Troubled OR formerly troubled child stars

1. Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Dee Lohan was born in New York City, on 2 July 1986, to Dina Lohan and Michael Lohan. She began her career at age three as a Ford model, and also made appearances in over sixty television commercials, including spots for The Gap, Pizza Hut, Wendy's, and Jell-O (opposite Bill Cosby). Lohan ...

2. Macaulay Culkin

Actor | Home Alone

Macaulay Culkin, one of the most famous American child stars, was born on August 26, 1980 in New York City, New York, USA, as the third of seven children of his father Kit Culkin (a former stage and child actor and also Macaulay's former manager) and mother Patricia Brentrup. He is the brother of ...

3. Drew Barrymore

Producer | Charlie's Angels

Since melting audiences' hearts at the age of just six in E.T. (1982), Drew Barrymore has emerged as one of the most beloved and singularly gifted actresses of her generation. Born in Culver City, California to John Drew Barrymore and Jaid Barrymore, the clutches of fame were near inescapable for ...

4. Edward Furlong

Actor | Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Edward Walter Furlong was born in Glendale, California. His mother, Eleanor (Tafoya), is from a Mexican family, and worked at a youth center. Furlong had no acting ambitions until he was approached by casting agent Mali Finn, who was looking for a young actor to play the role of John Connor in what...

5. Corey Haim

Actor | The Lost Boys

Corey Haim was born in Toronto, Ontario, to Judy Haim, an Israeli-born data processor, and Bernie Haim, a clothing sales representative. He has a sister, Carol, and a half-brother, Daniel. His family is Jewish. He was raised mostly in Willowdale.

Corey appeared in 26 episodes of the early 1980s ...

6. Jaimee Foxworth

Actress | Family Matters

Jaimee Foxworth was born on December 17, 1979 in Belleville, Illinois, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Family Matters (1989), Amen (1986) and TV 101 (1988).

7. Amanda Bynes

Actress | Hairspray

Amanda Laura Bynes was born on April 3, 1986, in Thousand Oaks, California, the youngest of three children of Lynn (Organ), a dental assistant, and Richard Bynes, a dentist. Her father is of Lithuanian, Irish, and Polish descent, and her mother is from an Ashkenazi Jewish family from Toronto. ...

8. Corey Feldman

Actor | Stand by Me

Corey Scott Feldman began his career at the age of three, starring in a Clio Award-winning McDonald's commercial and has sustained a career for nearly 50 years as a steadily working actor, with more than 80 films under his belt. Corey began his career in guest-starring roles on television series ...

9. Britney Spears

Soundtrack | Crossroads

Britney Jean Spears was born on December 2, 1981 in McComb, Mississippi & raised in Kentwood, Louisiana. As a child, Britney attended dance classes, and she was great at gymnastics, winning many competitions and the like. But, most of all, Britney loved to sing. At age 8, Britney tried out for The ...

10. Bridgette Andersen

Actress | Savannah Smiles

Bridgette Andersen was born on July 11, 1975 to Frank Glass and Teresa Andersen in Inglewood, California and grew up in Malibu. She always considered it good luck to have her birthday read as 7-11 rather than as July 11th. She would always kiss the first two fingers on her right hand and then touch...

11. Andrew Koenig

Actor | InAlienable

Andrew Koenig was born on August 17, 1968 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor and director, known for InAlienable (2007), Batman: Dead End (2003) and Growing Pains (1985). He died on February 14, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

12. Anissa Jones

Actress | To Rome with Love

Anissa Jones was an American child actress of Lebanese descent. She is primarily remembered for the role of the orphan girl Buffy Davis in the hit sitcom "Family Affair" (1966-1971). The series lasted for 5 seasons and 138 episodes. Jones' career rapidly declined following the end of the sitcom. ...

13. Gary Coleman

Actor | Diff'rent Strokes

Without a doubt Gary Coleman was THE child TV star of the late 1970s and early 1980s. A refreshingly confident little tyke with sparkling dark, saucer-like eyes and an ingratiating, take-on-anyone burst of personality, the boy charmed the pants right off of TV viewers the minute he was glimpsed in ...

14. Dana Plato

Actress | Diff'rent Strokes

Dana Michelle Plato was born in Maywood, California, on Saturday, November 7, 1964. Her first excursion into the film world occurred when she was 11 in the television film Beyond the Bermuda Triangle (1975). Dana never made an impact on the TV screen until she landed the role of Kimberly Drummond ...

15. Todd Bridges

Actor | Diff'rent Strokes

Actor Todd Bridges has seen and done it all. Todd has lived and worked amongst some of the most famous and influential individuals in the world. For over twenty-five years, he has victoriously survived a rapidly changing business. He experienced his second rise to fame, as "Juice" on The Young and ...

16. Brad Renfro

Actor | The Client

Brad Renfro was born on July 25, 1982 in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Angela Denise McCrory and Mark Renfro, a factory worker. He was discovered at age 10 by director Joel Schumacher and was cast in the motion picture The Client (1994), which starred Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. Although this ...

17. Mackenzie Phillips

Actress | American Graffiti

Mackenzie Phillips was known for her role in the 1973 hit movie American Graffiti (1973). Two years later, she got the role that changed her life in the 1975 sitcom One Day at a Time (1975). The show was an instant success, and everything was going well until the third season was launched, when she...

18. Tracey Gold

Actress | Growing Pains

Tracey Gold has virtually grown up on television. She made an auspicious television debut in the award-winning mini-series Roots. She also enjoyed seven years on the immensely popular ABC comedy series Growing Pains after which she returned to drama in more than 20 movies for television.

