The Most Successful Child Stars
#15 Ryan Gosling
Before he stole the hearts of many as a professional driver, a romantic and a oddity, Canadian actor Ryan Gosling started out in the Micky Mouse Club where roles in television shows such as Are You Afraid Of The Dark? and Young Hercules turned into big-screen roles.
Related Content
►
View All From This Gallery
15:
Ryan Gosling
Before he stole the hearts of many as a professional driver, a romantic and a oddity, Canadian actor Ryan Gosling started out in the Micky Mouse Club where roles in television shows such as Are You Afraid Of The Dark? and Young Hercules turned into big-screen roles.
14:
Elijah Wood
For much of his career, the 31-year-old starred in numerous films as a boy and a teenager, including Flipper, Oliver Twist and The War. Since then, Elijah has made a name for himself in The Lord Of The Rings series and a new television bit where he plays a deranged young adult who can communicate with his neighbor's dog.
13:
Mila Kunis
Kunis got her big break playing the always sassy Jackie Burkhart on That 70s' Show and a recurring role Family Guy and both have attributed to her big screen success, where she's landed roles in Friends With Benefits, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Black Swan.
12:
Fred Savage
One of the most popular child stars to ever exist, Fred Savage has always been referenced thanks to the sitcom The Wonder Years. Since then, he's directed and produced episodes for a number of children's shows as well as primetime series Modern Family, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Happy Endings and Ugly Betty.
11:
Elisha Cuthbert
The actress is more known for her childhood days in Canada as she was on Popular Mechanics For Kids with Jay Baruschel, but Elisha Cuthbert has nailed a few major roles in cult movies and plays a major part of the new television series Happy Endings where she writes most of her own jokes.
10:
Drew Barrymore
There have been instances with the law since starring in the cult classic E.T., but Drew Barrymore has always been able to make Hollywood smile. Her filmography is hard to touch when it comes to better-than-average flicks and recently, she's found a new obsession in directing movies and music videos which has lifted her beyond most.
9:
Shia LaBeouf
Once a Disney star, Shia Labeouf has transformed his earlier career into a metamorphisis of sorts, where lead acting roles (Transformers, Wall Street) have turned into directorial debuts for major label musicians and web-based comic series.
8:
Dakota Fanning
She's never been a child star to mess with considering even early on when starring in films like Man On Fire and War Of The Worlds, critics were quick to claim her the face of a new generation. Dakota's career has been slow recently, but several upcoming projects plan to push her past her still very young age.
7:
Michael Cera
We know him from Superbad, Scott Pilgrim and Juno, but most of the world know Michael Cera for his earlier debuts in Arrested Development and other series. For the early part of his career, Cera voiced characters on children's shows such as Rolie Polie Olie and The Berenstain Bears.
6:
Justin Timberlake
Men like Timberlake need no introduction. Going from the boy band N'Sync, the musician/actor/comedian has found a way to almost involve himself in every medium and it's paid off. Every year, the former Micky Mouse Club member has been able to pull off another trick (even In Time) without leaving us in discontent.
5:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
The whole world knew Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the kid from Beethoven and 3rd Rock From The Sun but now, the Los Angeles native is more popular because of his transition to film. Most recently, the actor's exploded on the big screen with parts in 500 Days Of Summer, 50/50, Inception and the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises.
4:
Kirsten Dunst
She may be famous for being Mary Jane in the initial Spiderman film series but Dunst's recognition has spread from her debut in 1992's Interview With A Vampire to movies such as Bring It On, The Virgin Suicides, Mona Lisa Smile and Elizabethtown.
3:
Kurt Russell
The Boston-area action star started his career as a child actor, signing a ten-year contract with Disney in the 70s' and has since then, solidified a name with films such as Escape From New York, Stargate, Tombstone and most recently, Death Proof.
2:
Seth Green
It's hard to imagine a teenager make a jump from smaller supporting film and television roles but Seth Green has done so, co-creating and producing the series Robot Chicken, playing voice roles for major video games and even participating in televised WWE events.
1:
Christian Bale
Despite being known for iconic roles (American Psycho, The Dark Knight, The Fighter), Bale got his start in movies as a child actor. In 1987, the then 13-year-old landed a starring role in Steven Speilberg's Empire Of The Sun which later lead to subsequent roles throughout the 1990s'.
