12 Child Actors Who Returned After Long Breaks And Nailed It

It's not easy to become a child actor. The pressure to fit into a fast-paced work culture and lose a normal childhood are among the many problems they face. Therefore, most child stars who leave the industry return to normal life. On another hand, several actors have taken prolonged breaks and returned to conquer the industry. Fortunately, their efforts have paid off. They are getting back on track with memorable and well-received roles.
Ke Huy Quan is the best example. After years of being out from the public eye, he made a spectacular comeback in "Everything Everywhere All at Once," which won him his first-ever Best Supporting Actor Oscar. The movie also won six more honors, including Best Picture, Director, Original Script, and Film Editing, as well as acting prizes for Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis. “My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. And somehow, I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage.” Quan said in his winning speech “They say stories like this only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me. This—this is the American dream!”
And this historic occasion was completed when Quan's 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' (1984) co-star Harrison Ford was there onstage as they won Best Picture. Quan jumped in excitement as he approached Ford, and the two shared a warm hug, which shows just how impressive this comeback is.
Keep reading to discover more impressive comeback stories from some of the most popular child actors in the industry.

#1 Ke Huy Quan

Source: Paramount Pictures / A24

In the 1980s, Ke Huy Quan had two incredibly well-known movie roles. He debuted in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" as Short Round. A year later, he played Data in "The Goonies". But after that, he only appeared briefly in the TV series "Head of the Class" and had a small role in "Encino Man".
Early in the 1990s, Quan gave up acting and worked as a Second Unit Director and assisted in choreographing martial arts battle scenes for Movies like the 2000s "X-Men". In 2022, he made a significant reappearance in "Everything Everywhere All At Once", as the multiverse-traveling warrior Waymond Wang. He had to play several versions of Waymond depending on the dimension he came from, speaking both English and Chinese. Quan's performance received widespread acclaim and finally took home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

#2 Drew Barrymore

Source: Universal Pictures / Dimension Films

When she portrayed Gertie in "Steven Spielberg's E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial", Drew Barrymore drew in viewers from all around the world. She is not cute but also showed supernatural acting talent at a young age. The film catapulted her to stardom, with studios scrambling to find the lead role for her.
Then her career was derailed for several years due to a much-publicized substance use issue and a brief stint in an institution. Things started to change when Barrymore received rave reviews for her performance in the sleazy sex thriller "Poison Ivy" (1992). However, her renaissance was officially introduced with 1996's "Scream". Her portrayal of Casey, Ghostface's first victim, was so authentic that the audience became terrified right alongside the character. She kicked off the film strongly, creating a scene that will become iconic and remind everyone of her burning talent.

#3 Jason Bateman

Source: Columbia Pictures Television / Netflix

Jason Bateman was a regular sitcom star in the 1980s, appearing in "Silver Spoons", "Valerie", and "It's Your Move". The actor then spent around ten years idling away in brief TV series and little movie appearances.
However, his career has changed dramatically. When Bateman was cast as Michael Bluth, the series' protagonist, in "Arrested Development" (2003), it quickly rose to a cult phenomenon. The next year, Bateman was featured in the blockbusters "Horrible Bosses", "Identity Thief", "Juno", and "Game Night". To show that he could work successfully beyond comedy, he was featured in the critically praised Netflix series "Ozark" as a money launderer to demonstrate. And he has become much more well-known as an adult actor than he ever was as a child.

#4 Mayim Bialik

Source: NBC / CBS

As the lead in the television series "Blossom," Mayim Bialik captured America's hearts. When the show ended in 1995, she cut back on her show business commitments to continue her education. She got a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA.
Her degree came in handy when Bialik took on the role of Amy, a neuroscientist in "The Big Bang Theory". Together with once more displaying flawless comic timing, the actress brought true credibility to Amy because she not only recited scientific dialogue but also understood it.

#5 Macaulay Culkin

Source: 20th Century Fox / HBO

Macaulay Culkin became a household name thanks to his role as Kevin McCallister in "Home Alone". At $285 million in domestic sales, it briefly held the record for the highest-grossing comedy in cinematic history. After "Richie Rich" failed to find success in 1994, Culkin decided to step away for a while.
During that time, he went to school like the normal kid he wanted to be. He occasionally appeared in a low-budget indie film like 2003's "Party Monster", but he mostly stayed out of the limelight. Everything changed when he got a part on "American Horror Story" and made a surprise appearance on the TV show "The Righteous Gemstones," in which he played the adult son of a dubious evangelist. These roles revealed fresh facets of his skill while portraying him in a mature manner that was far off from Kevin from "Home Alone".

