Top Ten Child Actors of All Time

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

Such a beautiful, inspirational person. She cheered the lives of millions during the Great Depression. Everyone loved Shirley Temple, even President Franklin Roosevelt, who said at the height of Shirley's fame: "As long as our country has Shirley Temple, we will be alright."
She was adorable and even today makes people smile. She was one of the child stars who didn't live a self-destructive life after her time as a child star. Instead, she led another successful career as an ambassador for the rest of her life.
Not only is she easily the most famous child actor of all time, but one of the most well-known actresses of the early twentieth century. She was number one as the world's biggest actor for four years, from 1935 through 1938. Such an inspiration to many. There'll never be anyone like her again.

Dakota Fanning

Hannah Dakota Fanning is an American actress and model. She gained early recognition for her performance in the 2001 film I Am Sam, which earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination in 2002 at the age of eight. This made her the youngest nominee in the history of the awards.... read more

She is the best! She's brilliant in every movie I have seen her in.

Absolutely beautiful young lady and is compelling in every scene and movie. Her acting skill should warrant a paycheck as big as or equal to most major A-list adults.

Beautiful, sweet, and very talented young actress. I'm a fan!

Macaulay Culkin

Macaulay Carson Culkin is an American actor, author, painter, podcaster, musician, and president of Bunny Ears. He became famous as a child actor for his role as Kevin McCallister in the family comedy Home Alone, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor, Motion Picture Musical... read more

Fine, sure, Home Alone is great. I love it. Watch that and The Good Son. He was great back in the day. Both of those performances are phenomenal and combined, they show how great of an actor Culkin actually is.

Culkin is the best and most natural of all time. His skill alone tramples everyone else, never using cue cards and just memorizing lines.

No one can touch Culkin. He is the best ever and Fanning is nowhere near him. Admit it. He is number one. The whole world knows it.

Mickey Rooney

Mickey Rooney (born Ninnian Joseph Yule Jr.. September 23, 1920 - April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nearly nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the silent-film era. He was the top box-office attraction in the United States... read more

Who else could it be? The only ones I can think of who are in that class are Sammy Davis Jr. and Judy Garland. All were just magical!

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

Daniel Radcliffe was such an adorable child actor. Having succeeded with Harry Potter on his shoulders is an achievement. With his portrayal, Harry Potter for me became the cutest movie character ever.

He is a great actor. He is very focused on his acting career. That made him who he is today.

If he didn't play Potter, it wouldn't be my favorite series of movies.

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

Grace and beauty combined with acting skill. You can't help but love every part she plays.

Favorite actor/actress of all time.

She's epic, not just good, but brilliant. Her being in fourth place is obvious but again potentially problematic.

Millie Bobby Brown

Millie Bobby Brown is an English actress and model. She is known for her breakout role as Jane "Eleven" Ives in the Netflix science fiction drama series Stranger Things. Brown has also starred in films such as Enola Holmes and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

Acting emotions like sorrow, misery, and abandonment, while at the same time carrying a romantic weight, is hard enough for adults. But for a child to do this in such a believable way is simply overwhelming. Millie Bobby Brown steals the show as Eleven, both figuratively and literally.
From Eleven's flashbacks when she kills some henchmen (awesome, by the way) and then passes out in Papa's arms, to that climactic moment in Mileven's innocent and short romance, Brown acts in a fantastical way. Most certainly, Brown's role as the one girl who could make fans want to shave their heads and binge-eat Eggos will go down in history as one of the best performances by a child ever recorded.

Judy Garland

Judy Garland, born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, was an American singer, actress, and vaudevillian. She rose to international fame with her performance as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and had a career spanning over four decades.... read more

I would have to put her and Shirley Temple tied at number one. She was a triple threat: great actress, singer, and dancer. She could do it all.

She honestly should be number one! She was in a class of her own!

Millie Bobby Brown above Judy is the definition of a joke.

Haley Joel Osment

Haley Joel Osment is an American actor. After a series of roles in television and film during the 1990s, including a small part in Forrest Gump as the title character's son, Osment rose to fame for his performance as a young unwilling medium in The Sixth Sense. His performance earned him an Academy Award... read more

The most attractive, cutest boy I've ever seen. His performance made me cry in A.I. (Artificial Intelligence). Adorable, amiably slanting blue eyes with a mouth like a charming red ring. I wish him all happiness in this life and the next.

There's not a bad movie he's been in. The good news is that, unlike other child actors, he's still making good movies.
Try watching Pay It Forward with a dry eye.

Pay It Forward is completely underrated and The Sixth Sense was perfect. Anyone who thinks there has been a better child actor is crazy.

