Child Stars Who Defied The Odds

We've heard the tragic stories of child actors who were thrust into the spotlight, overwhelmed by the pressures of fame that come with the very adult profession of entertainment. Actors like Dana Plato, Macauley Culkin, and Amanda Bynes, all seemed to fall into a downward spiral, almost rebelling against the attention. And the devastating losses of child actors like River Phoenix, Lee Thompson Young, and Sawyer Sweeten who never got to see their full potential because they died much too young. This is nothing new for Hollywood. From 1966 to 1971, Anissa Jones played Buffy on the hit show "Family Affair." According to Outsider, within six months of turning 18 and gaining access to the money she earned, Jones died of an overdose, a mix of cocaine, PCP, quaaludes, and Seconal.

Of course some child actors simply walk away from the profession, choose another life — like Jonathon Taylor Thomas who left "Home Improvement" to pursue his education and never returned — while others seem to be less in demand when they transition from the adorable kid to someone Hollywood might deem less attractive to audiences. Sometimes the opposite is true, as in the case of Jeff Cohen of "The Goonies," who claims he stopped being cast when he grew "from Chunk to hunk" (via Daily Mail).

And yet, there are individuals who successfully navigate not only the difficulty of being a child in the entertainment business but the transition to adult actor. So, let's take a look at some of Hollywood's biggest stars who defied those odds.

If ever there was a child actor who seemed as if they were headed for tragedy, it was Drew Barrymore. In reality, Barrymore had some of those tragedies throughout her life, but her humility — despite being Hollywood royalty — and positive attitude likely had something to do with her perseverance. The actor, who first appeared onscreen as a baby in a commercial, went on to star in one of the most iconic movies in history: "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial." At the age of eight, Barrymore attended the Oscars, and by 10, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for "Irreconcilable Differences."

Sadly, Barrymore ended up in rehab by age 13, and was emancipated the following year. As she revealed on "The Howard Stern Show" in 2019, "This was, you know, school of hard knocks in the most severe way," she said emphatically, adding, "There was no way I was gonna be me without that year and a half." Barrymore likened it to boot camp after having so much freedom, when she partied among adults in clubs. Tearfully, Barrymore told Stern, "I left there the most humble person you could ever imagine."

From there, Barrymore thrived, and Hollywood welcomed her back with open arms. In 2020, with more than 40 years of credits under her belt, Barrymore got her own talk show and was nominated for a daytime Emmy.

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In 1991, an 11-year-old Jake Gyllenhaal appeared alongside Billy Crystal in "City Slickers." The son of a producer/screenwriter and director, Jake seemed destined for the industry. Despite that, Gyllenhaal's parents wanted their kids to have as normal a childhood as possible, and that foundation likely set him on the right path. In 1992, he was selected for the movie "The Mighty Ducks" but his parents wouldn't let him accept the role. While on "The Howard Stern Show" in 2015, the actor recalled, "I definitely remember crying on the kitchen counter." At the time, his parents wanted him to focus on his education.

After becoming an adult, Gyllenhaal garnered roles in movies like "Donnie Darko," before landing the role of a lifetime in "Brokeback Mountain." Not only did he win an Oscar, he had the opportunity to work with a friend — the late Heath Ledger.

After more than 30 years of acting, Gyllenhaal spoke to Variety magazine in 2022 about "Brokeback Mountain" and his acting journey. "I turned to acting and performance and expression, self-expression, to understand things about myself," he shared. "The act of expression is healing." Listening to Gyllenhaal reminisce about the movies he's done reveals how thoughtful he's been in his choices. "There are these great moments of the size that a movie can be, like the grand nature of making movies that is just so beautiful," he said.

In 1984, five-year-old Keshia Knight Pulliam stole the hearts of Americans as Rudy Huxtable on the hit TV show, "The Cosby Show." In 1986, she became the youngest actor to be nominated for an Emmy for her supporting role on the show. After "The Cosby Show" ended, there was a significant gap in her acting credits as she was attending Spelman College to get her bachelor's degree in Sociology. Throughout the 2000s, Knight Pulliam was steadily working, including scoring a role in 2005's "Beauty Shop" starring Queen Latifah. Shortly after, she was selected for a role on Tyler Perry's "House of Payne," which she would hold until 2022.

Aside from acting, Knight Pulliam seems passionate about whatever she does — and apparently, she's very competitive as well. She's participated in quite a few reality shows including "The Mole," "The Apprentice," and "Fear Factor," which she won in 2015. In 2010, the actor established a nonprofit for kids called Kamp Kizzy. According to their site, the organization aims to "bring youth together to learn from each other and to challenge one another to dream big, think big and accomplish big."

