Girls into Women
by neil-476 | created - 28 Feb 2014 | updated - 06 Sep 2019 | PublicI spotted the ladies on this list when they were child actresses, and I was sure they would be wonderful adult actresses. Most have already proved me right: some are still making the journey.
1. Jenny Agutter
Actress | Logan's Run
Jenny Agutter was born on December 20, 1952, in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. The daughter of an army officer, she spent her childhood traveling and living in different countries. Her film career began at the age of 12 in East of Sudan (1964), which was quickly followed by The Magical World of ...
First spotted in the BBC TV version of The Railway Children (even before the Lionel Jeffries movie version), Miss Agutter, who is very nearly exactly the same age as me, became an eclectic actress. I have enjoyed following her career.
2. Christina Ricci
Actress | Casper
Precocious, outspoken child-teen starlet of the 1990s, Christina Ricci was born on February 12, 1980 in Santa Monica, California, the youngest of four children of Sarah (Murdoch), a realtor, and Ralph Ricci, a lawyer and therapist. She is of Italian (from her paternal grandfather), Irish, and ...
Miss Ricci made an impression as a child performer in the Addams Family films and Casper. As an adult performer, she is courageous and takes no prisoners.
3. Eliza Bennett
Actress | Sweet/Vicious
Eliza Bennett is a English actress. She is known for her role as Jules Thomas in the MTV series Sweet/Vicious for which her performance received critical acclaim.
Eliza started working at 9 years old after landing the lead as Jemima in 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' in the London West End, after an open ...
Miss Bennett single-handedly lifted the Wesley Snipes vehicle The Contractor out of mediocity, and added a needed element of touching vulnerability to Inkheart. Her adult career so far has been disappointing: one hopes she will find vehicles to enable her to shine.
4. Sophie Nélisse
Actress | The Book Thief
Sophie Nélisse was born in Windsor, Ontario, but moved to Montréal with her family when she was just age four.
She began her career at the age of seven in commercials, then made her movie debut at age 10 in the 2012 French-Canadian film Monsieur Lazhar. For her performance in the film, she won a ...
I include Miss Nélisse having seen her in a single film, The Book Thief. On the basis of her performance in that film, I am confident that she will move gracefully into adulthood, and will provide us with some powerful performances on the way.
5. Scarlett Johansson
Actress | Her
Scarlett Ingrid Johansson was born on November 22, 1984 in Manhattan, New York City, New York. Her mother, Melanie Sloan is from a Jewish family from the Bronx and her father, Karsten Johansson is a Danish-born architect from Copenhagen. She has a sister, Vanessa Johansson, who is also an actress, ...
She was an engaging child performer, but I doubt anyone expected Miss Johansson's career to take the path it has. It would have been so easy for her to continue to take bimbo parts: to her credit, she has made some interesting and off-the-wall choices. I also don't think that the skin-tight black leather of the Black Widow has done her any harm at all.
6. Jennifer Connelly
Actress | A Beautiful Mind
Jennifer Connelly was born in the Catskill Mountains, New York, to Ilene (Schuman), a dealer of antiques, and Gerard Connelly, a clothing manufacturer. Her father had Irish and Norwegian ancestry, and her mother was from a Jewish immigrant family. Jennifer grew up in Brooklyn Heights, just across ...
After several minor parts, the lead in Labyrinth brought Miss Connelly to public attention at age 15. Her career has been wildly varied, the one consistent element being how good she has been in all of it.
7. Abigail Breslin
Actress | Little Miss Sunshine
Academy Award-nominated actress Abigail Breslin is one of the most sought-after actors of her generation. Her unique and charismatic talents have contributed to her versatile roles in both comedy and drama.
Recently, Breslin headlined the first season of the horror-comedy series, Scream Queens (2015)...
At the time of writing, Miss Breslin is sitting right on the border where childhood meets adulthood. Having demonstrated that she is an accomplished child actor, she has already served notice that she won't be making compromises as her career moves towards stronger material.
8. Emma Watson
Actress | The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson was born in Paris, France, to British parents, Jacqueline Luesby and Chris Watson, both lawyers. She moved to Oxfordshire when she was five, where she attended the Dragon School. From the age of six, Emma knew that she wanted to be an actress and, for a number of years,...
Miss Watson was truly horrible in the first Harry Potter film: by the third, she had become so magnetic on screen that you couldn't take your eyes off her. Her career as an adult has been a little hesitant so far, but she is good and will continue to demonstrate this.
9. Pamela Franklin
Actress | The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
British actress Pamela Franklin has worked with many notable actors and directors throughout her career. A somewhat underrated actress, she had a wide range of emotions that she brought to her many versatile characters. Franklin was born in Yokohama, Japan, and her father was an importer/exporter. ...
