Top 10 Child Stars Who Successfully Reinvented Themselves | Top10Grid
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Top 10 Child Stars Who Successfully Reinvented Themselves
For every child star who flames out in a TMZ headline, there's one who quietly rebuilds and comes back stronger. These former kid actors defied the odds — turning early fame into Oscar wins, billion-dollar companies, and cultural icon status. The child star curse is real. These ten broke it.
Curated by our entertainment editors. Built from critical consensus and community vote.
Top 10 Child Stars Who Successfully Reinvented Themselves
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1. Reese Witherspoon — From Teen Actress to $400M Mogul — Witherspoon debuted at 14 in The Man in the Moon (1991), won an Oscar at 29 for Walk the Line, then did something no actress had done: she built a media empire. Hello Sunshine produced Big Little Lies, The Morning Show, and Daisy Jones & The Six. She sold the company to Blackstone-backed Candle Media for $900 million in 2021. Her personal cut: approximately $400 million. She went from Legally Blonde to legally loaded. The most successful actress-to-executive transition in Hollywood history, and she did it by buying the rights to books before anyone else realized adaptations were the future.
2. Ryan Gosling — Mickey Mouse Club to La La Land — Gosling was a Mouseketeer alongside Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera in 1993. He was 12. By 2001, he starred in The Believer. By 2004, The Notebook made him a heartthrob. By 2011, Drive made him a critical darling. La La Land earned $447 million and 14 Oscar nominations. Barbie made him a cultural meme ($1.44 billion worldwide). The kid from the Mickey Mouse Club is now one of the most bankable actors on Earth — earning $12.5 million for Barbie alone. From mouse ears to "I'm just Ken" in three decades.
3. Jodie Foster — Child Prodigy to Two-Time Oscar Winner — Foster was nominated for an Oscar at 14 for Taxi Driver (1976) — playing a child prostitute in a Martin Scorsese film. She won Best Actress at 26 (The Accused) and again at 29 (The Silence of the Lambs). Then she became a director (Little Man Tate, Money Monster) and continued acting into her 60s — winning a Golden Globe for True Detective: Night Country in 2024 at age 61. The arc from child exploitation in a Scorsese film to directing her own features is the most dignified evolution in Hollywood history. Six decades. Zero scandals. Two Oscars. Still working.
4. Natalie Portman — Leon at 12, Oscar at 29 — Portman's debut at 12 in Leon: The Professional (1994) was electrifying and deeply uncomfortable in equal measure. She then took a break from Hollywood to get a psychology degree from Harvard (while still acting in Star Wars prequels). Black Swan won her Best Actress in 2011. She directed A Tale of Love and Darkness. She played a female Thor in Love and Thunder ($760 million). She founded a venture capital fund investing in women-led startups. The girl from Leon became a Harvard graduate, Oscar winner, Marvel superhero, and VC investor. The range is genuinely unmatched.
5. Zendaya — Disney Channel to Emmy Winner at 24 — Zendaya was Shake It Up on Disney Channel at 14. By 24, she'd won an Emmy for Euphoria — the youngest Best Actress in a Drama winner in Emmy history. She's now the face of Valentino, Lancôme, and Bulgari. Spider-Man: No Way Home grossed $1.9 billion. Dune: Part Two grossed $714 million. Her stylist Law Roach has made her the most talked-about fashion presence at every event she attends. At 29, she's already earned more critical acclaim and commercial success than most actors achieve in a lifetime. The Disney-to-prestige pipeline didn't exist before Zendaya. She built it.
6. Leonardo DiCaprio — Growing Pains to Oscar Winner — DiCaprio was Luke Brower on Growing Pains at 16. Three years later, What's Eating Gilbert Grape earned him his first Oscar nomination at 19. Titanic ($2.2 billion) made him the biggest movie star on Earth at 23. Then he spent 20 years chasing an Oscar through The Aviator, Blood Diamond, The Departed, and Django Unchained — finally winning for The Revenant in 2016. Net worth: $300 million. His environmental foundation has donated $100 million+. The teen heartthrob became one of the most serious actors of his generation by sheer force of choosing difficult roles over easy paychecks.
