5 Child Actors Who Became Successful in Other Careers

Have you ever wondered about the famous shows and movies you watched as a child? What happened to those childhood artists? Where are they now? How are their lives today? Well, to put the answer simply, they are successful in their lives but differently.

Some child artists, like Neil Patrick Harris or Winona Ryder, grew up to extend their acting professions. Similarly, other child actors faced issues like drug addiction and financial problems that became the reason for their downfall.

However, some artists realized earlier that the Entertainment Industry is not meant for them. And they want to achieve huge milestones as their ultimate goals. These child stars set the standards that there are several alternatives to acting.

Moreover, child artists usually struggle with hardship and challenges in creating a successful career by ending the acting industry. This group of child artists is thriving but in an entirely different discipline, regardless of what makes them famous.

There are some noteworthy exceptions. In this blog, we will be veiling 5 child actors who became successful in other fields.

1. Macaulay Culkin, Home Alone (1990)

Who can ever forget this remarkable child actor who won millions of hearts with his magnificent performance in various movies? Macaulay Culkin is one of the excellent acknowledged child stars of all time.

He gained instant fame with his character as Kevin McCallister in the classic movie “Home Alone.” He started to act when he was just 10 years old. After this, he was featured in many successful films like My Girl, The Good Son, Riche Rich, and The Pagemaster.

Culkin opted for a break from acting due to a critical stage in his life in the early 2000s. During this time, he explored other hobbies like music and art. He even created a band known as The Pizza Underground based on pizza-themed. 

Additionally, he made a comeback with a few appearances on TV shows like The Gaffigan Show and American Horror Story or The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Unfortunately, he didn’t realize he was wealthy until he was 18, almost four years after his retirement. Presently, he is a publisher and CEO of Bunny Ears, founded in 2018, a satirical pop culture podcast and website.

2. Dylan Sprouse, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody (2005)

Dylan Sprouse is an astonished child actor, entrepreneur, and winemaker who started acting alongside his twin brother, Cloe Sprouse. They appear on the screen in commercials at 6 months and get roles in the show ‘Grace Under Fire’ before they turn 1.

However, he gained fame with the role in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody in the early 2000s. The Sprouse brothers decided to take a break from acting and attended college in NYC.

In the meantime, Dylan started to take an interest in his passion for brewing beer and introduced his own mini-brewery in Brooklyn named All-Wise Meadery.

Dylan is currently a business owner of a mead brewing and rarely appears on the big screen. Using a VPN, you can binge his shows from any region, like Disney Plus in Malaysia.

3. Mara Wilson, Matilda (1996)

Mara Wilson, one of the most recognizable child stars, drastically changed into an alternate career. Wilson began acting as a child, such as in the movies Mrs. Doubtfire, A Simple Wish, and Miracle on 34th Street.

Her notable performance in the movie Matilda earned her appraisal and helped to set her acting career as an upcoming talent in the Hollywood Industry. 

Furthermore, after acting for some years, Wilson declared that acting was no longer her goal. She turned out to be similar to her fiction character Matilda when she turned toward writing. Within a short period of time, she published a memoir called “Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame.”

Since then, she has become a creative writer and has usually participated in publications such as Elle, The Guardian, and The New Yorker.

4. Ariana Grande, Victorious (2010)

One of the most popular singers started her career as a child actor and later transitioned to a successful singer. She was pretty young when she began singing and acting career.

The Ariana we know today once played a role in the most famous Nickelodeon show ‘Victorious.’ The role earned her fame as an actress in 2010.

After the sitcom show was canceled in 2013, Araina featured in a spin-off show called ‘Sam & Cat.’ She launched her solo ‘Put Your Hearts Up’ while pursuing her acting career in 2011. She released her debut album, ‘Yours Truly’ after 2 years when she successfully landed as a singer.

5. Shirley Temple, Heidi, (1937)

Last but not least, Shirley Temple became a household name during the 1930s when she was at fame as a child actress. Although, after many generations, she is identified by her name and face alone.

But many people don’t know that she was also a political figure. Shirley stood for Congress for the California Republic party in 1967 and strongly indulged in the Commonwealth Club of California. 

Afterward, she participated in international affairs as a US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia. She also worked on the board of directors for several companies like Disney, Bank of America, and the UN.

Conclusion

These five child actors prove that success can be a part of life in many ways. Leaving acting isn’t always easy, mainly when you have spent most of your age in the entertainment industry.

By exploring and expanding new passions, they have found success in other fields of life and marked an example.