My Favorite Kid Actors

In 1999 he changed my perspective of young actors with his Oscar-nominated performance as Cole Sear in The Sixth Sense. Haley was amazing in that role and very good in Pay It Forward, AI: Artificial Intelligence and Secondhand Lions. (Previous Rank: 1, Net Rank Change: ---)

A long-time actor with notable roles in Jurassic Park, The River Wild, and the gut-wrenching movie, The Cure. A favorite actor of mine for many years. (Previous Rank: 3, Net Rank Change: +1)

Very talented actress with a broad range. She has done remarkably well in her roles as a superhero (Kick-Ass), a vampire (Let Me In) and a brainy adventure-seeker (Hugo). (Previous Rank: 2, Net Rank Change: -1)

The star of the upcoming sci-fi film Ender's Game, and the Oscar-nominated film Hugo, Asa is quickly becoming a well-known actor. His thoughtful, calm sort of style of acting and face that is full of endless expressions makes him a refreshing counter to some of the Disney-type in-your-face style acting that has become popular lately. (Previous Rank: 7, Net Rank Change: +3)

After seeing his amazing performance in Let Me In opposite Chloë Moretz, I knew this Australian actor had some chops. He's another whose subtle voice and body movements speak volumes. Kodi moved up on my list substantially after seeing his amazing role in "The Road." IMDb.com recently recognized Kodi as one of the "young rising stars of summer." (http://www.imdb.com/young-rising-stars-of-summer/week-five-a#1) I look for Kodi to go far. (Previous Rank: 17, Net Rank Change: +12)

I added Christian to this list mostly for his outstanding performance as a young fugitive during World War II in Empire of the Sun, a film that garnered 6 Academy Award noms. Christian is one of the few that has been able to transition into a highly successful career as an adult actor. (Previous Rank: n/a)

As a child, Elijah showed his acting chops films such as Radio Flyer, The Good Son and The War and continued to bring his unique style onscreen into his teen and adult years with his role in Deep Impact and eventually The Lord of The Rings trilogy. Like a few others, Elijah is one who was able to successfully make the jump successfully to adult actor. (Previous Rank: n/a)

Atticus is an incredibly smart and talented young man. His quirkiness adds to his dimensions as a character and person. His role as Brick Heck on TV's "The Middle" is a prime example of his talent. (Previous Rank: 4, Net Rank Change: -2)

As Max Kenton, he is the heart and soul of the Reel Steel. He plays opposite Hugh Jackman in this film and plays the part very well. Also seen in a small role in Thor and a bit larger one in Resurrecting The Champ. It looks like this young actor will be staying busy for a while. (Previous Rank: 6, Net Rank Change: -1)

Widely celebrated as one of the greatest child actors of his time, River was able to perform in 24 roles as a kid and as an adult before his tragic death. Explorers and especially Stand By Me are highlighted as two of my favorite of his roles as a young man. (Previous Rank: n/a)

Dakota received tons of acclaim regarding her role in I am Sam at age 7 and hasn't looked back since. With over 40 roles and 17 awards to her name, Dakota is sure to be remembered as one of the most successful child actors ever. (Previous Rank: 18, Net Rank Change: +4)

Following in the footsteps of big sister Dakota, Elle has proven to be able to hold her own. Her most notable stand-out performance was recently in the sci-fi film Super 8, where she arguably out-performed everyone else in the cast and may have propelled her out from the shadow of her older sister. (Previous Rank: 16, Net Rank Change: +1)

Jennifer's role as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games launched her career into the stratosphere (ranked 20 on imdb as of this posting). As good she was in this role, fans should not overlook her outstanding roles as Raven/Mystique in X-Men First Class and her sleeper role as the daughter of an alcoholic father in the off-beat tale, The Beaver. She recently won an Best Actress Oscar for her role in Silver Linings Playbook. (Previous Rank: n/a)

Starting with his role as Ben Harrison in the film Stepmom, I could tell that Liam had the charisma and acting chops that it took to make it in the acting world. His later roles in Good Boy! and Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events showed he could play a major role and do it well. (Previous Rank: 11, Net Rank Change: +1)

Zach is one of those actors with an extraordinarily expressive face, so much so that he was able to very convincingly play the role of a mute boy in the TV movie Valley of Light at age 11. He went on to appear in a memorable role as Eric in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium and more recently as Preston in the hit movie Super 8. (Previous Rank: 13, Net Rank Change: +2)

Two words. Paper Moon. Outside of the Honorary Juvenile Awards, Tatum is the youngest Oscar winner for her supporting role in this film. She continued her (at times troubled) career and continues her work today. (Previous Rank: 15, Net Rank Change: +3)

Zathura introduced me to Hutcherson and later Bridge to Terabithia solidified his capabilities as an actor. His role as Peeta Mellark in Hunger Games is likely to expand his horizons even further. Now at 19, Josh is already a veteran of the big screen and very good at what he does. (Previous Rank: 8, Net Rank Change: -5)