As she shared with Windy City Live in 2021, Knight Pulliam is grateful for the experiences she's had during her career. "The beauty of it is, is that I have had the pleasure of being in so many people's homes and families for so many decades, so I'm grateful."

From the moment Dakota Fanning stepped on screen in 2000 as a patient on the hit TV show "E.R.," it was clear there was something special about her. And in about the span of a year, she appeared in almost a dozen other shows before landing the coveted role in "I Am Sam" opposite Sean Penn. It wasn't long before this young actor was appearing in hit films along with A-list actors like Tom Cruise, Robert De Nero, and Denzel Washington. Even her interviews to promote her movies showed a sweet bubbly child who had an uncharacteristic maturity about her. 

In 2005, when Tom Cruise was interviewed on "Oprah" and Fanning came on the monitor for a remote interview, he was hanging on her every word. Cruise seemed touched when she thanked him, saying, "You made me a better actress. I'll never forget my memories with you." Afterward, Cruise said, "She's lovely ... I just want to protect her." He also said he told Fanning, "I don't care how old you are, you're a great actress."

In 2018 Fanning spoke with Variety, about growing up in Hollywood. "Looking back, I literally can't imagine having any other life or doing anything else other than being an actor. It's become a part of who I feel I am," she said. On staying grounded, she shared, "My mom managed to give me a very table, grounded life, and she went with me everywhere. She was always with me."

Brooke Shields has been in the public eye virtually all her life, starting as a child model and moving into acting around age 10. Some of the projects her mother, Teri Shields, allowed her to take drew criticism over the years, including some nude photos she did for Playboy at age 10, per The Guardian. If that's not all, she also let Brooke snag a role as a pre-teen sex worker in 1978's "Pretty Baby," and then later, a suggestive Calvin Klein ad in 1980. Once she became an adult, Shields continued to act steadily, including getting her own series in 1996, "Suddenly Susan," for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe two years in a row.

In 2021, the actor discussed the Calvin Klein ad with Today, saying she didn't realize at the time that her line, "You want to know what comes in between me and my Calvins? Nothing." was sexually suggestive. What it did, though, was practically make Shields and Calvin Klein household names. And despite the public scrutiny of her mother, Brooke says Teri was protective of her. She told Newsweek in 2022, "She was so protective of me that I did maintain a certain naïveté, which allowed me to find joy in the actual work." In her 2014 memoir, "There Was A Little Girl" Shields shared that the entertainment business is what has kept her sane all these years (via The Guardian).

Though Alfonso Ribeiro has been a working actor for more than 40 years, long-time fans of his will probably remember him most for two things: his iconic Pepsi commercial in 1984 where he dances with Michael Jackson, and for creating "The Carlton," a dance move he originated on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Even some 30 years later, Ribeiro said on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 2022, "I typically get asked to do the dance pretty much every day of my life if I go outside." But Ribeiro actually started acting on stage before age 10, and in 1983 he starred on Broadway in "The Tap Dance Kid." Not long after, he landed on the show "Silver Spoons" with fellow child star Ricky Schroder.

While Ribeiro's career mostly focused on TV shows, the actor is also making a name for himself as a host. In 2015 he took over hosting duties on "America's Funniest Home Videos," and after winning the Mirror Ball Trophy on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2014, Ribeiro returned in 2022 to co-host the show with Tyra Banks — while continuing his "AFV" gig.

For his personal life, the actor has no trouble leaving the glitz and glamor for a good-old-fashion RV camping trip with his family. He told "Good Morning America" in a remote interview at his New England campsite, "Every year we kinda decide where we want to go."

11-year-old Jerry O'Connell went from a Duncan Hines cookies commercial to starring in an Oscar-nominated film that helped launch the careers of Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, and Corey Feldman — "Stand by Me." After that, O'Connell would move to television, garnering a handful of guest spots before getting his own show in 1989, "My Secret Identity." The young actor seemed to transition well into adult roles and continued to work on projects for both the small and big screen. In 2002, he had a five-year stint on "Crossing Jordan" and shortly after the last episode aired, O'Connell married actor and former model, Rebecca Romijn.

More recently, O'Donnell voiced the character of Commander Jack Ransom in "Star Trek: Lower Decks." And after several years of being a guest co-host on "The Talk," the show finally made it official in 2021, per Deadline, and signed him as a permanent co-host, following the firing of Sharon Osbourne.

Looking back, O'Connell feels good about his experience, especially that first movie — even though he admits as a young adult he hated being referred to as "the fat kid [from] 'Stand By Me,'" as he shared in a Paramount Plus interview. The actor also shared that early on, he didn't take his acting career seriously, and had no pressure from his parents except for him finishing college — which he did. "I'm really fortunate to have my parents," he added.