Where have these 1980’s child actors been? You adored them back then, are they still adorable now? Stop asking and start discovering what these actors and actresses are doing now. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised or a bit sad. Some managed to go beyond their 15-minute glory while most decided to pursue a career path that had nothing to do with entertainment.
Think what you want, say what you want. These kids went through hell and deserve a break. Give them some attention, why don’t you?
Let's begin...
Remember Ricky Schroder?
Ricky Schroder was first seen in the movie The Champ. Though still a child, he played opposite big-name stars Faye Dunaway and Jon Voight in the said movie. He later appeared on TV as Ricky Stratton in the sitcom Silver Spoons. The show ran from 1982 to 1987 and audiences practically saw him grow up on TV. For twenty years he continued acting on movies and TV.
Playing Himself
He was in 2010’s Get Him to the Greek where he was seen in a cameo role as himself.
There's more...
Different Strokes’ Dana Plato
Dana Plato’s future seems set when she bagged the role of Kimberly Drummond in the popular TV sitcom “Different Strokes” in 1978. Unfortunately, her character was written off in 1984 amidst rumors of her drug addiction. After the show, Plato sought to find different roles to play. She emerged in 1989 in Playboy magazine. She also starred in B-movies.
A Sad Ending
She also went into softcore pornography. Plato died in 1999 when she was 34 years old due to a Vicodin and Vanadom overdose.
The Cosby Show Cute kid
Keshia Knight Pulliam was first seen on Sesame Street when she was only 4-years-old. Her most popular role was as Rudy Huxtable in the popular sitcom The Cosby Show. She was also the youngest actress to ever be nominated for an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress. Since the 80’s, she has continued working on TV as well as behind the cameras.
Woman of Many Talents
Keshia Knight Pulliam/ Instagram
She was in 2005’s Beauty Shop as well as in Tyler Perry’s House of Payne – a TV series which ran from 2007 to 2012. This Atlanta native also runs her own production company.
Where is sweet ‘Full House’ star, Jodie Sweetin?
Jodie Sweetin was the cute kid in the TV sitcom Full House. But her adult life turned not so sweet when she developed a destructive addiction to meth – a secret she kept hidden from her then-husband Shaun Holguin, an officer from the LAPD. She later went to treatment and divorced Holguin. She eventually married the father of her daughter Zoie, Cody Herpin.
UnSweetined
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Sweetin then wrote a book entitled “unSweetined” where she detailed her experience on being addicted to ecstasy, cocaine, and meth.
Where is Websters', Emmanuel Lewis?
Emmanuel Lewis was only twelve years old when he starred as the titular character in the 1983 TV show Webster. The sitcom ran until 1989. After the show ended, so did Lewis’ TV career. His next TV appearance was not until 2001 when he showed up as himself in the game show The Weakest Link. He was also seen in the 2003 reality show The Surreal Life.
Few and Far Between
He had a cameo in Kickin’ It Old Skool in 2007 and was also in a 2013 episode of Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis.
Who can forget Alyssa Milano in “Who’s The Boss”?
Alyssa Milano began to act when she was eight years old where she bagged the role of Annie in a touring production. She later became a household name when she was 11. Her role as Samantha Micelli in the hit sitcom Who’s The Boss was her first big TV break. In the 1990’s, Alyssa scored another hit when she starred in the TV series Charmed.
New Projects
Alyssa Milano/ Instagram
Alyssa is currently the host of the reality TV show “Project Runway: All Stars”.
Tracey Gold from Growing Pains
She started acting when she was only four years old. Her big break came when she was cast in Growing Pains as Carol Seavers. She was only 16 years old. It was a role she was most famous for and one that she played until 1992. At the peak of her career, everyone thought of her as the perfect teenager yet she was actually battling anorexia.
Family Orientated
She later married Roby Marshall two years after the series ended. She now has four sons. Her recent work was in 2014’s TV Movie, “My Dad’s a Soccer Mom”.
