, I don't even know why 🤣

mistyrider36 said:Haley Joel Osment. He stepped away due to substance abuse issues. He hasn't acted in nearly four years, but he's making a comeback with a new film 😁

Him too? 😢😲
It's a shame; he had immense potential. I hope his comeback is successful.

In my opinion, Christian Bale’s standout performance as a child actor was in Empire of the Sun; he was only about 14 years old at the time. I’ve always been a fan of his work, even today, and while he certainly has an impressive filmography, I don't think he has ever topped that specific role...

Honestly, Scarlett Johansson was pretty spot on as a kid in Interview with the Vampire 😁