Ever wondered what happened to the child actors that starred in memorable movies?   People might say that Hollywood is bad for kids (Lindsay Lohan is the best example), but the list below shows that not all of them turn out to be failures.  Some actors have become more successful as they got older while some left the entertainment scene and lived regular lives.  Let’s take a look:

Samara from 2002’s, The Ring, was played by then 12 year old Daveigh Chase.  Her next movie will be “Yellow” starring Ben Foster and Siena Miller and scheduled for release in 2012.  She can be currently seen on HBO’s “Big Love” which airs its fifth and final season this year. 

 

Chauncey Leopardi was “Squints” in the beloved baseball movie, Sandlot.  In one of the funniest and rewarding scenes, Squints, jumps into the deep end of the pool even though he doesn’t know how to swim.  He does it so his dream girl can save him.  Leopardi was last seen in Sandlot 3, released in 2007.  He has also appeared  in the tv show Gilmore Girls.

 

The adorable kid from Jerry Maguire is now 20 years old.  Jonathan Lipnicki has avoided the limelight and focused his career on independent films and small roles on tv shows.  He is currently raising funds for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

 

Taylor Momsen starred as Cindy Lou Who with Jim Carrey in “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.”  In 2008, Momsen began modeling and chosen as the face of Madonna’s fashion line, “Material Girl.”   Besides modeling, she started her own band in 2009, The Pretty Reckless.  The band has been a semi hit in Europe.  She can be currently seen on the tv show, Gossip Girl.

 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt starred as an orphan in Disney’s “Angels In The Outfield”.  He followed it up with a major role in the comedy show “3rd Rock From the Sun.”  After that ended, Gordon-Levitt went back to the big screen and received critical praise for his roles in cult classics such as Mysterious Skin and Brick.  He was last seen in 2010’s  blockbuster,  “Inception.”  Due to his acting skills and the projects he chooses,  Gordon-Levitt has the biggest chance of becoming a household name on this list.

 

Haley Joel Osment was first seen in Forrest Gump as Tom Hanks kid in 1994.  His next big role was in the Sixth Sense opposite Bruce Willis.  Osment became an avid golfer and picked for the 2005 All Star Cup team.  He was involved in a single car accident a year later and pleaded guilty to DUI.  Osment graduated from Tisch School Of The Arts in 2010.  He is currently involved in video games doing voicework including the upcoming, Kingdom Hearts Re: Coded scheduled to be released this year.

 

Alexa Vega is best known for her role as Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids trilogy.  In 2009, she released her band’s album, Ruby & The Rockets.  She married Napoleon Dynamite producer, Sean Covel in 2010.  She is currently filming the fourth installment of Spy Kids.

 

 

Jason James Richter, the kid from Free Willy, is a musician now.  He didn’t get many roles after the Free Willy trilogy (with the third going straight to video).  Today, besides being the bassist for the band, “Fermanta“, he was also the assistant director for the martial arts flick, “Tekken.”

 

Brittany Ashton Holmes played Darla in “Little Rascals.”  She has been out of the spotlight and hasn’t made a movie in 14 years.  On her last status for her Myspace account, which was made 3 years ago, she said she was a waitress at Starbucks.  The account has since been deleted.

 

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