Born in New...

19. Tatum O'Neal

Actress | Paper Moon

Tatum Beatrice O'Neal is an American actress and author. She is the youngest person ever to win a competitive Academy Award, winning at age 10 for her performance as Addie Loggins in Paper Moon (1973) opposite her father, Ryan O'Neal. She also starred as Amanda Wurlitzer in The Bad News Bears (1976...

20. Adam Rich

Actor | Code Red

Adam Rich was born on October 12, 1968 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Code Red (1981), Eight Is Enough (1977) and Dungeons & Dragons (1983). He died on January 8, 2023 in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

21. Demi Lovato

Soundtrack | Camp Rock

Demi Lovato is a GRAMMY-nominated and award-winning musician, actor, advocate and New York Times best-selling author. She was first known for her onscreen talents, and soon after became a musical phenomenon for her remarkable vocal ability. With an audience of over 266 million on social media, Demi...

22. Leif Garrett

Actor | The Outsiders

Born on November 8, 1961 in Hollywood, California, Leif grew up in a world of showbiz and got his first taste of acting in the blockbuster film, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) playing the son of Elliott Gould and Dyan Cannon, though he was uncredited. Then he was a frequent guest in ...

23. Erin Moran

Actress | Joanie Loves Chachi

Born in Burbank, California, USA on October 18, 1960, Erin Moran was the youngest daughter of Sharon and Edward Moran, who have five other children. She attended Walter Reed Junior High School for one year and North Hollywood High School for another year. Her first professional acting job was in a ...

24. Judy Garland

Actress | The Wizard of Oz

One of the brightest, most tragic movie stars of Hollywood's Golden Era, Judy Garland was a much-loved character whose warmth and spirit, along with her rich and exuberant voice, kept theatre-goers entertained with an array of delightful musicals.

She was born Frances Ethel Gumm on 10 June 1922 in ...

25. Danny Bonaduce

Actor | The Partridge Family

Danny Bonaduce was born on August 13, 1959 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Partridge Family (1970), Charlotte's Web (1973) and That '70s Show (1998). He has been married to Amy Railsback since November 22, 2010. He was previously married to Gretchen ...

26. Brian Bonsall

Actor | Family Ties

Brian was born in Torrance California in 1981, and grew up as a child actor in Hollywood. He filled a variety of roles, during his acting career between the ages of three and fourteen, which include "Andy Keaton" on Family Ties (1982); Worf's son "Alexander Rozshenko" on Star Trek: The Next ...

27. Jodie Sweetin

Actress | Full House

Jodie Sweetin was born on January 19, 1982 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Full House (1987), Fuller House (2016) and Just Swipe (2021). She has been married to Mescal Wasilewski since July 30, 2022. She was previously married to Morty Coyle, Cody Herpin ...

28. Dustin Diamond

Actor | Saved by the Bell

Attended Zion Lutheran School in Anaheim, California. While in fifth grade, he portrayed 8th-grader Samuel "Screech" Powers in the television series Good Morning, Miss Bliss (1987), which evolved into Saved by the Bell (1989) and its various television movies and spin-offs. Also appeared in the ...

29. Jeremy Jackson

Actor | Baywatch

Jeremy Jackson At the tender age of six, Jeremy Jackson got his first taste of show business, booking his first successful commercial for Mattel. From this Jeremy exploded onto the commercial scene starring in dozens of national network ad campaigns including television and print. In addition to ...

30. Jonathan Brandis

Actor | The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter

Born in Danbury, Connecticut, USA, to Greg and Mary, Jonathan Brandis began his career at age 5, acting in several television commercials. He also appeared in small parts in several films and TV shows before his first starring role in the 1990 film The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990). ...

31. Christopher Pettiet

Actor | Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead

Born in Plano, Texas, Christopher Pettiet began career as a child actor making appearances in television series, made-for-television movies and films. He starred in two hit flicks, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991) and Point Break (1991), and then joined the cast of the Western TV series ...

32. Jay North

Actor | Dennis the Menace

Jay North will forever be remembered for giving TV life to the popular comic strip hellion Dennis the Menace (1959). Humanizing this little tornado would not only be his treasure, it would be his torment.

Jay was born Jay Waverly North, Jr. on August 3, 1951, in Los Angeles, and started off on the ...

33. Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer

Actor | Second Childhood

Carl Switzer was an American child actor, singer, dog breeder, and hunting guide from Paris, Illinois. He became famous for portraying Alfalfa in the film series "Our Gang" during the 1930s. His character was one of the most memorable characters ever portrayed in the series. Later in his career, ...

34. Maia Campbell

Actress | In the House

Maia Campbell was born on November 26, 1976 in Takoma Park, Maryland, USA. She is an actress, known for In the House (1995), Poetic Justice (1993) and Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990).

35. Linda Blair

Actress | The Exorcist

From the age of five, Linda Blair had to get used to the spotlight, first as a child model and then as an actress, when out of 600 applicants she was picked for the role of Regan, the possessed child, in The Exorcist (1973). Linda quickly rose to international fame, won the Golden Globe, and seemed...

36. Orlando Brown

Actor | Major Payne

Orlando Brown was born on December 4, 1987 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Major Payne (1995), Thirteen (2003) and Safe Harbor (1999).

37. Dylan Patton

Actor | Days of Our Lives

Dylan Michael Patton was born in Texas on July 13th, 1992. Dylan began his acting career at the age of 7 and his natural character appeal in front of the camera helped him to book various commercials both regional and national. In the spring of 2002, Dylan's agent received a call from a producer ...