Top 10 Child Stars Who Didn't Go Bad

Former child stars who never ended up on drugs or overdosed.

The Top Ten
  1. Jackie Evancho

    Jacqueline Marie "Jackie" Evancho is an American classical crossover singer who gained wide recognition at an early age. Since 2009, she has issued an EP and eight albums, including a platinum and gold album, and three Billboard 200 top 10 debuts. Evancho's latest album, The Debut, was her eighth consecutive... read more

    Jackie Evancho is a great example of having a career based on actual talent and not scandal. She shows that you can be successful in show business without leaving a trail of rubble in your wake.

    Didn't go bad is an understatement. Jackie serves as a model for how a child star can mature successfully.

    One of the most gracious and sincerely humble personalities to ever walk the stage.

  2. Grace VanderWaal

    Grace Avery VanderWaal is an American singer-songwriter from Suffern, New York. She won the eleventh season of "America's Got Talent" in 2016 at the age of 12, performing her original songs. Her debut EP, "Perfectly Imperfect," was released in 2016, followed by her full-length album "Just the Beginning... read more

    Some will say that she hasn't been around long enough to go "bad" yet, but I have high hopes and faith that she will be an icon of positive influence for generations to come.

    I feel like Grace will stay perfect forever. At least I hope she will, because she's great.

    This girl has a strong family, and for that reason alone, she'll never go bad.

  3. Shirley Temple

    Shirley Temple Black (April 23, 1928 - February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, businesswoman, and diplomat who was Hollywood's number one box-office draw as a child actress from 1935 to 1938. As an adult, she was named United States ambassador to Ghana and to Czechoslovakia and also... read more

    Aged 5 when acting.

  4. Ron Howard

    Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American filmmaker and actor whose career spans more than six decades. He first gained prominence as a child actor, appearing in an episode of The Twilight Zone and later earning national attention as Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show from 1960 to... read more

    From Opie to well-known director.

    My boy Richie.

  5. Daniel Radcliffe

    Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born July 23, 1989) is an English actor. He rose to prominence portraying the title character in the Harry Potter film series (2001-2011).

    Since then, he has taken on a variety of roles in stage, film, and television, including The Woman in Black, Swiss Army Man, Kill Your... read more

  6. Jodie Foster

    Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, director, and producer who has worked in both film and television. She has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. Foster began her career as a child and is often regarded as one of the finest actresses... read more

  7. Hilary Duff

    Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987, in Houston, Texas) is an American actress, singer, and author. She began her acting career as a child and became widely known for her starring role in the television series Lizzie McGuire. Duff also appeared in several films, including Cheaper by the Dozen... read more

    Aged 12 when acting.

  8. Jennifer Lawrence

    Jennifer Shrader Lawrence is an American actress. She began her career in television with a starring role on the TBS sitcom The Bill Engvall Show.

    She's known for her performances in the X-Men film series, The Hunger Games franchise, Silver Linings Playbook (for which she won the Academy Award... read more

  9. Reese Witherspoon

    Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon, known professionally as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and producer. She is well known for starring in Cruel Intentions, Election, Legally Blonde, Walk the Line, and Wild. Witherspoon won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as June Carter Cash in... read more

  10. Jerry Mathers

  11. The Newcomers
  12. ?

    Selena Gomez

    Selena Marie Gomez is an American actress and singer. She's best known for her hit songs "Come & Get It," "Good for You," "Same Old Love," and "It Ain't Me," as well as her starring role as Alex Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place. While described as a mezzo-soprano with a vocal range often in the alto... read more

  13. ?

    Tom Felton

    Thomas Andrew Felton (born 22 September 1987) is an English actor. Born in Surrey, Felton began appearing in commercials and made his screen debut as Peagreen Clock in The Borrowers (1997). He then portrayed Louis T. Leonowens in Anna and the King (1999) before being cast as Draco Malfoy in the film... read more

  14. The Contenders
  15. Freddie Highmore

    Alfred Thomas "Freddie" Highmore is an English actor known for both film and television roles. He made his acting debut in the 1999 film Women Talking Dirty and gained wider recognition for his roles in Finding Neverland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He currently stars as Dr. Shaun Murphy in... read more

  16. Emma Watson

    Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson is a British actress, model, and activist. Born in Paris and brought up in Oxfordshire, Watson attended the Dragon School as a child and trained as an actress at the Oxford branch of Stagecoach Theatre Arts.... read more

    She deserves to be number 1.

  17. AJ Michalka

    Amanda Joy "AJ" Michalka, often credited as simply AJ, is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. She is known for being part of the musical duo Aly & AJ with her sister Aly Michalka. AJ has also appeared in films and television series, including The Goldbergs and its spin-off Schooled... read more

    She didn't do drugs or behave like Miley Cyrus. I like AJ.

    Aged 11 when acting.

  18. Raven-Symoné

    Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman, sometimes credited as Raven, is an American actress, singer, songwriter, television personality, and producer. She gained prominence as a child actress on The Cosby Show and later starred in the Disney Channel series That's So Raven. Raven-Symoné has also co-hosted the... read more

  19. Hayley Mills

    Aged 6 when acting.

  20. Shailene Woodley

    Shailene Diann Woodley is an American actress. She gained widespread recognition for her role as Amy Juergens in the ABC Family television series The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She has since appeared in critically acclaimed films such as The Spectacular Now, The Fault in Our Stars, the Divergent... read more

  21. Peyton List

    Peyton Roi List is an American actress and model best known for her roles in family-friendly television and film. She portrayed Emma Ross in the Disney Channel series Jessie and reprised the role in the spin-off Bunk'd. List also played Holly Hills in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series.

  22. Asa Butterfield

    Asa Maxwell Thornton Farr Butterfield is an English actor. He began his acting career at the age of 9 with roles in the television drama After Thomas and the comedy film Son of Rambow. Butterfield later gained recognition for starring in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and Sex Education.

  23. Kate Maberly

  24. Victoria Justice

    Victoria Dawn Justice is an American actress and singer. She debuted as an actress at the age of ten and has since appeared in several films and television series, including the Nickelodeon series Zoey 101 and Victorious. She has also released music as a solo artist and participated in the 2020 reboot... read more

  25. Freddie Bartholomew

  26. Margaret O'Brien

  27. Chloe Grace Moretz

    Chloë Grace Moretz is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2004 at the age of seven, and received her first award nomination in 2005 for her role in The Amityville Horror.

    Moretz is best known for her performances in The Poker House, 500 Days of Summer, Diary of a Wimpy... read more

  28. Evanna Lynch

    Evanna Patricia Lynch is an Irish actress and model. She rose to prominence for her portrayal of Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter film series, appearing in four films. Lynch also voiced the character in several tie-in video games and has remained involved in fan events and activism related to the series... read more

  29. Skai Jackson

    Skai Jackson is an American actress. She's best known for portraying Zuri Ross on the Disney Channel sitcom Jessie (2011 to 2015). After Jessie, she starred in the Disney Channel spinoff Bunk'd as Zuri Ross.

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