Katy Kurtzman

I was not that familiar with Katie's work except for The New Adventures of Heidi. I just saw When Every Day Was the Fourth of July. I must say that Katie's performance in that film was as good as it gets!

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Jane Withers

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Jake Gyllenhaal

Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal (born December 19, 1980) is an American actor known for his performances in films such as Donnie Darko, Brokeback Mountain, Prisoners, and Nightcrawler. He is the son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner. Jake and his sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal,... read more

Rupert Grint

Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint is an English actor who became famous for playing Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter film series. Ron is one of the three main characters and Harry Potter's best friend. Grint's performance has been praised by fans and critics alike.

Very underrated. In my opinion, he's better than both Watson and Radcliffe (and Ron is better than Hermione and Harry).

David Copperfield and Harry Potter. That is a lot of main roles for a child. He is amazing!

His expressions in Harry Potter were priceless!

River Phoenix

River Jude Phoenix, born River Jude Bottom (August 23, 1970 - October 31, 1993), was an American actor, musician, and activist. He was the older brother of Rain Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, Liberty Phoenix, and Summer Phoenix. Phoenix earned critical acclaim for his performances in films such as Stand by... read more

I cannot believe people like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen or Frankie Muniz are on this list. I understand that sadly much of the world has forgotten River, but just check out some of his work - Stand by Me or Running on Empty perhaps - and you will see what I mean. These guys don't stand a chance against the actor he was. Read up on him too. He's the most inspiring person in the whole world.

One of the best actors I've ever seen. His best three performances are Stand by Me, Running on Empty, and My Own Private Idaho. I cannot believe he didn't receive an Oscar nod for Stand by Me.
There was no one quite like River. His brother Joaquin is pretty damn good too.
R.I.P. River!

Cole and Dylan Sprouse

For me, I think Cole is more talented. He was the one that really moved on in acting, while Dylan just stayed a kid actor.

I love The Suite Life of Zack and Cody! I mean, they were so cute! They still are.

Big Daddy, Friends, and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

Corey Haim

Corey Haim was born on December 23, 1971, in Toronto, Ontario. He grew up in the Toronto suburbs of Thornhill and Willowdale and attended several schools including Pineway Public School, Baythorn Public School, Royal Orchard Public School, German Mills Public School, and Zion Heights Junior High School.... read more

Love Lost Boys and Silver Bullet. Too bad he died in 2010.

Corey Feldman

Corey Scott Feldman is an American actor and singer. He rose to prominence during the 1980s with roles in films such as The Fox and the Hound, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, The Goonies, Stand by Me, The Lost Boys, Gremlins, and The 'Burbs. Feldman was a prominent figure among the young actors of... read more

The Fox and the Hound, The Goonies, Stand by Me (coolest movie ever), and much more!

Gaten Matarazzo

He is my favorite actor on Stranger Things and an amazing person in real life!

Jack Gore

Bobby Driscoll

I saw The Window and he was excellent in it!

Marsai Martin

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

Freddie Highmore. No one knows his name, but they know his work.
Everyone knows him:
-Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
-Five Children and It
-The Spiderwick Chronicles
-Arthur and the Minimoys trilogy
-August Rush
and now his new movie, The Art of Getting By, with Emma Roberts!
He's awesome and lovable, too!

Wow. I love this guy. My 2nd favorite after Macaulay Culkin. Love his movies.

I love Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I love Spiderwick.

Jake Short

Jake Short (born May 30, 1997, in Indiana) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Fletcher Quimby in the Disney Channel comedy series A.N.T. Farm. He also starred as Oliver in the Disney XD original series Mighty Med and its spinoff Lab Rats: Elite Force.

Tony Sampson

AnnaSophia Robb

AnnaSophia Robb is an American actress and model. She has starred in films such as Because of Winn-Dixie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Bridge to Terabithia, Race to Witch Mountain, Soul Surfer, and The Way, Way Back. In addition to her film roles, she has appeared in television series like The... read more

Bridge to Terabithia and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Great movies, if you haven't seen them. Both, obviously, had AnnaSophia Robb.

Bridge to Terabithia and The Reaping.

Jacob Tremblay

NO. I don't accept this. He cannot be lower than Peyton List. He is incredible! Such a moving performance in Room, and you can tell that he will be successful if he keeps up with his acting!

He did great in Room. If he carries on, one day he'll be a great actor.

He is such an amazing actor! The talent he had to have when he portrayed Auggie in Wonder.

Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen

All their TV shows and books were way cooler than any other teen entertainment things.

Amazing performers. They have pure talent. They were the most famous kids of their time. They made Full House the show it is.

Two of a Kind plus heaps more.