Interview with the Vampire was an indicator to how well Kirsten could stand and perform with other great actors. She is one of the few that started as a notable child actor and was able to continue that into a successful career as an adult. (Previous Rank: 9, Net Rank Change: -5)

Just now coming out of his teenage years, Freddie has had an amazing career as an actor already. His first notable role as Peter in Finding Neverland opposite Johnny Depp land him several nominations and awards. He went on to star in other great roles in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Aurthur and the Invisibles, August Rush, The Golden Compass, as twins in The Spiderwick Chronicles and more. (Previous Rank: 12, Net Rank Change: - 3)

Starting with his appearance as The Flash in Daddy Day Care at age 7, Jimmy stood out amongst his peers. Now, at 16 he has dozens of roles under his belt including Hostage with Bruce Willis, The Amityville Horror, Evan Almighty, Star Trek and Shorts. (Previous Rank: 14, Net Rank Change: -2)

Hailee is another actor that will add to the talent pool in the star-studded cast of the upcoming Ender's Game. Her Oscar-nominated role in True Grit proved she was a force to be reckoned with, and I believe she will continue that tradition for years to come. (Previous Rank: 10, Net Rank Change: -7)

Starring in classics like The Goonies, Stand By Me and The Lost Boys, Feldman was one of the great kid actors of the 80s. Unfortunately he had a rough time through these years and although he still appears in films today, he wasn't able to transcend into the status that some child actors have been able to. (Previous Rank: n/a)

Maisie is one of several who had a single standout role that caused me to take notice. For her it was as Arya Stark, a tomboyish witty and rebellious daughter of Eddard Stark in HBO's hit series, Game of Thrones. It's no less impressive that Maisie has had no previous experience on film. I expect this young lady has a bright future ahead of her. (Previous Rank: n/a)

Although Lucas had a couple of roles before, it was his role as Frank Wheatley in off-beat tale Sling Blade opposite Billy Bob Thorton that set him apart. Different from many child actors, Lucas seemed completely natural and comfortable in the role. (Previous Rank: n/a)

In his first role ever as a professional actor in the Best Picture Oscar-nominated Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Thomas Horn carries the film on his shoulders. He appears in almost every scene and does so brilliantly. So far he's won a Critics Choice Award for his role in this film. Since the release of EL&IC, Thomas has been signed to two films, both due out in 2013. (Previous Rank: 20, Net Rank Change: +2)

Some actors made this list because of one huge standout role. With Charlie, that role is that of Sam in Charlie St. Cloud. His huge range and matter-of-fact style in this film landed him a Saturn Award nomination. I look forward to seeing him in larger roles in the future. (Previous Rank: 19, Net Rank Change: ---)

Chandler did a great job in his role as Caleb Koestler in The Knowing, but it was his role as Young Peter Bishop in the TV series Fringe that really bolstered my opinion of his skill. I look forward to seeing more from him, and from the looks of his imdb page, he is staying busy filming. (Previous Rank: 21, Net Rank Change: +1)

His long-term role on Two and a Half Men has been an anchor to the show, and his dialogue is often more funny than that of the adults. Angus is one of those actors that is very comfortable in what he does, seeming like an everyday guy, which really is part of his appeal. (Previous Rank: 24, Net Rank Change: +3)

Courtney's strong breakthrough role in the sci-fi hit Super 8 landed him on this list. Playing the main character Joel Lamb, he carries this movie with maturity. The key to his skill is that you never get the feeling that he's acting. (Previous Rank: 5, Net Rank Change: -17)

Those who have seen Max in Where The Wild Things Are can attest to his natural charisma. I imagine from watching the film, the director just explained the basic concept of the scene and let Max roll with it, as the story seemed to flow very naturally. I have yet to see Max in any of his other roles. (Previous Rank: 22, Net Rank Change: -1)

Being a Star Trek Next Generation watcher, my fandom goes way back with Wil. Between that role and the one as Gordie Lachance in the film Stand By Me, I'm a fan of Wil's childhood career more-so than his current projects. (Previous Rank: 23, Net Rank Change: -1)

Abigail will be playing Ender's sister in the upcoming movie version of the Ender's Game novel, and I think she is a very good choice for the role. Though I haven't seen her "sweeter" roles such as the one in Nim's Island, have seen her in Signs and Zombieland and she is a very capable actor. (Previous Rank: 27, Net Rank Change: +2)

The NeverEnding Story was a favorite of mine growing up, partly because of the storyline but also because Barret brought life to Bastian, a smart, bullied kid with essentially no friends yet an incredible imagination. It's kinda sad he didn't continue his career into adulthood. (Previous Rank: 30, Net Rank Change: +4)

