After Jonathan Taylor Thomas decided to stop acting, his fans reacted with sadness, much like people do when experiencing a loss, and eventually came to terms with his decision.
However, that hasn’t stopped people from being fascinated with the 44-year-old, and constantly analyzing photos of him whenever the paparazzi catch him in public.
But what does ‘retirement’ even mean for an actor? Former teen idol J.T.T. made a few appearances on Tim Allen’s sitcom Last Man Standing in 2013 and 2014. The audience clearly enjoyed the moment when the character Kristin (Amanda Fuller) jokingly mentioned her brother, ‘the breakout star everyone loves,’ and Thomas was playing her boss at the time.
His character joked that middle children often become the class clown, simply to get noticed. And the touching references to earlier moments kept coming.
In 2017, Thomas was elected to the national board of SAG-AFTRA for a four-year term, and he focused on making positive changes within the organization.
He has yet to change his name, however, to Jonathan Jonathan Taylor Taylor Thomas Thomas.
At a November 22nd event in Long Beach, California, celebrating the 35th anniversary of Home Alone, 45-year-old Macaulay Culkin jokingly introduced himself as ‘Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin’ to the audience.
Macaulay Culkin changed his name legally in 2019 as a fun nod to his fans. It all started with a poll on Jimmy Fallon’s show in 2018, where people suggested a new middle name for him, and he decided to go with the winning suggestion.
Some of the popular choices were “The McRib is back,” playing on McDonald’s famous tagline, and “Kieran,” a tribute to his brother who has gone on to win an Emmy and an Oscar.
He jokingly explained that a final vote resulted in him legally changing his name to Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin. This way, if anyone asks him at the airport if he’s Macaulay Culkin, he can truthfully say that Macaulay Culkin is actually his middle name.
Pulling off a bold move like that requires significant influence, built up over years of being in the public eye. And if you’re curious about what former child stars are doing now, prepare to feel old—they’ve definitely grown up!
Jonathan Taylor Thomas became well-known in 1991 for his role as the intelligent and lovable middle child, Randy Taylor, on the show Home Improvement. Throughout the 1990s, he also appeared in several films, including voicing young Simba in The Lion King (though another actor did the singing) and starring alongside Brad Renfro in the 1995 movie Tom and Huck and Devon Sawa in 1997’s Wild America.
I was so bummed when Randy left Home Improvement back in ’98 – I remember reading he headed to Costa Rica! But even then, he didn’t stop acting completely, thankfully. He kept taking on other projects while he was studying, which was awesome to see.
In 2004, he appeared in a recurring role on 8 Simple Rules. Then, in 2013, he worked with Tim Allen again – this time directing and acting in multiple episodes of Last Man Standing, where Allen played his TV dad.
Even though Jonathan Taylor Thomas stepped away from acting to focus on his personal life – he graduated from Columbia University in 2010 – he still manages to generate buzz. Whenever paparazzi photos of him surface, they quickly spread across the internet.
Macaulay Culkin wasn’t the only child star to make a big impression! Jonathan Lipnicki quickly gained recognition with a memorable role alongside Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire, delivering lines that audiences loved. He continued acting in popular films like Stuart Little, Doctor Dolittle (as the voice of Baby Tiger), The Little Vampire, and Little Mike, even appearing on Dawson’s Creek. However, he decided to step away from the spotlight to enjoy a typical high school life.
In 2017, actor Jake Lipnicki shared on Instagram that he had been bullied in middle school, hoping his story would help others going through similar experiences.
He was severely bullied as a child, but years later, some of those same kids tried to connect with him on Facebook, seemingly forgetting how they’d treated him. He remembered being told his career was over and that he’d never work again, which led to nightly panic attacks fueled by fear of further embarrassment. Despite everything, he persevered and now feels thankful for his life, hoping to share the message that things can improve.
