What would our childhoods be without the likes of Mara Wilson, Jonathan Lipnicki, and Daryl Sabara?
These pint-sized stars were some of the most recognisable faces on screen, having starred in cult classics such as Matilda, Stuart Little and Hook — which, let's face it, many of us still return to for the sake of nostalgia.
If you're curious as to what they look like, and what they're up to now,we have the lowdown. Here are 13 child stars, who have either stayed acting or completely retreated from the limelight.
1. Abigail Breslin
You'll recognise Abigail Breslin from the hit 2006 indie flick, Little Miss Sunshine, where she played a sweet little girl who is competing in her first beauty pageant — to hilarious ends.
Breslin, who is now 25, is still acting. She recently starred in the Ryan Murphy series, Scream Queens, alongside fellow child star, Emma Roberts. Her other credits include, Nim's Island, Definitely, Maybe, My Sister's Keeper, and Zombieland.
2. Jonathan Lipnicki
The incredibly adorable Jonathan Lipnicki had a bunch of memorable roles in Jerry Maguire, Stuart Little and The Little Vampire. But like most child actors, he shied away from the big screen in his later years.
Lipnicki has since returned to guest star in shows such as Family Guy and Monk, and is currently working on several indie films. His upcoming project, which will be landing on our screens later this year, is the indie comedy, Pooling to Paradise.
3. Daveigh Chase
Daveigh Chase is now 30-years-old, and looks so different from when she starred as the rather creepy, Samara, in 2002's The Ring. She also made an appearance in another cult classic, 2001's Donnie Darko.
Since then, she's voiced Lilo from Disney's Lilo and Stitch, as well as Chihiro in the English-language version of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. Recently, she seems to have retreated from the spotlight, and has not taken on any acting gigs.
4. Charlie Korsmo
You'll recognise a young Charlie Korsmo from his role in the 1991 children's film, Hook, which also starred the late Robin Williams.
Korsmo stopped acting in 1998 — with his final role being in Can't Hardly Wait. He went onto pursue a career in law, and is currently a professor of corporate law and corporate finance at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland. In 2011, Barack Obama actually nominated Korsmo as a member of the board of trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.
It looks like this child star has some serious smarts!
5. Miko Hughes
Miko Hughs starred in a slew of horror films when he was just a tot, including Pet Sematary, New Nightmare, Apollo 13 and Mercury Rising.
The 35-year-old later went onto pursue a career as a DJ, going by the name DJ Cubed. But Hughs has recently gotten back into acting, with some roles in indie flicks, including 2019's The Untold Story. He's also set to star as Gio in the upcoming film, Floaty.
6. Mara Wilson
90's Children's films wouldn't have been 90s children's films without Mara Wilson. The child actor starred in Matilda, Mrs Doubtfire, A Simple Wish and Miracle on 34th Street — making her a big part of our childhoods.
The 33-year-old has largely left acting behind, however. While she recently lent her voice to Bojack Horseman and Big Hero 6: The Series, she prefers to keep a lower profile, and spends the majority of her time writing her Substack newsletter and working on the fictional podcast, Passenger List.
7. Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment was one of the most recognisable child stars around in the 90s, thanks to his roles in The Sixth Sense, AI. Artificial Intelligence, and Pay It Foward. He also did a tonne of voiceover work for the likes of Hey Arnold — so he was quite a success in his early days!
In 2006, Osment pleaded no contest to driving under the influence of alcohol and misdemeanour drug possession after he was involved in a car crash. He was sentenced to three years probation, a fine of $1,500, and attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous. He's managed to stay clean since and recently appeared in the Amazon Studios show, The Boys.
8. Edward Furlong
You'll remember Edward Furlong from his iconic role as John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgement day. He also starred in 1992's Pet Sematary and American History X in 1998.
While it seemed like the young star was destined for success, he was later plagued with addiction issues. He was then accused of domestic violence by his estranged wife, who got a restraining order against him. Furlong was later arrested for violating it, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Despite his checkered history, the 43-year-old was later hired to reprise his role as John Connor in 2019's Terminator: Dark Fate.
9. Jake Lloyd
Former child actor, Jake Lloyd's story is a sad one. He starred as a young Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, as well as Jingle All The Way. However, Lloyd later revealed that he retired from acting in 2001 due to the bullying and harassment he experienced at school and by the press in response to his role in The Phantom Menace.
More recently, in January of 2020, his family revealed that he had moved closer to them, and had officially been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
10. Nate Richert
Nate Richert is best known for playing the love interest, Harvey Kinkle, in Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
The 90s heartthrob has since kept a low profile, however, and only took on a handful of roles after his stint in the iconic show. He's pretty active on Instagram, however, where he makes fun of the fact that he's lost his famous locks.
11. Daryl Sabara
Daryl Sabara played Juni Cortez in the kids flick, Spy Kids, and its two sequels. And he also had a part in Friends!
The now-28-year-old is married to All About That Bass singer, Meghan Trainor, and the pair welcomed their first child in February of 2021. Judging by his Instagram, he absolutely loves being a dad. Too cute!
He recently did some voice work for Ben 10, and had a role in Project Blue Book as John.
12. Matthew Lewis
Everyone will know that now-heartthrob, Matthew Lewis, famously played Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter film franchise.
The star had quite the glow-up, and he went viral for it a few years back. The 31-year-old has most definitely kept his acting chops, however, and has had a recent role in All Creatures Great And Small, and Me Before You, starring Emilia Clarke.
13. Taylor Momsen
Taylor Momsen was known for playing the adorable Cindy Lou Who in The Grinch, which starred Jim Carey. But she's had quite the transformation since.
Shedding her "sweet" image, she left Gossip Girl (where she played Jenny Humphrey) to start her own grunge band called, The Pretty Reckless. Now, she's often seen sporting dark, heavy eye makeup — and it's a far cry from her child star days...