So many of us grew up with child stars in the ’80s. They more or less had our dream job — they got to be funny, cute, and earn a good chunk of change in the process. Unfortunately, being a child star is a lot more difficult than many of us assumed. Just because they already had a job doesn’t mean they were exempt from school, or that their lives were easy just because they had money.
A lot of child stars went on to do other things. In fact, many of them seemed to give up the spotlight. But, especially thanks to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, they’ll always be remembered for the work they contributed early on. Some ’80s child actors are even gaining new fans as younger audiences discover their earlier work on said streaming platforms. It has to be strange knowing that even if you’ve been out of the business for 20 years, there are still people just discovering you and trying to figure out what you’ve been up to.
Some of these ’80s child actors had a hard time, especially as they got older. It’s a crazy amount of pressure on their shoulders to keep up the same visible level in their career that they established back when they were kids. Other times, they manage to get through everything unscathed, and impressively continue to score roles as adults.
No matter what, the work they’ve done is legendary.
They were just kids taking on the same type of jobs that plenty of adults wouldn’t be able to handle, and many of them did it with dignity and grace. Here are 16 of the best ’80s child actors and what they’ve been up to since their little and big screen debuts.
1. Soleil Moon Frye
Who’s ready for some more Punky Brewster?
2. Lisa Bonet
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You probably know Lisa Bonet best as Denise Huxtable.
Bonet acted on The Cosby Show between 1984 and 1992. In that time, she also gave birth to actress and model Zoë Kravitz. So, you could say that Bonet has a lot of things to be proud of in her life. You’ve likely seen her back in 2016 when she played Marisol Campos in the show Ray Donovan.
3. Jodie Sweetin
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Not many people get a chance to relive their character from the ’80s.
But, Jodie Sweetin did. Even though Fuller House was canceled after season five, it was interesting to see what happened to Stephanie Tanner (and the other ’80s child actors) as an adult.
Sweetin had a rough few years after Full House ended, but seems to be on a much healthier path.
The fact that she’s still close to the Tanner family in real life is also pretty amazing.
4. Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen
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On the topic of Full House, it’d be a shame not to mention the Olsen twins.
Born on June 13, 1986, they were literally babies when Full House started up in 1987. The twins quickly created their own empire and became much more than ’80s child actors.
Even though they’ve both seemed to give up acting to pursue (and succeed in) fashion, they’ve pretty much achieved everything that a child star could hope for.
It’s all pretty wild, considering they had no idea how big they would come when the first episode of Full House aired.
5. Gary Coleman
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Gary Coleman’s story is a bit sadder.
Coleman starred on Diff’rent Strokes as Arnold Jackson back in the late ’70s and most of the ’80s. He reportedly had kidney issues that stunted his growth, making him shorter than most of the other celebrities at 4’8″.
He had his first kidney transplant at the age of five, and his health needed to be monitored throughout his life.
Coleman sadly passed away in 2010 at the age of 42.
6. Corey Feldman
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Unlike the ’80s child actors already mentioned, Corey Feldman was known more for his films.
Feldman happened to be cast in some of the biggest ’80s movies, like Gremlins, Stand By Me, and The Goonies. He’s still working, notably as a voice actor in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series as Slash.
You might not know this, but he’s also got a pretty lucrative music career, and he’s released multiple albums.
He has also been very vocal about alleged instances of child abuse in Hollywood.
7. River Phoenix
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When talking about ’80s child stars who had so much potential, River Phoenix always makes the list.
Phoenix got his big break in the 1982 series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. He also starred in Stand By Me alongside Corey Feldman. Unfortunately, before his career could really blossom, Phoenix died of an accidental drug overdose outside of The Viper Room on Halloween in 1993.
He was only 23, and his fans were devastated.
He is survived by his brother, actor Joaquin Phoenix.
8. Fred Savage
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Can you imagine what The Wonder Years would have been like without Fred Savage?
The first episode of the popular ABC show aired in January 1988. The show went on for six seasons and ultimately called it quits with a two-part finale in 1993. Savage still acts, but he’s also known these days as a director, working on shows like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Modern Family.
9. Gaby Hoffmann
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Gaby Hoffmann’s first acting credit was in Field of Dreams back in 1989.
10. Jenny Lewis
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You might have forgotten, but this rock goddess got her start as a child actor.
11. Sean Astin
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