# Which young star has the best shot at longevity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 24, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969 "2004-02-24T20:31:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/1 "2004-02-24T20:31:32Z")
Of the following young stars who seem to be popping out of the woodwork, do any of them have a shot of being around in 10 years? 20 years? The only ones I can think of off the top of my head are plastered all over Nickelodeon and Disney Channel: [Amanda Bynes](http://www.fashionroom.com/fashion/images/ma03/amanda-bynes.jpg) [Hillary Duff](http://www.hotlink.com.my/images/03hotsnippets/music/06102003/hillary_091003.jpg) [Lindsay Lohan](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=entimg.msn.com/i/150/ce/may/lindsaylohan_150x207.jpg&imgrefurl=http://entertainment.msn.com/celebs/celeb.aspx%3Fc%3D178011&h=207&w=150&sz=9&tbnid=tWLzAgYfzyYJ:&tbnh=99&tbnw=72&prev=/images%3Fq%3DLindsay%2BLohan%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26safe%3Doff) Feel free to add your own nominees, and I didn’t intend to limit it to females, it’s just that no young men come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Vezer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b38774/32.png) [@Vezer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vezer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/2 "2004-02-24T21:23:45Z")
[Kristen Stewart](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0829576/) from Panic Room. The features shared by her and Jodie Foster were eery. [Alison Lohman](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0517844/) of White Oleander and Matchstick Men. She’s a cutester. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/3 "2004-02-24T21:59:59Z")
Scarlett Johansson had a very big 2003. (But her first film of 2004 stank.) And she’s only 19. She _could_ be a major star for decades. Or she could do the Tara Reid thing and party her career to death. The Duffs and such have _no_ chance of reaching the level Johansson is currently at, let alone lasting at such a level. Yeah, young guy nominees are hard to think of. (IMDB is not responding now, no links.) ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/4 "2004-02-24T22:03:09Z")
[Scarlett Johansson](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0424060/) Only 18 when she broke out playing a 26 year old woman in _Lost in Translation_. Tons of sucessful roles as a kid actor, too. Looks like she has a lot of work going right now, too. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/5 "2004-02-24T22:17:34Z")
Interesting thread, tho I need to know your definition of “young”. I’d nominate Elijah Wood as a young actor who will last, but he is around 23 or so now, so he may be older than what you were thinking of. Lots of lovely young hunks in those movies with the Disney girls the original post mentioned (I’ve seen them cause I have a 12 year old daughter) but none with any acting ability that was memorable. ---
**Author:** ![jeevwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jeevwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevwoman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/6 "2004-02-24T22:23:00Z")
EVan Rachel Wood. Played Jessie on _Once & Again_, and was recently in _Thirteen_ and _The Missing_. She also has a black belt in tae kwon do and has the most beautiful singing voice–and she is barely in her teens. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/7 "2004-02-25T05:11:54Z")
Haley Joel Osment springs to mind. That kid is freakishly precocious. Then again, the cuteness may wear off with age. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/8 "2004-02-25T05:27:19Z")
I don’t think Osment’s appeal is limited to “cuteness” – he can _act_ and he has a pretty broad range. I’ve been pretty impressed by Dakota Fanning, so far. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/9 "2004-02-25T05:49:13Z")
> [@Jervoise](#): > > Haley Joel Osment springs to mind. That kid is freakishly precocious. D’oh! You beat me to it! > [@](#): > > Then again, the cuteness may wear off with age. Cuteness is hardly the sole reason he’s gotten as far as he has. And anyway, now he’s morphing into [handsome](http://www.comeawayohumanchild.net/SecondHandLions/article05.htm). (Read the article, if you like. I’m telling you, he’s not going to crash and burn, the way so many people are gleefully anticipating. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/10 "2004-02-25T06:18:17Z")
Haley Joel Osment will first have to overcome Secondhand Lions. Good lord, what a horrible acting job by him. Kieren Culkin showed some great promise in Igby Goes Down. Michelle Trachtenberg looked awefully grown up in Eurotrip. I’d like to see her try a more serious role though. ---
