In the acting realm, the journey of a child star to a successful adult actor is totally dependent on challenges, littered with cautionary tales of burnout and typecasting.
But some of them not only navigated the tricky shift from child stardom to adult roles, yet they flourished their career.
With the utmost dedication in their roles, they leave behind their early personas to emerge as celebrated A-listers and even Academy Award contenders.
Their careers are just a comeback story; it's the ultimate glow-up.
Here are 6 actors who went from charming child stars to bona fide Oscar nominees.
Leonardo DiCaprio
DiCaprio began as the mischievous Luke Brower on Growing Pains and showed his dramatic range in This Boy's Life.
His role as a mentally disabled brother in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape earned him his first Oscar nomination at 19.
He became a global icon with Titanic, DiCaprio solidified his place as a leading man by collaborating with auteurs like Martin Scorsese.
DiCaprio finally took home the gold for Best Actor for his splendid performance in The Revenant.
Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway started her career as a teen icon with her charming portrayal of Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries.
The Devil Wears Parada starlet garnered the major triumph as she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her heartbreaking role as Fantine in the film adaptation of Les Misérables.
Christan Bale
Christian Bale kicked off his career at just 13 years old as the lead in Steven Spielberg's WWII epic Empire of the Sun.
He is now a master of cinema, known for his extreme physical transformations.
He has been nominated for four Oscars, winning the Best Supporting Actor award for his intense portrayal of Dicky Eklund in The Fighter.
Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster's journey in acting started with commercials at just three years old.
Her unforgettable, raw performance as a child prostitute in Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver at age 13 earned her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.
Foster has consistently delivered best performances, winning the Oscar for Best Actress twice, first for The Accused and again for her iconic role as Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs.
Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman’s breakout performance at age 13 in Léon: The Professional demonstrated her impressive emotional depth.
She entered into a spotlight with high-profile roles in films like Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
Portman earned her first Oscar nomination for Closer before delivering a stunning, Academy Award-winning performance as a ballerina consumed by her role in Black Swan.
Ryan Gosling
Gosling garnered limelight with his Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club, where he performed alongside future superstars like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake.
He also appeared in teen-centric TV shows like Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Following his performance he got a breakout role in The Notebook.
The Barbie star earned two Oscar nominations for his roles in Half Nelson and La La Land.
