Macaulay Culkin
You can't have forgotten about one of my all-time favorite childhood movies, could you? Home Alone had a very large role in evoking our curiosity as children, and it's all thanks to the perfection of Macaulay in his role as Kevin. After being left home alone with people who are way older than him, making it a fun and curious watch for all the kids growing up.
He is currently a mental health activist as he openly discusses his journey into addiction caused by the pressures of being famous at an early age. Having recovered from addiction, he is still active in the Hollywood scene as he is also a member of ‘The Pizza Underground’ which is a comedy rock band.
Kristen Stewart
This sensational actor was probably one of the actresses that you were head overhill for as a child. Emerging on one of the time favorites, ‘The Twilight Saga’ (2008-2012) as Bella, a relatable teen who was juggling school, parental loss, and the supernatural life, Kristen Stewart touched the hearts of many then kids. You probably became a romantic because of the Twilight sequence even though you may not want to publicly admit it.
After this supernatural love hit, Kristen surfaced on other childhood favorites like ‘Panic Room’, ‘Clouds of Sils Maria’ and ‘Spencer’ which were all childhood hits. Currently, she is known for her activism for the LGBTQ+ community rights. She has also continued her career in several other films, including Indie movies, and she is still shining as much as before. Talk about taking Hollywood far and beyond!
Selena Gomez
If you were a magic lover growing up, then you probably remember this character from the Disney Production “Wizards Of Waverly Place’. Acting as Allex Russo, a funny yet rebellious teen who had magical powers, Selena captured the hearts of many kids and made a living in that Disney era one of the most exciting things ever.
Selena appeared in other very exciting productions such as ‘Spring Breakers' and ‘13 Reasons Why’ which were inevitably hit as well, given her undeniable talent. Currently, Selena is a producer and mental and physical health activist. She has managed to help and inspire many girls who have Lupus, just like her, making her a real-life magical beacon, don’t you think?
Miley Cyrus
The number of parents who had to chase down their kids to have them eat or do any chores after Hannah Montana Started playing is still yet to be investigated. Miley’s role as Hannah Montana, a beautiful teen who lived a double life as a singer and just a normal girl, was a hit and dominated the mid-2000s. She single-handedly made the colorful wig culture a thing during this time.
After her Disney role, Miley has juggled several roles, from ‘The Last Song’ to being a judge on ‘American Idol’ and a singer and songwriter. This has indeed shown her superpower to not only juggle characters such as Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana but also her ability to juggle real-life roles. Miley is also known in the LGBTQ+ community as she is a strong advocate for their rights.
Natalie Portman
Acting as Mathilda in “The Professional', Natalie Portman made many kids shed tears as her character was the epitome of a life full of Lemons. After Mathilda’s family was murdered, she forged a heartwarming bond with a hitman and sought out to seek revenge regardless of all the obstacles she was faced with. You probably vicariously lived through Natalie’s role as Mathilda, imagining yourself as some sort of Ninja, didn't you?
Well, You'd probably be pleased to know that she is an Oscar-winning actress. Her acting career continued after this as she featured in some of the all-tall-impurities like Star War Prequels and ‘V for Vendetta’. She is also a human rights advocate worldwide and she has made strides in this field just as much as in her continued acting career.
Drew Barrymore
This ‘E.T. The ' Extra-Terrestrial’( 1982) actor had us looking out our windows for aliens to pet when we were kids. She played her role as Gertie so perfectly she taught so many kids kindness, patience, and the centrality of emotions. Talk about a 2-for-1 movie.
She has successfully found her footing in the Hollywood scene as she has diversified her roles by becoming an author, producer, and positivity activist. She is also the host of her very own show, ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’, where she interviews several celebrities on several life topics. If you find supernatural shows fascinating, you will find the next person on the list exciting.
Daniel Redcliffe
Remember your double-lanced favorite witch of all time? That’s right, Harry Potter. The Harry Potter Series probably had you thinking of becoming a hero just like Daniel Redcliffe in Harry Potter. His role as Harry showed us how someone who was seemingly small and underrated could be much more important than the people you think are valuable. The show also opened our tiny child's eyes to the several possibilities that exist in the world.
After this inspirational role, Daniel’s love for unconventional films and theatre production has grown. He has been a part of some very exciting and diverse films over the years like ‘The Woman In Black’ and ‘Swiss Army Man’. If you ever wondered if he was living up to the name he made through Harry Potter, Daniel is, so you can continue being a proud fan.
