Child Stars Who Grew Up To Be Gorgeous

Child stars in Hollywood are often cursed with a lack of a true childhood and forced to grow up way before their peers, and this includes their self-image. "Child stars can have issues developing a genuine sense of personal style because their outward image is usually curated by adults — stylists, managers, or brand handlers — who design their appearance for marketability rather than self-expression," Dr. Sanam Hafeez, New York City-based neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind, exclusively explains to Glam. "This constant performance can create confusion between their public image and private self, making it difficult to understand what they genuinely like or feel comfortable in."

Navigating this life is challenging but not impossible. Disney icons like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez are known to have found themselves as adults, but they certainly aren't the only young stars who have grown into beautiful and successful celebrities. Stars like Kristen Stewart and Brenda Song have also come a long way since their respective debuts, proving that finding your way in the limelight is possible, even at a young age.

Taylor Momsen had her big break in 2000 at the age of 7 when she portrayed Cindy Lou Who in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," and seven years later, we got to see her as Jenny Humphrey on "Gossip Girl." However, acting was never Momsen's first love, which is why the star decided to shift career paths. "It was a childhood thing that I got put into at two years old, I wasn't making my own choices then," the star told CNN in 2023. Today, Momsen is the frontwoman of the band The Pretty Reckless, with which she has released four studio albums.

Once Momsen reached her teens, she leaned into having fun with fashion, and her style quickly became edgy and cool. "[It's] kind of eclectic. I dress for my mood, so it changes daily. There's always an element of black in it," Momsen told People in 2009, and not much has changed since. "I think that, for a lot of musicians, fashion is a big part of the visual expression of their music," she explained to Nylon in 2022. "Seeing the White Stripes when I was a kid definitely had an impact on me. The monochromatic coloring of the stage and also them, the red and white aesthetic, gave the whole thing such presence and make me look at it as a whole, opposed to just what I'm wearing." The musician was adorable when we first saw her as Cindy Lou, and today, she's a stunning woman who loves having fun with beauty and fashion. In fact, Taylor Momsen has been known for her stunning style transformation from child actor to edgy rock star.

Even though she's been acting since she was 7, Brenda Song (born in 1988) had her breakthrough at the age of 12 thanks to the Disney Channel original movie "The Ultimate Christmas Present." However, it wasn't until her portrayal of London Tipton in "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" that Song became a household name, at least for children at the time. Since then, she's come a long way, and her style is less Y2K-inspired and more glamorous.

"I love a subtle, neutral eye. I love a one-and-done shadow," the "Running Point" actor shared about her go-to makeup in a 2025 Instagram reel for the beauty brand Merit. "I feel like I really like to focus on my skin — enhancing instead of masking." Moreover, in a candid conversation with Marie Claire in 2025, she admitted that she finally feels like herself. "I really feel like this is me who you're seeing now," the star said. "This is the person I've worked really hard to be these last few years. This is the culmination of a lot of self-growth and change in my life. ... I feel like for the first time in my life, I finally feel like I'm in the next phase. I feel so different from the person I was five years ago and my entire life."

Born in 1993, AnnaSophia Robb first caught our eye in the mid-2000s thanks to her roles in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Bridge to Terabithia." Since then, we've seen her grow up and star in shows like "The Carrie Diaries" and "The Act," but it's often her early work that people remember her by. "So many people see my work and they think of the films that I did when I was younger, which I'm so proud of. I'm so grateful for those projects, but it's also fun to be able to grow up," she told WWD in 2024. "I saw wrinkles on my face for the first time. I was slightly horrified, and then I was also like, 'I made it. I've been doing this for so long and I was like 'I'm a grown up now.'"

The actor also credits "The Carrie Diaries" for encouraging her to fall in love with fashion. "I really felt like 'The Carrie Diaries' transitioned me into womanhood," Robb told Fashionista in 2020. "My style was just mostly being bold. So afterwards, I mostly wore black. It just went opposite, like I was trying to get away from that character and now, I'd say, it's swung more back to Carrie: bold, playful and patterns." Now in her early 30s and with projects like "Grosse Pointe Garden Society" and "Rebel Ridge" under her belt, Robb has grown into a gorgeous star who certainly still has some youthful radiance to her look. 

Like AnnaSophia Robb, Bailee Madison had her breakthrough moment in "Bridge to Terabithia," though Madison was only 8 years old at the time. "Everyone was really worried because they were like, 'You're really young. People love to talk. It's hard growing up in general let alone under a microscope, and now you're adding how you personally live your life and your beliefs and what makes you you,'" Madison revealed to Teen Vogue in 2024. They might have been right to worry, with Dr. Sanam Hafeez exclusively telling us, "Over time, many child stars internalize the belief that love and approval are conditional, based solely on performance, which can lead to chronic people-pleasing, burnout, or even dissociative patterns later in life."