7. Drew Barrymore — ET's Kid to Talk Show Queen — Barrymore was in rehab at 13 and emancipated from her parents at 14 — after being one of the most famous children in the world thanks to ET (1982). She rebuilt: produced Never Been Kissed and Charlie's Angels ($264 million), founded Flower Films, launched Flower Beauty cosmetics, and landed The Drew Barrymore Show on CBS in 2020. The show has run for 5+ seasons. Her memoir Little Girl Lost is one of the most honest celebrity autobiographies ever written. From rehab at 13 to daytime TV host at 45 — the most improbable survival story in Hollywood.
8. Justin Timberlake — Boy Band to Billionaire Brand — NSYNC sold 70 million records worldwide by the time Timberlake was 22. His solo debut Justified (2002) sold 10 million copies. FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006) produced "SexyBack" and cemented him as pop's most versatile male artist. He then pivoted to acting (The Social Network earned him serious critical respect) and voice acting (Trolls franchise: $900 million+ combined). His 2018 Super Bowl halftime show reached 103 million viewers. Recent DUI troubles and the It's Gonna Be May meme aside, Timberlake remains one of the only boy band members to achieve solo A-list status. The other four are still trying.
9. Scarlett Johansson — Home Alone 3 to $75M Avenger — Johansson appeared in Home Alone 3 (1997) at 12 — a film nobody remembers. By 19, she was in Lost in Translation and Girl with a Pearl Earring. By 25, she was Black Widow in the MCU. Across 10 Marvel films, she earned an estimated $75 million. She was the highest-grossing actress in box office history from 2018-2023. She sued Disney over Black Widow's simultaneous streaming release ($40 million settlement). Then she sued OpenAI over AI voice cloning. Johansson went from forgotten sequel kid to the actress who takes on the two biggest companies in entertainment and tech. That's reinvention.
10. Millie Bobby Brown — Stranger Things to Beauty Mogul — Brown became a global star at 12 as Eleven in Stranger Things (2016). By 15, she was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador (the youngest ever). At 16, she launched Florence by Mills — a clean beauty brand targeting Gen Z, now sold in 10,000+ retail locations including Ulta and Boots. She starred in Enola Holmes ($400 million combined for both films). At 21, she's already a beauty entrepreneur, franchise lead, and UN ambassador. The Stranger Things kids were supposed to be a flash in the pan. Millie built a business while her costars were still doing conventions.
Witherspoon debuted at 14 in The Man in the Moon (1991), won an Oscar at 29 for Walk the Line, then did something no actress had done: she built a media empire. Hello Sunshine produced Big Little Lies, The Morning Show, and Daisy Jones & The Six. She sold the company to Blackstone-backed Candle Media for $900 million in 2021. Her personal cut: approximately $400 million. She went from Legally Blonde to legally loaded. The most successful actress-to-executive transition in Hollywood history, and she did it by buying the rights to books before anyone else realized adaptations were the future.
Gosling was a Mouseketeer alongside Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera in 1993. He was 12. By 2001, he starred in The Believer. By 2004, The Notebook made him a heartthrob. By 2011, Drive made him a critical darling. La La Land earned $447 million and 14 Oscar nominations. Barbie made him a cultural meme ($1.44 billion worldwide). The kid from the Mickey Mouse Club is now one of the most bankable actors on Earth — earning $12.5 million for Barbie alone. From mouse ears to "I'm just Ken" in three decades.
Foster was nominated for an Oscar at 14 for Taxi Driver (1976) — playing a child prostitute in a Martin Scorsese film. She won Best Actress at 26 (The Accused) and again at 29 (The Silence of the Lambs). Then she became a director (Little Man Tate, Money Monster) and continued acting into her 60s — winning a Golden Globe for True Detective: Night Country in 2024 at age 61. The arc from child exploitation in a Scorsese film to directing her own features is the most dignified evolution in Hollywood history. Six decades. Zero scandals. Two Oscars. Still working.
Portman's debut at 12 in Leon: The Professional (1994) was electrifying and deeply uncomfortable in equal measure. She then took a break from Hollywood to get a psychology degree from Harvard (while still acting in Star Wars prequels). Black Swan won her Best Actress in 2011. She directed A Tale of Love and Darkness. She played a female Thor in Love and Thunder ($760 million). She founded a venture capital fund investing in women-led startups. The girl from Leon became a Harvard graduate, Oscar winner, Marvel superhero, and VC investor. The range is genuinely unmatched.
