Famous American child actors

American Child Actors

Note: This list is made of actors who started acting before the age 18.

Although I've done a lot of research on several sites, for some actors I couldn't find the real age of their acting debut, so I preferred to put the sign '?'. In the next period of time I will adjust and add more names.

A

Abigail Breslin / Signs 2002 / age: 5

Alex D. Linz / Cybill 1995 / age: 6?

Alexandra Powers / The prodigal 1983 / age: 16?

Alison Eastwood / Bronco Billy 1980 / age: 8?

Allison Joy (A.J.) Langer / Série noire 1987 / age: 13?

Alyssa Milano / Who's the boss? 1984-1992 (sitcom) / age: 12?

Amanda Bynes / Big fat liar 2002 / age: 16?

Angelina Jolie / Lookin' to get out 1982 / age: 7?

Angus T. Jones / Simpatico 1999 / age: 6?

Anissa Jones / Family Affair 1966-1971 / age: 8

Anjelica Huston / Casino Royale / age: 16?

Anna Chlumsky / Uncle Buck 1989 / age: 9?

Anna Paquin / The piano 1993 / age: 11

Annabeth Gish / Dessert bloom 1986 / age: 15?

AnnaSophia Robb / Drake & Josh (TV series) 2004 / age: 11?

Anthony Michael Hall / Jennifer's journey 1979 / age: 11?

Ariana Richards / Into the homeland 1987 / age: 8?

Ashley Johnson / Growing pains … / age: 6?

Ashley Michelle Tisdale / Smart guy 1997 (TV series) / age: 12?

B

Baby Marie Osborne / Kidnapped in New York 1914 (short) / age: 3?

Baby Peggy (Diana Seta Carey) / Playmates 1921 (short) / age: 3?

Bailee Madison / Lonely hearts 2006 / age: 7?

Barry Williams / Dragnet 1967 (TV series) / age: 13?

Beau Bridges / Force of evil 1948 / age: 7?

Ben Affleck / The dark end of the street 1991/ age: 9?

Ben Savage / Little monsters 1989 / age: 8

Bethany Richards / Prancer 1989 / age: 6?

Billy Mumy / Romper room / 1958 / age: 4?

Bindi Irwin / Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove 2010 / age: 12

Brad Renfro / The client 1994 / age: 11?

Bradley Pierce / … 1990 / age: 8?

Brandon Cruz / The courtship of Eddie's father 1969-1972 / age: 7?

Brian Austin Green / Baby M 1988 / age: 15?

Brian Bonsall / Family ties 1986-1989 (TV series) / age: 5

Brian Keith / Pied piper Malone or The other kind of love 1924 / age: 3?

Brooke Shields / After the fall 1974 / age: 9

Bryton James / Family matters 1990-1997 (TV series) / age: 3

C

Cameron John 'CJ' Adams / Dan in real life / age: 7?

Camryn Grimes / JAG (TV series) 1997 / age: 7?

Candace Cameron-Bure / ST. Elsewhere 1982-1984 (TV series) / age: 6?

Casey Affleck / Lemon Sky 1988 / age: 13?

Chad Lowe / Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac 1984 (TV movie) / age: 16?

Charlie Sheen / Badlands 1973 / age: 8?

Chloë Grace Moretz / Head of the beholder or The Amityville horror 2005 / age: 7

Chris Penn / Charlie and the Talking Buzzard 1979 / age: 14?

Christina Ricci / Mermaids 1990 / age: 9

Christine Lakin / The Rose and the Jackal 1990 / age: 11?

Christopher Knight / Mannix 1967 (TV series) / age: 10?

Claire Danes / Dreams of love 1990 / age: 11?

Corey Feldman / Time after time / age: 8?

Corey Haim / Firstborn 1984 / age: 13?

Cynthia Nixon / Little darlings 1980 / age: 14?

D

Dakota Fanning / ER (TV series) 2000 / age: 6

Dana Plato / The six million dollar man 1975 (TV series) / age: 11?

Danica McKellar / The Twilight Zone (TV series) 1985-1987 / age: 10?