Luckily, Madison seems to have managed just fine, and today, she's known for her portrayal of Imogen Adams in the HBO Max revival/spin-off show "Pretty Little Liars." Speaking with Byrdie in 2024, she revealed that she prefers a more natural look, though she also loves experimenting. "For me, less is more when it comes to summer makeup. I like my makeup to look glowy and be as skin-based as possible," she said. "If I'm going to do a lip, I love a bold red. Otherwise, the eyelash curler is my best friend—it makes my eyes look so awake." Ultimately, Bailee Madison has undergone a complete transformation from child star into a young and beautiful woman who has found her path in Hollywood.

Kristen Stewart had her big break as Bella Swan in the first installment of "The Twilight Saga" in 2008, but at that point, the actor had already been working in the industry for years (some may remember her in the 2002 movie "Panic Room" ). However, it was "Twilight" that completely changed her life. "I was 17 doing Twilight," Stewart told Marie Claire in 2015. "When I was younger, I really wanted to be with the adults, to be addressed as a grown-up. I was the most open, forthcoming, confident little kid. I'm still trying to get back to that." 

The actor admitted that growing up in the industry was challenging, and Kristen Stewart's style transformation wasn't as easy as it may have seemed to the public. "Feeling good about our appearance can reinforce a positive self-image, while discomfort or pressure to conform can create inner conflict," Dr. Sanam Hafeez exclusively explains to Glam. "When someone feels disconnected from their appearance, it can impact how they view their worth. On the other hand, discovering a personal style can strengthen self-image."

Thankfully, as she grew older, Stewart embraced a grungy style all her own. "I still really don't know how to do my own makeup. I do the same thing every day, if I do my own: mascara and black eyeliner. ... I do both the top and bottom line and then just smudge it with my finger," Stewart told Vogue in 2014. "If I'm being responsible, I'll wash my face, but I never take off my eyeliner or my mascara because it looks so good the next day." Naturally, her authentic approach to beauty and fashion has made her an inspiration to many.

Born in 1999, Joey King is among the youngest stars on our list. The child star had her debut in 2006 with an appearance on "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody," but it wasn't until she portrayed Ramona Quimby in the 2010 movie "Ramona and Beezus" that she really caught everyone's eye. Interestingly, in a 2025 interview with Elle, King revealed that she can instantly tell when somebody else is a fellow child star. "Even if we don't all necessarily know each other, you can always spot a freaking child actor!" she said in 2025. "It's beautiful — having success as a child is so incredible — but it's also really hard to transition into a young adult actor, then an adult actor." 

Today, Joey King can say that she's undergone a stunning style transformation and that she has grown from a joyful child into a beautiful and brave woman who loves her makeup routine. "I think a signature 'Joey look' now would probably be a bit of foundation and some nice contour because you always got to have those cheekbones poppin'," she told Glamour in 2024. "I definitely think my signature color for lips is an orangey, pinky nude – that's my favorite – and then for eyes, I like them a little bronzy, but I also like a little bit of sparkle." Nowadays, she's best known for her work in Netflix's "The Kissing Booth" franchise, as well as her portrayal of Gypsy-Rose Blanchard in "The Act."

Musician and actor Keke Palmer rose to fame in the early aughts. Born in 1993, Palmer appeared in projects like "Barbershop 2: Back in Business" and "Madea's Family Reunion," but it wasn't until she portrayed Akeelah Anderson in the 2006 movie "Akeelah and the Bee" that Palmer truly had her big break. Sadly, the "Reverse Psychology" singer has admitted that being a child star put a lot of pressure on her. "There was so much pressure to rise to the occasion for my community, for my parents, for my siblings, for their sacrifices," Palmer revealed to The Cut in 2025 (via People). "I hated my parents for a long time."  

Luckily, Palmer found balance in her life, and today, the beauty is not only known for starring in movies like "Pimp" and "Hustlers" but also for her music and impeccable fashion and beauty choices. With age, Palmer began embracing her natural hair, too. "When I started doing my natural hair, I wasn't sure how to do it. A lot of people do wash-and-gos, a lot of people do twist outs, and I wanted to figure out what was the style for," Palmer revealed to Vogue in 2024, explaining that flexi rods make her hair look fabulous. As she became more confident in herself, Palmer's influence in the beauty and fashion communities became undeniable.