Even now, he continues to act, most recently appearing in the 2023 Lifetime movie Secrets at the Museum. Originally from Los Angeles, he’s also a skilled martial artist with a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Demonstrating his commitment to his community, he volunteered to help provide security at a synagogue in May 2021 following an increase in anti-Semitic incidents.
Wilson starred in Mrs. Doubtfire at 6 and Matilda at 9 before putting acting on the back burner.
In 2016, the writer and activist published her memoir, Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame. She’s also been on the TV show Broad City and provided voice work for animated series like BoJack Horseman, Big Hero 6: The Series, and Helluva Boss.
Wilson remembers a former friend once asked her, with a cheerful expression, if she felt like she’d already reached the best part of her life. She didn’t know what to say at the time, but now she realizes that was the wrong way to look at it. She hasn’t peaked, because she’s no longer letting others define her story – she’s taking control and writing it herself, as she explained in a February 2021 opinion piece for The New York Times about the challenges of early fame for young women.
By the time Joseph Gordon-Levitt played Tommy Solomon on 3rd Rock from the Sun, he was already an experienced actor. The sitcom began airing when he was 14 years old in 1996 – the same year he appeared as Demi Moore’s son in the thriller The Jury.
He quickly became known for a variety of roles, including the charming love interest in the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You, a street-smart character in 2004’s Mysterious Skin, and a driven teenage detective searching for his vanished ex-girlfriend in the 2005 neo-noir film Brick.
Even though he looked young well into his twenties, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has had a diverse career playing adult roles. Some of his most notable films include 500 Days of Summer, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Inception, 50/50, The Dark Knight Rises, Looper, Lincoln, Don Jon (which he also wrote and directed), and Snowden. More recently, he portrayed a prosecutor in the historical drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 and the controversial Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick in the series Super Pumped.
He quietly married Tasha McCauley in 2014 and they share three children.
Natalie Portman gained recognition early in her career thanks to her remarkably mature performance in the 1994 film The Professional, and she’s consistently delivered strong work ever since. Starting with that impressive debut, she’s appeared in a wide range of successful films, including the Star Wars prequels, the Thor and Avengers movies, and critically acclaimed independent films like Beautiful Girls and Garden State. She’s also shown her versatility in comedies such as Mars Attacks! and Your Highness, serious dramas like Closer and Brothers, and thrilling, thought-provoking movies like V for Vendetta and Annihilation.
Natalie Portman won an Academy Award for her performance as a troubled ballerina in the 2010 film Black Swan, and received another nomination for portraying Jacqueline Kennedy in Jackie. She also made her directorial debut in 2015 with A Tale of Love and Darkness, which she adapted from Amos Oz’s autobiographical novel.
She married choreographer Benjamin Millepied in 2012, and they have two children, a son named Aleph and a daughter named Amalia. They divorced in 2024.
Cameron Jones is best remembered for playing the son of Jon Cryer’s character – a down-on-his-luck divorced dad – and the nephew of Charlie Sheen’s character, a carefree songwriter, on the popular early 2000s sitcom Two and a Half Men. In 2012, a video appeared online of Jones criticizing the show, calling it “filth.” The clip came from a 15-minute religious presentation he gave for Forerunner Chronicles, a Seventh-day Adventist ministry based in Alabama.
Jones later apologized for not showing enough respect to his coworkers and for not fully appreciating how fortunate he was to have the opportunity he’d been given.
The actor soon left the series, but returned for the finale in 2015.
During his last season on the CBS sitcom, actor Jones reportedly earned $350,000 per episode. He recently told KHOU in Houston that he felt the show trivialized serious real-world issues, and he admitted to feeling like a “paid hypocrite” for participating in it despite his discomfort.
Before a small, unconfirmed role in the 2023 Max series Bookie, his most recent acting job was in Louis C.K.’s 2016 limited series Horace & Pete.
Jones described his time at the University of Colorado at Boulder as a normal period in his life, as he shared with People magazine in 2016. He explained that he used to be very pessimistic, but now he’s enjoying life and feeling much more relaxed. He said he no longer feels constantly on edge or like he’s walking into danger.
