It's kind of amazing what puberty can do, isn't it? Especially in the case of our favorite child stars from the '80s, '90s, and early 2000s. Some of the young actors we watched grow up on screen have transformed in front of our very eyes over the years, and many of them have grown up to be seriously good looking — in fact, we'd even go so far as to say that quite a few of them have actually become hot now that they're adults.
It takes a lot of guts to go through that many changes in front of the whole world, after all, and these tiny actors have done it. They're not so tiny anymore, though; now that they're adults, many of them have spouses and families and have continued to build their careers in such impressive ways.
Read on for the awkward child stars of yesterday who are all grown up and pretty darn good looking today. They've changed a lot since their earliest big breaks, but we'll never forget the first time we saw them act (or how talented they've always been — awkward or not).
Matthew Lewis
Matthew Lewis' major claim to fame is playing Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter movies as a kid, and boy, has he changed since then. In fact, once people realized how good looking he'd grown up to be, he went viral for his handsome looks and ripped body.
Michelle Trachtenberg
Best known for starring in Harriet the Spy in 1996, Michelle Trachtenberg is now 36 years old. Since then, she's appeared in a lot of other movies and shows, including playing the pot-stirring Georgina on Gossip Girl, along with roles in 2000s movies including Ice Princess and 17 Again.
Will Poulter
Now 28, Will Poulter's first big role was in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader when he was still a teenager. But he's had a major glow-up in the years since, starring in Midsommar, We Are the Millers, and most recently, the Hulu series Dopesick.
Jerry O'Connell
You probably remember Jerry O'Connell best from his iconic role in Stand by Me — even though it's been more than 30 years since that movie hit theaters. A lot has changed for Jerry since then. He is now married to Rebecca Romijn, the father of two children, and one of the hosts of The Talk.
Nicholas Hoult
As a kid, Nicholas Hoult starred alongside Hugh Grant in About a Boy as a socially awkward teen struggling to fit in at school. He was adorable then, but he's even better looking now. As he's continued his career (and once had a high-profile romance with Jennifer Lawrence), Nicholas has snagged a lot of impressive roles, including in the X-Men franchise.
Alexa PenaVega
If you grew up watching Spy Kids, there's a good chance this face looks familiar to you — even though she's all grown up now. Today, Alexa is married to fellow actor Carlos PenaVega and a mom of three kids. She's also become a fixture on the Hallmark Channel, starring in countless movies (sometimes with Carlos by her side).
Josh Peck
One of the stars of Nickelodeon's hit series Drake & Josh, Josh has grown up and changed a lot, and he seems so happy today. Some of his recent roles include starring in Grandfathered and the Turner & Hooch reboot, and now he's filming How I Met Your Father.
Jonathan Lipnicki
In the '90s, Jonathan Lipnicki was a big deal — after all, at such a young age, he had major roles in blockbuster movies like Stuart Little and Jerry Maguire. Today, Jonathan is 31, and he's totally changed. These days, you can catch him in The Resident.
Dylan & Cole Sprouse
In the early 2000s, Dylan and Cole Sprouse were Disney Channel darlings, starring in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and its spinoff, The Suite Life on Deck. After taking a break to go to college, Cole returned to acting with Riverdale, and Dylan recently appeared in After We Collided.
Jodie Sweetin
When we think of Jodie Sweetin, we will always picture her playing Stephanie Tanner on Full House — and of course, when she reprised the role for Netflix's reboot, Fuller House. Though Jodie was always an adorable kid, there's no denying that she grew up to be a seriously gorgeous woman.
Abigail Breslin
As a kid, Abigail Breslin was best known for playing Ryan Reynolds' precocious daughter in Definitely, Maybe, along with totally stealing her scenes in Little Miss Sunshine. Now 25, she's appeared in the Ryan Murphy series Scream Queens and starred alongside Emma Stone in Zombieland.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt got his start in showbiz at a very young age — he appeared in shows including Dark Shadows, Roseanne, and 3rd Rock From the Sun in the early '90s as a kid. He grew up to be pretty good looking and to have a successful acting career as an adult. What would 500 Days of Summer have been without him?
Anna Chlumsky
Anna Chlumsky immediately became a big star at a very young age after starring in My Girl, and as an adult, she's continued to act. Now a married mother of two daughters, 40-year-old Anna has had lead roles in Veep, Hannibal, and Halt and Catch Fire.
Jurnee Smollett
Remember Jurnee Smollett from Full House? She played Denise, one of Michelle's friends from school — and boy, has she changed since then. Jurnee has been making headlines lately, and she recently starred in Lovecraft Country on HBO Max and played Black Canary in Birds of Prey.
Danica McKellar
Those of us who grew up watching The Wonder Years probably recognize this lady. As a kid, Danica McKellar played Winnie Cooper on the show, and since then, she's starred in Hallmark movies, competed on Dancing With the Stars, and even written books about math (she graduated summa cum laude in the subject, after all).
Keke Palmer
At a young age, Keke Palmer started out acting in movies like Akeelah & the Bee and the Disney Channel movie Jump In! before getting her own series, True Jackson VP. But as an adult, she's become an even bigger star, hosting red carpets and starring in Hustlers.
Nicola Peltz
At 26, Nicola Peltz is still pretty young, but when she was a kid, she appeared in Deck the Halls and The Last Airbender. Now that she's all grown up, you can see Nicola — who got engaged to Brooklyn Beckham in 2020 — in movies like The Holidate and the upcoming Lola James.
Dakota Fanning
What would Uptown Girl or Coraline have been like without Dakota Fanning? We can't begin to imagine it, and now that she's older (how is she already 27?), it's easy to see how gorgeous she's grown up to be. She's still acting, too — after her role in Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, Dakota has signed on to star in several other projects.
