15 Actors You Didn’t Know Started Their Careers As Kids

Many of Hollywood’s biggest stars seem to appear fully formed once they become household names. What often gets forgotten is that a surprising number of them actually started working in the industry as children. Long before leading blockbuster films or award winning dramas, they were appearing in commercials, sitcoms, or small television roles while still in school. Those early experiences helped shape their careers and gave them years of on set practice before fame arrived. Some continued acting steadily, while others disappeared for a while before returning as adults. Here are fifteen actors who got their start as kids, often much earlier than most fans realize.

Joseph Gordon Levitt – First Role at Age 6

He began appearing in television shows and commercials before gaining popularity in the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. Those early roles laid the foundation for his adult film career.

Kristen Stewart – First Role at Age 12

Stewart began with smaller roles before gaining attention in Panic Room. Her early performances eventually led to global fame in the Twilight series.

Kurt Russell – First Role at Age 11

Russell appeared in several television westerns during the 1960s. His early acting work eventually led to a long career spanning action, comedy, and drama.

Leonardo DiCaprio – First Role at Age 16

DiCaprio started with television appearances including Growing Pains. Those early roles led directly to film performances that quickly established him as a major young actor.

Natalie Portman – First Role at Age 12

Portman made an unforgettable debut in Léon: The Professional. Her performance as a tough but vulnerable young girl immediately drew attention and started a long award winning career.

Ryan Gosling – First Role at Age 12

Gosling joined The Mickey Mouse Club alongside several future pop stars. His early television experience eventually paved the way for a successful film career.

Scarlett Johansson – First Role at Age 9

Johansson made her film debut in North. Even as a child she showed natural screen presence, which helped her transition smoothly into major dramatic and blockbuster roles as an adult.

Seth Rogen – First Role at Age 16

Rogen’s early acting work came in the cult TV series Freaks and Geeks. The show launched the careers of several young actors who later became major Hollywood names.

Anna Paquin – First Role at Age 11

Paquin stunned audiences by winning an Academy Award for The Piano in her very first film role. The achievement made her one of the youngest Oscar winners ever.

Christian Bale – First Role at Age 13

Bale’s breakout came in Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun, where he carried the entire film as a young boy during World War II. The performance launched a career that later included some of Hollywood’s most intense adult roles.

Drew Barrymore – First Role at Age 7

Barrymore became instantly famous as Gertie in E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. The role made her one of the most recognizable child actors of the 1980s.

Elijah Wood – First Role at Age 8

Wood appeared in small roles before gaining attention in films like The Good Son. His early start helped him grow into major roles later in his career.

Jake Gyllenhaal – First Role at Age 11

Gyllenhaal appeared in City Slickers as Billy Crystal’s on screen son. He later returned to acting as a teenager and quickly became a respected dramatic actor.

Jason Bateman – First Role at Age 12

Bateman began acting in the early 1980s with a role on Little House on the Prairie. As a teenager, he quickly became a recognizable TV face before eventually reinventing himself decades later in acclaimed adult roles.

Jodie Foster – First Role at Age 6

Foster began in television commercials and soon appeared in multiple TV shows as a child. Her early success eventually led to major film roles and two Academy Awards.