**Author:** ![Eternal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@Eternal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eternal)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/11 "2004-02-25T07:45:12Z")
I think Haley Joel Osment has more potential than some other child stars because his first and most memorable work for most people (_Sixth Sense_) is a very serious role where cuteness wasn’t the only reason people looked at him when he was onscreen. Although I agree it has yet to be seen if he can morph from a darn good child actor to a better-than-average adult actor. ---
**Author:** ![Eternal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@Eternal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eternal)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/12 "2004-02-25T07:47:22Z")
I should amend my post… It’s not that he has more potential, he merely has better chances, because people won’t look at him 20 years down and just think of a wise-cracking youngster from some sitcom or teeny movie. This will make him viable for a larger range of parts. ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/13 "2004-02-25T07:48:41Z")
Since I just saw [In America](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298845/) last weekend, I’ll cast my votes for Sarah Bolger and Emma Bolger. Of course I really have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/14 "2004-02-25T07:54:04Z")
No one’s mentioned her but that girl in _Whale Rider_ was freaking amazing. Just thinking about that recital scene makes me want to start bawling right now. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/15 "2004-02-25T08:14:34Z")
Scarlett Johanson’s ‘crappy’ movies have probably helped her so far. She hasn’t starred in any real bombs. The Horse Whisperer, Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Lost in Translation have won her a lot of critical respect at an early age. Movies that aren’t as good but probably made more money, like Eight Legged Freaks and The Perfect Score, help establish that she’s a box-office draw. So she’s got the art cinema respectable movie crowd pretty well won over, it looks like she’s on the road to being bankable as well (this all at 20). That spells longevity to me. The girls the OP mentions are all really popular as teens and they’ve done Disney/pop stuff so far. They haven’t done anything to prove they can keep going when they’re too old for that. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/16 "2004-02-25T13:54:44Z")
When I first saw the thread title I thought ‘Orlando Bloom’. He’s got 4 hit movies under his belt in TLOTR and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and he’s clearly being groomed as a male action/romantic lead. That’s a good place for a guy to be in. But he’s already 26 so he may be too old for the definition. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/17 "2004-02-25T14:08:49Z")
> [@well he's back](#): > > …I need to know your definition of “young”… I was thinking from preteens to very early 20s, with not much in the way of movie experience. Osment (what show was he on with Ed Asner?) and Elijah Wood (_Radio Flyer_ was great!) have too much film experience, IMO, to be considered, although they are fine nominees on the male side. What I had in mind was, say, a thread like this back in the late 80’s entitled “Are The Olsen Twins A Flash In The Pan?” Just throwing out names for speculation, so that in 2025, we can look back and say “Wasn’t she the chick I first heard about on SDMB? I wonder if my reply to that thread posted yet…damn hamsters.” ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/18 "2004-02-25T14:53:34Z")
I think Kirsten Dunst has a shot. She’s mostly done the perky cute type roles but has shown some range in movies like “The Cat’s Meow” and even “Spider-Man.” As she gets a little older I can see her doing things with some more depth. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/19 "2004-02-25T17:40:13Z")
I’d say the Castor C twins. Being a pair of small M types, they are going to keep their cool and shine for a long long time, and according to [this site](http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/castor.html) they are very very young (even assuming the author made a typo and left off a word in the next to last sentence ;)), so they should be around for several billion more years easily. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969/20 "2004-02-25T21:18:29Z")
I’d say it’s hard to tell as a general thing. The girl who played Dinah Lord (the younger sister) in [The Philadelphia Story](http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll) had a fine comic sense and stole practically every scene she was in. I looked her up in [allmovie.com](http://allmovie.com) expecting to see a lengthy adult career, but it turns out that she ended up doing very little and didn’t even merit a “star” entry. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-young-star-has-the-best-shot-at-longevity/230969.md?page=2)