Miss Franklin, a successful child actress, attracted attention with a strong performance in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie at age 18. She also attracted me, at age 17. After a handful of varied movies, she had a successful TV career before retiring in the 1980s.
10. Jodie Foster
Actress | The Silence of the Lambs
Jodie Foster started her career at the age of two. For four years she made commercials and finally gave her debut as an actress in the TV series Mayberry R.F.D. (1968). In 1975 Jodie was offered the role of prostitute Iris Steensma in the movie Taxi Driver (1976). This role, for which she received ...
One of a handful of people who almost define the very concept of child actors becoming successful adult actors, she commanded the screen as a child, and has had a powerfully successful and respected career as an adult.
11. Fairuza Balk
Actress | The Craft
"Fairuza!" ("Turquoise" in Farsi), her father exclaimed as he saw her blue eyes: Fairuza Alejandra Balk had just been born on May 21, 1974 in Point Reyes, California. Her father, Solomon Ben Feldthouse, was a traveling musician originally from Idaho, and her mother, Cathryn Balk, was a belly dancer...
Miss Balk made a mark at age 11 as Dorothy in Disney's Return To Oz. Her adult career has been somewhat sporadic, but always interesting.
12. Saoirse Ronan
Actress | Hanna
Saoirse Una Ronan was born in The Bronx, New York City, New York, United States, to Irish parents, Monica Ronan (née Brennan) and Paul Ronan, an actor. When Saoirse was three, the family moved back to Dublin, Ireland. Saoirse grew up in Dublin and briefly in Co. Carlow before moving back to Dublin ...
The ridiculously talented Miss Ronan, leaping to prominence in Atonement at the age of 13, has continued to impress with a series of performances, all entirely right for her age at the time she made them. It is only a matter of time before she collects her first Oscar.
13. AnnaSophia Robb
Actress | Bridge to Terabithia
Actress AnnaSophia Robb most recently starred in two of Hulu's most critically acclaimed limited series. In 2019, she co-starred opposite Patricia Arquette in THE ACT. This spring, she portrayed the flashback version of Reese Witherspoon's "Elena Richardson" character in LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, ...
Miss Robb both filled and broke my heart in Bridge To Terabithia. I can't say that her career since has excited me, but there is still plenty of time.
14. Brooke Shields
Actress | The Blue Lagoon
"Want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing." If you have not heard of Brooke Shields before, this tagline from her Calvin Klein Jeans ad had to grab your attention. Not that she has not had a previously noteworthy resume. She was born on May 31, 1965 in New York City, to Teri (...
After starting with a couple of films which are almost calculated to appeal to those with an interest in underage girls, Miss Shields moved on to a career as an adult which has been successful if unexciting.
15. Vanessa Hudgens
Actress | High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Vanessa Anne Hudgens was born in Salinas, California. Her family moved to San Diego, California, while she was still a toddler. She has a younger sister, Stella Hudgens, who is also an actress. Her mother, Gina Hudgens (née Guangco), an office worker, is from the Philippines. Her father, Greg ...
I first spotted her in Thunderbirds, looking younger than her 15 years, and was very taken by her smile. Her career since then has been interesting and varied, to say the least, with some very high highs and some very low lows.
16. Dakota Fanning
Actress | War of the Worlds
Hannah Dakota Fanning was born on the 23rd of February 1994, in Conyers, Georgia, USA, to Heather Joy (Arrington) and Steven Fanning. Her mother played professional tennis, and her father, now an electronics salesman, played minor league baseball. She is of German, Irish, English, French, and ...
As a child, she delivered some powerful performances both on TV and in movies (and often came over in interviews in a scarily un-childlike way). I get the impression that the path to adult work has not been easy for her, but she will get there. Her talent is huge.
17. Kirsten Dunst
Actress | Spider-Man
Kirsten Caroline Dunst is an American actress, who also holds German citizenship. She was born on April 30, 1982 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, to parents Inez (née Rupprecht), who owned an art gallery, and Klaus Dunst, a medical services executive. She has a younger brother named Christian Dunst, ...
Her performance, at age 11, in Interview With The Vampire was enormously self-assured, and she made a smooth transition through her teens into her adult career. She perhaps needs to exercise care concerning her choices both on and off screen, but I think her best is yet to come.
18. Lindsay Lohan
Actress | The Parent Trap
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 ...
I add Miss Lohan with a degree of trepidation. Her films as a child actress showed a precocious talent and a very likeable screen presence. Her adult career has, to date, been polluted by her toxic personal life. I remain hopeful that she will be able to conquer her demons and once again fire up the talent she showed as a child.