Danny Lloyd from The Shining
Danny Lloyd played Jack Nicholson’s son in “The Shining” – an iconic horror movie directed by Stanley Kubrick. Though he starred in this classic film, Danny didn’t last in show business. He quit the industry when he was only 14 years old. He later worked in Wal-Mart. He was also employed on a hog farm where he drove a tractor.
Back to Normality
He then went to college like a regular kid. He is now a biology teacher and is leading a normal life with his wife and six kids.
Punky Brewster’s Soleil Moon
At the young age of seven, Soleil Moon Frye became a TV star when she got the role of Punky Brewster – a sitcom about a brunette-haired street kid adopted by a kindly old man. The series ran from 1984 to 1988. When the series ended, she continued to do cameos for shows such as Saved By The Bell and The Wonder Years.
Robot Chickens and Crafts
Soleil Moon Frye/ Instagram
She still acts and at times does voice-overs for different animated series, one of which is Robot Chicken. Soleil is now a mom to three kids. She also founded a crafts company for children named Moonfrye.
Hot Kirk Cameron
Kirk Cameron began acting on TV when he was only nine years old. His break came when he bagged the role of Mike Seaver in the sitcom Growing Pains. The 15-year old became a teen heartthrob and a household name. However, during the series’ run, Cameron became seriously involved with religion. His strict beliefs caused tension on set.
Finding God
He demanded scenes to adhere to his conservative values. The show had to fire a co-star when Cameron discovered the actress posed for Playboy. Currently, Cameron is a born-again Christian who has set up his own ministry.
Sean Astin from The Goonies
Sean Astin was the kid with asthma in his 1985 debut movie, The Goonies. Though he was then a 14-year old unknown who had a few TV and movie credits, his presence in the movie helped make it a cult classic. Astin worked continuously through the 1980s and 1990s.
Stranger and Better Things
Sean Astin/ Instagram
But it was not until his role as Samwise Gamgee in the blockbuster movie Lord of the Rings did he receive critical acclaim.
He is currently part of the popular Netflix series Stranger Things.
Little House on the Prairie
Melissa Gilbert’s TV debut was as Laura Ingalls in the popular series “Little House on the Prairie”. The show ran for nine years that she practically grew up on TV. Her recent TV appearance was in Secrets and Lies as the character of Lisa Daly. Currently, her interest has shifted to politics.
Current Congresswoman
The once child star considered a career in politics in 2016 when she announced her intent to run for U.S. Congress in the 8th Congressional District of Michigan.
Amazing Jonathan Ke Quan
Remember the little Asian boy named Shortstop in the 1984 action-adventure movie “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom? That boy is Jonathan Ke Quan. After Temple of Doom, Ke Quan starred in another Spielberg production, The Goonies. He was also seen in the TV series Together We Stand.
Man of Many Languages
He is currently a stunt choreographer for blockbuster movies such as X-Men, and The One. Ke Quan is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and English.
The Wonder Years’ Danica McKellar
Remember Fred Savage’s pretty love interest in the TV series “The Wonder Years”? She’s Danica McKellar. She played the role of Winnie Cooper for five years that she practically grew up in front of the TV cameras. After the series, she went on to do voice work for the cartoon series Phineas and Ferb as well as Transformers: Rescue Bots.
Not Just a Pretty Face
Danica McKellar/ Instagram
But her big success came in 2009 when she authored Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who’s Boss – a book to help kids deal with Math which she wrote thanks to her UCLA Bachelor of Science in Mathematics degree.
Jerry Supiran from Small Wonder
Jerry Supiran was the cute kid in the TV sitcom “Small Wonder”. He played Jamie Lawson, the “brother” of the family’s adopted girl robot V.I.C.I. The show ran from the years 1985 to 1989. Unfortunately, despite the fame he received from the show, Supiran eventually became broke and homeless when a stripper, he was in a relationship with, took everything in his trust fund.
Hero to Homeless
His half a million dollars was also stolen by his money adviser. He had to live under a bridge and the homeless shelter. Recently, Supiran planned to enter Dancing With The Stars.
