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Believe it or not, a fair share of Hollywood consists of child actors who made it big! Some have become so successful that we’ve completely forgotten their early acting days. So out of curiousity, we decided to investigate and round up 20 celebs you never knew were child stars.
Celebrities You Didn’t Know Were Child Actors
Joshua Jackson(01 of20)
Canadian actor Joshua Jackson began acting at the age of 13. Before he got his big break in “Dawson’s Creek,” Jackson played Charlie in “The Mighty Ducks.” Since then, the 36-year-old actor has appeared in multiple TV shows and over 32 films. Jackson’s most recent role is Cole in Showtime’s “The Affair.” (credit:Pinterest)
Alyson Hannigan(02 of20)
Alyson Hannigan has had many memorable roles including Willow from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” Michelle from “American Pie,” and Lily from “How I Met Your Mother.” But before all that, the 41-year-old actress got her start as Jessie Harper in the TV series “Free Spirit” at the age of 11.Hannigan now has two daughters, Satyana and Keeva, with husband Alexis Denisof. (credit:Pinterest)
Laurence Fishburne(03 of20)
That’s right – Laurence Fishburne was a child star, too! At age seven, Fishburne got his start on the soap opera “One Life To Live.”The 53-year-old actor is now a dad to three kids: Montana, Delilah, and Langston. (credit:Pinterest)
Elijah Wood(04 of20)
Elijah Wood was acclaimed as a child actor by age nine! He was nominated for several Young Artist Awards in 1991 and starred in films such as “North” (with a young Scarlett Johansson!) and “Flipper.” He then took on a number of gigs in his teens until he landed his most successful role to date – Frodo Baggins in “Lord of the Rings.” He was only 20 years old at the time.Wood is now 34 and is recognized for his role on the TV show “Wilfred.” (credit:Pinterest)
Scarlett Johansson(05 of20)
Before Scarlett Johansson became Black Widow, she starred alongside Elijah Wood in “North” at the age of 10. A few years later, the child star was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her role in “Manny & Lo.” Her other notable role from childhood was in “The Horse Whisperer” alongside Robert Redford. Since then, Johansson, now 30, has continued to land impressive roles, including Griet in “Girl with the Pearl Earring,” Charlotte in “Lost in Translation,” and Black Widow in “The Avengers.” She is also now a mom to a baby girl named Rose, who she had in 2014 with husband Romain Dauriac. (credit:Imgur)
Alanis Morissette(06 of20)
Alanis Morissette was a child star before she became a prominent Canadian rock singer. At 12 years old, she appeared on the TV series “You Can't Do That On Television,” which was a pre-teen and teen sketch comedy show. Since then, Morissette has appeared in a few minor acting gigs and even landed a recurring role on the show “Weeds.” The 40-year-old is also an award-winning music artist and a mother of one. (credit:Twitter)
Jessica Alba(07 of20)
Jessica Alba made her acting debut at the age of 13 in the film “Camp Nowhere” and the TV series “The Secret World of Alex Mack.” She then starred in the TV series “Flipper” and “Dark Angel,” for which she became more well-known. To date, Alba has over 50 acting credits to her name and has become an advocate of clean, healthy living. The actress is married to Cash Warren and has two kids. (credit:Twitter)
Paul Walker(08 of20)
The late Paul Walker started his acting career at the age of 13. He first appeared in the TV series “Highway to Heaven” and shortly after landed a role in the film “Monster in the Closet.” Today, Walker is remembered for his memorable role as Brian O’Connor in the “Fast & Furious” films. Sadly, the actor passed away in 2013, leaving his entire estate to his only daughter Meadow. (credit:Pinterest)
Naya Rivera(09 of20)
Naya Rivera is known for her role as the sassy Santana on “Glee,” but before her musical debut, she was a child star on a show called “The Royal Family” and played the adorable Gwendolyn on “Family Matters.” She was five years old at the time.Now 28 years old, the actress is expecting her first child with husband Ryan Dorsey. (credit:Twitter)
