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.
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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?
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