Emma Watson
We can't talk about Harry Potter without mentioning his resourceful friend Hermione Granger, now can we? Acting as an ally to Harry Potter in the ‘Harry Potter Series’, Emma Watson became a sensation to many kids, encouraging them to study and be more responsible as conveyed by her role’s values.
You'd be pleased to know that this actress is resourceful in real life, as well, as she is a renowned women's activist for gender equality and women's rights. She even serves as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. Inspirational Right?
Raven Symone
Raven Symone was such an inspiration to young girls of color growing up, and you probably wonder what she is up to now, having made strides in the entertainment field. Known for her psychic abilities on ‘That's So Raven’, Raven Symone was able to give us a mixture of comedy, fun, and problem-solving abilities all wrapped in one show.
Currently, she has grown to be an even bigger sensation as she has featured in more movies. She is also a television host and is known for her friendly nature and extreme humor. Besides her acting and hosting, she is also a feature on shows like ‘The View’ where diversity, differences, and empowerment are celebrated and encouraged.
Molly Ringwald
Turning 16 is such a big stride and it may be very stressful, leading to unwanted behaviors and actions. To show this, Molly Ringwald assumes the role of Samantha Baker, a teenager who is entangled in a world of expectations and because of this, finds herself in a dilemma and a half. She was also to show us the complexities of family life, being a teenager turning sixteen, and romance, and because of this, she's relatable.
After her success in this show, her acting abilities continued to flourish on shows like ‘Riverdale’ and ‘The Breakfast Club’. Besides her continued acting, she has been seen on the music scene and other artsy projects. Seems like she was able to successfully juggle ‘16’ and is continuously growing in the Hollywood scene.
Raven Goodwin
Playing Jasmine, in ‘The Longshots’ in 2008, Raven was able to capture the hearts of many children as she maneuvered several challenges so that she could excel as a football player, despite the hurdles and doubts by many. Her perseverance and determination served as an inspiration to many children.
She has continued to take on roles that reflect on social issues and her personal experience and through film, has continuously raised awareness on the importance of these issues. Some of these inspirational films she has been a part of include ‘A Star is Born and ‘Being Mary Jane’. Her need to inspire children did not end with ‘The Longshots’, but she continuously strives to address real-life issues that children and adults face.
Ricky Schroder
When children are born into wealth, it may be difficult for them to relate to other children their age who are from different backgrounds, Ricky’s role as Ricky Stratton (Silver Spoons, 1982-1987 ) served as the ultimate life teaching series for children from different backgrounds so that they could peep into their difference in life, making them more mindful, aware and empathetic towards one another.
Ricky Schroder is currently still in the family-friendly scene, engaging in different film projects that capture different stories, characters, and themes.
Lindsay Lohan
This childhood household name made watching TV as a child exciting by offering twist after twist in shows such as ‘The Parent Trip’. She shows her talent as she plays the roles of two twins who were separated at birth and act upon trying to reunite their parents. So much talent in a child right?
Up till now, Lindsay has managed to flourish in her acting career with different productions like ‘Mean Girls And ‘Freaky Friday’. She has also made her stride in the world of host shows through ‘Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club’. She continues to be the talented person that emerged as a child. If you missed on her several productions over the years, you might want to consider looking for more of her movies as they will leave you equally in awe over her talent.
Ariana Grande
Ariana was in so many childhood favorite shows. From ‘Victorious’, to ‘Sam and Cat’, Ariana’s soft nature, composure, and beautiful voice made a lot of kids wish that they were her growing up. She probably had every child who watched her show crushing on her and up till now, they want to know what she is up to.
Well, Ariana has continued her acting career and featured in several different movies and shows. She has also advanced her singing career and released many songs ranging from fun and playful to heartbreak songs. She has also featured on shows like ‘The Voice’ as a judge. She is still a favourite up till now and her ability to juggle several things in the entertainment world is admirable.
Ben Savage
This inspirational actor who played the role of Cory Mathews in ‘Boy Meets World’ is one of the best childhood celebrities to exist. His dialogue in helping young boys take their problems in their families and adolescent lives is still inspirational, even to the young pool of emerging children. If you were a fan of his, have you ever wondered what he is up to now?
