It is not simple or easy for a child actor to break through the rest of the crowd and become a Hollywood superstar; it requires not only significant determination and perseverance, but also a certain amount of good looks. The following actors (in no particular order) have managed to establish themselves as the 50 cutest child stars of all time.
50. Sean Astin: After playing the role of Mikey in the 1985 hit adventure “The Goonies,” Sean would eventually be immortalized as Samwise Gamgee in Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
49. Natalie Portman: In 1994, Natalie landed her first major role in the Luc Besson film “Léon.”
48. Lindsay Lohan: Lindsay studies the movies of her idol, Marilyn Monroe.
47. Jessica Biel: Jessica got her big break when she landed a role on the WB’s highest-rated show “7th Heaven.”
46. Kirsten Dunst: Kirsten’s breakout performance came when she played the helpless vampire girl in “Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles,” alongside legendary actors Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.
45. Danny Bonaduce: For 20 years, Danny practiced martial arts with Chuck Norris.
44. Sara Gilbert: Sara will always be best remembered for her role as Darlene on the hit sitcom “Roseanne.”
43. Jason Bateman: Jason is best known for his role in “Silver Spoons.”
42. Dakota Fanning: Young Dakota has already starred in many famous hit movies, including “I Am Sam,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” and “The Cat in the Hat.”
41. Jennifer Love Hewitt: Jennifer acted in several commercials before breaking through in “Party of Five.”
40. Alfonso Ribeiro: Alfonso is most recognized for his role as Carlton Banks in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which starred superstar Will Smith.
39. Rick Schroder: Along with child star Jason Bateman, Rick found fame for his work on the sitcom “Silver Spoons.”
38. Neil Patrick Harris: Neil became famous for his role as Doogie Howser on the hit show “Doogie Howser, MD.”
37. Tatyana Ali: Most people recognize Tatyana as Ashley Banks, Will Smith’s cousin, in “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.”
36. Kirk Cameron: Kirk is best known for playing Mike Seaver on “Growing Pains.”
35. Tatum O’Neal: In 1976, Tatum was the highest-paid child star in history for his work on “The Bad News Bears.”
34. Leonardo DiCaprio: Leo’s favorite actress of all time is Meryl Streep.
33. Jaleel White: Jaleel is best known for his role as Urkel on the 1990s sitcom “Family Matters.”
32. Britney Spears: Britney is the first female artist to have 4 albums reach number 1 on the US charts.
31. Justin Timberlake: When he can’t fall asleep, Justin tries to sing himself to sleep.
30. Alyson Hannigan: From “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” to the “American Pie” movies, Alyson is currently starring in the hit series “How I Met Your Mother” with fellow child star, Neil Patrick Harris.
29. Amanda Bynes: In 1994, Amanda made her official acting debut on the television show “All That.”
28. Raven-Symoné: As Olivia Kendall on “The Crosby Show,” Raven managed to capture audiences everywhere.
27. Melissa Joan Hart: Melissa will forever be associated with Sabrina’s character from “Sabrina, The Teenage Witch.”
26. Fred and Ben Savage: Fred was cast as the lead in “The Wonder Years” at age 12, while his brother Ben was cast as the lead in “Boy Meets World.”
25. Candace Cameron Bure: Candace guest-starred on several television shows before landing the role of Donna Jo “DJ” Tanner on the hit series “Full House.”
24. Jonathan Taylor Thomas: After doing a few commercials and small projects, Jonathan broke through when he landed the role of Randy Taylor on “Home Improvement.”
23. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: These identical twins got to show off their talents to the world when they both received roles on the hit show “Full House.”
22. Thora Birch: When she auditioned for a role in her movie “Paradise,” Thora competed with over 4,000 other young actors before winning the part.
21. Christina Ricci: Despite having a tremendous acting career growing up, Christina never officially studied acting.
20. Macaulay Culkin: Of the 50 cutest child stars, hardly any other child actor can compare to the talents of Macaulay, who holds a place in our hearts for his role as Kevin McCallister in the “Home Alone” films.
19. Melissa Gilbert: Melissa played the lead role in the popular TV series “The Little House on the Prairie.”
18. Emmanuel Lewis: Emmanuel has acted in approximately 60 commercials for various companies and products including Colgate, Campbell’s Soup, and Burger King.
17. Michael Jackson: After the success of the Jackson 5, Michael became estranged from his brothers and soon became one of the greatest artists of all time.
16. Jonathan Lipnicki: One of the cutest child stars of his generation, Jonathan’s first role was as Ray Boyd in the hit movie “Jerry Maguire,” starring Tom Cruise.
15. Frankie Muniz: Frankie will always be remembered for his role as Malcolm on the six-year run of the hit series “Malcolm in the Middle.”
14. Elijah Wood: Elijah got the biggest break of his career when he was given the role of Frodo Baggins in the epic “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
13. Kurt Russell: In 1960, Kurt signed a 10-year contract with Disney.
12. Henry Thomas: Following the success of “ET the Extra-Terrestrial,” Henry starred in a wide range of TV shows and movies.
11. Jerry Mathers: Jerry is embraced by audiences around the world for his work on “Leave It to Beaver.”
10. Will Smith: One of Hollywood’s true actors, the star of “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” is one of the most sought after actors for action movies today.
9. Mara Wilson: Despite starring in just a couple of movies like “Matilda,” “Miracle on 34th Street” and “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Mara is considered one of the cutest child stars of the 1990s.
8. Haley Joel Osment: After playing Tom Hank’s son in “Forrest Gump,” Haley would go on to star in the smash hit “The Sixth Sense.”
7. Drew Barrymore: Since Drew’s breakout performance in “ET the Extra-Terrestrial,” he’s become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
6. Gary Coleman: Gary touched audiences everywhere as Arnold Jackson in “Diff’rent Strokes.”
5. Jodie Foster: Jodie’s acting career began at age 2 in a Coppertone commercial.
4. Ron Howard: Ever since becoming a breakout child star as Opie Taylor on “The Andy Griffith Show,” Ron is now considered one of the greatest directors of our time.
3. Mickey Rooney: At just 15 months old, Mickey made his stage debut!
2. Elizabeth Taylor: Elizabeth was the first actress in history to earn $1 million in a movie role.
1. Shirley Temple: The biggest of the 50 Cutest Child Stars of All Time, Shirley starred in countless movies and paved the way for child stars for generations to come.