Seeing a person’s “Then and Now” photos is always fascinating. Without knowing their entire story, you can get an idea of how life has treated them through their visual transformation.
It can be a slightly different case with celebrities, especially those you’ve seen as child stars. If you’ve followed their careers, you can actually connect the dots and see their journey from past to present.
Check out these photos to see what we mean. Some of these may make you feel old, but they can likely give you some insight into growing up in Hollywood.
#1 Brooke Shields From The Blue Lagoon, Age 14 vs. Now Age 59
Image credits: netflix.com
#2 Jeremy Sumpter From Peter Pan, Age 13 vs. Now Age 36
Image credits: netflix.com
#3 Jonathan Lipnicki From Jerry Maguire, Age 5 vs. Now Age 34
Image credits: netflix.com
Being thrust into the bright lights of Tinseltown is automatically a life-changing experience for a child. And while many can avoid the trappings of fame, others struggle with them. Popstar Justin Bieber, for example, desired normalcy so badly that he had to take matters into his own hands.
In a 2021 interview with GQ, Bieber revealed that he had hidden his passport to evade his obligations and hang out with his friends like a typical youngster.
#4 Mara Wilson From Matilda At 9 Years Old vs. At 35
Image credits: marawilson
#5 Rico Rodriguez As Manny Delgado From Modern Family When He Was 11 Years Old vs. Now, At 26
Image credits: starringrico
#6 Joseph Gordon-Levitt From Angels In The Outfield, Age 13 vs. Now Age 44
Image credits: apple.com
Actress and talk show host Drew Barrymore has been in the spotlight since she was 11 months old. Born into a family of actors, she went through a tumultuous childhood that landed her in rehab for substance abuse at age 13.
In a 2024 interview with People, she looked back on this dark time in her life in a positive light, knowing she was a “walking cautionary tale” for others.
“I may feel lost again at different moments, because you never figure it all out, and it never all comes together. You just keep finding things,” she said.
#7 Christina Ricci From The Addams Family, Age 9 vs. Now Age 45
Image credits: apple.com
#8 Aubrey Anderson-Emmons From Modern Family
Image credits: aubreyandersonemmons
#9 Sabrina Carpenter From Austin And Ally In 2013 (When She Was 14 Years Old) vs. 25 Years Old
Image credits: sabrinacarpenter
Child star Mara Wilson is among the many names on this list. Known for her starring role in the 1996 hit film Matilda, the 37-year-old wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times in 2021, titled The Lies Hollywood Tells About Little Girls.
As the title suggests, Wilson spoke about how the industry treated women, along with disturbing details of her experiences being objectified as a 12-year-old.
“Our culture builds these girls up just to destroy them,” she wrote.
#10 Moises Arias From Hannah Montana At 13 Years Old vs. Now, He's 28
Image credits: Moises Arias
#11 Here Is Abigail Breslin From Little Miss Sunshine At Age 10 vs. She Is Now, Age 28
Image credits: abbienormal9
#12 Daryl Sabara From Spy Kids At 8 Years Old vs. At 29
Image credits: darylsabara
However, not all child stars have unpleasant experiences, and Christina Ricci is an example. She gained recognition for her role as Wednesday Addams in the 1993 film adaptation of the cartoon Addams Family Values.
In a 2018 interview with People, she referred to that period in her career as her “glory days.”
"I loved working. I loved being a kid who had a talent. I loved being good at something,” she said. “It was incredible to be able to do that so young,” she said.
#13 Madison De La Garza From Desperate Housewives, Age 10 vs. Now Age 23
Image credits: hulu.com
#14 Daniel Radcliffe From Harry Potter, Age 11 vs. He Is Now, Age 35
Image credits: Netflix
#15 Annasophia Robb From Charlie And The Chocolate Factory At 11 Years Old vs. Now, At 31
Image credits: annasophiarobb
Readers, we’d like to hear from you. Which of these then-and-now photos grabbed your attention the most? What fascinated you about them? Share your insights in the comments!