Lukas Haas from the movie Witness
Lukas Haas was a child actor seen opposite Harrison Ford in the 1985 movie Witness. Years later, Haas has been quietly acting but in less starry roles. He has appeared in the movies Inception, Alpha Dog, Transcendence, and Brick. He also appeared with his childhood actor friend Leonardo di Caprio in the 2016 movie The Revenant.
Friends in High Places
Haas was also linked to actresses Lindsay Lohan and Natalie Portman. He remains friends with fellow actors Tobey Maguire and Ethan Suplee.
Brian Austin Green was also in Small Wonder
Green was a child actor who was seen in numerous 80’s shows such as Knots Landing, Highway to Heaven, Small Wonder, and Baywatch. But his most popular role was in the TV series Beverly Hills 90210 – a show that ran for a decade.
Married to a Real Fox
Green is now married to Megan Fox. They have three sons. Green is still currently active in both TV and movies. His latest film work was in the 2017 movie Cross Wars.
80’s Teen Idol Corey Feldman
Corey Feldman was the most popular and recognizable teen actor during the 1980’s. He was merely a toddler when he started in show business via a Mcdonald’s commercial. His first TV appearance was in the series “Bad News Bears”. But his role in the movie “The Goonies”, sealed his place in 80’s pop culture. He also starred in the hit movie “Stand By Me” as well as “The Lost Boys”.
Aspiring Musician
He is currently trying his hand in music as a singer and is also attempting to expose Hollywood’s sinister pedophile ring.
The sad life of Corey Haim
Teen 80’s heartthrob Corey Haim was best known for his roles in the movies “The Lost Boys” as well as in “License to Drive”. But drugs, specifically his addiction to Valium and cocaine, took the best of him and he died in 2010, at the age of 38. In a 2007 interview, Haim admitted that he ruined himself “to the point (he) wasn’t functional enough to work for anybody, even (himself).”
Unsuccessful Rehab Attempts
Before his death, he reportedly went in and out of rehab more than fifteen times.
Andrew Koenig from Growing Pains grew up in pain
Andrew Koenig was popularly known as Richard “Boner” Stabone in the 80’s show Growing Pains. But after the sitcom ended, he became popular for a different, albeit sad reason – he suffered from depression and took his life in 2010, when he was 41 years old. Before his suicide, Koenig went missing in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Succumbing to Depression
It was his father, Star Trek actor Walter Koenig, who announced to the media about Andrew’s battle with depression and eventual death.
Saved By the Bell’s Dustin Diamond
Remember lovable nerd Screech in the sitcom Saved By The Bell? The role was played convincingly by Dustin Diamond from the late 1980’s all the way to the early 1990’s. But 2006 proved to be a challenge to Dustin when he released a sex tape that had a title similar to his Saved By The Bell character. The tape saw Screech in compromising and un-sexy scenes.
Sex Tape Failure
His manager hoped that the tape would help Dustin get back into show business. It didn’t help. When talking about the future, he says: "I’m starting to shift my act towards something more mature. It’s an evolution where I’ve reached that point where I have stuff to pass on to my offspring: 'Learn from my mistakes. Here’s something stupid Daddy did.'"
Where is Molly Ringwald now?
Molly Ringwald was the quintessential It Girl during the 1980’s. She starred in TV’s “Different Strokes” and “The Facts of Life”. But it was in the iconic teen movie Sixteen Candles that Ringwald became a household name. Her role as Samantha Barker established her as America’s sweetheart. Ringwald has since been married to writer Panio Gianopoulos.
Ringing In Writing
Moly Ringwald/ Instagram
She is also a mom to three kids. The actress also writes having penned a memoir, “Getting the Pretty Back”, and a collection of fiction entitled “When It Happens to You”.
The years have been kind to The Wonder Years’ Fred Savage
Fred Savage was only nine years old when he bagged TV and film roles. He was in the cult classic movie The Princess Bride in 1986 as well as in The Boy Who Could Fly. But his big TV break came when he starred as Fred Savage in the series “The Wonder Years”. Savage won two Emmys for playing the role of Kevin Arnold.
