21 Photos Showing What Actors That We Adored as Kids Look Like Today

As kids, it wasn’t hard to become attached to young actors. After all, they played characters we loved and often aspired to become. Whether from TV or the movies, everyone had a handful of actors they tried to follow closely. But time goes by and many of us have lost track of those familiar faces, who don’t look exactly the same now.

1. AnnaSophia Robb — Leslie Burke in Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

2. Michael J. Fox — Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy (1985–1990)

3. Daniel Radcliffe and Tom Felton — Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011)

4. Shia LaBeouf — Louis Stevens from the TV show Even Stevens (2000–2003)

5. Hilary Duff — Lizzie McGuire from the teen sitcom Lizzie McGuire (2001–2004)

6. Bridgit Mendler — Teddy Duncan in the Disney series Good Luck Charlie (2010-2014)

7. Elijah Wood — Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003)

8. Josh Hutcherson — Jesse “Jess” Aarons in Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

9. Asa Butterfield — Hugo Cabret in Hugo (2011)

10. Jason James Richter — Jesse in the Free Willy trilogy (1993-1997)

11. Ashley Tisdale — Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical movies (2006–2008)

12. Freddie Highmore — twins Jared and Simon Grace in The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

13. Elisabeth Shue — Ali Mills in The Karate Kid (1984)

14. Devon Sawa — human form of Casper McFadden in Casper (1995)

15. Taylor Lautner — Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga films (2008–2012)

16. Ryan Phillippe — Barry William Cox in I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

17. Chad Michael Murray — Austin Ames in A Cinderella Story (2004)

18. Jennifer Garner — Jenna Rink in 13 Going on 30 (2004)

19. Alicia Silverstone — Cher Horowitz in Clueless (1995)

20. Thomas Brodie-Sangster — Simon in Nanny McPhee (2005)

21. Shawn Ashmore — Cadet Major Brad Rigby in Cadet Kelly (2002)

Show business is an industry where it’s legal for a child to work. It’s also an industry where a child can be as professional as an adult. We investigated what a child actor’s reality is really like behind the scenes. You can read 10 facts about working with child actors in this article.