Child stars don't always carry over their early success into adulthood. Show business can be exposing and unbearably harsh, which is tough to deal with at any age, let alone for young actors who haven't fully matured yet. But there are those lucky few who not only lead fruitful careers into adulthood but earn the respect of their peers and win Hollywood's top prize:the Oscar.
The Academy has rewarded several former child actors (and a few child stars themselves) over the course of its history, from Old Hollywood legends like Elizabeth Taylor to contemporary stars likeKieran Culkin. While many of them earned their Oscars on merit, it's easy to imagine that their career trajectories of being able to weather the storm of Hollywood for so long played a part in wanting to vote for them.
Ahead, we look at 25 of the most notable child stars who won Oscars, presented in chronological order.
Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor was Hollywood royalty for decades, to the point that it's sometimes easy to forget that she'd been starring in films since she was 10 years old. Pictured left at age 14 inNational Velvet, she went on to win two Academy Awards for Best Actress, forBUtterfield 8in 1961 andWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?in 1967.
Jodie Foster
Pictured left at the age of 10 in 1972'sNapoleon and Samantha,Jodie Fosterspent her childhood acting. The star won her first Oscar in her 20s, landing the award for Best Actress in 1989 forThe Accused, and another one just three years later forThe Silence of the Lambs.
Anna Paquin
Anna Paquinnot only started as a child actor, she won her first Oscar before she even hit her teens. Pictured left in 1993'sThe Piano, the star was 11 when she landed the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her turn as Flora McGrath.
Helen Hunt
Helen Huntmade her acting debut at age 10, appearing in 1973'sPioneer Woman(pictured left). Twenty-five years later, Hunt earned her first Oscar, winning Best Actress forAs Good as It Gets.
Angelina Jolie
The daughter of actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand,Angelina Joliewas introduced to Hollywood at an early age. Pictured left in 1982'sLookin' to Get Out, the actress made her on-screen debut when she was 7. She picked up her first Oscar 18 years later, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role forGirl, Interrupted.
Hilary Swank
Hilary Swanklanded her first acting gigs in her teens, appearing in episodes ofEvening Shade,Growing Pains(pictured left), andCamp Wilder. She won her first Oscar in 2000, picking up the award for Best Actress forBoys Don't Cry, and a second in the same category in 2005 forMillion Dollar Baby.
Jennifer Connelly
Pictured left in 1984'sOnce Upon a Time in America,Jennifer Connellykicked off her acting career in her teens. The star, who made her on-screen debut at the age of 11, won her first Oscar in 2002, landing the Best Actress in a Supporting Role award forA Beautiful Mind.
Adrien Brody
Fans first metAdrien Brodyin the 1980s, when the then-teenage actor was appearing inHome at Last(pictured left),New York Stories, andAnnie McGuire. In 2003, the star won his first Oscar, landing the Best Actor award forThe Pianist(breaking the record for youngest winner in the category at age 29); he won a second Best Actor Oscar in 2025 forThe Brutalist.
Nicole Kidman
A 16-year-oldNicole Kidmanmade her first on-screen appearances in the 1980s inSkin Deep,Chase Through the Night, andBush Christmas(pictured left). In 2003, Kidman won her first Academy Award, picking up the Oscar for Best Actress forThe Hours.
Reese Witherspoon
In 1991, a teenageReese Witherspoonmade her acting debut, hitting the big screen inThe Man in the Moon(pictured left) and popping up in the TV movieWildflower. Fifteen years later, Witherspoon won her first Oscar, earning the Best Actress award forWalk the Line.
Kate Winslet
After five nominations,Kate Winsletnabbed her first Academy Award in 2009, winning the Oscar for Best Actress forThe Reader. She made her acting debut in her teens, appearing in episodes ofDark Season(pictured left),Anglo-Saxon Attitudes,andGet Back.
Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridgesfirst appeared on-screen as an infant, making his debut in 1951'sThe Company She Keeps. Pictured left onSea Huntin 1958, Bridges won his first Oscar in 2010, nabbing the award for Best Actor forCrazy Heart.
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Christian Bale
Not many actors can say one of their first gigs was working on a Steven Spielberg film, but a youngChristian Baleearned the first Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor award in 1987 from the National Board of Review for his work inEmpire of the Sun(pictured left) before winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2011 forThe Fighter.
Natalie Portman
Viewers first metNatalie Portmanwhen she was just 13 years old, making her debut inLéon: The Professional(pictured left). More than a decade later, the actress landed her first Oscar, winning Best Actress for 2010'sBlack Swan.
Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathawayfirst hit the small screen at the age of 16, appearing in episodes ofGet Real(pictured left) in 1999. Nearly 15 years later, the actress won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role forLes Misérables.
Jennifer Lawrence
Long beforeJennifer Lawrencewas accepting the Best Actress Oscar in 2013 forSilver Linings Playbook, she was spending her teens filling her résumé with bit parts in episodes ofMonk(pictured left),Cold Case, andMedium.
Brie Larson
Brie Larsonbecame Hollywood royalty when she won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2016 for her role inRoom, but the actress officially got her start nearly 20 years earlier. Larson popped up in episodes ofTo Have & to HoldandTouched by an Angel(pictured left) when she was a child.
Leonardo DiCaprio
A youngLeonardo DiCapriofilled his childhood with acting projects, making early appearances inThe New Lassie,The Outsiders,Parenthood,Growing Pains(pictured left), andCritters 3. Decades later and after four previous nominations, DiCaprio won his first Oscar in 2016, nabbing the Best Actor statuette forThe Revenant.
Casey Affleck
Casey Affleckfans might know of his early appearances in quintessential '90s filmsTo Die ForandChasing Amy, but before earning an Academy Award for Best Actor for 2016'sManchester by the Sea, Affleck made his first appearance on the small screen in a PBS adaption of the playLemon Skyin 1988, which was soon followed by an appearance as a young Bobby Kennedy in the 1990 ABC miniseriesThe Kennedys of Massachusetts(pictured left).
Emma Stone
Many actors have an early drive to make it in Hollywood, but fewmake a PowerPoint presentationto convince their parents to allow them move to Los Angeles to do exactly that.Emma Stone's gambit paid off, but before winning a pair of Best Actress Oscars for 2016'sLa La Landand 2023'sPoor Things, she appeared on VH1'sIn Search of the Partridge Family,Malcolm in the Middle, andMedium(pictured left).
Regina King
Before her breakout role as Shalika in John Singleton'sBoyz N the Hoodin 1991,Regina Kingstarred on the highly-rated sitcom227(pictured left), part of the NBC Thursday night juggernaut that dominated the 1980s. Speaking about the show ahead of her 2019 Best Supporting Actress win forIf Beale Street Could Talk, King said, "227was priceless for me. It was my foundation. Just being with Marla Gibbs, Hal Williams, Alaina Reed, Jackée — it was school."
Laura Dern
Laura Dern's first foray into film was as inglorious as it is for many actors: she was an uncredited extra. After brief appearances inWhite LightningandAlice Doesn't Live Here Anymore —both of which starred her mother, Diane Ladd — in the early-1970s, Dern made her solo jump to the big screen with 1980'sFoxesand 1982'sLadies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains(pictured left) as a teen. Fast forward to 2020, and Dern is not just an Oscar winner for her portrayal of a cutthroat divorce lawyer inMarriage Story(2019), she is one of the most in-demand and interesting actresses working today.
Joaquin Phoenix
Acting is in the family, and middle childJoaquin Phoenixmade a name for himself early with roles inSpaceCampandParenthood(pictured left) as Leaf Phoenix. "Leaf" was left behind in Phoenix's star turn in Gus Van Sant's 1995To Die For, and just a few years later, Joaquin earned his first Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination forGladiator,which was followed by his first in Best Actor forWalk the Linein 2006, and another in Best Actor forThe Masterin 2013.Great roles and performances, but, ha-ha, Phoenix earned his first Academy Award forJokerin 2020.
Ke Huy Quan
Ke Huy Quan's big Hollywood comeback was the stuff dreams are made of. After working as a child actor in high-profile movies likeIndiana Jones and Temple of Doom(1984, pictured left) andThe Goonies(1985), he struggled to find good roles and left acting in the mid-'90s, only to return in 2022 with a highly acclaimed performance inEverything Everywhere All at Once. His emotionally rich turn took him all the way to the Oscars, where he won Best Supporting Actor.
Kieran Culkin
Who knew that the kid in the suspenders wearing enormous glasses and clutching a Pepsi can inHome Alone(1990, pictured left) would one day sweep awards season? Kieran Culkin's career has taken him in some wild directions, but the 2020s found him hitting the big time with an Emmy win forSuccessionin 2023 and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar win in 2025 for his scene-stealing work inA Real Pain.
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