Amazing Child Actor Performances of the Past 100 Years

Before English actor Christian Bale won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for “The Fighter” and reimagined Batman in “The Dark Knight,” he wowed critics with his performance as a teenage prisoner of war of the Japanese in “Empire of the Sun.”

Macaulay Culkin had appeared in Off-Broadway shows and films such as “Rocket Gibraltar” and “Uncle Buck” before director Chris Columbus tapped the 10-year-old for the lead in the slapstick comedy “Home Alone.” It was a monster hit, leading to a sequel that was also a blockbuster.

Christina Ricci, 11, played the goth daughter Wednesday in the reboot of the ghoul franchise “The Addams Family.” Ricci appeared in family and tween-targeted films such as “Casper” and “Now and Then,” then switched to more adult fare such as “The Ice Storm,” directed by Ang Lee.

Eleven-year-old Anna Paquin became the second-youngest actress to win a competitive Academy Award when she took home the Best Supporting Actress for her role as Flora in “The Piano.” Paquin has had a busy career since then, with 54 acting credits. She appeared in Martin Scorsese’s film “The Irishman” and was in the football-themed movie “American Underdog,” released last year.

Before he became known for portraying Frodo Baggins in the blockbuster Lord of the Rings film trilogy, 12-year-old Elijah Wood co-starred with Macaulay Culkin as cousins in “The Good Son.” His previous film credits included “Avalon,” “Paradise,” and “Radio Flyer.”