When watching classic family movies, we are often filled with a unique sense of nostalgia. There's nothing quite like settling down in the evening to enjoy a certified classic and reminisce about good times. Although these movies have immortalized their young actors, their childhood ebullience being the picture image we have of them, they have of course grown up. So what happened to these child actors?
Hollywood isn't always kind to its adolescent stars; only a few succeed in the industry as adults, with many gaining notoriety for developing legal and substance abuse issues. But this is certainly an unfair stereotype: tragedy is not the default or inevitable outcome for all child actors and many have enjoyed prosperous careers outside the industry. From Christmas favorites to emotional dramas, here's what happened to the kids in these classic movies.
10 Justin Cooper - 'Liar, Liar'
Liar, Liar remains one of Jim Carrey's most popular comedies. At the heart of the movie lies the relationship between Fletcher (Carrey) and his young son Max, played by Justin Cooper, who was 9-years-old at the time. Cooper stopped acting a year after the movie's release and now enjoys a successful career as a producer for Fox Sports Radio.
9 Lisa Jakub - 'Mrs. Doubtfire'
While Mrs Doubtfire's youngest actor, Mara Wilson, went on to star in hits Matilda and Miracle on 34th Street and has made numerous media appearances as an adult, we rarely hear about her on-screen sister.
Lisa Jakub, who played her older sister, went on to appear in Independence Day as Randy Quaid's daughter, but retired from acting in 2001. She now works as a writer and yoga teacher.
8 Kiami Davael - 'Matilda'
Speaking of Matilda, whatever happened to her best friend, Lavender? Matilda's adorable pal was played by Kiami Davael, who was 10-years-old at the time. After some brief appearances on TV shows such as Moesha and The Steve Harvey Show, she stopped acting in 2000 and went on to study at the University of Kentucky.
She keeps a low profile, but according to her Twitter bio she is a writer and singer. Moreover, she is still close friends with Mara Wilson to this day.
7 Jake Lloyd - 'Jingle All The Way'
7-year-old Jake Lloyd acted in one of the best loved Christmas movies of all time, Jingle All the Way, in which he played Arnold Schwarzenegger's son. Thereafter, he played a young Anakin Skywalker in 1999's poorly received Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. He retired from acting two years later, after becoming disillusioned with the showbiz industry.
Lloyd, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, has faced some personal struggles. In 2015, he was arrested for dangerous driving and was put into a psychiatric facility.
6 Jonathan Lipnicki - 'Jerry Maguire'
Lipnicki played Renée Zellweger's son in the Oscar-winning Jerry Maguire. He continued acting, appearing in Stuart Little and its sequel, before embarking on MMA training as an adult. However, he has recently returned to acting, having starred in horror movie Broil last year. He is in a long-term relationship with film director Penelope Lawson.
5 Joey Gaydos Jr. - 'School Of Rock'
We all know School of Rock's breakout star Miranda Cosgrove, who has an amazing $10 million net worth thanks to the success of her show ICarly, but her co-stars haven't enjoyed that same fame. School of Rock had a fabulous young cast, headed by lead guitarist Zack "Zack Attack" Mooneyham, played by Jack Gaydos Jr. In the movie, Jack Black's substitute teacher, Dewey, praises Zack for his incredible guitar playing skills, though this would be Gaydos Jr's only acting role.
In a bitter twist of fate, the actor was arrested for stealing guitars in 2019. Gaydos Jr. was caught on a security camera stealing an $800 Les Paul guitar. He then committed a second theft, snatching a $1,900 guitar from another music store and admitted his crimes to the police.
4 Michael Oliver - 'Problem Child'
We all remember the troublesome Junior in Problem Child, wreaking havoc into the lives of his adoptive parents, played by real-life couple Amy Yasbeck and the late John Ritter. After appearing in the movie's lesser received sequel and a couple of minor roles, he gave up on acting.
Appearing on a podcast hosted by his former co-star, Gilbert Gottfried, Oliver explained why he decided to leave showbusiness: "I think it was a mutual breakup between me and the industry. I was kinda done with it anyway," he said, "I started to realize that I want a normal life. I work my a** off, I have a 9-5, a normal existence. I'm happy with it." He now goes by the name Michael Ponce, his family name, and happily works in tech support.
3 Ariana Richards - 'Jurassic Park'
As Richard Attenborough's granddaughter, Lex Murphy, in the first Jurassic Park movie, Ariana Richards was a welcome addition to a movie genre that is usually male-centered. In contrast to Joseph Mazzello, who played her brother Tim and has had a successful acting career with roles in Oscar-winning movies The Social Network and Bohemian Rhapsody, Richards is no longer interested in acting.
After graduating from college with a Fine Arts degree, she now devotes her life to painting. She frequently showcases her artwork on her Instagram account and is evidently a highly talented painter.
2 Bradley Pierce - 'Jumanji'
Although his on-screen sister, Kirsten Dunst, became a world famous actress, Bradley Pierce decided to pursue other ventures, albeit with the occasional acting roles here and there. His Instagram account, which has a modest 3.8k followers, is largely devoted to Pierce & Luna, a cocktail community that he co-founded with a friend. According to the Pierce & Luna official website, Pierce has been bartending for over 15 years.
1 Henry Thomas - 'E.T.'
Ever since starring as Elliott in E.T., one of the highest grossing movies of all time, Henry Thomas struggled with the media attention that his prominent role gave him. As he told the Mirror, "My world went completely crazy. I was that stupid kind of famous, where you can't go anywhere", adding, "I stopped leaving the house. I became an 11-year-old hermit."
In recent years, Thomas has had a few smaller acting roles, but he has also faced legal troubles. In 2019, he was arrested under suspicion of drink-driving in Oregon.