Zendaya was Shake It Up on Disney Channel at 14. By 24, she'd won an Emmy for Euphoria — the youngest Best Actress in a Drama winner in Emmy history. She's now the face of Valentino, Lancôme, and Bulgari. Spider-Man: No Way Home grossed $1.9 billion. Dune: Part Two grossed $714 million. Her stylist Law Roach has made her the most talked-about fashion presence at every event she attends. At 29, she's already earned more critical acclaim and commercial success than most actors achieve in a lifetime. The Disney-to-prestige pipeline didn't exist before Zendaya. She built it.
DiCaprio was Luke Brower on Growing Pains at 16. Three years later, What's Eating Gilbert Grape earned him his first Oscar nomination at 19. Titanic ($2.2 billion) made him the biggest movie star on Earth at 23. Then he spent 20 years chasing an Oscar through The Aviator, Blood Diamond, The Departed, and Django Unchained — finally winning for The Revenant in 2016. Net worth: $300 million. His environmental foundation has donated $100 million+. The teen heartthrob became one of the most serious actors of his generation by sheer force of choosing difficult roles over easy paychecks.
Barrymore was in rehab at 13 and emancipated from her parents at 14 — after being one of the most famous children in the world thanks to ET (1982). She rebuilt: produced Never Been Kissed and Charlie's Angels ($264 million), founded Flower Films, launched Flower Beauty cosmetics, and landed The Drew Barrymore Show on CBS in 2020. The show has run for 5+ seasons. Her memoir Little Girl Lost is one of the most honest celebrity autobiographies ever written. From rehab at 13 to daytime TV host at 45 — the most improbable survival story in Hollywood.
NSYNC sold 70 million records worldwide by the time Timberlake was 22. His solo debut Justified (2002) sold 10 million copies. FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006) produced "SexyBack" and cemented him as pop's most versatile male artist. He then pivoted to acting (The Social Network earned him serious critical respect) and voice acting (Trolls franchise: $900 million+ combined). His 2018 Super Bowl halftime show reached 103 million viewers. Recent DUI troubles and the It's Gonna Be May meme aside, Timberlake remains one of the only boy band members to achieve solo A-list status. The other four are still trying.
Johansson appeared in Home Alone 3 (1997) at 12 — a film nobody remembers. By 19, she was in Lost in Translation and Girl with a Pearl Earring. By 25, she was Black Widow in the MCU. Across 10 Marvel films, she earned an estimated $75 million. She was the highest-grossing actress in box office history from 2018-2023. She sued Disney over Black Widow's simultaneous streaming release ($40 million settlement). Then she sued OpenAI over AI voice cloning. Johansson went from forgotten sequel kid to the actress who takes on the two biggest companies in entertainment and tech. That's reinvention.
Brown became a global star at 12 as Eleven in Stranger Things (2016). By 15, she was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador (the youngest ever). At 16, she launched Florence by Mills — a clean beauty brand targeting Gen Z, now sold in 10,000+ retail locations including Ulta and Boots. She starred in Enola Holmes ($400 million combined for both films). At 21, she's already a beauty entrepreneur, franchise lead, and UN ambassador. The Stranger Things kids were supposed to be a flash in the pan. Millie built a business while her costars were still doing conventions.
Witherspoon debuted at 14 in The Man in the Moon (1991), won an Oscar at 29 for Walk the Line, then did something no actress had done: she built a media empire. Hello Sunshine produced Big Little Lies, The Morning Show, and Daisy Jones & The Six. She sold the company to Blackstone-backed Candle Media for $900 million in 2021. Her personal cut: approximately $400 million. She went from Legally Blonde to legally loaded. The most successful actress-to-executive transition in Hollywood history, and she did it by buying the rights to books before anyone else realized adaptations were the future.
Gosling was a Mouseketeer alongside Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera in 1993. He was 12. By 2001, he starred in The Believer. By 2004, The Notebook made him a heartthrob. By 2011, Drive made him a critical darling. La La Land earned $447 million and 14 Oscar nominations. Barbie made him a cultural meme ($1.44 billion worldwide). The kid from the Mickey Mouse Club is now one of the most bankable actors on Earth — earning $12.5 million for Barbie alone. From mouse ears to "I'm just Ken" in three decades.
