Nicki Swift Asks: Who Is Your Favorite Former Child Actor? - Exclusive Survey
The journey of an actor, especially when they start out young, can be a lot to handle. A person can be living their normal life one day and instantly become famous the next day. Madelyn Cline starred in Chuck E. Cheese advertisements as a child, and she landed a couple of guest star roles in "Stranger Things" and "The Originals." But her fame skyrocketed after she was cast in "Outer Banks."
For Miley Cyrus, she struggled to find herself outside of Hannah Montana. "There's so much I don't remember about being a child entertainer because it was so much to keep in my brain," the "Malibu" singer told Harper's Bazaar in 2017. "It's like anything when you are in it. I didn't realize how much pressure I was under and how that shaped me until, like, this year."
Meanwhile, Sasha Pieterse allegedly lied about her actual age in order to land a role in "Pretty Little Liars." The show's creator Marlene King told Variety that she almost cast the young actor as Hanna — a role later given to Ashley Benson — until Pieterse's age was revealed. "We found out she was only 12 years old," King said. "I knew what Hanna was going to do and I was like, 'Do we really want a 12-year-old doing those things?'" There are many Hollywood celebrities who have been acting since they were children, so who is the favorite among Nicki Swift readers?
Drew Barrymore is the fan favorite former child actor
Out of the 582 Nicki Swift readers who took our survey, Drew Barrymore has been crowned as the favorite former child actor with 181 votes. Her resilience and strength stood out to people, making her a fan favorite. Barrymore was only seven years old when she starred in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," per Us Weekly. She then got into alcohol and drugs, and legally separated from her parents at the age of 15. "I came out of there a more respecting person," she told The Guardian.
Neil Patrick Harris earned himself the runner-up spot with 127 votes. His love and appreciation for all of his roles is why people love him. The "How I Met Your Mother" actor started his career at 14 years old, soon starring in "Doogie Howser." In an interview with "Vogue," Harris was asked if he had any advice for child actors. "Prepare yourself for a fair amount of rejection, and work to work, and not to be famous," he answered.
And finally, Natalie Portman worked her way into the top three favorite former child actors, receiving 107 votes. Portman started acting at age 11, landing her first role at age 12, and similar to Scarlett Johansson, the "Black Swan" actor has spoken about being sexualized in the industry. "It's complicated to have your own private development and maturation alongside that [pressure] as a person, kind of having these double identities," she told People.