Top 10 Child Stars Who Defined an Era

MsMojo

They're grown up now, but their childhoods defined a generation. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting our picks for the young actors whose popularity spoke to the zeitgeist or sentiment of their time.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to MissMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the young actors whose

00:08popularity spoke to the zeitgeist, or sentiment, of their time.

00:1910.

00:21Lindsay Lohan

00:22Why are we so interested in child stars?

00:25Is it comparable to sports fans' interests in collegiate athletes?

00:29Looking out for those future stars of tomorrow?

00:32Perhaps.

00:33And maybe that's why it was so exciting to see the talent of Lindsay Lohan arrive

00:36during the 90s.

00:44Charismatic child stars were nothing new at this point, of course, but that didn't stop

00:47critics from noticing just how good Lohan was in movies like Disney's remake of The

00:52Parent Trap.

01:03Lohan then managed to parlay this experience into another Disney reboot, this time of Freaky

01:09Friday.

01:10That said, it's probably the actor's work in Mean Girls that forever cemented her youthful

01:14legacy as an actor.

01:269.

01:30Molly Ringwald

01:31The 2024 documentary Bratz was a first-hand chronicle of the Brat Pack phenomenon, delivered

01:37by someone who lived the experience.

01:39Director Andrew McCarthy was just one of this young group of actors that rose to prominence

01:43back in the 1980s.

01:56As anyone who was alive at the time knows, Molly Ringwald was another member of that

02:00group, and one of the most associated with it.

02:03Ringwald's presence on screen was amazing.

02:06Even back in one of her first filmed appearances, 1983's Space Hunter, adventures in the Forbidden

02:12Zone.

02:13Meanwhile, movies like Sixteen Candles, and especially The Breakfast Club, would firmly

02:24place Molly Ringwald upon the 80s cinematic Mount Rushmore.

02:318.

02:34Miley Cyrus

02:46Much has been revealed about how the Disney machine works, of this not-so-magical factory

02:51where child stars are continually pushed out of a revolving media door.

02:55Yet, there have also been some generational talents that have emerged from this process,

03:00including Miley Cyrus.

03:01Granted, it helped that Miley Cyrus' father, Billy Ray, was also a country star, but this

03:06singer definitely made it on her own two feet.

03:14Her Hannah Montana days are forever associated with the 2000s, but the creativity of Cyrus

03:19as a performer, writer, and singer has transcended that period.

03:23As a result, her reputation is bulletproof at this point.

03:26She's an influential artist in her own right, who doesn't need help from anybody.

03:337.

03:37Jodie Foster

03:38Jodie Foster is that rare child star who made the successful transition into an acclaimed

03:43adult career.

03:44Her early career encapsulates the 1970s era, ranging from typical child star work in Disney

03:50films like the original Freaky Friday, through much more challenging material.

04:02The latter includes Foster's roles in intense films like Taxi Driver and The Little Girl

04:07Who Lives Down the Lane, with the former one of her defining films of the 70s.

04:16These performances showcased Foster embodying roles that were honestly meant for adults,

04:20while simultaneously nailing each performance to the wall.

04:24This reputation for serious dramatic acting would eventually follow Foster into adulthood,

04:28leading to films like The Silence of the Lambs.

04:346.

04:41Hayley Mills

04:42It's no accident that the word Disney comes up again and again within this list.

04:56Hayley Mills was yet another talented young actor that gained early fame working on projects

05:02for the Mouse.

05:03The OG parent trap was a big hit for Mills, one of several which were favorites of children

05:08in the 1960s.

05:16Her determination, spunk, and decency made her a strong role model.

05:20But it wouldn't be long before the actor would graduate to headier stuff.

05:24Twisted Nerve and Endless Night showed Mills entering psychological thriller territory.

05:29Mills later worked on Saved by the Bell during its early years, portraying the teacher Miss

05:33Bliss.

05:34Throughout it all, she was a welcome presence who captured the hearts of multiple generations.

05:495.