Born in 1996, Abigail Breslin had her big break in 2006 thanks to her portrayal of Olive Hoover in the critically acclaimed movie "Little Miss Sunshine." Of course, growing up in the spotlight came with certain negatives — one being that the public refused to accept that Breslin was now an adult. "Every article since I was 12 has been, 'She's all grown up,' and I'm like, When am I all, all, all grown up? I'm not sure," the actor told Refinery29 in 2019. "It's called puberty. It's a thing that happens to people, but some people really want me to just stay 9 years old forever."

Speaking to WWD in 2021, Breslin admitted that looking back on her style evolution makes her laugh. "As I've got older I've leaned more toward simplicity," she said. "I made a lot of questionable choices. I look back and think nobody needs that many chokers and baby doll dresses with fur coats. But it makes me laugh. That's how you grow, and change and evolve." As an adult, the actor is still working on intriguing projects, including the films "Zombieland: Double Tap" and "Stillwater." 

When it comes to former Disney stars, Raven-Symoné is definitely among the most famous. Born in 1985, the star kicked off her career as Olivia Kendall on "The Cosby Show" — a role she played from 1989 until 1992 (yes, she was 4 years old when she started). However, plenty grew to love Raven-Symoné thanks to her portrayal of Raven Baxter on the Disney Channel series "That's So Raven," which premiered in 2003. Over the years, Raven-Symoné has been open about how the public's perception and expectations affected her. "Up until my late twenties, there were people telling me how I should look — it was just easier to be told what to do," the actor told Business Insider in 2022. "But now that I'm feeling empowered by the new generation of just being yourself on camera ... I'm able to present how I feel as Raven-Symoné, the entertainer." 

While the actor is all about embodying confidence, she does wish she was born into a younger generation. "I wish I was living now as a younger person," she told People in 2017. "I probably wouldn't have so many mental issues. I love embracing your body. In this day and age you have all kinds and it's funny, it's serious, it's every color, it's every head shape, it's every hair. And there's androgyny and there's LGBT coming in, and it feels good." Today, she seems to be as confident as ever, and apart from acting, Raven-Symoné has also done music and hosting, even co-hosting "The View" from 2015 to 2016.

Born in 1976, Candace Cameron Bure began acting in 1983, but it wasn't until she appeared as D.J. Tanner on the sitcom "Full House" in 1987 that Bure actually had her big moment. Unfortunately, just like other child actors, she had to grow up in front of the camera — something that she doesn't remember fondly. "I think the most challenging for me being on television when I was a kid was just going through puberty in front of millions of people. ... and I'm really grateful that at the time we didn't have social media that we have now," Bure admitted on "The Storytellers" podcast in 2024.

In a conversation with People, Bure admitted that she finds beauty inspiration in her daughter, Natasha. "I work with makeup artists every day so I get so many tips from them, but I get just as many from Natasha because she's always doing what's new, what's young, what's fresh," Bure said in 2016. "I love learning from her because she's 17 and will always look at me and be like, 'Mom you've got to do this,' so I love that I have my little girl watching over me." With age, the actor's beauty has only become more noticeable, and over the years, Candace Cameron Bure has undergone a stunning style transformation that has left us in awe. Oh, and when she reprised her role as D.J. Tanner on the sequel show "Fuller House" in 2016, she definitely stole everyone's spotlight.

Born in 1993, Victoria Justice rose to fame as Lola Martinez on Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101," which premiered in 2005. In 2010, she began playing Tori Vega on "Victorious," and with that, her status as a child star was solidified. "I've always been a really hard worker. There were times when I was working on Victorious and it was a grueling schedule," Justice told Bustle in 2017. Today, Justice is still actively acting; however, she's also explored another love: music. If that weren't enough, the star has always had a knack for fashion, and she's refined her look more and more over the years.

In 2024, Justice opened up about her skin struggles, revealing how medication influenced her acne. "All throughout my teenage years, I had amazing skin. I would come home from being on set and I didn't even have a skincare routine. I would truly use Softsoap to wash off my makeup," she told People in 2024. "I kind of took that for granted. I have Hashimoto's [an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid] and so I was put on this thyroid medication, but it was too high of a dose and I developed cystic acne. Anyone who has dealt with cystic acne knows how much it sucks and affects their confidence." Sharing this made the star even more relatable, and regardless of whether she has acne breakouts or not, there's no denying that she's stunning.

Now, for more Hollywood fun, check out these celebrity kids who borrowed iconic vintage outfits from their famous parents.