8 Former Child Stars Who Went On to Win Acting Awards as Adults

Child stardom has a reputation for ending badly. Plenty of young performers fade out once the roles dry up, and the industry rarely makes a second act easy.

Some actors manage it anyway. These eight started working as kids and later earned major acting honors, from Oscars to Emmys to Tonys.

Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster began acting in commercials as a toddler and appeared in Disney projects and television in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As a young teenager she was nominated for an Oscar for Taxi Driver. That early recognition suggested a long career ahead.

She delivered on it as an adult. Foster won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Accused in 1989 and again for The Silence of the Lambs in 1992. She also later won a Golden Globe, and she has continued to work in film and television.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman made her screen debut at twelve in Léon: The Professional. She followed it with a run of roles as a teen, including Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequels. Many child actors never find footing after that kind of exposure.

Portman won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Black Swan, which she received for her performance as a ballerina. She also won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for the same role. Her later work includes Jackie, which earned her another Oscar nomination.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio worked in commercials and on television as a child before his breakout in This Boy’s Life. His performance in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape earned him an Oscar nomination at nineteen. That role marked him as a serious talent early.

He had to wait for the top prize. DiCaprio won the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Revenant, after several earlier nominations. He also has multiple Golden Globes, and his 2025 film One Battle After Another has continued his awards presence.

Ron Howard

Ron Howard is best known as a director now, but he grew up on screen. He appeared in The Andy Griffith Show as Opie Taylor and later starred in Happy Days. He was one of the most recognizable young faces on American television.

His adult awards came largely from behind the camera. Howard won two Academy Awards, for Best Director and Best Picture, for A Beautiful Mind. It is a slightly different path from the others here, since the honors are for directing and producing rather than acting.

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore became a household name at seven in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Her teenage years were widely documented as difficult, and she has spoken openly about it. She eventually rebuilt her career with comedies and producing work.

She won a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Grey Gardens. She has also won a Daytime Emmy as host of The Drew Barrymore Show. Her path shows how awards recognition can come in unexpected formats.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt started acting as a child, appearing in A River Runs Through It and later the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. He stepped back from acting for a time to attend college. When he returned, he chose more varied and independent projects.

Adult recognition included Golden Globe nominations for 500 Days of Summer and 50/50. He also won a Primetime Emmy as host and producer of the series HitRecord on TV. His acting honors have been more nominations than wins, but he has an established awards record.

Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart appeared in films as a child, including Panic Room opposite Jodie Foster. Later, the Twilight series made her globally famous as a young adult. Many assumed that would define her career.

She moved toward smaller, riskier films instead. Stewart won a César Award for Clouds of Sils Maria, the first American actress to do so. She later earned an Oscar nomination for Spencer, in which she played Princess Diana.

Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris became famous as a teenager playing the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D. Afterward, he had to work to move beyond that image. He took on stage and comedic roles that broadened how audiences saw him.

He has won multiple Emmy Awards, including for hosting duties, and a Tony Award for hosting the Tonys. He also earned a Tony as a performer for his work in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. His career shows how a former child star can succeed across television, theater, and live events.