Top Ten Child Stars Who Didn't Make It
AMC Movie List

Top Ten Child Stars Who Didn't Make It

Which of these former child stars who never made it in the world of adult acting is your favorite?

rank title points votes your vote
1 Ralph Macchio, The Karate Kid
Macchio's a distinctive actor, but the Karate Kid's many sequels left him permanently pigeonholed. 91 201
2 Macaulay Culkin, Home Alone
Culkin had a huge success with Home Alone, but, overwhelmed by stardom, he's since acted in low-key roles. 79 199
3 Fred Savage, The Princess Bride
Poor Savage: he's never transcended his role as the 12-year-old protagonist of The Wonder Years, Kevin Arnold. 51 165
4 Jonathan Ke Quan, The Goonies
Spielberg cast Ke Quan in a stereotyped role -- as a gadget-obsessed Asian -- in this classic teen comedy. 38 138
5 Anna Chlumsky, My Girl
Chlumsky turned in a sweetheart performance in this coming-of-age tale, then basically dropped out of existence. 37 141
6 Shirley Temple, Curly Top
Temple was the original victim of the logic of childhood stardom: once a young doll, always a young doll. 22 148
7 Jonathan Lipnicki, Jerry Maguire
Lipnicki's adorable, bespectacled toddler in need of a father figure never translated into a full-on acting career. 7 131
8 Jake Lloyd, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Lloyd's wooden performance as Anakin Skywalker wasn't helped by George Lucas's turgid script and halfhearted directing. -20 148
9 Michael Oliver, Problem Child
Oliver's turn in Problem Child was a gleefully anti-child-actor performance, full of obnoxious, maniacal laughter. -25 121
10 Austin O'Brien, Last Action Hero
O'Brien's child-tagalong role in this Schwarzenegger bomb wasn't an auspicious start, as he went on to act in My Girl 2. -41 127