From Hilary Duff to Christina Ricci and more, these child stars all got candid about what it was like transitioning from being child actors to working as adults in Hollywood.
Making the leap from successful child actor to A-list star as an adult isn’t easy. While young actors may get a head start in Hollywood, it doesn’t always guarantee them success as they get older. In fact, many child stars admit that it’s pretty difficult landing roles once they age out of portraying kids and teens on screen. Although many of these former child actors end up deciding to take time away from the industry or give up entirely, some stars are luckily able to find their way in the entertainment industry.
Read on to hear what these child actors had to say…
1. Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci gained fame as a child actress starring in movies like Casper and The Addams Family. She made a name for herself taking on roles with a dark edge, even though she admits that wasn’t her choice. But as she got older, she found it increasingly difficult to find work because she had been pigeonholed into one type of character.
“But there was definitely a period of time when I didn’t fit into anything that was being made. I was constantly being asked or having to go and audition for rom-coms and the things that were available for actresses in my age range, and I didn’t fit into any of them because, I don’t know, I’m just a different kind of actress,” she told Los Angeles Times.
She continued, “It was a very tough period of time. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the presence of mind that young women have right now. I tried very hard to change myself and make myself so that I would fit into those kinds of parts and movies, and it just never worked.”
2. Dakota Fanning
Before Dakota Fanning had even hit double digits, she had starred in films like I Am Sam, War of the Worlds and Uptown Girls. Looking back, she says that even as a young actress, people would ask if she was worried about growing up and finding acting roles — something she believes can “turn you into a very insecure person” and lead to mistakes.
“It’s definitely not as easy of a road when you start out younger because people do develop a lot of preconceived notions about who you are,” she told the Press Association. “That’s just frustrating in life in general when people assume things about you without knowing the truth. There were definitely times when it would be annoying but I definitely have made my peace with that and have done the best I can.”
3. Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff became known for her role as Lizzie McGuire as a teenager and admits she had a hard time escaping the character as she got older. She says that when she started to transition into more mature roles, directors often still saw her in her Disney role.
“In the beginning I definitely dealt with a lot of that. Even now with certain movie roles, I’ll go and get amazing feedback and won’t always get the role,” Hilary told Time. “There’s definitely a stereotype because of my past, starting so young and people growing up with me…I never really let it make decisions for me. I never wanted to sign onto a show that I didn’t feel was a good fit for me.”
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4. Mara Wilson
Mara Wilson shined as a child actress in her role in films like Mrs. Doubtfire and Matilda. But she says that by the time she was 12, she felt that Hollywood “was kind of done with [her].” Looking back, Mara explained that since she was no longer a child, she was made to feel that she wasn’t good enough and there wasn’t a place for her.
“It affected me for a very long time because I had this Hollywood idea that if you’re not cute anymore, if you’re not beautiful, then you are worthless,” she told The Guardian. “Because I directly tied that to the demise of my career. Even though I was sort of burned out on it, and Hollywood was burned out on me, it still doesn’t feel good to be rejected. For a long time, I had this kind of dysmorphia about the way that I looked and I obsessed about it too much.”
5. Jonathan Lipnicki
Jonathan Lipnicki found success as a child actor in movies like Jerry Maguire and Stuart Little but as he got older, he decided to take some time off. He went to public school and grew up outside of the spotlight. When he later decided to return to acting, Jerry says it wasn’t easy to find work.
“Most careers, you have 20 years of experience, and it’s a good thing,” Jerry shared. “With acting, the biggest career mistake I ever made is going to public school. I would never take that back, I loved it. But it’s been hard, the transition, it’s rough…People think I’m still 5, or 10. It’s just about reminding people that I’ve grown up.”
He continued, “I had a great little run — Jerry Maguire, Stuart Little 1, Stuart Little 2, Little Vampire, Like Mike — all good studio films. But the best thing that ever happened to me was not working. Now I go to acting class. I’ve done theater… I’ve really just rediscovered loving doing it.”
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6. Alyson Stoner
Alyson Stoner rose to fame as a child actress, starring in films like Cheaper by the Dozen and other Disney projects like Camp Rock. But their success took a toll on them physically and mentally, coping by obsessing over food and exercise. They continued to push through despite their hardships — and the fact that it proved incredibly difficult to transition into more adult roles.
“Unless I have elite representation, millions of dollars and major networks pouring into a strategic debut into adulthood, my younger work will not amount to much in the eyes of ‘serious’ film and television casting directors,” Alyson recalled in an essay for People. “After 200+ movies, shows, videos and tours, I’ll need to start over, re-train, re-introduce myself. Culturally, I will be reduced to my past characters and expected to fade into a nostalgic memory or a ‘has-been,’ even though I haven’t had a chance to learn who I am in the first place.”
