How 15+ Former Child Actors Who Grew Up Before Our Eyes Look Now

Time flies by fast! The kids you used to see on TV a few years ago are all grown up now and are in their 30s. We can’t help but feel nostalgic when looking at the pictures of what former child actors looked like when they first started their career vs what they look like now.

1. Miley Cyrus

Miley found big fame after appearing on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana. Her most recent acting role was in 2019 on an episode of Black Mirror.

2. Taylor Lautner

Taylor Lautner started his acting career at the early age of 9 in the movie Shadow Fury. He was only 16 years old when he was cast as Jacob in the popular movie franchise Twilight. His most recent movie came out in January 2022 — Netflix’s Home Team, where he plays the main role.

3. Logan Lerman

As a child actor, Logan Lerman was involved in the TV show Jack & Bobby, playing the role of Bobby. Later on, he found further fame by starring in big-name movie projects like the Percy Jackson franchise, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Fury. These days, the actor is starring in the TV show Hunters.

4. Dylan and Cole Sprouse

The twins appeared in a number of movies and shows as child actors, and one of their most memorable projects was the Disney Channel show The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Cole has been starring in the CW show Riverdale since 2017. Meanwhile, Dylan appeared in the movie Turandot in 2021.

5. Selena Gomez

Selena starred in the Disney Channel show Wizard of Waverly Place as one of the main characters, Alex Russo. Her recent acting role was in 2021, on a show called Only Murders in the Building. She also has a singing career.

6. Josh Hutcherson

As a child actor, he appeared in a number of projects, including the movie Bridge to Terabithia and an episode of the show ER. From 2012 to 2015, Josh Hutcherson starred in the movie franchise The Hunger Games and since 2019 he has been starring in the show Ultraman.

7. Nathan Kress

One of his most famous roles is Freddy from the Nickelodeon show iCarly, which recently got a new season nearly a decade after its original run came to an end. Nathan Kress came back for it to reprise his role.

8. Emily Osment

Emily Osment played Gerti Giggles on Spy Kids 2 and Spy Kids 3, and then she got the role of Lily on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana. Recently, she has been starring in a number of TV shows, including Pretty Smart, The Kominsky Method, and Almost Family.

9. Nick Jonas

Nick Jonas is another person on the list who is a former Disney Channel star — he played Nick Lucas on the show Jonas. These days, he is focusing on his music career.

10. Freddie Highmore

As a child actor, Freddie Highmore starred in a number of big projects, including Finding Neverland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. These days, he is the main star of the medical drama The Good Doctor.

11. Daryl Sabara

His acting career began the same year he was born — in 1992 he was in the TV show Murphy Brown. In 2002, he played Juni in the movie Spy Kids and its sequels. Recently, Daryl Sabara has been doing voice acting and he was involved in the cartoon Ben 10 from 2016 to 2021.

12. Jennette McCurdy

As a teenager, Jennette McCurdy played one of the main roles on the show iCarly, which remains her most famous role to this day. However, she said that she did not like acting and did it only for the sake of her mother, so she doesn’t have any plans to return to being an actress. These days she has her own podcast.

13. Adam Sevani

Adam Sevani starred in 4 movies of the Step Up film series, starting from the second one. His most recent acting credit is from the 2018 TV movie Art Prison.

14. Jack Gleeson

Jack Gleeson’s first full feature film was Batman Begins back in 2005, although it was not his first project. He appeared in a number of short films before that and was an uncredited extra in Reign King of Fire at the age of 10. As an adult, you might have seen him in Game of Thrones, playing King Joffrey.

15. Alexander Ludwig

Before starring as Cato in The Hunger Games film series, Alexander Ludwig worked as a child actor, with his first credited role being in the movie Eve and the Fire Horse in 2005. These days, he is playing Ace Spades on the show Heels.

16. George MacKay

George MacKay had a strong start to his acting career, as his first movie was Peter Pan in 2003. He was in quite a few projects as a child actor, including The Thief Lord and Defiance. In 2019, he starred in the Oscar-winning movie 1917.

17. Tyler James Williams

Tyler James Williams is known for playing the main character on the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris and Charlie Goldfinch in Unaccompanied Minors. Nowadays you can see him as Gregory Eddie in the show Abbott Elementary.

Many child actors have not only grown up, but now have kids of their own.