Tony Dow (Leave It To Beaver) grew up pretty nice.
She’s a fuckin’ doll. I hope some day she and little Suri can make a break for it.
Not a TV star. She was very beautiful, though; I met her in person about 5 years ago, around the time she was in “Mean Girls” - she was absolutely stunning. Today she looks like a saddle. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone age so quickly. She looks ten years older than she is.
Oh, and as for a male child star who became a leading man, I give you Kurt Russell. Cute kid, and as an adult, handsome in a tough, masculine way; as the quote put it, he looks like a dumpster full of drop kicks. He sure made the transition easily.
Christina Applegate started out as Kelly Bundy on Married With Children looking dull and skanky in the early episodes with that hideous Mall Hair. As time went on, the show got hilarious and Kelly got gorgeous. This year she’s People mag’s most beautiful person, and well deservedly so.
I was kinda hoping to stick to under 18, as I implied in my OP. But restrictions never work.
It’s kind of hilarious how they always kept him completely covered up so you couldn’t see all his muscles next to Will Smith’s ganglies. 
Dude was a dancer!
“Pretty cunning, doncha think”? I don’t get it. I mean, I have nothing against Ms. Trachtenberg, but ‘cunning’ isn’t the first word that springs to mind.
Ain’t that the truth! The two or three times we did see shirtless Carlton were “I’ll be in mah bunk” moments. And Will being a casanova while Carlton was a dork just felt strange when I knew what an awesome body Carlton had hidden away.
Me too. She was my first crush. Of course, I am only a few years older than she, so it wasn’t disgusting.
Movies:
Heath Ledger was such a hottie.
Molly Ringwald always appealed to me because she wasn’t classically beautiful. More of a quirky beautiful.
Ione Sky was 18, I think, when she made Say Anything.
Lest we forget, Mia Sara.
Anne Hathaway has been around forever.
Jamie Bell, from Billy Elliott
TV:
Miranda Cosgrove is a teen playing a teen.
Haley Joel Osment is a bit of a prodigy.
Emily Osment is righ ton his heels.
Dakota Fanning his a prodigy. More movies, but tv experience.
Ashely Tisdale, Brenda Song and every kid you see on Disney Channel are prodigies on my book.
I always thought Shelley Fabares was very pretty. Joey Lawrence also grew up to be very handsome, more so after he aged. Also that girl who played Six on “Blossom.”
Let’s face it the only reason people watched “Blossom” was to stare at Six’s “ass” or Joey’s “ass” depending on your respective genders
If we’re going Tiffani Theissen and Elizabeth Berkley, I’m compelled to complete the “Saved by the Bell” triumvirate with Lark Voorhies.
Kelly Shanygne Williams, who played Laura, object of Urkel’s affection on “Family Matters” was a lovely young miss too.
And a hat tip to Kaley Cuoco, now on “Big Bang Theory” who was a teen when she came to fame as the oldest daughter on “8 Simple Rules.” Quite adorable.
And for a bit more gender balance, since his first big exposure came through guest appearances on shows like Firefly, ER and NCIS, and the first two HSM were made-for-Disney Channel, I’ll say that Zac Efron qualifies.
No votes for Mila Kunis? She started on That Seventies Show at 14 or 15.
It’s funny you say that because I always associate him with “Newsies.” Some reviewer will be talking about what a great portrayal of a psycho he’s done and I’ll be thinking about him prancing about in knickers and a flat cap singing “Look at me! I’m the king of New York!! Starin’ right atcha’, lousy with statcha’ - Knobbin’ wit’ all the mukkity mucks I’m blowin’ my dough and goin’ deluxe…” (etc.)
[quote=“Tamerlane, post:53, topic:497076”]
No votes for Mila Kunis?QUOTE]
None aside from the OP.
I forgot my personal fave: The guy who played Dobie Gillis. I think he was like 50 though.
#1 Ricky Nelson! He was a really good looking kid. Amazingly, he never went through that gawky teen phase and remained handsome his entire life.
Kurt Russell - Got better as he got older but was a fine looking teenager
Bobby Sherman - I don’t know how old he was in “Here Come the Brides” but he was a very good looking man.
Christina Applegate - They slutted her up on the show, but she was a lovely teen and remains a lovely woman.
Claire Danes in My So-Called Life.
Jennifer Love Hewitt and **Lacey Chabert **in Party of Five.
Nicole Eggert on Charles in Charge.
Staci Keanan was on *My Two Dads *and later *Step By Step *while still in her teens. I was in love with her (I’m about the same age).
She was adorable. I never would have recognized her in Black Snake Moan. (She played Christina Ricci’s mother.)
Good one. I almost nominated Jared Leto (Jordan Catalano) but he was at least 24 when he was on the show.
Wait, I always thought the Buffy kids had to be older than teenagers. Let me check IMDB… Yep, Nicholas Brendon- 26 when the show started, Sarah Michelle Gellar-20, Alyson Hannigan-23, Seth Green-23, Charisma Carpenter-27.
But Michelle Trachtenberg was 15 when she started on the show.