Comeback kids: Child stars who made brilliant comebacks

After falling out of the spotlight for decades, Quan made a magnificent return to fame in 2022's smash hit 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' which earned him his first-ever Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The sweetest full-circle moment capped off this historic occasion as Quan's 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' (1984) co-star Harrison Ford was there onstage as the cast won Best Picture. An excited Quan jumped up and down as he approached Ford, and the two shared an enthusiastic embrace that highlighted just how impressive this comeback has been.

10 / 31 Fotos

Anna Chlumsky -

Anna Chlumsky burst into stardom at the tender age of nine thanks to a leading role in 1991's 'My Girl,' alongside fellow child superstar Macaulay Culkin.

11 / 31 Fotos

Anna Chlumsky -

Decades later, after falling into obscurity, Chlumsky returned, this time on television, in Julia Louis-Dreyfus's critically acclaimed 'Veep.' In 2022, she starred as journalist Vivian Kent in the Netflix drama 'Inventing Anna.'

12 / 31 Fotos

Vincent Kartheiser -

During the 1990s, Vincent Kartheiser was a common sight in kid's movies of all kinds, including 1996's 'Alaska' and the lead role in 1997's 'Masterminds.'

13 / 31 Fotos

Vincent Kartheiser -

More than 10 years later, Kartheiser returned in the pivotal role of Pete Campbell in the seminal TV hit 'Mad Men.'

14 / 31 Fotos

Hilary Duff -

Hilary Duff was the favorite star of countless kids growing up during the early 2000s, thanks to her lead role in the hit Disney Channel show 'Lizzie McGuire.'

15 / 31 Fotos

Hilary Duff -

After trying for years to get a music career off the ground, Duff starred in the TV series 'Younger' from 2015 to 2021. Since 2022, she's also starred on Hulu's 'How I Met Your Father.'

16 / 31 Fotos

Gaby Hoffmann -

During the 1980s and '90s, Gaby Hoffmann had minor roles in numerous Hollywood films and led a successful career as a child actor. Among other things, Hoffmann can be seen in 1993's classic rom-com 'Sleepless in Seattle.'

17 / 31 Fotos

Gaby Hoffmann -

After her career began to dwindle for some years, Hoffmann made a glorious comeback in the 21st century and has proven her acting chops in shows such as 'Transparent.'

18 / 31 Fotos

Ben Savage -

ABC's hit sitcom 'Boy Meets World' made Ben Savage a TV superstar between 1993 and 2000, but the child star ran into some trouble keeping up the momentum after the show's finale.

19 / 31 Fotos

Ben Savage -

After more than a decade of minor roles in small show and films, Savage found fame once more when the 'Boy Meets World' spin-off 'Girl Meets World' first aired in 2014.

20 / 31 Fotos

Emily Osment -

Emily Osment, alongside her brother Haley Joel Osment, was a child star of the early 2000s. Osment was best known for her role as Gerti Giggles in the hit Spy Kids franchise, as well as her role as Lilly Truscott in Disney Channel's 'Hannah Montana.'

21 / 31 Fotos

Emily Osment -

After dabbling in the music business during the 2010s, Osment recently returned to television in critically-acclaimed roles in shows such as Netflix's 'The Kominsky Method' and CBS's 'Young Sheldon.'

22 / 31 Fotos

Thomas Brodie-Sangster -

Thomas Brodie-Sangster starred in numerous films as a child, such as 2003's 'Love Actually' and 2005's 'Nanny McPhee.'

23 / 31 Fotos

Thomas Brodie-Sangster -

After falling into obscurity, Brodie-Sangster burst back onto the scene with a string of excellent roles in high-profile TV series such as 'Game of Thrones' and 'The Queen's Gambit.'

24 / 31 Fotos

Cole Sprouse -

Cole Sprouse shot to stardom as a kid alongside his identical twin brother Dylan when they starred in the long-running Disney Channel hit 'The Suite Life of Zack & Cody' and its spin-off 'The Suite Life on Deck.' Before that, they starred in the Adam Sandler comedy 'Big Daddy' (1999).

25 / 31 Fotos

Cole Sprouse -

After stepping away from showbiz for some time, Cole Sprouse made a sensational comeback as Jughead Jones in the hit CW series 'Riverdale.'

26 / 31 Fotos

Johnny Galecki -

After getting a taste of stardom thanks to his roles in 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' (1989) and the iconic TV series 'Roseanne,' Johnny Galecki (left) had decades of trouble finding roles that garnered any attention.

27 / 31 Fotos

Johnny Galecki -

That is until 2007, when he landed the leading role of Leonard in 'The Big Bang Theory,' which went on to become one of the most popular programs in television history.

28 / 31 Fotos

Drew Barrymore -

Drew Barrymore had one of the most successful and long-lasting careers a kid could ask for, with roles in major films such as Steven Spielberg's 1982 family classic 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.' She continued gracing the screen as a teen and young adult.

29 / 31 Fotos

Drew Barrymore -

She remained active in the 2000s, but in the early 2010s fell out of the spotlight for some years. Barrymore made a stunning return in Netflix's hit horror-comedy series 'The Santa Clarity Diet.' Her celebrity talk show has also been a smash hit since its first season in 2020.

Sources: (Ranker) (TheRichest)

30 / 31 Fotos

0 / 31 Fotos

Taylor Lautner -

Taylor Lautner is most famous for his role as Jacob Black in the Twilight Saga, and also starred in films as a teenager such as 2005's 'The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl.'

