Alan Kim
It's safe to say that 8-year-old Alan Kim won over audiences with his adorable performance in Minari, which is up for six awards at the 2021 Oscars. However, he's continued to steal our hearts throughout awards season. Case in point: Alan got adorably emotional as he accepted his Critics Choice Award for Best Young Actor.
As for what's next for the child star? He'll be starring opposite Eighth Grade star Elsie Fisher in Latchkey Kids.
Roman Griffin Davis
Audiences couldn't get enough of Roman Griffin Davis as the titular character in Taika Waititi's 2019 Oscar-winning film, Jojo Rabbit. On-screen, Roman played a 10-year-old Hitler Youth member who began questioning his beliefs after he discovered that his mother was hiding a Jewish girl in their home. Off-screen, Roman proved to be charming and sweet-natured as he participated in fun games for press tours, red carpets and more.
Following the success of JoJo Rabbit, Roman will star in Silent Night.
Archie Yates
Another adorable Jojo Rabbit child star!
Archie Yates' portrayal of Jojo's best friend Yorki was totally heartwarming and fans couldn't get enough of him on the red carpet. Thankfully, Archie, now 12, isn't going anywhere as he's been named the lead of Disney+'s Home Alone reboot.
Jacob Tremblay
Moviegoers were blown away by 7-year-old Jacob Tremblay's performance in Room. So much so, the youngster won the Best Young Performer award at the 2016 Critics' Choice Movie Awards.
Jacob, 14, continued to win over hearts with his adorable appearances on red carpets alongside his Oscar-winning co-star Brie Larson. Following his critically-acclaimed performance in Room, Jacob starred in Wonder, Good Boys, Doctor Sleep and several other projects. You'll see him next in Disney's The Little Mermaid as Flounder.
Quvenzhané Wallis
In 2012, Quvenzhané Wallis impressed moviegoers with her portrayal of Hushpuppy in the drama film Beasts of the Southern Wild. In fact, her performance was so impressive she landed a Best Actress nomination at just 9 years old. This nomination made her the youngest actress ever to be nominated and was the first performer born in the 21st century to be nominated for an acting Academy Award.
So, what has Quvenzhané been up to these days? Not only did the now 17-year-old play the titular character in the 2014 Annie film, but she also appeared in 12 Years a Slave, Fathers and Daughters, Trolls and more.
Hailee Steinfeld
Before she was a pop star and seasoned actress, Hailee Steinfeld was the impressive newcomer in 2010's True Grit. Cast at 13 to play Mattie Ross in the Western flick, Hailee went on to land an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
These days, Hailee, now 24, is churning out chart-topping hits like "Most Girls," "Love Myself" and "Starving" and starring in Apple TV+'s Dickinson. You may also recognize Hailee from her work in the Pitch Perfect franchise, The Edge of Seventeen and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Saoirse Ronan
While Saoirse Ronan seems to be an awards season staple at this point, with four Oscar nominations under her belt at 27, she was relatively unknown when she starred in 2007's Atonement. At 13, Saoirse's portrayal of Briony Tallis earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination, making her the seventh-youngest nominee in that specific category.
She has since gone on to be nominated in the Best Actress category for her work in Little Women, Lady Bird and Brooklyn. You may also recognized her from The Lovely Bones and Hanna.
Abigail Breslin
Although Abigail Breslin already had acting credits under her belt prior to her role in Little Miss Sunshine, the 2006 dark-comedy is certainly one of the most notable films on her resume. In fact, for her portrayal of Olive Hoover, Abigail, then 10, earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 79th Academy Awards.
Since then, Abigail, now 25, has starred in Definitely, Maybe, My Sister's Keeper, Zombieland, August: Osage County, Scream Queens and more.
Keisha Castle-Hughes
At 13, Keisha Castle-Hughes became the second youngest Best Actress nominee when she was nominated for her work in Whale Rider. Following this celebrated film role, Keisha, now 31, has gone on to star in The Nativity Story, Game of Thrones and, most recently, FBI: Most Wanted.
Freddie Highmore
Before he was The Good Doctor, Freddie Highmore was breaking all of our hearts in the Oscar-nominated film, Finding Neverland. Starring opposite Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, Freddie played the inspiration for J. M. Barrie's most famous character, Peter Pan.
Freddie's child actor career continued with leading roles in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, August Rush and The Spiderwick Chronicles. The British-born actor, 29, later made a splash as a young Norman Bates in the drama series, Bates Motel. He currently stars as Dr. Shaun Murphy in ABC's The Good Doctor.
Jonathan Lipnicki
Jonathan Lipnicki's film debut was certainly a memorable one. Starring opposite Tom Cruise and Renée Zellweger, Jonathan won over viewers with his sweet smile and even sweeter lisp in Jerry Maguire. While the film was nominated for five Academy Awards, it was 6-year-old Jonathan who we remember most.
After his role in Jerry Maguire, Jonathan starred in Stuart Little, The Little Vampire, Like Mike and other projects. Most recently, Jonathan, now 30, has appeared in TV shows such as Worst Cooks in America, Celebs Go Dating and Drop the Mic.
Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning became a child star at the age of 7 thanks to her performance in I Am Sam. The film, which earned Sean Penn a Best Actor nomination at the 2001 Oscars, help launch Dakota's career, which included blockbuster films Uptown Girls, War of the Worlds, Cat in the Hat and Man on Fire.
Now, at age 27, Dakota has explored modeling and even launched a production company, Lewellen Pictures, with sister Elle Fanning. Recent credits include Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Alienist, Effie Gray and The Twilight Saga.
Haley Joel Osment
It's hard to forget this '90s child star. While Haley Joel Osment made his breakthrough with a small part in Forrest Gump, most remember him from his specter-seeing part in The Sixth Sense. His work as Cole Sear opposite Bruce Willis landed him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 72nd Academy Awards at the age of 11.
Haley, now 33, went on to book several prominent films, including A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Pay It Forward and Secondhand Lions. Most recently, Haley has appeared in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Entourage, The Boys and more.
Anna Paquin
Anna Paquin's breakthrough role in The Piano made history! Not only did 11-year-old Anna get nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 66th Academy Awards, but she also won, which made her the second-youngest winner in Oscar history.
Her career didn't stop there as Anna, 38, went on to star in Jane Eyre, Almost Famous, the X-Men franchise, True Blood and more.
Justin Henry
Justin Henry's debut role in 1979's Kramer vs. Kramer was a historic one. Why? Well, because, at 8 years old, Justin earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, which made him the youngest Academy Award nominee in any category.
Following this nomination, Justin, now 49, appeared in Fantasy Island, Sixteen Candles, Sweet Hearts Dance and more.
Jodie Foster
You may recognize this former child star!
Before she was an Oscar-winning actress and celebrated director, Jodie Foster was the breakout child star of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver. For her work portraying a child prostitute in the psychological thriller, Jodie earned herself an Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category at the age of 12.
Jodie, now 58, went on to star in several other notable films, including the original Freaky Friday, The Silence of the Lambs, The Accused, Panic Room and more.
Tatum O'Neal
A dazzling performance by a child star.
In 1974, 10-year-old Tatum O'Neal became the youngest person to win the Best Actress Oscar. Tatum, now 57, took home the prize for her work opposite real-life dad Ryan O'Neal in Paper Moon.
Tatum's career didn't stop there as she went on to appear in several films and TV shows, including 1976's The Bad News Bears, Little Darlings, Sex and the City, Wicked Wicked Games and more.