In part two of our child star series, we find out what ever happened to JTT and Punky Brewster and gaze into our crystal ball to predict the future for these former celebrities.
Jonathan Taylor-Thomas
Known to his fans as JTT, Thomas is famous for his role of the tween heart-throb Randy Taylor on the sitcom Home Improvement in 1991 at age 10.
Where is he now?
Once Home Improvement wrapped, Thomas voiced Simba in the 1994 Disney Blockbuster film The Lion King and appeared in some straight-to-DVD movies. Gay rumours surfaced after he portayed homosexual characters in such films as Common Ground, and Speedway Junky, a claim he denies. Thomas attended Harvard University and now attends Columbia University Graduate School. The future? Rich businessman.
Keisha Castle-Hughes
At the tender age of 12 the Kiwi actress rode all the way to the Academy Awards playing Pai in Whale Rider.
Where is she now?
Suddenly hot Hollywood Property, Castle-Hughes starred in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and as the Virgin Mary in The Nativity Story. At the age of 17 she gave birth to a daughter, Felicity-Amore and now lives back in Auckland. The future? More babies.
Keshia Knight Pulliam
Acting since the age of 3, Pulliam is best known as the adorable Rudy Huxtable in The Cosby Show.
Where is she now?
In 2004, Knight Pulliam posed for a six-page lingerie and swimsuit layout in Black Men magazine in an attempt to get rid of her Rudy "little girl" image. The same year, she starred in Chingy's music video for "One Call Away". After denying cocaine rumours, in 2008, She joined the cast of TV show House of Payne as a regular character. The future? On the down low.
Kirk Cameron
Cameron is best-known for his role as teen pin-up Mike Seaver on the television sit-com Growing Pains.
Where is he now?
Cameron "found God" at the age of 17, during the height of his career on Growing Pains. After converting to Christianity, he felt his fellow cast members were immoral and did not invite them to his wedding. Cameron is currently a TV evangelist and partner in the evangelical Christian ministry The Way of the Master. The future? Heavenly.
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay hit the big time at age11, by playing identical twins in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap. Leading roles in the films Freaky Friday, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Mean Girls and Herbie: Fully Loaded soon followed and Lindsay became the coolest teen in Hollywood.
Where is she now?
Where do we start? Lohan moved into small indie roles while her private life derailed into a haze of car accidents, drug arrests, jail time and rehab. She's now found stability with female partner Samantha Ronson and has movies due out this summer. The future? We ain't seen the last of Lindsay.
Macaulay Culkin
Little Macaulay Culkin stole our hearts as the abandoned Kevin McCallister in the Home Alone movie franchise and as a tragic sweetheart in My Girl - he was the blonde haired, male, Shirley Temple of the 90s.
Where is he now?
Culkin had a short-lived teen marriage to actress Rachel Miner and a long period of inactivity after his initial childhood success. His portrayal as the drug-addled Michael Alig in dark drama/comedy Party Monster in 2003 gained him new fans but life soon imitated art when, in 2004, he was arrested for the possession of marijuana and a controlled substance, Xanax. In 2006, Miramax released Culkin's first novel, Junior, a book following the life of a child star and he now dates actress Mila Kunis. The future? We predict a comeback!
Matthew Krok
Who? You know, the guy universally referred to as "the fat kid from Hey Dad..!" He also appeared in a popular Sorbent toilet paper ad during the 90s.
Where is he now?
Krok's last credited acting appearance was in the 2001 children's television series Outriders. Since then, he has done a stint as Mormon missionary and is now undertaking a double degree in civil and environmental engineering. He has an open Facebook profile. The future? Oblivion.
Neil Patrick Harris
Remember Doogie Howser, M.D? Yep, Neil Patrick played the brilliant teenage doctor who was also faced with the problems of being a normal teen.
Where is he now?
Harris had had consistent but low-key roles in theatre, film and TV ever since his Doogie Howser days. He hit the big-time again in TV series How I Met Your Mother and has recently come out as gay. The future? Let's hope he's wearing shades.
Nikki Webster
She was the star of the Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony, a singing, dancing, ringlet-ed cutie pie. Her Olympics success earned her a record deal which launched the hit "Strawberry Kisses".
Where is she now?
Webster's career has been quiet since ending her BMG contract expired in 2004. Webster launched a more mature look by posing in a bikini for FHM in 2006 and performing as a wind-up doll at the 2007 Sleaze Ball. She has supposedly been working on a new album in the US. Her future? Cabaret.
Sara Gilbert
At the age of 13, Gilbert landed the role of Darlene Conner, the sarcastic middle child, in sitcom Roseanne. Over the nine years it ran Darlene became a cult character.
Where is she now?
Since Roseanne, Gilbert has had semi-regular cameo work in film and TV, shooting spots for popular shows like Private Practice, 24 and Law and Order. She has two children with her partner Allison Adler. They had a son born in October 2004 and a daughter born on August 2, 2007. Allison carried the couple's son and Gilbert carried their daughter. The future? Plenty more "wasn't she in...?" moments.
Soleil Moon Frye
This quirkily-named actress became an overnight sensation when at 8 years old she starred in the title role of TVs Punky Brewster.
Where is she now?
Frye has continued to act in TV and film, including a three year run on Sabrina The Teenage Witch. She is best friends with co-star Melissa Joan Hart and has two daughters (Poet Sienna Rose and Jagger Joseph Blue Goldberg - yes really). She is also co-founder of "the Little Seed", an environmentally-conscious children's specialty boutique in where else but L.A. The future: fabulous, but not famous.
Tina Yothers
She was the child actress who played environmentally-conscious third child Jennifer in the sitcom Family Ties.
Where is she now?
After the series finished, Yothers died her distinctive blonde hair black and has worn it dark ever since. She wrote the book Being Your Best: Tina Yothers's Guide for Girls and formed the band Jaded with her brother. After a nine year absence from acting, Tina was given the lead role in Lovelace the Musical, a 2004 stage show based on the life of porn star Linda Lovelace. She has two children and has battled with her weight on TVs Celebrity Fit Club. The future? Suburban.
Tags: AU, Child stars
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