Getty Images

1 / 31 Fotos

Taylor Lautner -

Getty Images

2 / 31 Fotos

Jason Bateman -

Jason Bateman might be a household name of the 21st century, but he also made the rounds as a child actor through hit TV shows like 'Silver Spoons,' which ran from 1982 to 1986.

Getty Images

3 / 31 Fotos

Jason Bateman -

Getty Images

4 / 31 Fotos

Mayim Bialik -

Mayim Bialik starred as the titular lead in the TV series 'Blossom,' which aired for four years between 1991 and 1995.

Getty Images

5 / 31 Fotos

Mayim Bialik -

After leaving the acting business to study, eventually receiving a PhD in neuroscience, Bialik made a hugely successful return to TV in the hit show 'The Big Bang Theory.'

Getty Images

6 / 31 Fotos

Danica McKellar -

Getty Images

7 / 31 Fotos

Danica McKellar -

Getty Images

8 / 31 Fotos

Ke Huy Quan -

Vietnam native Ke Huy Quan made fantastic appearances in classics like 1984's 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' and 1985's 'The Goonies.'

Getty Images

9 / 31 Fotos

Ke Huy Quan -

Getty Images

10 / 31 Fotos

Anna Chlumsky -

Anna Chlumsky burst into stardom at the tender age of nine thanks to a leading role in 1991's 'My Girl,' alongside fellow child superstar Macaulay Culkin.

Getty Images

11 / 31 Fotos

Anna Chlumsky -

Getty Images

12 / 31 Fotos

Vincent Kartheiser -

During the 1990s, Vincent Kartheiser was a common sight in kid's movies of all kinds, including 1996's 'Alaska' and the lead role in 1997's 'Masterminds.'

Getty Images

13 / 31 Fotos

Vincent Kartheiser -

More than 10 years later, Kartheiser returned in the pivotal role of Pete Campbell in the seminal TV hit 'Mad Men.'

Getty Images

14 / 31 Fotos

Hilary Duff -

Hilary Duff was the favorite star of countless kids growing up during the early 2000s, thanks to her lead role in the hit Disney Channel show 'Lizzie McGuire.'

Getty Images

15 / 31 Fotos

Hilary Duff -

After trying for years to get a music career off the ground, Duff starred in the TV series 'Younger' from 2015 to 2021. Since 2022, she's also starred on Hulu's 'How I Met Your Father.'

Getty Images

16 / 31 Fotos

Gaby Hoffmann -

Getty Images

17 / 31 Fotos

Gaby Hoffmann -

After her career began to dwindle for some years, Hoffmann made a glorious comeback in the 21st century and has proven her acting chops in shows such as 'Transparent.'

Getty Images

18 / 31 Fotos

Ben Savage -

ABC's hit sitcom 'Boy Meets World' made Ben Savage a TV superstar between 1993 and 2000, but the child star ran into some trouble keeping up the momentum after the show's finale.

Getty Images

19 / 31 Fotos

Ben Savage -

After more than a decade of minor roles in small show and films, Savage found fame once more when the 'Boy Meets World' spin-off 'Girl Meets World' first aired in 2014.

Getty Images

20 / 31 Fotos

Emily Osment -

Getty Images

21 / 31 Fotos

Emily Osment -

After dabbling in the music business during the 2010s, Osment recently returned to television in critically-acclaimed roles in shows such as Netflix's 'The Kominsky Method' and CBS's 'Young Sheldon.'

Getty Images

22 / 31 Fotos

Thomas Brodie-Sangster -

Thomas Brodie-Sangster starred in numerous films as a child, such as 2003's 'Love Actually' and 2005's 'Nanny McPhee.'

Getty Images

23 / 31 Fotos

Thomas Brodie-Sangster -

After falling into obscurity, Brodie-Sangster burst back onto the scene with a string of excellent roles in high-profile TV series such as 'Game of Thrones' and 'The Queen's Gambit.'

Getty Images

24 / 31 Fotos

Cole Sprouse -

Getty Images

25 / 31 Fotos

Cole Sprouse -

After stepping away from showbiz for some time, Cole Sprouse made a sensational comeback as Jughead Jones in the hit CW series 'Riverdale.'

Getty Images

26 / 31 Fotos

Johnny Galecki -

Getty Images

27 / 31 Fotos

Johnny Galecki -

That is until 2007, when he landed the leading role of Leonard in 'The Big Bang Theory,' which went on to become one of the most popular programs in television history.

Getty Images

28 / 31 Fotos

Drew Barrymore -

Getty Images

29 / 31 Fotos

Drew Barrymore -

Sources: (Ranker) (TheRichest)

Getty Images

30 / 31 Fotos

Comeback kids: Child stars who made brilliant comebacks

These child actors made the tricky transition to adult stardom

18/11/24 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Acting

The future of a child actor is always uncertain. Life in showbusiness is notoriously demanding, and some kids who find fame at an early age do everything possible to leave the industry as soon as they can. Others maintain a consistent level of fame for the rest of their lives, while others still fall out of the spotlight just to make a new name for themselves later on in life. These comebacks are always joyous to witness, and exhibit the tenacity of so many performance professionals.

Read on to learn about some of the greatest comeback stories from some of entertainment's greatest child actors.