Some personalities are just timeless! Join us as we look back at famous child stars whose interviews reveal they've always had the same energy and mannerisms that define them today. From precocious wisdom to signature facial expressions, these young talents showed early glimpses of the adults they would become.
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00:00Tell me if she noticed this. It would be kind of easier to talk without my teeth.
00:05What are you talking about?
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most notable interviews of child stars
00:12whose mannerisms and overall vibe remain strikingly similar to their adult selves.
00:17Can you do them?
00:19Yes.
00:22Hooray!
00:26Number 10. Mara Wilson.
00:28In the 1990s, Mara Wilson was one of the most recognizable child stars,
00:34having appeared in iconic films like Mrs. Doubtfire and Matilda.
00:38In the latter, Wilson plays the titular character,
00:41a mischievous girl who torments her family and strict principle.
00:45I just thought you'd like to know it's not a snake, it's a newt.
00:48What did you say?
00:51It's a newt, Ms. Trunchbull.
00:52Stand up, you villainous sack of goat slime!
00:56Although she famously portrayed a vengeful role, Wilson herself exuded an adorable charm,
01:01as seen in this 1994 interview on the Today Show.
01:05At just seven years old, she predicted she wouldn't act for long and would eventually pursue writing.
01:11I might not want to be an actress all of my life.
01:15Yeah, I understand you're thinking about becoming a screenwriter.
01:18A script writer.
01:19A script writer.
01:20Have you written any scripts yet?
01:21No.
01:22That prediction ultimately proved accurate,
01:24as just six years later, Wilson stepped away from the big screen to focus on writing,
01:30penning multiple books and plays.
01:32But even as her career path changed, Wilson's endearing energy remained the same.
01:37I was a kid, you know, on sets full of adults.
01:41I was, you know, I was the only girl in a house full of boys for a long time.
01:45And I think that, you know, if you've seen a lot of things on the internet,
01:48you've seen a lot of it sort of like, where is she now?
01:50Number nine, Anna Klumsky.
01:52For those who only know Anna Klumsky as an adult actress,
01:56they were likely introduced to her as the sharp-tongued Amy Bruckenheimer on Veep.
02:01It's going to look like the Veep couldn't be bothered to sign a condolence card
02:04for one of the most respected perverts in the Senate.
02:05Her impeccable comic timing on the show earned her six Emmy nominations,
02:10but glimpses of that talent appeared much earlier.
02:13Back in 1991, the 11-year-old Klumsky appeared on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee
02:19to promote her major film debut, My Girl.
02:22Even then, she already had a pretty sharp wit,
02:25delivering hilarious responses to some of the host's questions.
02:28So we're going to look at...
02:29Do you know who De Niro is, maybe?
02:30Sure she does.
02:30I know who De Niro is.
02:31What are you talking about? Of course she does.
02:33Well, she's looking at you like you're crazy.
02:35No, she's looking at you like you're crazy.
02:36No, I'm not what it is.
02:38Who's crazy?
02:38That's why I can't make up my mind.
02:40At one point, when asked about a particular scene,
02:42she even flashed her signature, slightly exasperated look.
02:46Despite all the years gone by, that facial expression remains unmistakable.
02:51Leon?
02:52Go away, why are you here?
02:53Well, she means hello.
02:55I actually have a story that I'd like to discuss with the Veep.
02:59Is she here yet?
02:59Number 8.
03:02Christina Ricci.
03:04Ever since she made her big screen debut at age 9,
03:07Christina Ricci has always been drawn towards ominous, angsty characters.
03:12To date, she is probably best known for her breakthrough role as Wednesday Adams in 1991's The Adams Family,
03:18and its 1993 sequel.
03:21May I have the salt?
03:24What do we say?
03:28Now.
03:31Entertainment Tonight went behind the scenes of the film to interview a then-11-year-old Ricci,
03:37who seemed to channel some of Wednesday's offbeat energy.
03:40Still, she carried herself with a surprising level of sophistication,
03:44a trait that has only sharpened with age.
03:46What do your friends say when they find out that you're playing in this movie?
03:50Well, mainly they just go around humming the theme song for a while.
03:54The Adams Family.
03:57Because when I first told them, everybody started hearing about it,
04:01and they kept humming the theme song, kind of annoying me.
04:05It appears traces of Wednesday continue to live on in her,
04:08as the adult Ricci seems to still carry around that distinctive dark edge.