I saw Miko in his first role at 3 years old in Pet Sematary and watched his talent grow in roles from Kindergarten Cop up through his awesome performance as an autistic boy who cracks a government code in Mercury Rising. Through the years Miko has chalked up over 50 credits and still acts occasionally. (Previous Rank: 31, Net Rank Change: +4)

From what I've seen, it's my personal opinion that Kieran is the one that has the most talent in the Culkin family. I've seen him in several of his films but for me, his talent was confirmed in his role as Kevin Dillon, a boy with Morquio's Syndrome in the 1998 film, The Mighty. (Previous Rank: 33, Net Rank Change: +5)

His roles in The Night at the Museum movies and The Sorcerer's Apprentice display Jake's range and ability to articulate dialogue well, but it was his role as an autistic boy in Miracle Run that was enough to convince me that he the chops for acting. (Previous Rank: 35, Net Rank Change: +6)

Charlie played convincing roles as sharp but a bit awkward in both What About Bob? and later in Hook. Sadly Charlie only made one more film in his late teens as he decided to focus his talents elsewhere, graduating from Yale Law and working in government. (Previous Rank: n/a)

Martian Child is the only movie I've seen in with Bobby, but it left an impression. His voice and mannerisms are such that I actually started thinking halfway through the film, "maybe this kid really is from Mars," and being a sort of weird kid myself growing up, for a moment I wonder if we might both be Martians. :P Great performance. Hope to see more of his work. (Previous Rank: 29, Net Rank Change: -1)

With several TV Shows under his belt, it was his role in the Oscar Winning Almost Famous that lauched young Angarano into the spotlight. He went on to later star in the movie Sky High and have a reoccuring role on TV's Will & Grace and is still going strong today, currently involved in three movies in post-production. (Previous Rank: 41, Net Rank Change: +10)

It was his strong debut performance in Son of Rambow that landed Bill on this list. I was also impressed by his intense but brief role in X-Men: First Class. He has appeared in several shorts, TV shows and films since. I hope to get a chance to see more from him soon. (Previous Rank: 42, Net Rank Change +10)

Riley is another that caught my attention with a single role. I had seen him Toyota Highlander commercials prior, but it was his role in the quirky yet often times very real film The Beaver that made me see this kid's potential. He's one to keep an eye on as he grows and expands his roles. (Previous Rank: 25, Net Rank Change -6)

Sometimes good acting involves acting bad. This is definitely the case for Jack Gleeson who plays Joffrey Baratheon, the prince and later King of Westeros in HBO's Game of Thrones. Though Jack shows a full range of emotion through the series, he is best when it comes to playing a young man whose fury and misguided sense of entitlement leads him down the path of one very evil villain indeed. (Previous Rank: n/a)

Logan has more recently gone from small roles to supporting and lead roles through his appearances in Gamer, 3:10 to Yuma and Percy Jackson & The Olympians : The Lightning Thief. I think Logan is a good actor and hopes he looks for more challenging roles in the future (Like 3:10 to Yuma). (Previous Rank: 26, Net Rank Change: -8)

Jaden Smith showed the he's got the acting genes of his parents in The Karate Kid and although the original is good, I enjoyed the updated version even more. Jaden is a big reason for that. (Previous Rank: 28, Net Rank Change: -6)

Although he was in a few roles before, it was his role as socially awkward Marcus Brewer in About A Boy opposite Hugh Grant that I found to be a standout performance. Nicholas has gone on to a fairly successful career as an adult, landing roles in films such as Class of the Titans and X-Men: First Class.

The shared role of Julian 'Frankenstein' McGrath with his twin brother Dylan was Cole's breakout performance. And as much as I loathe Disney TV series, his role as nerdy Cody Martin on The Suite Life of Zach and Cody was often very funny. (Previous Rank: n/a)

The shared role of Julian 'Frankenstein' McGrath with his twin brother Cole was Dylan's breakout performance. And as much as I loathe Disney TV series, his role as jockish Zack Martin on The Suite Life of Zach and Cody was often very funny. (Previous Rank: n/a)

At 6 years old, Tristan played Jason White, the precocious son of Lois Lane in the movie Superman Returns. He didn't have a large role, but was enough to show his charisma and acting chops. Another I'd like to see more from in the future. (Previous Rank: 32, Net Rank Change: -4)

Gabriel's performance as Hob in Robocop 2 was the first time I had seen a villain role played convincingly by a child actor. In addition to that role, Gabriel also did very well in his roles on Star Trek: Next Generation and Newsies, both of which he was nominated for a Young Artist Award. (Previous Rank: n/a)

Maxwell did well enough in A Dennis the Menace Christmas, but it was really his role as Joey Campbell in Like Dandelion Dust that really pulled the heartstrings. He is also solid in the recent Mr. Popper's Penquins as Billy, Mr. Popper's son (Jim Carrey). (Previous Rank: 36, Net Rank Change: -1)

