Many child actresses may have looked like America’s princesses for a number of years, but the illusion does not last long.
It is hard to keep the success going as they grow up, and the work/life/education balance is never an easy one to handle. Let’s take a look at where five of your favorite child actresses ended up.
Anna Chlumsky
Opposite Macaulay Culkin in My Girl was Anna Chlumsky. None of her other films made the same impact, and she took a break to go to college in 1999.
It took some time for her career to get going again after that, but she found great success for her role in Veep, which she was nominated for six Emmys for, giving her career a rebirth.
Mara Wilson
Mara was a hot commodity in the 90s, having starred in Matilda, Mr.s Doubtfire, and Miracle on 34th St. She has not done much acting since the 90s, having retired in 2000.
She started writing, and even wrote a book called Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame. She has since gotten into voice acting too.
Drew Barrymore
Conventional thinking would tell you that starring in E.T. as a child would lead your career to crash and burn, but Drew Barrymore has stayed relevant ever since.
With roles like Scream and Ever After in the 90s, and Charlie’s Angels and 50 First Dates in the 2000s, Barrymore kept her star power-up and even got into directing with Whip It.
Thora Birch
Starring in Hocus Pocus as a kid, along with some popular TV shows, made Thora Birch a big name, and she capitalized on it as she grew up with films including Ghost World and American Beauty.
Her career isn’t what it used to be, and there have been issues with her father who is her manager, but she continues to act regularly, including a recurring role on The Walking Dead.
Mary-Kate And Ashley Olsen
When it comes to child actresses, Mary-Kate and Ashely are the queens. Their films and shows as kids made them their own industry, and so many people grew up watching them.
Their careers have been quiet since, with some appearances here and there, including a role on Weeds for Mary-Kate, but it is nothing like the glory days.