Amazing Child Actor Performances of the Past 100 Years

At 12 years old, Kirsten Dunst made her breakthrough performance in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, earning a Golden Globe nomination. In 2022, Dunst received her first Oscar nomination for “The Power of the Dog.”

Natalie Portman’s screen debut at 12 years old was as the protégée of an assassin in “Léon: The Professional.” Her career has continued on an upward trajectory. She gained worldwide acclaim as Queen Amidala in three Star Wars films and has received three Oscar nominations, winning a Best Actress statue for “The Black Swan” in 2011.

Discovered by director Jacques Doillon at age 3, Victoire Thivisol, at age 5, was given the title role of Ponette, the story about a girl dealing with the tragic death of her mother. Thivisol also is known for appearances in the films “Chocolat” and “Children of the Century.”

Mara Wilson overcame the death of her mother during the filming of “Matilda,” an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book. She appeared in three more films in the late 1990s, then she left the industry for private life.

At 10 years old, Jenna Malone got the filmgoing public’s attention for the title role “Bаstard Out of Carolina,” a film about child abuse. Malone has been compared to Jodie Foster and she has appeared in two films with her – the sci-fi “Contact” and “The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys.”