Foster was nominated for an Oscar at 14 for Taxi Driver (1976) — playing a child prostitute in a Martin Scorsese film. She won Best Actress at 26 (The Accused) and again at 29 (The Silence of the Lambs). Then she became a director (Little Man Tate, Money Monster) and continued acting into her 60s — winning a Golden Globe for True Detective: Night Country in 2024 at age 61. The arc from child exploitation in a Scorsese film to directing her own features is the most dignified evolution in Hollywood history. Six decades. Zero scandals. Two Oscars. Still working.
Portman's debut at 12 in Leon: The Professional (1994) was electrifying and deeply uncomfortable in equal measure. She then took a break from Hollywood to get a psychology degree from Harvard (while still acting in Star Wars prequels). Black Swan won her Best Actress in 2011. She directed A Tale of Love and Darkness. She played a female Thor in Love and Thunder ($760 million). She founded a venture capital fund investing in women-led startups. The girl from Leon became a Harvard graduate, Oscar winner, Marvel superhero, and VC investor. The range is genuinely unmatched.
Zendaya was Shake It Up on Disney Channel at 14. By 24, she'd won an Emmy for Euphoria — the youngest Best Actress in a Drama winner in Emmy history. She's now the face of Valentino, Lancôme, and Bulgari. Spider-Man: No Way Home grossed $1.9 billion. Dune: Part Two grossed $714 million. Her stylist Law Roach has made her the most talked-about fashion presence at every event she attends. At 29, she's already earned more critical acclaim and commercial success than most actors achieve in a lifetime. The Disney-to-prestige pipeline didn't exist before Zendaya. She built it.
DiCaprio was Luke Brower on Growing Pains at 16. Three years later, What's Eating Gilbert Grape earned him his first Oscar nomination at 19. Titanic ($2.2 billion) made him the biggest movie star on Earth at 23. Then he spent 20 years chasing an Oscar through The Aviator, Blood Diamond, The Departed, and Django Unchained — finally winning for The Revenant in 2016. Net worth: $300 million. His environmental foundation has donated $100 million+. The teen heartthrob became one of the most serious actors of his generation by sheer force of choosing difficult roles over easy paychecks.
Barrymore was in rehab at 13 and emancipated from her parents at 14 — after being one of the most famous children in the world thanks to ET (1982). She rebuilt: produced Never Been Kissed and Charlie's Angels ($264 million), founded Flower Films, launched Flower Beauty cosmetics, and landed The Drew Barrymore Show on CBS in 2020. The show has run for 5+ seasons. Her memoir Little Girl Lost is one of the most honest celebrity autobiographies ever written. From rehab at 13 to daytime TV host at 45 — the most improbable survival story in Hollywood.
NSYNC sold 70 million records worldwide by the time Timberlake was 22. His solo debut Justified (2002) sold 10 million copies. FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006) produced "SexyBack" and cemented him as pop's most versatile male artist. He then pivoted to acting (The Social Network earned him serious critical respect) and voice acting (Trolls franchise: $900 million+ combined). His 2018 Super Bowl halftime show reached 103 million viewers. Recent DUI troubles and the It's Gonna Be May meme aside, Timberlake remains one of the only boy band members to achieve solo A-list status. The other four are still trying.
Johansson appeared in Home Alone 3 (1997) at 12 — a film nobody remembers. By 19, she was in Lost in Translation and Girl with a Pearl Earring. By 25, she was Black Widow in the MCU. Across 10 Marvel films, she earned an estimated $75 million. She was the highest-grossing actress in box office history from 2018-2023. She sued Disney over Black Widow's simultaneous streaming release ($40 million settlement). Then she sued OpenAI over AI voice cloning. Johansson went from forgotten sequel kid to the actress who takes on the two biggest companies in entertainment and tech. That's reinvention.
Brown became a global star at 12 as Eleven in Stranger Things (2016). By 15, she was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador (the youngest ever). At 16, she launched Florence by Mills — a clean beauty brand targeting Gen Z, now sold in 10,000+ retail locations including Ulta and Boots. She starred in Enola Holmes ($400 million combined for both films). At 21, she's already a beauty entrepreneur, franchise lead, and UN ambassador. The Stranger Things kids were supposed to be a flash in the pan. Millie built a business while her costars were still doing conventions.