Although I haven't seen any of recent roles, as a kid Cameron played strong supporting roles in several thrillers. He showed he could handle very mature roles as Adam Duncan in Godsend, Young Sean opposite Nicole Kidman in Birth and the violent film Running Scared with Paul Walker. Now as at then end of his teenage years Cameron seems to be just getting started. (Previous Rank: 37, Net Rank Change: -1)

Gattlin's roles on TV shows like Without a Trace, Supernatural and Criminal Minds are all very compelling. He has a range that can show inner strength and matter-of-factness as well as vulnerability. One to watch for mature and complex roles in the future. (Previous Rank: 38, Net Rank Change: -1)

Although I've only seen Nathan in The Dark Knight and an episode of The Ghost Whisperer, his talent is notable. At one point Orson Scott Card, author of Ender's Game, mentioned that he regretted he might be too old to play the titular character in the Ender's Game movie. Ironically, Asa Butterfield who will be playing the part is 9 months older. (Previous Rank: 34, Net Rank Change: -6)

Like so many others, I first saw Frankie in the titular role on the hit TV series Malcolm in the Middle where he showed his talent for face-to-camera narration. While Frankie is also known for movies Big Fat Liar and Agent Cody Banks 1 & 2, it's still Middle that garnered him the most awards recognition. (Previous Rank: n/a)

"Jerry do you know the human head weighs eight pounds?" Who can forget Jonathan's prodigious role as Ray Boyd in Jerry Maguire? Lipnicki went on to act with fellow child actor Haley Joel Osment on the short-lived Jeff Foxworthy Show and star in few films but unfortunately never really took off. He's still acting today, so maybe his greatest days are yet to come. (Previous Rank: n/a)

Like Lucas Black, Brad Renfro was an atypical actor in Hollywood: from the heart of the South (Knoxville, TN) he spoke in a thick accent and had a strong, matter-of-fact demeanor. 1995's The Cure with Joseph Mazzello is a personal favorite of mine although The Client, Sleepers and Apt Pupil were strong performances as well. Unfortunately Renfro's life was cut short in 2008 at the age of 25, so we will never really know if he hit his full potential. (Previous Rank: n/a)

A relatively new actor to the scene, Benjamin's role as Robby Gunderson on TV's Son's of Tucson displayed his ability to act with authority. Even though he was the youngest brother on the show, he often convincingly had a firm grasp on the reins. With several films in post-production, it will be interesting to see what his future has in store. (Previous Rank: 39, Net Rank Change: -2)

Spencer is another of the few child actors that has been able to transition into adult roles. As a child actor he has been in pivotal supporting roles in films such as Unbreakable and the Oscar winning Gladiator. (Previous Rank: 45, Net Rank Change: +3)

A great debut performance from this young actor as Damian in 2004's Millions. Alex also starred in the 2007 fantasy The Waterhorse. Sadly he has been involved in anything lately, but hopefully that will change. (Previous Rank: 43, Net Rank Change: ---)

Will's strong role in 2007's Son of Rambow also starring Bill Milner landed him on this list. Unfortunately, I haven't made it around to watching any others but Voyage of the Dawn Treader is on the To See list. (Previous Rank: n/a)

Alex hasn't had any work in the past few years, but stayed busy during his childhood appearing in quite a few TV shows, doing vioce-over work and starring in Home Alone 3 and Max Keeble's Big Move. Although his career never really completely launched into stardom, he played some good roles with skill. (Previous Rank: 40, Net Rank Change: -4)

With starring roles in Because of Winn-Dixie and her heart-rending performance in Bridge Terabithia, Robb has plainly shown her capabilities. I look forward to seeing more from her in future roles. (Previous Rank: 46, Net Rank Change: +1)

I first saw Thomas in his relatively small role in Love Actually and then later in a larger role in Nanny McPhee, both which I enjoyed thoroughly. Interestingly, he also does the one-liners for Ferb in Disney's Phineas and Ferb. (Previous Rank: 48, Net Rank Change: +2)

It was his cold, creepy roles as Aidan in The Ring and The Ring Two that landed David on this list. Unfortunately his roles have come fewer and farther between as he gets older. (Previous Rank: 47, Net Rank Change: ---)

At only 7 years old Mason carried Dennis The Menace with charisma and confidence. He went on to roles in Rushmore and Arlington Road but slowly lost momentum and hasn't appeared since 2010. Maybe there's still more in store from Mr. Gamble. (Previous Rank: n/a)

Alex had several appearances on various TV shows before his notable voiceover role as Nemo in the box-office hit Finding Nemo. He has since continued his television tradition and appeared as the memorable character Twitch in the 2006 film How to Eat Fried Works. Gould is currently a regular on the TV show Weeds. (Previous Rank: 44, Net Rank Change: -4)