04:14I love playing her because she does all the things, like,
04:17I put into her all the things that I can't do normally,
04:20because I understand societal rules.
04:23Number 7.
04:24Jason Bateman
04:24A lot has changed in the life and career of Jason Bateman
04:28since he made his first appearance on The Tonight Show, starring Johnny Carson, in 1984.
04:34But a lot has also stayed the same.
04:36How are you?
04:37I'm doing fine.
04:37It's a pleasure to be on the show.
04:38Thank you. Nice to have you here.
04:39Have we met before?
04:41I don't think so.
04:42Maybe in a past life.
04:44In a past life?
04:45Then, known for his work on the sitcom Silver Spoons,
04:48he has since shown remarkable versatility,
04:51most notably starring in the Netflix crime drama Ozark.
04:54However, as this interview reveals,
04:57the quick, deadpan wit that made him a standout on the comedy series Arrested Development
05:02was pretty evident even back then.
05:05Jason, first of all, I owe you an apology.
05:07I've called you Joseph twice tonight for some reason.
05:09It's all right, Jack.
05:12At just 15, Bateman displayed wisdom beyond his years in his conversation with Carson,
05:18which isn't surprising considering he went on to become the youngest director in the Director's Guild of America.
05:24I like to give gifts, you know, on Christmas and stuff like that that means something to the person.
05:29Like, I went to New York and I saw something, this girl's really into clowns,
05:33so I bought her this little clown.
05:35Stuff like that.
05:37Number six, Natalie Portman.
05:39And everyone came up to me and they were like,
05:41are you okay?
05:41And I was like, why?
05:43And they go, are you crying?
05:44And I was like, no, I just woke up.
05:47Most people undergo significant changes, both physically and otherwise as they age,
05:52but Natalie Portman seems to have been untouched by time.
05:56The Oscar-winning actress rose to prominence with the 1994 action thriller Leon, The Professional.
06:02Shortly after its release, she made her first ever appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman.
06:08To chat about the experience.
06:10You know, I wouldn't have let you do this movie.
06:11I wouldn't have let you do this.
06:12See, I think this is bad, don't you?
06:14Didn't they give you the willies, that kind of thing?
06:15Give you the creeps?
06:16No, because after, you know, you see them lying on the floor with this fake blood all around.
06:20Yeah.
06:21They get up and they're like, hi.
06:23Watching this interview, it's insane to think that she still looks pretty much the same today,
06:28albeit with longer hair, and her voice remains unchanged.
06:32And I was so surprised when, like, you get in an elevator and someone started a conversation,
06:36be like, they're so nice.
06:37Or, like, someone would smile at my child and I'd be like, what a good person.
06:42Even more, her thoughtful responses at such a young age proved she was a brilliant kid
06:47with a bright future ahead of her.
06:49And indeed, what a remarkable future it's been.
06:52Number 5.
06:53Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
06:55Since retiring from acting to focus on their fashion empire,
06:59Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have kept a pretty low profile.
07:02Um, and then we decided to go away, go to school, move to New York,
07:07and take a step back and figure out what we really wanted to do.
07:10Fans have also noticed their increasingly unusual appearance
07:13and the fact that, whatever they do to step into the spotlight,
07:17they always look like they'd rather be anywhere else.
07:20Oddly enough, the twins gave off that exact same energy back in 1992
07:24when they were interviewed on Live with Regis and Kathy Lee.
07:28What do you like?
07:29Popsicles.
07:30Popsicles.
07:31What do you like?
07:32Ice cream.
07:34They're normal children.
07:36They're just normal kids.
07:37We're not sure if it was the host sitting way too close
07:40or their overly chipper voices,
07:42but something about that environment clearly unsettled the then 6-year-old girls.
07:47Following a string of one-word answers and painfully awkward smiles,
07:50the host got the hint and wrapped up the interview.
07:53Good to have you, man.
07:54You look sweet, aren't they?
07:58Yeah.
07:58I'll walk them out, Reese.
07:59Okay, all right.
08:00Come on, kids.
08:01Number 4.
08:01Raven Simone
08:02Raven Simone has spent nearly her entire life in the spotlight.
08:07She was only three years old when she landed the regular role
08:10of Olivia Kendall on The Cosby Show.
08:12Two years later, she appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson
08:16and melted the audience's hearts with her adorable yet remarkably articulate answers.
08:22Um, I heard this is your last year, so I just want to give you this rose because I love you.
08:32Early in the interview, however, Raven misheard a question about her siblings,
08:36thinking Carson had asked if she had a boyfriend.