A Savage Success
Fred Savage/ Instagram
His role in the series also helped him garner two nominations from the Golden Globes. Though the series ended in 1993, Savage continued to appear in movies such as 2002’s “Austin Powers in Goldmember”. He was also seen in the sitcom, “The Grinder”. He is now a TV director, husband, and father to three kids.
Macaulay Culkin
After becoming famous in 1990 for the Home Alone movie-turned-franchise, Macaulay lost his way. He did, however, act in other successful films, like 'My Girl', but as he grew out of his cuteness, his star faded out.
Back On The Saddle
Lately, he started getting himself back in the saddle, and after announcing a new relationship with actress Brenda Song, we can also find him acting in the new Seth Green’s movie, Changeland.
What happened to Gary Coleman?
Gary Coleman is a pop culture icon thanks to his role as Arnold Jackson in the TV sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes”. He became a household name due to his “What’choo talkin’ `bout, Willis?” line frequently uttered in the show. Unfortunately, he similarly became infamous with his run-ins with the law.
Violent Derail to His End
He has been cited numerous times for disorderly conduct. He was also charged with assault in 1998 for punching a bus driver. He died in 2010 due to an epidural hematoma. He was 42 years old.
Hollywood still loves Jason Bateman
Jason Bateman was a teen idol in the 1980’s. He made his TV debut in the series “The Little House on the Praire” when he was 12 years old. His most popular role was as the Teen Wolf in the movie “Teen Wolf Too”. He similarly struggled with drug abuse and alcohol addiction but he returned in 2003 in the cult comedy series “Arrested Development” – a show which helped him earn two Emmy nominations as well as a Golden Globe.
Onwards and Upwards
He has since acted in successful movies such as “Horrible Bosses” and “Identity Theft”. He is married to fellow actor Amanda Anka. They have two children.
Drew Barrymore is still Hollywood Royalty
Drew Barrymore comes from Hollywood royalty due to her being the granddaughter of actor John Barrymore. She was only six years old when she starred in Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”. Unfortunately, she too abused drugs and alcohol that she was in and out of rehab three times before she reached the age of 15.
Cleaning Up Her Act
She also attempted suicide and ran away from home. She decided to sober up though and since then, she has starred in Hollywood blockbusters and romantic comedy movies. She won a Golden Globe for her role in the HBO movie “Grey Gardens”. She is now a mom to two daughters and is married to Will Kopelman.
Flight of the Navigator’s Joey Cramer
The 1986 movie Flight of the Navigator saw child star Joey Cramer play the role of David Freeman, a boy abducted by an alien spacecraft. The role earned him a nomination from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films for ‘Best Performance by a Young Actor’ in 1987.
Red Carpet to Criminal
This Canadian native was also in the Tom Selleck starred Runaway and the movie D.A.R.Y.L. Unfortunately, his career screeched to a halt in the 1990’s. He was last seen in 2016 robbing a bank in Gibson, British Columbia while wearing a shoulder-length wig.
Lisa Bonet as Denise Huxtable in ‘The Cosby Show' and ‘A Different World'
As a teenager, Lisa Bonet played Denise Huxtable in both The Cosby Show and A Different World. Denise, known for her eccentric clothing and free-spirit earned the reputation as a ‘wild-child’, something that affected her real image too!
Happy Mam(o)a
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Nowadays she is happily married to gorgeous Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa, and raising her second child. She has not appeared on-screen since 2008 in he British television series ‘Life on Mars’
Tiffany Renee Darwish, “I Think We’re Alone Now”
Tiffany was discovered in her hometown of California during the early 80’s when she came second in “Star Search” with her remake of the single “I Think We’re Alone Now”. The 16-year-old sudden fame saw her embark on a mall tour of the country as her album hit number 1! Sadly, the story has an awful ending.
Her manager and family dragged her to court in a heated battle for control of her career since she was still a minor. It took a toll on her career and she faded away as quickly as she came.
Still Here!