#6 Anna Chlumsky

Source: Columbia Pictures / HBO

Anna Chlumsky made her acting debut in 1991's "My Girl", a sweet story about two children with her co-star Macaulay Culkin. Thanks to the chemistry and an unexpected twist, the movie was a huge success. After less-successful sequels, she decided to take a break from acting to attend the University of Chicago, where she earned a degree in International Studies. She even had a brief stint working for Zagat, a firm that publishes a guide ranking restaurants, as a fact-checker.
Eventually, the acting bug came back. Chlumsky appeared in the 2009 political parody "In the Loop," after which she was cast in a supporting role in the HBO sitcom "Veep." These roles showed her crack comic timing, as well as her ability to help make topical issues funny.

#7 Haley Joel Osment

Source: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution / HBO

"The Sixth Sense" helped make Haley Joel Osment a star and was also nominated for an Oscar. After that smash hit, he continued to work steadily, but nothing was really impressive. The lead roles were exhausted, and Osment worked mostly on small films and little-watched TV series.
However, in 2017, Osment loudly announced to the world that he was still here and still talented in his role in HBO's "Silicon Valley." This character is the type who shamelessly manipulates others, hiring and firing them at will, with little thought of the effect on anyone but himself. The role is a far cry from Cole Sear's, and Osment's new beard is almost unrecognizable.

#8 Danica McKellar

Source: ABC / GAC Family

When it comes to "The Wonder Years", people immediately think of Danica McKellar, who plays Winnie Cooper, the childhood love of protagonist Kevin Arnold. However, after the film ended successfully, she gave up acting a rest in favor of going back to school. McKellar received her UCLA degree summa cum laude and she wrote a series of best-selling math books.
In the end, going back to acting is more about enjoyment than anything else. She has become a queen of the popular Hallmark movies when starring in more than a dozen of them, including several that are Christmas-themed.

#9 Vincent Kartheiser

Source: Sony Pictures Releasing / AMC

In the 1990s, Vincent Kartheiser became one of the most well-known actors in kid's films thanks to films like "The Indian in the Cupboard", "Alaska", and 'Masterminds".
After growing up, the actor occasionally appeared in small movies. His first successful role as an adult was Pete Campbell, the "Mad Men" advertising executive who is both ambitious and ruthless. Pete was brilliantly crafted by Kartheiser to be a figure that was sophisticated in his moral beliefs. He created layers over the show's seasons to ensure that viewers were never really clear about what Pete would do next. His attempt helped make the show a pop culture phenomenon.

#10 Mara Wilson

Source: Sony Pictures Releasing / Netflix

As a young child, Mara Wilson was given some incredible experiences. She co-starred in "Mrs. Doubtfire" with Robin Williams, was one of the main characters in the "Miracle on 34th Street" adaptation, and played Matilda, the titular character in the 1996 film adaptation of the best-selling children's novel by Roald Dahl. Wilson decided to stop performing after his appearance in the 2000 family film "Thomas and the Magic Railroad".
Although she has so far been adamant about her decision not to make the film, Wilson has somewhat returned to the public eye. Her roles as Jill Pill on the hugely successful animated series Bojack Horseman and Liv Amara on the Disney Channel's "Big Hero 6" have helped her achieve significant popularity as a voice actor.

#11 Charlie Korsmo

Source: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution / Kino Lorber

Charlie Korsmo was a charming and witty child actor who starred in the films "Hook," "What About Bob," and "Dick Tracy." He appeared to be on the verge of breaking out as the great kid star, but after "Can't Hardly Wait" (1998) he quit acting. After graduating from Yale Law School, he became a lawyer for a while before beginning his position as a law professor at Case Western Reserve University.
In 2018, he was briefly invited to retire to play a role in "Chained for Life". In the movie they're creating together, Korsmo plays the pretentious director. Aaron Schimberg, a director and longtime friend, convinced him to take the position. "He called me out of the blue and told me he had a part for me. The last time I worked with Aaron, we were in school in Minneapolis and he was directing a high school play,” Korsmo said.

#12 Gaby Hoffmann

Source: Universal Pictures / Amazon Prime Video

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Gaby Hoffmann was one of the most well-known child actors thanks to some blockbusters like "Uncle Buck," "Field of Dreams," "Now and Then," and "Sleepless in Seattle". At age 17, she decided to "retire" from acting so that she may pursue further studies.
Her roles on Amazon's "Transparent" and HBO's "Girls" brought praise from both critics and audiences. Many people find it hard to believe that the young actress who played cheerful roles as a child has grown up and is able to take on psychologically challenging roles. Hoffmann has an impressive track record as an adult, including work in the well-received independent films "Obvious Child" and "C'mon C'mon." She has established herself as a dedicated and engaging performer.