19. Chloë Grace Moretz
Actress | Kick-Ass
Moretz is best known for her work in the sci-fi thriller series The Peripheral, created by Scott B. Smith; the Mattson Tomlin-directed sci-fi thriller Mother/Android; Neil Jordan's thriller Greta; Roseanne Liang's Shadow in the Cloud, which claimed the Midnight Madness People's Choice Award at the ...
Miss Moretz delivered an eye- (and ear-) watering performance in Kick-Ass, and I am delighted to have observed the series of excellent performances she has delivered since. Not all choices have been great, but Miss M has always given the best one could expect, and more.
20. Juno Temple
Actress | Atonement
Juno Violet Temple was born in London, England, into a showbiz family, the daughter of producer Amanda Temple and film director Julien Temple. She was named 'Juno' after her parents took a visit to the Grand Canyon during pregnancy and found they were standing on a butte of Cape Final known as Juno...
Having started with some typical British teen parts, Miss Temple has moved on to forgettable parts in blockbusters, at least one dire comedy and, oh, a succession of shockingly good performances in challenging indie movies. She appears to have no fear.
21. Ivana Baquero
Actress | El laberinto del fauno
Ivana was born in Barcelona, Spain. She graduated High School at The American School of Barcelona.
She got her big break in 2006 when Guillermo Del Toro cast her as the lead in his critically acclaimed fantasy thriller "Pan's Labyrinth." The role of Ofelia was originally intended for an ...
I have only seen Miss Baquero in Pan's Labyrinth where, at the age of 12, she absolutely entranced me. The central character of Ofelia sits squarely on the boundary of real life and fantasy (both of which are incredibly dangerous), and Miss Baquero treads this difficult line with total assurance.
22. Bella Thorne
Actress | The Duff
Actress and singer Annabella Avery "Bella" Thorne, known for Shake It Up (2010), The DUFF (2015), Blended (2014), and Midnight Sun (2018), was born in Pembroke Pines, Florida, to Tamara (Beckett) and Delancey Reinaldo "Rey" Thorne. She has three siblings, Remy Thorne, Dani Thorne and Kaili Thorne, ...
Miss Thorne plays Adam Sandler's oldest daughter in the romcom Blended: the role of ugly duckling into swan is a trope, but Miss Swan plays it with humour and grace: she is funny and lovely.
23. Emma Fuhrmann
Actress | Blended
Emma Fuhrmann is an up and coming young talent with a deep body of work seldom seen in someone of her age. At just 9 years old she worked opposite Morgan Freeman in the Rob Reiner directed feature, "The Magic of Belle Isle", playing a girl who just wanted to learn more about imagination and where ...
Miss Fuhrmann plays Adam Sandler's middle daughter in the romcom Blended: she is genuinely touching as a daughter having trouble coping with bereavement.
24. Alyvia Alyn Lind
Actress | Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors
Alyvia Alyn Lind grew up in Los Angeles, in a houseful of actresses. She began her career at the age of 3 and at such a young age, has an impressive list of credits. This fall, Alyvia will be seen in the highly anticipated post-apocalyptic, genre-bending "Daybreak" for Netflix, playing the role of ...
Miss Lind plays Adam Sandler's youngest daughter in the romcom blended: her performance nicely blends quirky, funny and cute. As with her two screen sisters, her potential is obvious.
25. Shailene Woodley
Actress | Divergent
Actress and activist Shailene Woodley was born in Simi Valley, California, to Lori (Victor), a middle school counselor, and Lonnie Woodley, a school principal. She has one brother, Tanner. She was educated at Simi Valley High School in California. When Woodley was four years old she began ...
Miss Woodley has cemented her breakthrough role in the Descendants with a number of roles which are plotting an intelligent path between blockbusters and indies on the road from adolescence to adulthood.
26. Isabelle Fuhrmann
Production_manager | Thomas Pesquet: L'odyssée de l'Espace
Isabelle Fuhrmann is known for Thomas Pesquet: L'odyssée de l'Espace (2017), Spécial investigation (2008) and Hors de contrôle (2016).
Miss Fuhrmann, having made a chilling (and convincing) mark in Orphan, and having followed up with what was little more than a namecheck in the first Hunger Games movie, has yet to make much of a mark as an adult. I am confident that she will do so.
27. Raffey Cassidy
Actress | White Noise
Raffey Cassidy is an English actress known for Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) and Dark Shadows (2012). Her breakthrough role came as Athena in Brad Bird 's Tomorrowland (2015) opposite George Clooney. In 2013, aged 11, Raffey was the youngest ever actor to be named in Screen International's ...
I failed to pick her up in Snow White And The Huntsman or Dark Shadows, but she can't be ignored in Tomorrowland: A World Beyond. Terrific stuff.