Daniel Radcliffe has successfully moved beyond his role as Harry Potter by taking on a diverse range of challenging parts. He’s proven his acting range on stage in plays like Equus and The Cripple of Inishmaan, in the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and in films such as Kill Your Darlings, where he played Allen Ginsberg, and the quirky Swiss Army Man. He’s also showcased his talent on television, notably as a doctor struggling with opioid addiction in A Young Doctor’s Notebook.
Recently, he finished four seasons on Miracle Workers, starred as Weird Al Yankovic in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and returned to the stage in a Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along.
On a personal note, Radcliffe is dad to a son with longtime partner Erin Darke.
Jodie Foster began her acting career around age six with a role in the television show Mayberry R.F.D., a spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show. At just fourteen, she received her first Academy Award nomination for her performance in Taxi Driver, where she played a vulnerable young girl, and her character’s situation motivated Robert De Niro’s character to take drastic action. Also in 1976, she starred in the original Freaky Friday, a lighthearted comedy that contrasted sharply with the darker Taxi Driver, helping to establish her as a popular child star.
I’ve been a huge fan of hers ever since she took some time out to study at Yale, and then absolutely blew everyone away, winning her first Oscar for The Accused in 1988. It was such a powerful performance – she played a woman who bravely pursued charges after a horrific attack, only to find herself unexpectedly on trial herself. She then proved she was a talent behind the camera too, directing Little Man Tate in 1991. But it was 1992’s The Silence of the Lambs that really cemented her status as a legend, earning her the Best Actress Oscar for playing that incredible, determined FBI trainee. She’s just consistently brilliant.
The acclaimed actress and filmmaker received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the 2013 Golden Globes. More recently, she’s focused on directing television, having directed episodes of popular shows like House of Cards, Black Mirror, and Orange Is the New Black. Notable film roles this century include appearances in Panic Room, Inside Man, Elysium, Hotel Artemis, and The Mauritanian, for which she unexpectedly won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in 2021.
She has two sons with her former partner, Cydney Bernard, and she married photographer and director Alexandra Hedison in 2014.
It’s not surprising that Jodie Foster took Kristen Stewart under her wing while filming the 2002 thriller, Panic Room, directed by David Fincher, as they played mother and daughter. Similar to Foster, Stewart has had a complicated relationship with fame, but it’s been amplified by the internet since she landed the iconic role of Bella Swan in the Twilight series around age 16.
Kristen Stewart recalled that Jodie Foster once doubted she’d have a lasting career as an actor. In a 2019 interview with Stellar magazine, Stewart explained this wasn’t about Foster’s assessment of her talent, but rather Foster’s own reserved personality. “I enjoy my work a lot,” Stewart said, “but I can see why she’d have felt that way about me when I was younger. I really admire her.”
Since finishing the Twilight films, the actress and Chanel brand ambassador has consistently found work. While she briefly attempted to reboot Charlie’s Angels in 2019, she’s mostly focused on smaller, more personal projects. These include critically acclaimed films like The Clouds of Sils Maria (for which she received France’s Cesar Award, similar to an Oscar), the suspenseful Personal Shopper, and films inspired by real people, Seberg and Spencer.
Following her public breakup with Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart began dating women and later married Dylan Meyer in 2025.
Long before becoming famous for his role as Thanos in the Marvel movies, Josh Brolin – the son of actor James Brolin – began his acting career with a small part in the 1985 film The Goonies. He played Brandon Walsh, the older brother who was both cool and caring.