These days she makes appearances here and there, such as on season three of Food Network's Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Of in 2014. She has also opened her own clothing boutique.
Todd Bridges won the role of Will Jackson on “Diff’rent Strokes"
Todd Bridges was born for fame with his mother being an actress and his father a talent agent. His first role was at the early age of 8, and his 8-years on the very popular “Diff’rent Strokes” helped him rise to fame as a teen in the 80’s/ however, he began to struggle with a crack-cocaine addiction and was arrested and later acquitted for attempted murder of a drug dealer.
Run-Ins With the Law
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Years later Todd still struggles to toe the line, he landed in court for stabbing a man. Charged were dropped since it was deemed he acted in self-defense. Bridges as continues acting in a small role such as in the sitcom ‘Everybody Hates Chis’, but has never reached the fame he did in the 80’s.
Jeff Cohen was in The Goonies
Jeff Cohen’s most memorable role was in the 1985 movie The Goonies. Before this film, he has done mostly TV work at the young age of nine. Unfortunately, when he grew up and lost his baby fat when he was in his teens, Jeff became almost unrecognizable. Jeff decided to pursue a slightly different path. He became an entertainment lawyer.
Business Savvy
He went to the University of California, Berkeley to study business. He later went to UCLA School of Law. His efforts paid off as the Hollywood Reported included him on their list of top 35 entertainment executives under the age of 35.
Sean O’Neal from ‘Clarissa Explains It All’
O’Neal is an American Actor that got his big break when he was still very small when he earned a role on the show ‘Clarissa Explains It All’. According to the actor's website, following his days of being Clarissa’s best friend, he was approached by a boy band and asked to join but refused.
Still Looking for his Second Break...
Though he has not been in anything of late, and little is known about the child-star now, he did have a small role on the TV Series ‘ Development Hell’ and is apparently still auditioning and trying to get his second big break… good luck buddy.
Will Wheaton in “ Stand by Me” and Star Trek
Wheaton was acting in commercials already at age 7 and scored his big break when he starts on “Stand by Me” in 1986. Later, he won the role of Ensign Wesley Crusher in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," on which he starred until 1994. After that, Wheaton decided to say goodbye to Hollywood.
TV to Tech
He relocated to Topeka, Kansas where he works for a technology company, and still makes Hollywood appearances now and then like popping up in an episode of “ The Big Bang Theory” .
Michael J Fox
When Michael J fox burst onto the scene as Marty McFly in Back to the Future, the world went wild. With his brilliant comedic and heartfelt performance, his career in acting was set. He has had his fair share of health problems, and in 1991, only aged 29, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In 2001 he semi-retired from acting due to the worsening of his condition.
Curbing his Appearances
The past few years have seen Fox dabble in other areas of film, from 2012, he has appeared in The Michael J. Fox Show which is loosely based on his life as well as making guest appearances on several other shows like ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm.’
Johnny Depp
We all know Johnny Depp. The Pirate, the lover, the eccentric, Depp has managed to embody just about every different kind of character in his acting career, and it’s no wonder he is considered one of the greatest actors in our generation.
Picky for a Purpose
But all that started way back in the 80’s, when Depp rose to prominence in the TV series ‘21 Jump Street’ in which he became in instant teen idol and heartthrob for girls around the world. However, the experience for Depp, was not altogether positive as he felt it pushed him to a certain role of product. It was from this experience that he decided to only pick roles that he felt challenged him- and judging by the roles he has played since, he stood by his word!
Rob Lowe
Lowe’s career highlights all stemmed from the 80’s. he became a teen idol, starring in films such as ‘The Outsiders’, ‘St. Elmo’s Fire; and About Last Night’.
Teen Idol to Sex Scandal
Rob Lowe/ Instagram
Since then, one could say his acting career dwindled, with him finding more success in TV roles. His years after were also marred by scandals, including a sex scandal involving him being filmed engaging in sexual activities with a 16-year-old. As of recent years, he has appeared in series such as Code Black, and ‘The Lowe Files’.
