10 Celebrities Who Started Their Career at a Very Young Age

Sometimes, our favorite stars get their breakthrough roles in their thirties or forties. Some of these roles are so fundamental and suit the actors so well that it seems they were born to play them. However, oftentimes, the actors come a long way to get that very role to play. And the heroes of our article started this journey unbelievably early in life.

1. Mayim Bialik

Mayim Bialik played Amy, Sheldon’s romantic interest, in the acclaimed The Big Bang Theory. However, it is not the first sitcom Bialik worked on. 2 decades before depicting Amy, the actress played the main character, Blossom Russo, in a hit sitcom, Blossom.

2. Reese Witherspoon

Before becoming the star of the iconic Legally Blonde in the ’00s, Reese Witherspoon was already 10 years into her acting career. It all started with the film, The Man in the Moon, in 1991, in the role of Dani Trant, a 14-year-old teenager dealing with growing up.

3. Neil Patrick Harris

Years before embodying Barney in How I Met Your Mother, Neil Patrick Harris started off his career on the television series, Doogie Howser, M.D. However, his breakthrough happened at the age of 15 after he acted in the movie, Clara’s Heart.

4. Johnny Galecki

Another fan-favorite character, John Galecki, who played Leonard in The Big Bang Theory, began his career starring in a movie that became a part of many people’s hearts at Christmastime, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. He played the role of Rusty, the son of the main character.

5. Katherine Heigl

The beautiful Katherine Heigl, who acted in many films and TV shows, began her career in the industry in the role of Nicole for a 1994 teenage drama, My Father the Hero. She was only 16 at the time. But despite the actress’s young age, the movie boosted her outstanding career.

6. Elijah Wood

Elijah Wood is best known for the role of Frodo in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and the sequels. However, this wasn’t his first big Hollywood movie. Years before, when he was only 13 years old, he acted in the movie, North, alongside a young Scarlett Johansson and Bruce Willis.

7. Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix established himself as an exceptional actor starring in movies of different genres, such as Gladiator, a historical action flick, and Her, a sci-fi drama. And recently, his appearance in Joker boosted his popularity once again. However, even when he was younger and less experienced, Phoenix took part in various films and shows. For instance, he starred in the show, Murder, She Wrote, when he was only 8.

8. Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster first appeared on-screen in the TV series, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, in 1969 at the age of 7. Her successful participation in this and other TV series set the base of her acting career, bringing her a leading role in the iconic The Silence of the Lambs.

9. Michelle Williams

Years before taking on the leading roles in many Hollywood films, such as Shutter Island, where she acted alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, or Venom, where she embodied the love interest of Tom Hardy’s character, Michelle Williams managed to play a minor role in the iconic Baywatch.

10. Laurence Fishburne

Laurence Fishburne is another actor who started his career early in life. Before starring in various leading Hollywood films, he took part in the daytime soap, One Life to Live. He was only 11 at the time.

How many old films featuring these famous artists-to-be have you watched?