Danny Bonaduce / Accidental family 1967 (sitcom) / age: 8?

Danny Llyod / The Shining 1980 / age: 7?

David Bennent / Die Eltern (TV movie) 1974 / age: 8? Switzerland

David Faustino / Lilly Tomlin Special 1974 / at the age of three months  

Debbie Reynolds / June bride 1948 / age: 16?

Demi Lovato / Barney & friends 2002-2004 (TV series) / age: 10?

Denise Nickerson / Flipper (TV series) 1965 / age: 8?

Devon Gummersall / Step by step (TV series) 1992 / age: 14?

Devon Odessa / Rocky road 1985 (TV series) / age: 11?

Diane Lane / A little romance 1979 / age: 14?

Dickie Moore / The beloved rogue 1927 / age: 18 months

Douglas Fairbank, Jr. / American aristocracy 1916 / age: 7?

Drew Barrymore / Suddenly, love 1978 / age: 3

E

Elijah Wood / Back to future, part II 1989 / age: 7

Elizabeth Berkley / Gimme a break! 1986 / age: 14?

Elizabeth Taylor / There're one born every minute 1942 / age: 9 / UK-American actress

Ellen Page / Pit Pony 1997 / age: 10

Emmanuel Lewis / Webster 1983-1989 (TV series) / age: 12?

Erin and Diane Murphy / Bewitched 1966-1972 (TV series) / age: 2?

Ethan Hawke / Explorers 1985 / age: 14

F

Fred Savage / The boy who could fly 1986 / age: 10?

Freddie Bartholomew / Toyland 1930 (short) / age: 6 / UK-American actor

G

Gaby Hoffman / Uncle Buck 1989 / age: 7?

Gary Coleman / The kid from left field 1979 / age: 11?

Geraldine Chaplin / Limelight 1952 / age: 8

Giovanni Ribisi 1974 / The Twilight Zone (TV series) 1985 / age: 11

H

Haley Joel Osment / Forrest Gump / age: 6?

Hallie Kate Eisenberg / Paulie 1998 / age: 6

Hayden Panettiere / One life to love 1994-1997 (TV series) / age: 4 ½ years

Heather O'Rourke / Fantasy Island 1981 (TV series) / age: 6?

Henry Thomas / Raggedy man 1981 / age: 10?

Hilary Swank / ABC TGIF (TV series) 1990 / age: 16?

Hillary Duff / True woman (TV mini-series) 1997 / age: 10?

I

Isabelle Fuhrman / Justice (TV series) 2006 / age: 9?

J

Jackie Coogan / Skinner's baby 1917 / age: 3

Jake Gyllenhaal / City slickers 1991 / age: 11?

Jake Lloyd / ER 1996 (TV series) / age: 7?

Jaleel White / The Jeffersons (sitcom) 1984 / age: 8?

James Van Der Beek / Clarissa explains it all 1993 / age: 16?

Jamie Bell / Billy Elliot 2000 / age: 14

Jane Powell / song of the open road 1944 / age: 14?

Jason Bateman / Little house on the prairie 1981-1982 (TV series) / age: 12?

Jason Priesley / Nobody's child (TV movie) 1981 / age: 17?

Jason Strickland / Dear John (TV series) 1990 / age: 13?

Jay North / Wanted: Dead or alive 1958 / age: 7?

Jeff Bridges / The company she keeps / age: 1?

Jennie Garth / Growing pains 1989 / age: 17?

Jennifer Connelly / Once upon a time in America 1984 / age: 14?

Jennifer Lopez / My little girl 1986 / age: 17?

Jennifer Stone / Secondhand lions 2003 / age: 10?

Jenny Lewis / Suburban beat 1985 (TV movie) / age: 9?

Jeremy Sumpter / Frailty2001 / age: 12?

Jerry O'Connell / Stand by me 1986 / age: 12?

Jesse McCartney / All my children 1998-2001 (TV series) / age: 11?

Joaquin Phoenix / Seven brides for seven brothers 1982 (musical TV series) / age: 8?