7. Marsai Martin
After starring on Black-ish, Marsai Martin has continued to succeed in the entertainment industry, taking on roles as both an actress and producer. But even for her, she says the transition out of child stardom has been challenging.
“Transition is, I think, hard for anyone to go from childhood to adulthood … But also doing all of that in front of the camera is way more overwhelming,” she told USA Today. “A lot of people don’t understand unless you’ve been in that position before. But I think how that transition was for me was making sure I always stayed grounded.”
8. Jaleel White
Jaleel White became a household name as Steve Urkel on Family Matters but when the show wrapped, he had a hard time transitioning into older roles in Hollywood. He tried to pivot to more dramatic parts and while he did manage to find consistent work, none of his projects took off like Family Matters. As a young adult, people often didn’t even know he was still acting.
“In my 20s, that was tough to deal with, because I had people asking me, ‘Well, what are you up to these days?'” Jaleel told The Hollywood Reporter. “And it’s like, ‘You didn’t catch me playing my detective turn on Lifetime last week?'”
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9. Ron Howard
Ron Howard got his start in Hollywood playing Opie on The Andy Griffith Show. But as a child actor, he had trouble getting people to take him seriously when he wanted to pursue a career as a director.
“I was getting an awful lot of patronizing kind of pats on the head and ‘Hey, hang in there.’ And, you know, ‘In another 10 or 15 years, I’m sure somebody will give you a chance to direct.’ And that’s not what I wanted to hear at all,” he recalled. “I had a lot of frustration about that, and I earned my way out by making student films myself, by writing, and by getting myself into a position with some leverage by being one of the lead actors on Happy Days.”
10. Ke Huy Quan
Ke Huy Quan began his career as a child actor, getting cast in parts in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as well as The Goonies. But for years after, he struggled to find roles, particularly for Asian American actors. He eventually decided to go to film school and then got a job as a stunt coordinator. It wasn’t until he was in his late 40s that he decided to give acting another try. He was later cast in the massively successful film, Everything Everywhere All at Once.
“It’s strange how life works sometimes because when I was certain that the last chapter of my career was written, my story not only continued, but there’s been so much interest in what comes next,” Ke Huy told Time.
He continued, “Don’t ever give up…Work hard to be ready when the opportunity comes. It’s important to believe in yourself even when others don’t. As an actor, we face rejections over and over again and during those difficult times, it’s very easy to say, ‘You know what, I don’t think I’m going to be able to do this. I don’t think I’m right for this.’ Those thoughts have entered my mind many, many, times. You have to believe in yourself even when nobody else does and especially when those times get really tough, I think it’s important to surround yourself with people who can cheer you on.”
11. Christy Carlson Romano
Christy Carlson Romano made a name for herself on Disney Channel, starring on Even Stevens and as the voice of Kim Possible. But while she was working as a teen actress, she says she wasn’t in control of her money and didn’t even know how much she was making. She didn’t take much interest in her finances because she was allegedly told the money and jobs would keep coming — but she ended up having a tough time transitioning out of her Disney roles.
“My biggest thing about child actors — you aren’t told that the work is going to slow down,” Christy said in a YouTube video. “In fact, I was told the opposite, specifically by my mom, some of my team, even my money manager at the time. ‘Oh don’t worry, the residuals come; you’re going to keep making money.’ It’s interesting, it bred a sort of contempt in me. It’s a tremendous amount of pressure, and I think I self-destructed.”
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12. Anneliese van der Pol
Anneliese van der Pol, who starred in That’s So Raven, also had a hard time leaving her Disney past behind. In fact, while working on finding more mature roles, Anneliese had to pick up a job working in a restaurant in New York City — which could be uncomfortable when people recognized her.
“The disappointment, the look, the drop of faces when [people] recognized me, was truly gut wrenching. It’s almost like I had to say, ‘I’m okay. I’m actually really happy that I don’t have to audition and am doing something I know I’m good at,'” she said on the Big Name B*tches podcast.
She continued, “I remember one time, I ran into Ashley Tisdale and I had to serve Ashley Tisdale. I wanna say she was lovely, but…She didn’t do anything, but she was uncomfortable for me…She was so uncomfortable. It was like I had to [be like], ‘I’m fine, girl!'”
13. Tyler James Williams
Tyler James Williams says he was still a teenager starring in Everybody Hates Chris when he realized the transition into adult roles would be tough. One producer even told him that he’d “never see [him] as anything else and [he’ll] probably never work again.” Even though it was probably a joke, Tyler says it changed his plans for the future.
“I figured that out pretty f–king quickly,” Tyler told GQ. “I was like, ‘Holy s–t, you really just looked at me and said that.’ I realized at 17 that I didn’t like the road I was on. So I decided to stop and pivot. I got with a really good acting coach and I turned down every single thing I was offered.”