Oh my gosh, after that breakout role, Josh Brolin just kept working! He was in so many things – like, seriously, a ton! I loved him in Flirting With Disaster and Mimic, but then No Country for Old Men happened and…wow. That movie was amazing and it totally put him back on the map! He just kept getting better and better, with roles in American Gangster and then playing George W. Bush in W.! But then Milk… that was intense. He was incredible as Dan White, and he deserved that Oscar nomination, honestly. Even though some of his movies like Jonah Hex weren’t huge hits, he always brought something special. And then came True Grit, Sicario, Deadpool 2… it was just one amazing performance after another! Of course, everyone knows him now as Thanos from Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame – that CGI was mind-blowing! And don’t even get me started on Dune! Parts one and two are just… perfection. He’s just the best, seriously.
Josh Brolin has two children with his first wife, Alice Adair. He was then married to Diane Lane from 2004 to 2013. He married Kathryn Boyd in 2016, and they have two daughters: Westlyn Reign Brolin, born in 2018, and Chapel Grace Brolin, born in December 2020.
She started her acting career at a young age, appearing in films with Cher and Winona Ryder. She first appeared in the 1990 movie Mermaids, and the following year she starred as the delightfully gloomy Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family.
Christina Ricci continued to gain recognition in the 1990s with films like Casper and Now and Then. She then built a career playing complex characters in movies such as The Opposite of Sex, Buffalo ’66, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Sleepy Hollow, Prozac Nation, Pumpkin, and Monster. In Monster, she portrayed the girlfriend of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a role famously won an Oscar for Charlize Theron.
Over the last three decades, Christina Ricci has consistently chosen bold and unconventional roles. From portraying a stylish flight attendant in the TV series Pan Am to enduring extreme challenges in Black Snake Moan, and embodying captivating historical figures like ax murderer Lizzie Borden in The Lizzie Borden Chronicles and author Zelda Fitzgerald in Z: The Beginning of Everything, Ricci has consistently taken on fascinating and daring parts.
Ricci has two children: a son named Freddie with her former husband, James Heerdegen, and a daughter named Cleopatra with her current husband, Mark Hampton.
In October 2021, Yellowjackets actress Melanie Lynskey married her husband, hairdresser Mark Hampton. They welcomed their daughter, Cleopatra, in December of that same year.
Macaulay Culkin became a pop culture icon almost overnight with his famous scream in Home Alone, but he’d actually been acting since he was around five years old, appearing in TV movies and films like Uncle Buck and Jacob’s Ladder. After taking a break from acting following 1994’s Richie Rich, he’s returned to it on and off, often choosing smaller, but impactful, films like Party Monster and Saved. He’s also pursued music and painting.
Macaulay Culkin, known for his voice work on Robot Chicken and a cameo as a barista on The Jim Gaffigan Show, is set to appear in the tenth season of American Horror Story, scheduled to premiere in 2021, assuming safety guidelines for the pandemic are finalized.
The actor is engaged to Brenda Song and they have two sons. Their first son, Dakota Song Culkin, is named after the actor’s sister, Dakota, who tragically passed away in a car accident in 2008. Their second son, Carson, made his first public appearance at his father’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony on December 1, 2023, when he was one year old.
Kieran Culkin started his acting career with a memorable role as Fuller, Kevin McCallister’s cousin who loves Pepsi, in the popular movie Home Alone, which also launched his brother’s career.
As someone who’s observed a lot of careers, it’s fascinating to see how actors evolve. This particular actor, you might remember him from those classic teen movies like Father of the Bride and She’s All That, really surprised everyone. He completely broke away from that early image with his incredible, Emmy-winning performance as Roman Roy on Succession. He truly transformed himself, showing a depth and complexity we hadn’t seen before.
In 2025, Kieran had a breakthrough year, culminating in an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film A Real Pain.
He and his wife, Jazz Charton, have three children: Kinsey Sioux, Wilder Wolf, and a new baby who was expected in September 2025, as announced by Kieran’s Succession co-star, Sarah Snook.
Dakota Fanning’s career has seemed to jump quickly from playing young versions of characters in shows like Ally McBeal and the movie I Am Sam to a leading role as a pioneering female detective in the historical drama The Alienist. However, that perception isn’t quite accurate.