Jodie Foster / Mayberry, R.F.D. (TV series) 1968 / age: 6? 7

Jodie Sweetin / Jim Henson presents Mother Goose Stories 1987 /age: 5?

Joey Lawrence / Scamps (short film) 1982 / age: 6?

John Cusack / Class 1983 / age: 17?

Jonathan Brandis / One life to live (TV series) 1982 / age: 6?

Jonathan Lipnicki / Jerry Maguire 1996 / age: 6

Jonathan Taylor Thomas / The adventures of Spot 1987 (TV series) / age: 6? 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt / Stanger on my land 1988 / age: 7

Josh Brolin / The Goonies 1985 / age: 17?

Josh Ryan Evans / Baby Geniuses 1999 / age: 16?

Joshua Jackson / Crooked hearts 1991 / age: 13?

Judy Garland / Every Sunday 1936 / age: 14?

Juliette Lewis / Home fires (TV movie) 1987 / age: 14?

K

Keisha Knight-Pulliam / The last dragon 1985 / age: 6?

Kiefer Sutherland / Max Dugan returns / age: 17?

Kieran Culkin / Home alone 1990 / age: 8?

Kim Richards / Nanny and the professor 1970-1971 (TV series) / age: 6?

Kimberly McCullough / Breakin'2: Electric Boogaloo 1984 / age: 6?

Kirk Cameron / Goliath awaits 1981 / age: 11?

Kirsten Dunst / Oedipus Wrecks (anthology: New York stories) / age: 6

Kristen Stewart / The thirteenth year 1999 / age: 9? 10? 8

Kurt Russell / It happened at the world's fair 1963 / age: 11

L

Lacey Chabert / A little piece of heaven 1991 (film TV) / age: 9?

Lark Voorhies / Good morning, Miss Bliss/ age: 14?

Laurence Fishburne / If you give a dance, you gotta pay the band / age: 11?  

Leonardo di Caprio / Critters 3 / age: 17?

Liesel Matthews / A little princess 1995 / age: 11?

Linda Blair / The way we live now 1970 / age: 11?

Lindsay Lohan / Another world 1996-1997 (soap-opera) / age: 9

Lisa Gerritsen / The Doris Day Show 1968, 1971 (TV series) / age: 11?

Lisa Whelchel / The New Mickey Mouse Club 1977 / age: 14?

Lisa Wilhoit / Hook 1991 / age: 10

Loretta Young / The primrose ring 1917 / age: 3

M

Macaulay Culkin / Rocket Gibraltar / age: 8?

Mae Whitman / When a man love a woman 1994 / age: 6

Maia Campbell / Poetic justice 1993 / age: 17?

Mara Wilson / Mrs. Doubtfire 1993 / age: 5

Mariel Hemingway / Lipstick 1976 / age: 15?

Mario López / Chartbusters 1986 / age: 13?

Mark-Paul Gosselaar / Highway to heaven 1986 / age: 12?

Mary Kornman / One terrible day 1922 / age: 7?

Mary Stuart Masterson / The Stepford wives 1975 / age: 8

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen / Full House 1987-1995 (sitcom) – as twins / age: 6? 9 months

Matt Dillon / Over the edge 1979 / age: 15?

Maureen McCormick / The farmer's daughter 1965 (TV series) / age: 9?

Max Records / The brother Bloom 2008 / age: 11?

Mayim Bialik / Beauty and the Beast (TV series) 1987 / age: 12?

Megan Fox / Holiday in the sun 2001 / age: 16?

Melissa Gilbert / The reluctant astronaut 1967 / age: 3?

Melissa Joan Hart / ABC Weekend Specials (TV series) / age: 9?

Melissa Sue Anderson / Bewitched 1972 / age: 10? Canadian-American actress

Michael J. Fox / The beachcombers 1973 (TV series) / age: 12?

Mickey Rooney / Orchids and Ermine 1927 / age: 7? 6

Mila Kunis / Baywatch 1994, 1995 (TV series) / age: 9

Miley Cyrus / Doc 2001 / age: 9?