28. Giselle Eisenberg
Actress | Life in Pieces
Giselle Eisenberg has quickly become one of film and television's most sought after young actors, impressively segueing between comedy and drama on both the big and small screens. Giselle currently stars as sassy, spunky, "tell-it-like-it-is", Sophia Hughes in CBS's hit comedy "LIFE IN PIECES".
...
Her featured performance as ADHD child Hope in Danny Collins is both adorable without being obnoxious, and also very believable. A career to watch with interest.
29. Sofia Rosinsky
Actress | Paper Girls
Sofia Rosinsky is known for her role as Mac, in Amazon's "Paper Girls", Tonya in Young Sheldon, Zora, in Disney's "Fast Layne", and Lucy, in Johannes Robert's "The Other Side Of The Door". The young actor/musician and Filmmaker has formed a Film Production Company with her sister Alexis Rosinsky. ...
Too young to have her age on IMDB yet, Miss Rosinsky gives a nuanced performance as surviving child Lucy in The Other Side Of The Door. This kid has got it.
30. Angourie Rice
Actress | The Nice Guys
Angourie Rice is an Australian actress with international credits including Spider-Man: Far From Home and Black Mirror: Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too.
In 2018 she starred in Every Day from director Michael Sucsy (The Vow, Grey Gardens), adapted from the YA novel by David Levithan, and period drama ...
Playing Ryan Gosling's 13-year old daughter in The Nice Guys, Miss Rice shines every moment she is on screen. It is an accomplished performance of drama, heart, and humour. I look forward to seeing more of her in the years to come.
31. Eden Estrella
Actress | Fast & Furious 7
Eden Estrella is an American actress born on March 30, 2004 and lives in the Los Angeles area with her parents and two siblings.
Her breakout role in Furious 7 (2015) as the sassy, young daughter of Agent Luke Hobbs, played by Dwayne Johnson shows that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree as she...
Playing the daughter of Big Name Star is a risky thing to do - you run the risk of being just a body to fill a hole in the script. Miss Estrella delivers rather more than just Dwayne Johnson's daughter in F&F 7 and 8, using her small amount of screen time to give us a charming daughter full of character.
32. Mckenna Grace
Actress | Gifted
Mckenna Grace is an American actress and singer from Grapevine, Texas who is known for playing Phoebe Spengler from Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Jasmine from Crash & Bernstein, Faith Newman from The Young and the Restless and Mary Adler from Gifted. She also acted in I, Tonya, Amityville: The Awakening...
As Mary in Gifted, she gives a performance which many an adult actress would be proud of. And at the age of 9. This kid is going places.
33. Lola Flanery
Actress | Home Again
Lola Flanery was born in Los Angeles but moved to Toronto at the age of 3. She began her career in front of the camera as a model for campaigns such as Gap, Roots & Target.
At the age of 10 Lola decided to venture into the world of acting. Her first audition led to her first leading role alongside ...
A small but key role in Home Again shows this young lady to be a very able young actress. I look forward to more of her work as she steps into adulthood.
34. Izabela Vidovic
Actress | Wonder
Izabela Vidovic is an American actress. She is known for Homefront (2013), Wonder (2017), iZombie (2015) and in the Freeform television series, The Fosters (2013). Izabela is the daughter of Mario Vidovic and actress Elizabeta Vidovic. She performed in stage productions by the time she was seven, ...
35. Storm Reid
Actress | A Wrinkle in Time
Storm Reid is an Emmy-nominated actress, producer, and current student at USC. With numerous credits to her name, Reid has emerged as one of Hollywood's most sought-after young actors. She recently earned her first Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series" for her work as ...
Storm carries a big budget FX-heavy movie effortlessly. Shame the fim didn't quite work.
36. Millicent Simmonds
Actress | A Quiet Place
Millicent (Millie) Simmonds is a BAFTA nominated American actress from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania best known for Wonderstruck (2017), A Quiet Place (2018), A Quiet Place Part II (2020), and Helen & Teacher. Millicent made her Broadway debut in 2023 starring opposite Laurie Metcalf in Levi Holloway's ...
37. Isabela Merced
Actress | Transformers: The Last Knight
Isabela Yolanda Moner, now officially Isabela Merced, is an American actress, voice actress, singer, songwriter, dancer, and ukulele player. She is known for Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), Instant Family (2018), and the title role in Dora and the Lost City...
A remarkable young lady with great rangle and the ability to deliver a perforamce well above the level of the film it belongs to.
38. Marsai Martin
Actress | Little
Rising star Marsai Martin, at just 18-years-old, is already on course to be a whirlwind sensation. At the age of five she landed her first national commercial and shortly after relocating to Los Angeles, she was cast as Diane Johnson on the ABC Emmy-nominated hit comedy Black-ish (2014). Alongside ...
Her performance as an adult in a 12 year old body is utterly convincing.
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