#16 Millie Bobby Brown From Stranger Things, Age 11 vs. Now Age 21
Image credits: netflix.com
#17 Taylor Momsen From How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Age 7 vs. Now Age 31
Image credits: netflix.com
#18 Bailee Madison From Bridge To Terabithia In 2007, Age 8 vs. Now Age 25
Image credits: Ye-Hwan Jo
#19 Lindsay Lohan From The Parent Trap, Age 12 vs. Now Age 38
Image credits: Disney+
#20 Madison Pettis From The Game Plan, Age 8 vs. Now Age 26
Image credits: Disney+
#21 Nicholas Hoult From About A Boy, Age 11 vs. Now Age 35
Image credits: apple.com
#22 Macaulay Culkin From Home Alone, Age 9 vs. He Is Now, Age 44
Image credits: Disney+
#23 Willow Shields From The Hunger Games, Age 11 vs. Now, Age 24
Image credits: willowshields
#24 Frankie Muniz From Malcolm In The Middle At 13 Years Old vs. At 39
Image credits: frankiemuniz4
#25 Alyson Stoner From Cheaper By The Dozen, Age 10 vs. Now, Age 31
Image credits: alysonstoner
#26 Iain Armitage From Young Sheldon At 9 Years Old vs. Now, At 16
Image credits: The Hollywood Reporter
#27 Mackenzie Foy From The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn At Age 11 vs. Now, Age 23
Image credits: mackenziefoy
#28 Dakota Fanning In I Am Sam In 2001 At 6 Years Old vs. At 30
Image credits: dakotafanning
#29 Cali And Noelle Sheldon From Friends At 1 Year Old vs. Now, 22 Years Old
Image credits: noelle.sheldon
#30 David Faustino From Married... With Children, Age 18 vs. Age 51
Image credits: hulu.com
#31 9-Year-Old Skai Jackson From Jessie vs. 22 Years Old
Image credits: skaijackson
#32 Miranda Cosgrove In School Of Rock Being 10 Years Old vs. At 30
Image credits: mirandacosgrove
#33 Haley Joel Osment In The Sixth Sense In 1999 At 11 Years Old vs. At 36
Image credits: hjosment
#34 Jenna Ortega From Jane The Virgin, Age 12 vs. Now Age 22
Image credits: netflix.com
#35 Will Poulter From The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader, Age 16 vs. Now Age 32
Image credits: Disney+
#36 Maddie Ziegler From Dance Moms, Age 10 vs. Now, Age 22
Image credits: maddieziegler
#37 Thomas Brodie-Sangster From Love Actually, Age 13 vs. Now Age 34
Image credits: netflix.com
#38 Eric Lloyd From The Santa Clause, Age 8 vs. Now Age 38
Image credits: Disney+
#39 Tom Felton From Harry Potter, Age12 vs. He Is Now, Age 37
Image credits: Netflix
#40 Finn Wolfhard From Stranger Things At 13 vs. Now, At 22
Image credits: Netflix
#41 Miles Brown From Black-Ish At Age 4 vs. Age 20
Image credits: TheEllenShow
#42 Steven Perry From Good Luck Charlie, Age 12 vs. Age 26
Image credits: bradley_s_perry12
#43 Chloë Grace Moretz From Wicked Little Things At 8 vs. Now, At 28
Image credits: chloegmoretz
#44 Atticus Shaffer From The Middle At Age 11 vs. Now, At 26
Image credits: atticusshaffervlog
#45 Sasha Pieterse From The Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl, Age 9 vs. Now Age 29
Image credits: netflix.com
#46 Here's Jacob Tremblay From Wonder At 10 Years Old vs. Now, At 18
Image credits: Andrew Freund
#47 Mia Talerico From Good Luck Charlie, Age 2 vs. Age 16
Image credits: Disney+
#48 Paul Butcher From Zoey 101, Age 10 vs. He Is Now, Age 30
Image credits: paulbutcher
#49 Sean Giambrone From The Goldbergs, Age 16 vs. Now, Age 25
Image credits: seangiambrone
#50 Marsai Martin From Black-Ish At Age 10 vs. Now, At 20
Image credits: marsaimartin
#51 Quvenzhané Wallis From Annie At Age 11 vs. Now, At 21
Image credits: iamquvenzhane
#52 Here Is Jaden Smith From The Karate Kid, Age 12 vs. Now, At Age 26
Image credits: c.syresmith
#53 Elle Fanning From The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Age 10 vs. Now Age 27
Image credits: netflix.com
#54 Zachary Gordon From Diary Of A Wimpy Kid At 12 Years Old vs. Now, At 27
Image credits: zacharygordon
#55 Rowan Blanchard From Girl Meets World, Age 14 vs. Age 22
Image credits: rowanblanchard
#56 China Anne McClain From A.N.T. Farm At 13 vs. Now, At 26
Image credits: China Anne McClain
#57 Yara Shahidi As Olivia Danielson From Imagine That At 9 Years Old vs. At 25
Image credits: yarashahidi
#58 Genevieve Hannelius From Dog With A Blog, Age 13 vs. Age 26
Image credits: ghannelius
#59 Noah Jupe From A Quiet Place And Wonder, Age 12 vs. He Is Now, Age 20
Image credits: ScreenSlam
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