08:39Without hesitation, she issued a stern warning to the host.
08:42Watch yourself, Mr. Carson.
08:47Watch myself?
08:48What do you mean?
08:49Watch yourself, I don't, I don't have any boy, I don't have any boyfriends.
08:53It was an innocent mistake for the five-year-old, but that bold, unfiltered attitude stayed with
08:59her well into adulthood, and ultimately, onto the panel of The View.
09:03Michelle, don't fire me from this right now, but some people look like animals.
09:07Is that rude?
09:07Girl, half my family does.
09:09Am I right, America?
09:10I look like a bird!
09:11Number 3.
09:12Kieran Culkin
09:13Kieran Culkin has played so many snarky, quick-witted characters on screen that it's
09:24hard not to wonder if that's just who he is in real life.
09:28Two of his most memorable roles certainly fit the bill.
09:31Roman Roy on Succession, for which he won an Emmy, and Benji Kaplan on A Real Pain, for
09:37which he won an Oscar.
09:39Is anyone else, like, feeling this right now?
09:42Feeling what?
09:43Like, this creepy feeling that, like, you know, we're, like, royalty on this train?
09:47I mean, does no one else see the irony here?
09:49If he really is just playing himself, then he's doing a damn good job of it.
09:54One piece of evidence supporting this theory comes from a resurfaced interview the actor
09:59gave to Entertainment Tonight from his time filming 1991's Father of the Bride.
10:04Culkin's mischievous side comes alive when he is asked by the interviewer about his costume.
10:10Tell me about this tuxedo.
10:12Do you like wearing a tux?
10:13Yeah.
10:17Number 2.
10:18Drew Barrymore
10:19Do you understand all of the jokes?
10:24Er, some of them.
10:25Well, you fit right in.
10:28As a lover of pets, Drew Barrymore has always been surrounded by animals, and they've definitely
10:34rubbed off on her.
10:35If any celebrity embodies golden retriever energy, it's Barrymore.
10:39That infectious charm shines through in her on-screen projects, her daytime talk show,
10:44and even in a 1982 interview with Johnny Carson.
10:48You got the cutest little baby face.
10:51It is so cute.
10:52No one can take your place.
10:54Baby face.
10:56Baby face.
10:57Baby, baby face.
10:59That's all.
10:59Then, age 7, Barrymore made a memorable entrance by slipping and falling on her way to her seat.
11:05But that only made her more endearing.
11:08She remained a ball of sunshine throughout, even delighting the audience by recreating her
11:12famous scream from E.T., the extraterrestrial.
11:15Guys, ready?
11:18Okay, we're ready.
11:25In 2022, Barrymore revisited the clip on The Tonight Show, and while her appearance may
11:31have changed, her personality remains just as radiant.
11:35Look at that.
11:36My legs don't touch the ground.
11:38You're a baby.
11:40Like, we all are growing up together.
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11:57Number 1.
11:59Christian Bale
12:00I just really enjoy it.
12:02Like, I just sometimes get really bored when I'm just at home and keep doing the same things.
12:07Patrick Bateman, Dick Cheney, Batman.
12:11Just some of the iconic roles that Christian Bale has brought to life.
12:14Bale got his big break much earlier at the age of 13, when he was cast in Steven Spielberg's
12:20Empire of the Sun.
12:21What will happen when the war ends?
12:24You want the war to end?
12:25Yes, of course.
12:26But as long as we stay in the camps, the Japanese will look after us, won't they?
12:29I don't know.
12:30You've become an embarrassment to them.
12:32While promoting the film, he spoke with Entertainment Tonight about his experience and
12:36newfound fame.
12:38Even then, his perfectionist nature was evident, as he admitted to feeling nervous performing
12:43in front of an audience.
12:44First time I went out on the stage, I was really nervous, but I wouldn't call it that
12:51difficult.
12:52Throughout the interview, Bale showcased a rather reserved demeanor, a trait that has
12:57remained consistent over the years, and made him appear mature for his age.
13:01He also expressed uncertainty about pursuing acting as a career, but thankfully he did,
13:07blessing us with some of cinema's most unforgettable performances.
13:11I never knew.
13:12I don't know.
13:13I swear to God.
13:14Which former child stars have grown up to be completely different people?
13:19Share your thoughts in the comments below.
13:21It was alike, but different.
13:24It was always alike, but...
13:25Like the same dress, but red or black.
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