# Child Actors that didn't crash and burn **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 15, 2013, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964 "2013-03-15T00:52:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/201 "2013-10-12T23:35:14Z")
At six, Sean Marquette was on the big screen; from seven to nine he fielded soap-opera work, at eleven he’d pop in for an episode of _The Hughleys_ and an episode of _Becker_ and an episode of _Judging Amy_; he’s now twenty-five, having picked up acting work steadily if unspectacularly every year since. I mention him because he was back in theaters as the little-kid version of Mark Ruffalo’s character in _13 Going On 30_. Remember that one? Turns out a twelve-year-old was actually the best choice for the title character; at fifteen she was the star of her own TV show – and after yet more work on television and in movies, Christa Allen is still playing Charlotte Grayson on _Revenge_; she’ll be twenty-two next month, and will presumably follow up this third season with plenty more on-screen work. Never mind her, though; the point is that she was the pint-sized doppleganger of Jennifer Garner, which brings to mind that Ben Affleck’s been in theaters since age eight. Yes, before he was that preteen on _Voyage Of The Mimi_. Yes, before winning those Oscars and getting cast as Batman. And, yes, he’s the brother of Casey Affleck, who’s been acting on-screen since twelve – he was playing young Bobby Kennedy at fourteen – and has racked up an Oscar nomination of his own in between likewise doing the writer/director/producer thing. Casey was also in the _American Pie_ movies with Thomas Ian Nicholas (the kid in _A Kid In King Arthur’s Court_, and the twelve-year-old star of _Rookie Of The Year_, and who at eight was playing Flashback-Tony in _Who’s The Boss_) and Jason Biggs (TV and movie work at twelve, television castmember and Broadway performer at thirteen), both of whom are still getting plenty of work in their thirties. I mean, have you seen _Orange Is The New Black_? (You should; Natasha Lyonne, who’s been getting TV and movie work since seven, is terrific in it.) ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/202 "2013-10-13T01:09:05Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > (You should; Natasha Lyonne, who’s been getting TV and movie work since seven, is terrific in it.) Which reminds me that Natasha Lyonne may be the most spectacular modern day child actor crash and burn; she puts Lohan, Bynes and Spears to shame. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/203 "2026-06-30T00:32:14Z")
I just did a search on Daveigh Chase here. I had never heard of her until her recent death at age 35, and her official cause of death has been released: Meningitis, complicated by substance abuse issues, and AIDS. She must have been living under some very desperate circumstances, because nobody in a developed nation should die from AIDS nowadays. RIP. [https://people.com/daveigh-chase-cause-of-death-revealed-12008866](https://people.com/daveigh-chase-cause-of-death-revealed-12008866) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/204 "2026-06-30T01:17:43Z")
Yeah, “count no one happy until the end is known” remains the stuff of tragedy; people do what they can, and the world too often proves to be too much to bear. Horrifying, really. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/205 "2026-06-30T06:06:37Z")
Patrick Labyorteaux had a busy childhood career. He was on Little House on the Prairie. Later he had a long run on Jag as Bud. I watch his YouTube channel. Great sense of humor and is quick to point out the highs and lows of a working actor. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/206 "2026-06-30T08:24:13Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Which reminds me that Natasha Lyonne may be the most spectacular modern day child actor crash and burn; she puts Lohan, Bynes and Spears to shame. Lyonne’s crashed several times, but she never burned. She just hammers out the dents and keeps on going. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/207 "2026-06-30T09:05:31Z")
100%. She’s had a solid career, way better than I gave her credit for after her early crashouts. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/208 "2026-07-01T02:18:53Z")
Has Ron Howard been mentioned, and Jodie Foster too? I think they’ve had pretty successful, scandal-free adult careers. I read recently that the reason Deanna Durbin completely disappeared from show-business and the public life was because she saw where Judy Garland was headed, and didn’t want anything to do with that for herself. At one point, it wasn’t even known if she was alive, but it turned out she was living with her husband in France, using his surname. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/209 "2026-07-01T05:15:57Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Patrick Labyorteaux had a busy childhood career. He was on Little House on the Prairie. > > Later he had a long run on Jag as Bud. > > I watch his YouTube channel. Great sense of humor and is quick to point out the highs and lows of a working actor. I watch his channel too. He has a lot of good stories and seems to be a really nice guy. He married one of the associate producers on JAG and they’ve been together for going on 30 years. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/210 "2026-07-01T06:30:36Z")
Elle Fanning seems to have done well for herself. I remember her from the J.J. Abrams movie Super 8 but looking at Wiki, she was in a bunch of stuff before that. She’s still going strong today and I have never heard a bad word about her. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/211 "2026-07-01T06:51:19Z")
Her big sister Dakota seems to be doing all right, too. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/212 "2026-07-01T07:03:52Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > No, but IIRC one of her husbands did, so she was crash-and-burn-by-proxy. Dude, too soon. ---
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/213 "2026-07-01T07:19:21Z")
I don’t get it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/214 "2026-07-01T12:43:54Z")
Are you familiar with the premise of _The Patty Duke Show_? ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/215 "2026-07-01T14:54:18Z")
Child actor Michael Ray probably has the record for not-screwing up after acting: a three-time Olympian (luge), and now the controlling stockholder of the Heineken brewing empire. Now worth over $4B. [IMDB Bio.](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0712935/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/216 "2026-07-01T15:03:13Z")
Not mentioned yet: Tim Matheson. He was 13 when he first appeared on TV and currently has a recurring role in 9-1-1: Nashville. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/217 "2026-07-01T15:17:35Z")
He’s also a very successful TV director. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/218 "2026-07-01T15:32:38Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > Elle Fanning seems to have done well for herself. Reminds me (because of their shared co-starring roles in The Great) - Nicholas Hoult of About a Boy has been acting since age 5 and seems outwardly at least reasonably stable and sane. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/219 "2026-07-01T15:55:59Z")
Roddy McDowell. Started as a child actor at the age of nine, and worked regularly for his entire life, with over 200 film and TV appearances. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964/220 "2026-07-01T17:11:52Z")
Jeff Bridges first appeared in Sea Hunt when he was 9. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-actors-that-didnt-crash-and-burn/652964.md?page=12)