Milla Jovovich / The night train to Kathmandu 1988 (TV movie) / age: 13?

Milton Berle / The perils of Pauline 1914 / age: 6

Molly Ringwald / Diff'rent strokes 1979-1980 / age: 11?

N

Natalie Portman / Léon: The professional 1994 / age: 12

Natalie Wood / Happy Land 1943 / age: 4

Nate Richert / Sabrina, the teenage witch 1996-2003 (TV series) / age: 7

Neil Patrick Harris / Clara's heart 1988 / age: 15?

Nia Long / The B.R.A.T. Patrol – Walt Disney's Wonderful world of color (TV series - episode 1986) / age: 16?

Noah Hathaway / Battlestar Galactica / age: 6

P

Patsy Kensit / For the love of Ada 1972 / age: 4?

Patty Duke / Country music holiday 1958 / age: 12?

Patty McCormak / Two gals and a guy 1951 / age: 6?

Paul Walker / Highway to heaven 1985-1986 (TV series) / age: 12?

Paula Abdul / Junior High School 1978 (short) / age: 16?

R

Raven Symone / The Cosby show 1989-1992 (TV series) / age: 4?

Reese Witherspoon / The man in the moon 1991 / age: 15

Ricky Schroder / The champ 1979 / age: 9

Rider Strong / ABC TGIF (TV series) 1990 / age: 11?

Rita Wilson / Spinout 1966 / age: 10?

River Phoenix / Explorers 1985 / age: 15?

Rob Lowe / A new kind of family 1979 / age: 15?

Robert Downey, Jr. / Pound 1970 / age: 5

Robert Oliveri / ABC Afterschool Special 1987 / age: 9

Robin Wright / The yellow rose 1983-1984 / age: 17?

Ron Howard / Frontier woman 1956 / age: 18 months

Rory Culkin / Richie Rich/ age: 5?

Ryan Gosling / Are you afraid of the dark? 1995 / age: 15?

S

Saoirse Ronan / The clinic 2003-2004 / age: 9? / Ireland

Sara Gilbert / Calamity Jane 1984 / age: 9?

Sarah Jessica Parker / The little Match girl 1974 / age: 9?

Sarah Michelle Gellar / An invasion of privacy 1983 / age: 6?

Scarlett Johansson / North 1994 / age: 9

Scott Baio / Bugsy Malone 1976 / age: 16

Scott Weinger / Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach 1988 / age: 13?

Sean Austin / Please don't hit me, mom 1981 / age: 10?

Sean Penn / Little house on the prairie 1974 (TV series) / age: 14?

Selena Gomez / Barney & friends 2002-2004 (TV series) / age: 10? 7?

Seth Green / Billions for Boris 1984 / age: 10

Shannen Doherty / Father Murphy 1981 (TV series) / age: 10?

Shia LaBeouf / Monkey business? 1998 / age: 12?

Shiloh Strong / Spies (TV movie) 1992 / age: 14?

Shirley Temple / Kid's last stand sau War babies 1932 / age: 4? 3

Soleil Moon Frye / Missing children: A mother's story 1982 (TV movie) / age: 6?

Stacy Ann Ferguson (Fergie) / Monster in the closet 1986 / age: 11?

T

Tatum O'Neal / Paper moon 1973 / age: 10

Taylor Lautner / Shadow fury 2001 / age: 9?

Thomas Brodie-Sangter / Station Jim 2001 (TV movie) / age: 11

Tiffani Amber Thiessen / Saved by the bell / age: 15?

Tobey Maguire / Rodney Dangerfield: Opening Night at Rodney's Place1989 / age: 14?

Todd Bridges / Katherine 1975 / age: 10?

Tori Spelling / Vega$ 1981 / age: 8?

Uma Thurman / Kiss daddy goodnight 1987 / age: 17?

V

Vanessa Anne Hudgens / Still standing 2002 (TV series) / age: 4

W

Wil Wheaton / Meat Puppet 1980 / age: 8?

Winona Ryder / Lucas 1986 / age: 15?

Z

Zac Efron / Firefly 2002 (TV series) / age: 15?