Kevin Bacon
Bacon had his first commercially successful role when he starred in the box-office smash ‘Footloose’, which both made him an instant heartthrob, and earned him a wide range of critiques approval.
Forgetting Footloose
Kevin Bacon/ Instagram
However, like Johnny Depp, he felt his success in his earlier works led to typecasting and he had difficulty shaking of the image he had garnered in Footloose. As of late, he has appeared in FOX series ‘The Following’.
Tiffany Brissette as V.I.C.I. in Small Wonder
It is difficult to forget the little girl robot V.I.C.I. in the TV sitcom Small Wonder. The show ran for four years and starred Tiffany Brissette as the adorable robot girl. When the show ended, she went on to act in the series Parker Lewis Can’t Lose. She also did voice work for a two-dimensional computer video called “Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect”.
Movies to Medicine
Her last TV work was in 1991 in the series Equal Justice. Tiffany currently works as a registered nurse in Boulder, Colorado.
Matt Dillon
Dillon established himself as a teen idol with the series of films he starred in in the 80’s including My Bodyguard (1980), Little Darlings (1980), Tex (1982), Rumble Fish (1983) The Outsiders (1983) and The Flamingo Kid (1984). But unlike many other stars who got stuck in their younger acting stereotype roles, Dillon managed to keep his career going for years to come.
Matt Moved On
Matt Dillon/ Instagram
Only in 2015 he starred in the series Wayward Pines, where he portrays an American Secret Service Agent.
Ralph Macchio
Aka, Daniel LaRusso, in the famous Karate Kid series. Every now and then we get to see Macchio in TV series or in a movie or two, but wherever he is, Karate Kid will follow. He can’t shake off the image of that ‘wax on – wax off’ kid with the Crane Move that brought him the winner title in the karate games.
A Pearl in His Garage
Ralph Macchio/Instagram
He lives in California, married and has two children. At the 30th anniversary party for the Karate Kid film at the museum of the Japanese American in 2014, Macchio said that the yellow 1947 Ford convertible he drove in the movie is sitting in the garage of his home!
Macchio will go back to play Daniel Larusso once again in a 30-minute, 10-part Karate Kid series for a YouTube channel called Cobra Kai (Mister Miyagi’s nemesis in the movie) in 2018.
Neil Patrick Harris
This incredibly talented, and incredibly funny actor began his road to fame as a child star when he was cast in a drama film ‘ Clara’s Heart’ starring Whoopi Goldberg. His portrayal of David, who comes to trust and depend on Whoopi’s character, earned him major approval from film critiques and set him on his acting path.
One Success to Another
Neil Patrick Harris/ Instagram
We all know Harris’s acting success went from strength to strength, with his most known role as the legendary Barney Stinson, a serial womanizer who has almost a cult-like following due to his crazy antics.
Troop Beverly Hills’ Jenny Lewis
Jenny Lewis was nine years old when she was luckily cast with the legendary Lucille Ball in the sitcom “Life with Lucy” back in 1985. But her big break came in 1989 when she played the role of Hannah in the series “Troop Beverly Hills”. Lewis later had a romantic relationship with David Faustino and Jake Gyllenhall.
Career Change
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She changed careers and pursued music by being a lead singer of the indie group Rilo Kiley with her then-beau Blake Sennett. Currently, she is still singing but with new boyfriend Jonathan Rice in a duo called Jenny and Johnny.
Joey Lawrence played two Joeys in NBC's Gimme a Break! And Blossom”
Joey Lawrence got his first starring role as the adorable Joey Donovan on ‘Gimme a Break!’ He clearly has a thing for Joeys since after that gig he played another Joey on ‘Blossom’, in which he even had his very own catchphrase- “whoa!”.
Many New Exciting Endeavours
Joey Lawrence/ Instagram
This year has been quite an exciting one for this child star from the 80’s. he has always said his first love and major passion is music, and just this year Joey started a band called ‘Still 3’. They recently released their debut single ‘lose myself’- check it out and see what you think!
Winona Ryder