For over 20 years, she’s consistently delivered strong performances in a variety of films, including Uptown Girls, Man on Fire, Hide and Seek, War of the Worlds, Charlotte’s Web, The Secret Life of Bees, three Twilight movies, American Pastoral, and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. Notably, she portrayed Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.
Dakota Fanning acted alongside her younger sister, Elle Fanning, in the film The Nightingale. She also received a Golden Globe nomination in 2025 for playing Marge Sherwood in the Netflix series Ripley.
Though she began her career playing a younger version of her sister Dakota’s character, ‘Lucy 2 years,’ in the film I Am Sam, Elle Fanning has since established herself as a unique and successful actress with her own distinct style.
Elle started her career like many young actors, playing the children of established stars in films like Daddy Day Care, The Door in the Floor, Babel, and Reservation Road. She also appeared in popular TV shows like various CSI series, Criminal Minds, House, and Law & Order: SVU – often in roles she was likely too young to fully understand. As she grew older, Elle continued to take on diverse movie roles, moving from family-friendly films like We Bought a Zoo and Maleficent, to young adult stories like Super 8 and Twixt, critically acclaimed dramas like Trumbo and 20th Century Women, and even darker, more unusual films like The Neon Demon and The Beguiled.
She’s also taken on notable roles as Mary Shelley in a movie about the author, and as Catherine the Great in the Hulu comedy series The Great.
The actress and singer has matured since first becoming famous on Disney Channel’s Lizzie McGuire. She then continued her career with popular, family-friendly movies like Agent Cody Banks, Cheaper by the Dozen, and A Cinderella Story.
After a period without a major role, Hilary Duff has been shining in Younger, playing a complex coworker to Sutton Foster’s character—a woman in her 40s pretending to be a millennial—in the popular TV Land series, which will be back for a seventh season. While fans were excited about a potential spin-off focusing on Duff’s Younger character Kelsey, many were especially eager to see her reprise her role as Lizzie in a planned Disney+ reboot. Sadly, those plans for a revival of the beloved series have been cancelled.
She has since starred in two seasons of How I Met Your Father.
Hilary Duff first married hockey player Mike Comrie, and they had a son named Luca. They divorced in 2014 after four years together. She then married musician Matthew Koma in 2019, and they have three daughters: Banks Violet, Mae James, and Townes Meadow, who was born in May 2024.
Candace Cameron Bure, known as the older sister D.J. Tanner on the show Full House (which aired from 1987 to 1995), is also the younger sister of actor Kirk Cameron. Her character’s style, particularly her crimped hair, was a major trend for 12-year-olds at the time.
She’s appeared in many TV movies, including some that tackled important issues. A particularly memorable one was the 1996 film No One Would Tell, which was based on the heartbreaking true story of a high school student murdered by her abusive boyfriend after months of silent suffering. It’s a story that still resonates deeply.
Lately, Candace Cameron Bure has become a Hallmark Channel favorite, starring in their popular Christmas movies and the Aurora Teagarden mystery series, which is based on novels by Charlaine Harris. Before that, she was a co-host on The View and reprised her role with most of the original cast in five seasons of the Netflix series Fuller House.
In 2021, she and her husband, former NHL player Valeri Bure, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. They have three children together.
Jodie Sweetin, best known for playing Stephanie Tanner on Full House for eight seasons, faced challenges with substance abuse. She openly shared her experiences in her 2009 memoir, unSweetined.
Between 2002 and 2016, she was married three times, which often made headlines. Her short engagement to Justin Hodak also drew attention, especially after he violated a restraining order she had against him. In 2019, he was sentenced to over six years in prison for possessing a dangerous weapon and providing false evidence.
Having been sober since 2008, the mother of Zoie and Beatrix returned to the world of the Tanner family in Netflix’s Fuller House for five seasons. She’s also appeared in numerous Hallmark Channel movies, such as the 2019 Christmas film Merry and Bright and the romantic comedy Just Swipe.
