Entertainment
10 Child Stars and Where They Are Now
Hollywood is an amazing place, it is a destination that so many strive to get to. It is the ultimate dream of glitz and glamour and the place where dreams come true. There are so many people who want to be rich and famous and live the Hollywood life. Whether they are actors or singers or simply famous for being famous, it is a desire in many that does not go unnoticed. It is understandable why this glamorous lifestyle may be appealing, but be careful what you wish for because sometimes, it really is not all that it is cracked up to be.
The life can be unstoppable and the furthest thing from normal. Normalcy and privacy is something that these famous actors eventually crave most of the time. The reality of fame sets in and your personal life becomes the most important thing once you have made it. It is sad how so many actors get launched into the business at such a young age and have no idea how much it will affect them later on in life.
We remember these tykes for being funny and cute and perfect on screen. As the cameras sometimes stopped rolling, we wonder whatever happened to these young stars? Let’s take a look at the following 10 child stars and where they are now…
10. Abigail Breslin
She first began acting when her parents placed her in an ad for Toys R Us at the young age of just three years old. After the Toys R Us commercial she starred alongside hugely famous Mel Gibson in Signs, which was a massive box office hit. Overall, she gained really positive reviews for the great job she did performing in this film. This little one is mostly remembered for her break out role in Little Miss Sunshine. A dark comedy about the world of beauty pageants and how damaging they can be to the contestants. From there, she continued in many other films and projects that allowed the world to see her talent. She is currently 22 years old and has no reason to shy away from the camera just yet. She continues to collect scripts and offers on a regular basis. She has a huge fan base and has maintained somewhat of a regular life, as regular as one can with her level of fame. She is always busy and has an excellent track record. For someone so young, she has a lot to be proud of for her lengthly record of employment with more smash hits to come!
9. Katie Holmes
When we think of Katie Holmes, we automatically go to the good old days of Dawson’s Creek. That show was a huge hit and it seemed like everyone could not stop talking about it. It was dramatic in theme and ended up having a huge following. Dawson’s Creek helped introduce Katie Holmes to the world and super shot her stardom to the top. She was the “it” girl during the time the show was airing. She later went on to actually accumulate even more fame, but it was not necessarily because of her acting. She became the wife of famous actor Tom Cruise. During the time of their courtship and marriage, Cruise was acting out very strangely. He would do odd things that intensified the public’s interest in the man and the couple. His most famous antic was when he jumped on talk show host Oprah Winfrey’s couch elated because he was so in love with Katie Holmes. The world was shocked and could not stop talking about the duo. Over the years this attention faded and the world grew not so interested in Katie anymore. Her peak period of fame rose and fell and now she is low key.
8. Mayim Bialik
The early 90’s were dedicated to watching TGIF that aired some of the best television shows from the decade back to back on Friday nights. In the line up including Full House, Family Matters and Step by Step, it also included Blossom starring Mayim Bialik. You may recognize this famous face as Amy from the hit modern day television show The Big Bang Theory. The role of Amy is her most recent and one that surely made her even more recognizable in this day and age. She plays a very smart and nerdy geek who captures the eye of Dr. Sheldon Cooper. In actuality though, Mayim is a real neuroscientist. Her character being portrayed does not fall far away from her actual self being really smart and successful. Not only is this superwoman a famous actress now, she is also an author of two published books. In 2014 she also was awarded an honorary D.H.L degree from Boston University. If she is not shooting on the big screen, she can be found hanging out with her two sons. She identifies as a Feminist and is without a doubt a very strong and successful woman. There is definitely more to come from this child actress gone superstar.
7. Ross Hull
Most Canadians will feel some sense of reminisence or pride when it comes to this actor. He was the star of the television show Are You Afraid of the Dark airing on YTV throughout the 90’s. The leader of the midnight society led viewers in to listen to the creepy tales of the group exchanging scary stories around a camp fire. For some reason this show really worked and drew in a crowd. This was his breakout role into television and it was only onward and upward since then for this Canadian gem. If you were not a fan of Are You Afraid of the Dark you certainly may have liked Student Bodies that Hull also starred in. It was a great show also on YTV that viewers cannot forget even today. Hull has branched out and is now a meteorologist with Canadian television networks. He clearly was comfortable enough in front of the camera to land the gigs he currently gets. Unlike a lot of child stars, Hull never really took a shocking downward spiral. He is currently based in Toronto and is loving all of the career opportunities he has and the way his acting career helped shape his life.
6. Michael Fishman
Everyone definitely got a major blast from the past when the hit sitcom series Roseanne returned on air for a VERY brief moment recently. Fishman played D.J. Connor on the show and was always known to be the adorable little boy throughout the series who cracked hilarious one liners. The show rebooting recently and it tried to incorporated all of the twists and turns of modern society as we know it today. The reboot drew it in a large crowd but unfortunately the plug got pulled after the star Roseanne Barr made racist remarks on her Twitter account. Fishman was part of the reboot but unfortunately could not give his loveable performance the way he once did as he has aged since the show first aired years ago. Since the original Roseanne, Fishman did not do a lot of acting. He pursued some voice over roles like in the show Hey Arnold and Little Rosey. He did a few guest appearances on some television shows, but no major works. It is safe to say that Roseanne was his major lifetime gig. Some child actors simply just fall out of acting and know when to draw the curtain when their acting days are finally over.