Helen Hunt(10 of20)
At the age of 10, Helen Hunt landed her first major role in the TV movie “Pioneer Woman.” Two years later, she became recognized for her acting on the TV series “Swiss Family Robinson” and from there her career gained momentum. Hunt, 51, is now an academy-award winning actress and a mother to a girl named Makena. (credit:Pinterest)
Michelle Williams(11 of20)
Before “Dawson’s Creek,” Michelle Williams starred in the classic remake “Lassie.” She was 14 years old at the time. Since then, the 34-year-old has appeared in a number of films, including “Brokeback Mountain,” “Blue Valentine,” and “Oz the Great and Powerful.”Williams has one daughter, Matilda, who she had with the late Heath Ledger. (credit:Pinterest)
Jake Gyllenhaal(12 of20)
Jake Gyllenhaal debuted his acting skills at the age of 11 in “City Slickers.” Since then, he’s taken on a number of memorable roles, including the lead in “Donnie Darko,” “Brokeback Mountain,” and “Prisoners.” (credit:Twitter)
Milla Jovovich(13 of20)
By the age of 13, Milla Jovovich was landing minor roles in TV shows, such as "Guns of Paradise" and "Married with Children." She then went on to appear in a number of films, including “Dazed and Confused,” “Ultraviolet,” and most notably “Resident Evil.”Jovovich is a mom to two kids: Ever and Dashiel. (credit:Pinterest)
Kirsten Dunst(14 of20)
Impressively, Kirsten Dunst was a child voice actor at the age of seven. She was the voice of the main character in the animated film “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” Dunst then landed a number of acting gigs in her preteens, including a role in “Interview with the Vampire,” “Little Women,” and “Jumanji.”Dunst's most recent role is Peggy in the TV series "Fargo." (credit:Pinterest)
Mischa Barton(15 of20)
Mischa Barton is most well-known for her role in the teen drama series “The O.C.” But before she landed the role of Marissa Cooper, she starred in “The Sixth Sense” at age 13. (credit:Twitter)
Christian Bale(16 of20)
Christian Bale has such a standout career, it’s surprising to learn he started out as a child actor. The “Batman” star was just 13 years old when he got his first big role in Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun.” He has since had huge success, starring in movies such as “American Psycho,” "The Prestige,” and “American Hustle.”The 41-year-old actor now has two kids with his wife Sibi Blazic. (credit:Getty)
Jena Malone(17 of20)
Two years into her acting career, Jena Malone landed a role in “Stepmom” alongside Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts. She was 14 years old at the time. Malone then went on to star in “Life As A House,” “Pride & Prejudice,” and “Sucker Punch.” Most recently, the 30-year-old can be seen as Johanna in “The Hunger Games.” (credit:Pinterest)
Hayden Panettiere(18 of20)
You likely already knew Hayden Panettiere was a child star, but she was just too cute not to include! Panettiere actually started out on “One Life To Live” at the age of five before landing the role as Sheryl in “Remember the Titans.” Today, the 25-year-old actress is known for her work on the TV show “Heroes” and “Nashville.” She is also now a mom to a baby girl named Kaya, who she had with fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. (credit:Pinterest)
Elisabeth Moss(19 of20)
Elisabeth Moss was just eight years old when she began acting. As a child actor, she appeared in films, TV shows and TV movies. She even leant her voice to animations such as “Batman” and “Animaniacs.” Moss is most known for her role as Peggy on “Mad Men.” (credit:Child Starlets)
Katherine Heigl(20 of20)
At 14, Katherine Heigl landed her first role in the film “That Night,” starring Juliette Lewis. She then appeared in a number of films until she landed the role of Dr. Izzie Stevens on “Grey’s Anatomy,” which is what she’s most recognized for. From there, she became a soaring success, starring in films such as “Knocked Up,” “27 Dresses” and “The Ugly Truth.”Hiegl is now an mom to two daughters: Nancy and Adalaide. (credit:Child Starlets)