Child stars are an interesting breed to say the least. Most of the time you see them in the news for various offenses including drug abuse, DUI’s or just going crazy. As you know, these stars include Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Amanda Bynes, Justin Bieber… okay I’ll stop before I get carried away, but you get the point. Most child stars don’t have the best rep.
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With the amount of crazy child stars on the rise, you may find it hard to believe that some child stars grow up perfectly fine. There is a select group of child stars that do grow up without going crazy (who knew!?). Here is a list of the 4 child stars who turned out okay.
1. Melissa Joan Hart
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Melissa Joan Hart is most remembered for her role on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t had a successful career. She’s been able to have a steady career past her child star days with a few TV movies and a starring role in her own show on ABC Family. She even had a stint on Dancing With The Stars in 2009. Hart is now married with three kids, but she’s one of the best examples of how child stars can be famous without going crazy.
2. Mara Wilson
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Better known as Matilda, Mara Wilson is a prime example of child stars gone right. Wilson actually wrote an article called 7 Reasons Child Stars Go Crazy where she talked about how she made it out of child stardom alive. She hasn’t done any major films since the year 2000, but she did attend college at NYU and she still acts in smaller projects and works mainly as a writer. Wilson is living proof that Hollywood doesn’t always have to suck the life out of child stars.
3. Joseph Gordon Levitt
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You must be hiding under a rock if you don’t know who this guy is! Joseph Gordon Levitt has come back from his child star days in a big way. He first appeared on 3rd Rock From The Sun, but then took a break from acting to attend Columbia University. He started coming back into acting with a few dramatic roles in the mid 2000’s, and by 2009, he became more recognizable in Hollywood with his leading role in 500 Days of Summer. He officially broke out of his child star mold with films like Inception and Dark Knight Rises which made him a household name and a Hollywood heart-throb.
4. Neil Patrick Harris
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I couldn’t finish this list without mentioning Neil Patrick Harris. Most people know him now for his iconic role-playing Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother, but some might forget that his original claim to fame was playing Doogie Houser in Doogie Houser M.D. However, NPH is much more than just a television actor. He also performs on Broadway and has hosted the Tony Awards four times! I’ve never met someone who doesn’t love NPH; I mean he acts, sings, does magic and he’s funny… what’s not to love? Harris now has two kids with his partner David Burtka. He’s living proof that you can be a child star and still have amazing success in Hollywood.
Every year, we seem to find a new, adorable face gracing our movie and television screens. Child stardom can be difficult, but if done right, it is possible to make it out alive and still find success. Our list only mentioned 4 child stars who never went crazy, but there are plenty more where this list came from. Leave us a comment with child stars you think have stayed grounded.
Ariel Schiller/ CW44 Tampa Bay
