The term child actor is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion the latter is also called a former child actor.

Closely associated is teen actor, an actor who reached popularity as a teenager.

Examples (movies they appeared in are mentioned only if they were still a child):

• Liam Aiken (born 1990)
  • Stepmom (1998)
  • I Dreamed of Africa (2000)
  • Road to Perdition (2002)
  • Good Boy! (2003)
• Kristen Alderson (born 1991)
  • One Life to Live (1998-)
• Drew Barrymore (born 1975)
  • Altered States (1980)
  • E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
  • Firestarter (1984)
• Thora Birch (born 1982)
  • Patriot Games (1992)
  • Hocus Pocus (1993)
  • Clear and Present Danger (1994)
• Gary Coleman (born 1968)
  • Diff'rent Strokes (1978–86)
• Jackie Coogan (born 1914)
  • The Kid (Charlie Chaplin film) (1921)
  • Addams Family (Fester) (1964–66)
• Macaulay Culkin (born 1980)
  • Home Alone (1990)
  • Home Alone 2 (1992)
  • The Good Son (1993)
  • Richie Rich (1994)
• Leonardo DiCaprio (born 1974)
  • Growing Pains (1991)
  • This Boy's Life (1993)
  • What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
• Dakota Fanning (born 1994)
  • I Am Sam (2001)
  • Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
  • Stephen Spielberg's Taken (2002)
  • The Cat in The Hat (2003)
• Elle Fanning (born 1998)
  • I am Sam (2001)
• Kim Fields (born 1969)
  • The Facts of Life (1979-1988)
• Michael Fishman (born 1981)
  • Roseanne (1988-1997)
• Jodie Foster (born 1962)
  • Freaky Friday (1965)
  • The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)
  • Taxi Driver (1976)
• Soleil Moon Frye (born 1976)
  • Punky Brewster (1984-1986, 1987-1988)
• Tyler Hoechlin (born 1987)
  • Road to Perdition (2002)
• Darla Hood (1931–1979)
  • Our Gang (1935–1941)
• Ron Howard (born 1954)
  • The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968)
  • The Music Man (1962)
  • The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963)
• Ivan Jandl (1937-1987)
  • The Search (1948)
• Anissa Jones (born 1958)
  • Family Affair (1966–71)
• Mark Lester (born 1958)
  • Oliver! (1968)
• Emmanuel Lewis (born 1971)
  • sitcom Webster (1980s)
• Roddy McDowall (1928-1998)
  • How Green Was My Valley (1940)
  • White Cliffs of Dover (1944)
• Kristy McNichol (born 1962)
  • Family (1976-1980)
  • Little Darlings (1980)
• Pat Mastroianni (born 1971)
  • Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High (1986–91)
• Sal Mineo (born 1939)
  • Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
  • Giant (1956)
• Danny de Munk (born 1970)
  • Ciske de Rat (1984)
• The Olsen Twins (born 1986)
  • Full House (1987-1995)
  • The Little Rascals (1994)
  • It Takes Two (1995)
• Heather O'Rourke (1975–88)
  • Poltergeist series (1982–88)
• Haley Joel Osment (born 1988)
  • The Sixth Sense (1999)
  • Pay It Forward (2000)
  • AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001)
• Peter Ostrum (born 1957)
  • Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
• Ke Huy Quan (born 1971)
  • Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
  • The Goonies (1985)
• Daniel Radcliffe (born 1989)
  • Harry Potter series (2001–)
• Brad Renfro (born 1982)
  • The Client (1994)
  • The Cure (1995)
• Christina Ricci (born 1980)
  • Addams Family series (1991, 1993)
• Ricky Schroder (born 1970)
  • The Champ (1979)
  • Silver Spoons (1982-1987)
• Brooke Shields (born 1965)
  • Pretty Baby (1978)
  • Blue Lagoon (1981)
• Jeremy Sumpter (born 1989)
  • Peter Pan (2003)
• Erik Per Sullivan (born 1991)
  • Malcolm in the Middle
• Carl Switzer (1927–1959)
  • Our Gang (1935–1940)
• Jake Thomas (born 1990)
  • The Cell (2000)
  • AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001)
  • Lizzie McGuire show (2001-03) and movie (2003)
• Emma Watson (born 1990)
  • Harry Potter series (2001–)
• Jack Wild (born 1952)
  • Oliver! (1968)
  • H. R. Pufnstuf (1969)
  • Pufnstuf (1970)
• Loretta Young (1913–2000)
  • The Primrose Ring (1917)
  • Sirens of the Sea (1917)

For estimating the age at the time of shooting, note that above the years of release are given.

The term "child actor" carries some stigma as child actors sometimes have troubled adult lives, due in part to their unusual upbringings. A well-known example of this is the child cast of the 1980s sitcom Diff'rent Strokes. Child members of that cast grew into adults who had several run-ins with the law, and one member died of a drug overdose.

On the other hand, there are child actors who had successful careers in adulthood like Roddy McDowall and Bill Mumy.

See also

• child singer.

External Links

• Kids in the Biz: A Hollywood Handbook for Parents