Ben has managed to direct sequels such as ‘Girl Meets World’, making him expand his inspiration pool to young children. He has also continued his acting career and has been featured on other shows like ‘The Disney Channel Games’.
Keke Palmer
We can't mention childhood celebrities without mentioning Keke Palmer. She has been an inspiration to many children, helping children dream and hope for so many things in life through her heartwarming and inspiration-evoking character. Her appearances in shows like ‘Akeelah and The Bee’ were unforgettable and are still trending up to this day.
She managed to grow into a well-groomed individual and expand her acting career by becoming a brand ambassador, blogger, and singer. She is also a motivational speaker, empowering people in different life aspects by using her experiences as the basis. It's also funny how she is not a kid anymore but an established mother, showing growth and maturity.
Tiffany Thiessen
Being a cheerleader was the IT thing growing up. It was associated with having all the friends and all the fame one could ever want. Tiffany, however, through her role as Kelly Kapowski in ‘Saved By The Bell (1989-1993,) can realistically show how the work of cheerleading is, without filter and the difficulties imaging from trying to balance friendship and relationships while being a cheerleader, making the show popular.
Since then, Tiffany has put her acting career on halt, opting for cooking and becoming a host in cooking shows and lifestyle projects. Besides this shift, she is still successful in her current field, as she is a testament to how dreams can change and how it is okay to change careers when you feel the need to. Introspective, isn't it?
Demi Lovato
Demi is one of those Hollywood stories of children who grow right in the eyes of Hollywood. She got into the spotlight for her role as a very young singer in ‘Barney and Friends’ (2002-2004). She then grew into roles like ‘Sonny with a Chance’ and ‘Camp Rock’, where her musical talents dominated the scene, making her a fan-favorite celebrity growing up.
Demi’s career has since evolved and despite acting and singing, she is now a mental health advocate. Having gone through some mental turmoil due to her early success, she is passionate about empowering people with mental health awareness about singing; I’m pretty sure you will remember the next childhood celebrity.
Zac Efron
This character, who emerged as a good-looking and talented singer in ‘High School Musical’, probably made your childhood a time to enjoy. I'm even more sure you are humming a tune from some of the catchy songs this character sang during the romance. From his musical talent to the good looks that had a lot of us crushing on him, Zac Efron was a sensation in our childhood era.
He has since featured in shows like ‘The Greatest Showman’, ‘Extremely Wicked’, ‘Down to Earth with Zac Efron’ and most recently ‘A Family Affair’ (2024). All these roles are represented by diversity and versatility, showing his competence as an actor. He has also shown a lot of interest in health and wellness, which can all be reflected in the way he has been aging like fine wine.
Tia Mowry
Remembering Tia Mowry is something that may remind you of your parents asking you to copy her behavior and “be more like her’ as she was the perfect poster child. Tia emerged in the show ‘Sister, Sister’ in the late 90s with her twin sister. Acting as Tia Landry, she shows her fun nature and responsible character, attracting a lot of fans and making her one of the all-time childhood favorites.
After this role, she appeared in many other projects such as ‘The Game’, ‘Tia and Tamera’, and ‘Family Reunion’ (which she is currently a part of). As a mother and Hollywood sensation, she continues showing her responsible nature, making her favorite even up to this day.
Tamera Mowry
Twin to Tia, Tamera also features in “Sister, Sister’, as the other twin. In the series, she is bubbly, outgoing, and a fun character that complements her sister. Paired with her sister, these two were the best twin duo, dominating your childhood and keeping it entertaining.
After this show, Tamera co-hosted ‘The Real’ and she also featured in the reality series ‘Tia and Tamera’. She also currently stars in ‘Family Reunion’ with her sister.
Hillary Duff
Starring in ‘Lizzie Mcguire’(2001-2004), Hillary’s character as Lizzie was a childhood fan favorite as she managed to gain traction through her relatable character as a middle schooler dealing with the day-to-day life challenges that a girl faces. Due to her cuteness and relatable character, almost every child in this era found themselves falling in love with this show and idolizing Hillary.
This once very young character turned into a success story as she is now dominating the business, acting, and singing world despite having multiple responsibilities as she is a mother of 3. She is also a fashion inspiration and is involved in a lot of philanthropic work to the present day.
Miranda Cosgrove
Growing up, Miranda was a sensation to many children because of the role she plays in ‘Icarly’ as a self-sufficient teen. In the show, she acts as an icon, addressing several topics and issues that teens face. Due to this, the show gained traction from a lot of teens, making her one of the favorite childhood favorites.
