Top 10 Young Performances in a Movie

Best acting performance in a movie by an actor 19 years old or younger.
The Top Ten
1 Jackie Evancho - The Company You Keep

Robert Redford saw Jackie's PBS Great Performances "Dream With Me - In Concert" on television in his Vancouver hotel room while on location for "The Company You Keep". He had auditioned many others to play his daughter, but hadn't found the right one. He made inquiries, had Jackie submit an audition tape, then flew her out to Vancouver. He cast her when he met her.

Really just a supporting role as Robert Redford's 11-year old daughter, but her character is Redford's main motivation throughout the entire movie, so it was vital that she was sympathetic and totally believable.

Jackie Evancho was in Canada 4 days after Robert Redford 1st saw her on his hotel room T.V.. He described her as a "golden haired angel" who suddenly appeared on the screen. This is her 1st major acting role that has to be experienced to be fully appreciated. She became her character, "Izzy", on screen.

2 Dakota Blue Richards - The Golden Compass

A bright up & coming actress who, later in her career, appeared in 2 series of the British teen drama Skins.

3 George Mackay - Sunshine on Leith
4 Haley Joel Osment - The Sixth Sense

How did he not win an oscar for his performance is beyond me. His performance made that movie the the hit it was.

I beleive he was the main attraction for this movie. After all, he sees dead people...

Jackie Evancho number 1 on a movie list? We have reached a whole new level of stupid!

5 Jamie Bell - Billy Elliot
6 Seann William Scott - American Pie
7 Keisha Castle-Hughes - Whale Rider
8 Josh Hutcherson - Bridge to Terabithia

Josh Hustcherson is a flawless actor. He did a wonderful job in this movie. he was eleven or tewlve years old in this movie! That is amazing.

He did great here but I still don't like him as Peeta in The Hunger Games...
BTT was a great movie and book I almost cried in the book, too.

9 Mia Wasikowska - Defiance

This Australian starlet is definitely on the rise for the last few years now. To many people it started with Tim Burton's Alice, but what really kicked off her Hollywood career was this Daniel Craig fronted war film set in occupied Poland.

10 Mary Badham - To Kill a Mockingbird
The Contenders
11 Will Poulter - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

He steals the movie.

12 Will Poulter - Son of Rambow
13 Kevin Guthrie - Sunshine on Leith
14 Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
15 Dakota Fanning - War of the Worlds

Her entire performance consists of screaming endlessly.

16 Suraj Sharma - Life of Pi

He has got an Awe.. HE LIVED AS PI! Not everyone proves to be an actor, well a so good actor in their debut performance. This movie changed his life, I guess. Expecting many more good movies from him. Salutes for SURAJ

17 Jack O' Connell - Starred Up

A Skins alumni like Dakota Blue Richards, Jack O'Connell is all the rage in Hollywood right now.

18 Christopher Mintz Plasse - Superbad
19 Natalie Portman - Léon: The Professional
20 Henry Thomas - E.T.
21 Margaret O'Brien - Meet Me in St. Louis
22 Freya Mavor - Sunshine on Leith
23 Noah Ringer - Cowboys & Aliens

Noah was also Aang in The Last Airbender, even though that movie is thought of as a bit naff, Noah still has potential.

24 Shia LaBeouf - Holes

The acting was very impressive especially for his first movie. They say Transformers was Shia's best movie, but really, I thought this was his best.

I'm surpirised he barely got any recognition for this movie. His performance as Stanley Yelnats was awesome!

Shia LaBeouf is a natural performer

25 Virginia Weidler - The Philadelphia Story
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