The character of Michelle Tanner on the popular TV show Full House was actually played by twin sisters, who started on the show as babies and grew into recognizable 6-year-olds. They then used their fame to build a successful business, creating movies, clothing, books, and more – effectively launching a full-fledged Olsen empire.
After 2004’s New York Minute, Mary-Kate continued acting with roles in shows like Weeds and films such as The Wackness and Beastly. Ashley, however, stepped away from acting. Today, both sisters are celebrated as fashion icons and successful businesswomen, co-founding the award-winning brands The Row and Elizabeth & James.
Ashley and her husband, Louis Eisner, welcomed their first child in 2023. Mary-Kate married Olivier Sarkozy in 2015, but they divorced in 2020.
Before Leonardo DiCaprio became a famous movie star, activist, and Oscar winner for The Revenant, he had a very different start. In 1991, he played a homeless teenager named Luke who was taken in by the Seaver family on the show Growing Pains. Even then, he was an actor with a remarkably youthful appearance – he was 16 on Growing Pains and had already been acting for years. DiCaprio received his first Oscar nomination for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and became known for playing troubled young characters in films like A Boy’s Life, The Basketball Diaries, Marvin’s Room, and Romeo + Juliet.
He still kinda looked like a kid in Titanic, but at 22 he had reached full-on heartthrob status.
In the last ten years, Leonardo DiCaprio has appeared in several acclaimed films, including Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, The Revenant (for which he finally won a Best Actor Oscar), and Killers of the Flower Moon.
Accio, adulthood!
Emma Watson first gained recognition for her role as Hermione Granger in the eight Harry Potter films. Since then, she’s appeared in popular young adult movies like The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Bling Ring, acted alongside Tom Hanks in The Circle, and starred as Belle in the live-action Beauty and the Beast and Meg March in Little Women. Beyond acting, Watson uses her influence as a UN Goodwill Ambassador to support women and promote gender equality globally. She’s also worked as a model for brands like Prada and Burberry, co-founded a gin company with her brother Alex Watson, and studied creative writing at Oxford University.
Neil Patrick Harris, originally from New Mexico, achieved early success, receiving a Golden Globe nomination at age 15 for his first role in the 1988 TV movie Clara’s Heart. However, his career could have taken a different turn after becoming known for playing a teenage genius doctor on the show Doogie Howser, M.D.—a possibility he playfully acknowledged by poking fun at himself in the comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.
After a period of struggling after his early Hollywood experiences, he stayed busy with theater, appearing in three Broadway productions. Eventually, he landed the perfect television role as the charming Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, which earned him four Emmy nominations. In 2010, he had a particularly successful year, winning two Emmys – one for co-producing the 2009 Tony Awards and another for a guest appearance on Glee, and receiving three nominations overall.
This incredibly talented performer—a master of acting, singing, dancing, and magic—has hosted the Tony Awards four times, winning an Emmy for the show each time. He’s also hosted the Emmy Awards twice and the Oscars once, in 2015. In 2014, he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
Neil Patrick Harris and his husband, David Burtka, had twins, Gideon and Harper, through surrogacy in 2010. They got married in 2014.
She first became famous as the adorable Olivia on The Cosby Show when she was just four years old. She went on to appear in films like The Little Rascals and the Doctor Dolittle movies. In 2003, she starred in her own popular Disney Channel show, That’s So Raven, where she played a stylish teenage psychic. While starring on that show, she also made guest appearances in other Disney productions, including The Cheetah Girls, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Kim Possible, and Sonny With a Chance.
After her show concluded in 2007, Raven-Symoné continued to appear on television, with roles in shows like American Dad, Nashville, State of Georgia, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Master of None, and Drunk History. She also had a recurring part on Black-ish. In addition to her acting work, she co-hosted The View for three seasons and married Miranda Maday in June 2020.
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