Her acting career, although not as dominant as before, has continued. She has also returned for the ‘Reboot of Icarly’, making the show promising. If this piece of information had passed you, you might want to revisit Nickelodeon to enjoy the reboot of your favorite childhood series.
Joseph Mazzelo
He is best known for his role as Tim Murphy in ‘Jurassic Park’ (1993) which brought to life the imagination of young kids when it comes to Dinosaurs. In the show, he navigates life in a world with Dinosaurs, and because this is somehow very evocative to the child's mind, it is one of the fan favorites that dominated most of our childhoods.
After this very famous show, Mazzelo went on to feature in movies like ‘The River Wild’, ‘The Social Network’ and very recently, ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’. He is also a director now and has shown his ability to juggle several roles in the entertainment industry. After all, if he could handle dinosaurs, why wouldn't he be able to handle Hollywood?
Shia LaBeouf
No one can undermine the role that Shia played in giving us one of the funniest and most humorous kids of all time. Known as Louis Stevens on ‘Even Stevens’, Shia gave us a mischievous young boy who was hilarious, fun, and very relatable ( especially by those as mischievous as his character).
Shia also appeared in Transformers, a very exciting and transformative film that you probably enjoyed as well. As of now, Shia has continued to explore the world of art, film, and production. Showing his versatile nature and wholesome abilities.
Victoria Justice
Known for her role as Tori Vega in ‘Victorious’, Victoria is one of the fan's favorite childhood celebrities in Hollywood. Her beautiful singing voice and life experiences under the role showcased her acting ability. This, paired with her good-looking features, made her many children’s crushes.
Of late, she has continued acting, starring in movies like The Exchange’ and ‘Afterlife Party’. Besides acting, she has also released songs like “Freak Out”. She is also active in philanthropic work and she is interested in educating children as well as ensuring that they get the health needs they require.
Brittany Murphy
Brittany is known in a lot of famous childhood roles, including ‘Clueless’, where she stars as a girl living in Beverly Hills, trying to keep up with the social scene. She also starts in ‘Girl Interrupted’ as Daisy Randone, who was a girl in a mental health institution. All these roles were done so perfectly, so much so that a lot of children idolized her.
Unfortunately, she passed away in 2009 (MHSRIP). However, her work continues to this day, with the last movies that she starred in being 'The Ramen Girl' and ‘The Expandables’.
Mellisa Joan Hart
Have you ever wondered where Sabrina from ‘Sabrina, The Teenage Witch’ is now and what she is up to? Well, after the inspiring role of Sabrina, a teenager dealing with her magical powers. Mellisa went on to star in the sitcom ‘Melissa and Joey’ as Mel Burke, who is a family-oriented politician. Her roles are characterized by her being a charming and resourceful person, inspiring a lot of children growing up.
Over the years, she has also starred in several projects such as ‘Clarrissa Explains It All’ and ‘Dancing With The Stars. She has also recently pursued a career in directing and producing of late, showing her versatile nature and exponential abilities. She has also managed to connect with her followers on her social media journey as she shares her journey as a mother of 3 and wife to Mark Wilkerson.
Brenda Song
Brenda Song is best known for her role in ‘The Suite Life of Zack & Cody’ as London, a rich and spoiled girl who was the heiress to an empire left to her by her father. Her charm and comedy add to the show, and she is easily one of the favorite celebrities in the show.
After this, She moved on to other projects such as ‘Camp Rock’. Very recently, she has been a part of ‘Dollface’, which is a Netflix series. She has also been actively involved in producing. Despite being a mother of one, she still manages. She is still very active in her acting career as well as in her philanthropic endeavors.
Joe Jonas
Being one of the famous Jonas brothers, Joe became a childhood sensation through ‘Jonas’ (2009- 2010), a sitcom featuring him and his brothers. If you are a lady, I'm sure you went crazy for Joe and his brothers for a while as they are not only talented but very good-looking as well. He was also part of one of his childhood favorites ‘Camp Rock’, increasing his popularity as a childhood Celebrity.
Of late, Jonas has released new songs, including ‘The Album’, which he released in 2023. Despite this, he has also been reported to be engaged in Philanthropic work in a bid to support disaster relief efforts worldwide. Although he is less active in the acting scene, he is still prominent in the singing field.