05:50David Cassidy

05:51The 1970s were a halcyon decade for the actor-singer teen idol.

05:56Keith Garrett was one, as was David Cassidy of The Partridge Family.

06:10The show, which was inspired by a real-life family group known as The Cowsills, was also

06:16notable for Cassidy's co-star Danny Bonaduce.

06:18However, it was Cassidy's star that would ultimately rise, defining the 1970s for many

06:24youth.

06:25She was the actor's natural stage presence.

06:31Meanwhile, Partridge's songs, like I Think I Love You, are perhaps, amazingly, still

06:37played today, proving that sometimes what TV execs may see as disposable, goes on to

06:42connect with an entire generation.

07:054.

07:06Corey Feldman

07:07The case of Corey Feldman is an interesting one, primarily due to the actor's outspoken

07:10criticism of Hollywood.

07:12The actor has made many allegations over the years with regard to what he feels is the

07:16deliberate grooming and predation of young actors who can't defend themselves.

07:21This is despite, or perhaps, because of Feldman's success as a child actor himself back in the

07:261980s.

07:36Feldman, alongside co-star Sean Astin, would speak to a generation of film fans with The

07:41Goonies, while also finding time to appear in horror fare like Gremlins and the Friday

07:45the 13th franchise.

07:47Later, Feldman would work with another Corey, Corey Haim, for a series of collaborative

07:52successes like The Lost Boys and License to Drive.

08:06He is forever identified with the 1990s, but let's face it.

08:10Not every child actor remains cute forever, so eventually it became imperative to demonstrate

08:14a little range.

08:16Macaulay Culkin was unfortunately worked very hard by his father, Kit, a situation the actor

08:21has opened up about.

08:32As a result, Culkin's public profile remained somewhat constant after his breakout success

08:37in the Home Alone movies.

08:38But Culkin's work in The Good Son in particular demonstrated how the actor could convincingly

08:43play against type as a villain.

08:55The role remains one of Culkin's best to date, although the entire era of moviegoers will

08:59probably always associate the actor with shaving, large cheese pizzas, and continually being

09:04left behind by his parents.

09:23It seemed a foregone conclusion that Drew Barrymore would follow in her family's footsteps

09:27and study the profession of acting.

09:30Yet no one, perhaps not even Drew's father, John Drew, nor her great-uncle Lionel Barrymore,

09:36could have surmised she'd go on to achieve so much solo success.

09:39Today, however, it feels almost like destiny.

09:56Drew's early appearances in classics like E.T. and the horror flick Firestarter endeared

10:00her to parents and kids alike, helping to define the 80s and early 90s film experience.

10:17The 90s also saw Barrymore's rebellious streak start to show with erotic thrillers like Poison

10:22Ivy.

10:23Barrymore remained likable and easy to root for through it all, however, earning dedicated

10:28fans that were drawn to the actor's inadmittably bright and optimistic personality.

10:33Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

10:36Tatum O'Neill, Ryan O'Neill's daughter shone alongside her old man.

10:51Melissa Milano, totally boss in every era.

11:02River Phoenix, gone too soon, but never forgotten.

11:13Robbie Benson, Jeremy is a must-see depiction of young love and heartbreak.

11:43Shirley Temple, for many, the term child star immediately brings to mind one person.

11:57Shirley Temple is the prototype for this sort of performer, an impossibly cute kid that

12:01captured hearts around the world.

12:03For Depression-era audiences, Temple's sunny optimism was a beacon of hope.

12:07Temple's career also differentiates itself from many others on this list, in that she

12:11shifted career paths after her childhood acting career was over.

12:26As an adult, the actor left her child performances behind for a career in political diplomacy,

12:31becoming a United States ambassador to countries like Ghana and Czechoslovakia.

12:47Temple's fans never forgot her, however, and the actor even penned an autobiography titled,

12:52you guessed it, Child Star.

13:04Which of these child stars makes you the most nostalgic?

13:07Let us know in the comments.

13:15Do you agree with our picks?

13:16Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.

13:19And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.

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