It has often been argued that being a child star is a curse because many actors who become famous at a young age never manage to hold on to their popularity after becoming adults. Still, Hollywood needs young actors as much as it needs old actors, so there is never going to be a shortage of adorable young faces giving incredible performances. The ’90s was especially a good decade for young performers. After the success of Home Alone, many directors felt compelled to make movies that featured youngsters in major roles. The same was the case on TV. However, the following list shall focus on children who were brilliant actors rather than just famous for being part of the cast of popular projects.
10 Haley Joel Osment
From the moment an 11-year-old Haley Joel Osment whispered the words, “I see dead people” in The Sixth Sense, audiences knew they were witnessing something special. Because of his brilliant chemistry with an older Bruce Willis and his flawless delivery of arguably one of the greatest-ever movie quotes, Osment earned himself an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In fact, the actor was nominated for a total of 19 awards across different organizations for the performance.
This wasn’t Osment’s first appearance in a major Hollywood project as he had also played Forrest Gump Jr. in Forrest Gump. After the ‘90s, he would go on to star in movies like Sleepwalker and A.I. Artificial Intelligence, the latter also earning him numerous accolades. Recently had a supporting role in the Prime Video series, The Boys, where he fittingly plays Mesmer, a superhero who used to be a child star.
9 Jaleel White
Large spectacles and suspenders made Jaleel White one of the most recognizable child actors of the ‘90s. So did his talent. Proof of his brilliance lies in the fact that he wasn’t even meant to be part of the main cast of Family Matters. He was only intended to be a drop-in character but after wowing the entire production crew, the sitcom became all about his character Steve Urkel.
Apart from being a key cast member of one of the must-see sitcoms of the ‘90s, Jaleel provided his voice for the popular Sonic series. Lately, he has been a part of major Hollywood projects, notably the Adam Sandler movie, Hustle, and Clint Eastwood’s The 15:17 to Paris. He is also set to star in the upcoming Disney+ series. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.
8 Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci rose to fame for portraying Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family and its sequel. She would continue portraying dark characters in movies like Now and Then and Casper before experimenting with different genres. And in the decades that followed, she kept the momentum going.
Ricci has more than 50 award nominations spread across the years and most recently the Emmys recognized her for her work in Yellowjackets. She has never lost her dark touch and in 2022, she returned to a familiar world, playing the villainous Marilyn Thornhill in the Netflix hit series, Wednesday.
7 Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Culkin might have lost his A-list card a long time ago, but his legacy remains intact. It could be argued that there is still no child-led comedy movie that’s better than Home Alone. And while the film has some of the funniest villains, it’s mostly appreciated because of how brilliantly Culkin keeps switching between a mischievous child and an innocent soul.
In the ‘90s Culkin gave equally good performances in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, The Good Son, and Richie Rich before disappearing from the limelight. He later started the rock band, Pizza Underground, before returning to acting. His most recent work can be found in American Horror Story: Double Feature. Recently, fans have rooted for him to play the Joker at some point, and even though the odds are minimal, he sure seems like he would be a perfect fit, given his unique smile.
6 Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio doesn’t like starring in horror movies, which is surprising considering that his best performance as a child actor came in the terrifying Critters 3. In the early part of the ‘90s, the actor also bossed the proceedings in the sitcom Parenthood and the soap opera, Santa Barbara.
DiCaprio’s talent was always evident and shortly after turning 18, he was nominated for his first-ever Oscar for his work in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. From there on, there was no looking back. His star has kept on rising and from the 2000s going forward, he has become a go-to actor for some of the biggest modern filmmakers, notably Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and Christopher Nolan.
5 The Olsen Twins
At the height of their fame, the Olsen Twins (Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen) didn’t need to do anything else as they were both wowing audiences week in, week out with their work in Full House. Thanks to catchphrases like “puh-lease”, “aw nuts,” and “You got it, dude!” their character Michelle became one of the most adored fictional children on television.
The Olsen Twins would later quit acting to focus on action, a field in which they have also been wildly successful. The two are the owners of the million-dollar fashion company, The Row. And fame hasn’t left the family, despite their departure from the TV industry. Today, their sister Elizabeth Olsen is the A-lister, thanks to her portrayal of the Avenger, Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
4 Anna Paquin
Talented people rarely need too much time to settle and in 1994, Anna Paquin won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her debut role in The Piano. She was only 11 at the time. Paquin hadn’t intended to act for a long time, but the widespread appreciation for her performance was enough incentive for her to keep pushing.
Unlike other child actors, Paquin never had a hard time transitioning into adult roles. Her casting for the character of Marie, aka, Rogue in X-Men certainly helped as she went on to reprise the role a number of times. She also deserves to be lauded because of how effortlessly she has juggled movies and TV shows. Her work in the dramas, The Affair and Electric Dreams is especially worth checking out.
3 Edward Furlong
As a child in the ‘90s, Edward Furlong worked alongside stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Meryl Streep and Liam Neeson, yet he was never outshone by them. His breakout role as a young John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgement Day is more memorable because of his memorable reactions to all the horror happening around him and his brilliant chemistry with Schwarzenegger.
All the awards Furlong ever received came in the ‘90s, proof of how good a child actor he was. Sadly, his career was ruined by a drug problem. Though he eventually shook it off, it had eaten away at many years of his career. Despite the misfortunes, Furlong hasn’t given up on his Hollywood dreams. He continues to appear in B-movies on the regular.
2 Jonathan Lipnicki
In the late ‘90s and early 2000s, consistently wowed audiences with his performances in the movies Jerry Maguire, Stuart Little, The Little Vampire, and Like Mike. His dialogue scenes with Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire remain memorable to this day, serving as a template for how to do heart-to-heart conversations. In addition to that, he was part of the highly successful teen drama, Dawson’s Creek. Unfortunately, his star began dropping as he approached adulthood and things have never been the same ever since.
The lack of success in adulthood hasn’t dissuaded Jonathan Lipnicki. He has placed much focus to reality shows and fans who yearn to get a glimpse of him can find him in Celebs Go Dating, Drop the Mic, and Worst Cooks in America. Additionally, Lipnicki has been prolific in the B-movie arena, starring in over 20 low budget films since the early 2010s.
1 Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Dunst earned her first-ever Oscar nomination in 2021 for Power of the Dog, proof of how healthy her career has been. When she had her breakout role in 1994’s Interview with the Vampire, she was nominated for a Golden Globe and since then, she never slowed down. Expect the Spider-Man trilogy, Dunst has mostly avoided multi-million-dollar budget movies, a decision that has helped her in sharpening her acting skills even more.
Whether it’s an indie movie or a slow-burn drama, Dunst has continued to impress. She has been active in the TV landscape too, and in 2016, she earned an Emmy nomination for her role in Fargo. Besides that, the actress has always spared some time for her music career. Her longevity is truly admirable and there is no doubt she will continue to shine for years to come.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