5. Jaleel White
One of the most recognized and remembered characters to ever play on any TV show was definitely this one. Mr. Steve Urkel, who can forget this nerd of all nerds? Jaleel White was the actor who portrayed this hilarious and memorable character. He was one of the stars on Family Matters, a famous show on the iconic TGIF line up. From 1989 to 1997, this loveable and goofy nerd entered our households and never failed to make us laugh. The show was a major success and White’s bank account can attest to that. Aside from his most famous work, White has also done some voice over work. He has voiced for Sonic the hedgehog in the animated series. After Family Matters was finished, the actor actually wanted to go to school. He attended UCLA and achieved his degree in film and television. A very appropriate degree to obtain from an actor, no doubt. Since starting to act at the age of three years old, this star has filled up his resume with countless jobs. He has portrayed himself on reality television dance and game shows. Without a doubt, after all of the years have gone by, Jaleel White still has a huge fan base!
4. Christina Ricci
This is a pretty face that everyone remembers. Ricci’s first acting gig was in the movie Mermaids alongside singer Cher. She later gained more fame by playing the iconic Wednesday Adams on The Adams Family. The Adams Family was one of the most original and unique series to ever be created. Ricci absolutely nailed the role and will always carry that close to her. The Adams Family is responsible for her breakout fame. Christina was able to pursue other great roles after she put her name on the map. She starred in the movie Casper alongside Devon Sawa. She was a great choice for the role because she was already used to dealing with spooky ghosts and dark comedy from her original role as Wednesday. A great film she also played in was the awesome Now and Then. It was a movie about four very different women growing up and the changes in all of their lives over the years. The foursome always remained friends and shared their lives’ journeys with each other after reuniting. Ricci has branched out from acting and became the spokeswoman for RAINN, an organization advocating against rape, abuse and incest. She seems like a well balanced individual and still has plenty to offer the world on screen and off.
3. Ben Savage
You may have always loved this adorable kid who played Corey on the popular 90’d show Boy meets World. The show ran from 1993- 2000 and took in a huge fan base and following throughout the years. People became emotionally invested in the character’s lives. Even today, people still reminisce on cute little Corey and his bad boy friend Sean. Ben Savage lived up to the role and executed it perfectly. It was definitely the right choice for this boy simply growing up in America facing the every day average things most teens do. Since the hit show ended, Savage has continued to pursue his love of acting. He has appeared on many different shows on television as a guest star. These episodes include Bones, Part of Five, Chuck and Without a Trace among many others. Acting was not his only interest. Savage actually interned for Senator Arlen Spector. He attended school and graduated from Stanford University obtaining a degree in Political Science. He was very social throughout his schooling and even joined the Fraternity within the campus. It is no surprise that everyone wanted to hang out with the famous celebrity.
2. Kyle Richards
If you follow the pop and totally over the top ridiculous celebrities that reside in Hollywood, California, then you may have heard of Kyle Richards. She was a child star but shot to fame only in her adult years due to being a socialite and well connected. Hint: her niece is Paris Hilton. She is best known for her acting days on Little House on the Prairie. She played in a few Horror films after her main acting gig, but never was really, really famous. When she was cast to play herself on Bravo’s reality television show: The Real Housewives, her name and face was everywhere. She is followed by paparazzi and lives a very glamorous and rich life. She is happily married with her current husband Mauricio Umansky. He is a mega successful real estate agent and they have children together. She was married previously and became pregnant. That marriage ended in divorce and Kyle moved on. Overall, the child star did not take on a tragic and drug induced lifestyle. You can still find her in front of the camera filming new episodes of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
1. Danielle Fishel
Topagna, Topagna,Topagna. If it is not the name that sticks out, it is the character. Danielle Fishel played this lead role in the popular show Boy Meets World. She co starred with Ben Savage and played his love interest. The show follows the ups and downs of their relationship over the years. It drew viewers in because they got invested in their relationship because it started when they were so young. The show was really innocent, and Topagna brought out this innocence throughout the series. The show aired on the popular segment TGIF on Friday nights. After the show had ended, Fishel decided that she wanted to go to school. She enrolled and graduated from California State University. After she had graduated, she pursued becoming a math tutor. She went on to marry and unfortunately get divorced. Gladly, she moved on and started a new relationship. She became engaged again and leads a very happy and wholesome life. She has not pursued any more acting recently and is focused on other things of importance to her. She definitely still gets recognized wherever she goes. Her face still looks the exact same as when Boy meets World had a huge following.