Skip to content

Top Navigation

PEOPLE.com PEOPLE.com
    • All News
    • Coronavirus
    • Crime
    • Human Interest
    • Politics
    • Heroes
    • Stories to Make You Smile
    • All Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Country
    • Awards
    • Sports
    • Theater
    • Books
  • Royals
    • All Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Fashion
    • Beauty
    • Health
    • Parents
    • Home
    • Pets
    • Food
    • Shopping
    • Tech
    • Travel
  • PeopleTV
  • Shopping
    • All Podcasts
    • Me Becoming Mom
    • People Every Day
    • PEOPLE in the '90s

Profile Menu

Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Premium
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Premium
Login
Subscribe

Explore PEOPLE.com

PEOPLE.com PEOPLE.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Rita Moreno Says She Dated Elvis as Revenge Against Cheating Ex Marlon Brando: 'It Was Wonderful'

      Rita Moreno Says She Dated Elvis as Revenge Against Cheating Ex Marlon Brando: 'It Was Wonderful'

      Rita Moreno revealed she dated Elvis Presley to get back at her ex-boyfriend Marlon Brando for cheating on her Read More
    • Machine Gun Kelly Poses with Daughter Casie at the 2021 American Music Awards

      Machine Gun Kelly Poses with Daughter Casie at the 2021 American Music Awards

      The American Music Awards, hosted by Cardi B, are broadcasting live from Los Angeles on Sunday Read More
    • Jennifer Lopez Sings from the Heart in New 'On My Way' Music Video

      Jennifer Lopez Sings from the Heart in New 'On My Way' Music Video

      Jennifer Lopez released the official music video for her song "On My Way," which is featured in her upcoming rom-com Marry Me Read More
  • News

    News

    See All News
    Stars Who Opened Up About Their Sexuality and Gender Identity in 2021

    Stars Who Opened Up About Their Sexuality and Gender Identity in 2021

    • Coronavirus
    • Crime
    • Human Interest
    • Politics
    • Heroes
    • Stories to Make You Smile
  • Entertainment

    Entertainment

    See All Entertainment
    The Best (& Worst) Jeopardy! Celebrity Guest Host Show Moments

    The Best (& Worst) Jeopardy! Celebrity Guest Host Show Moments

    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Country
    • Awards
    • Sports
    • Theater
    • Books
  • Royals
  • Lifestyle

    Lifestyle

    See All Lifestyle
    Billie Eilish Ditches Her Blonde Hair for Brunette Tresses: 'Miss Me?'

    Billie Eilish Ditches Her Blonde Hair for Brunette Tresses: 'Miss Me?'

    The singer revealed that she dyed her hair dark brown after debuting her blonde look earlier this year
    • Style
    • Fashion
    • Beauty
    • Health
    • Parents
    • Home
    • Pets
    • Food
    • Shopping
    • Tech
    • Travel
  • PeopleTV
  • Shopping
  • Podcasts

    Podcasts

    See All Podcasts
    Sen. Tammy Duckworth Calls Going Back to Work After Having a Miscarriage 'Inhumane'

    Sen. Tammy Duckworth Calls Going Back to Work After Having a Miscarriage 'Inhumane'

    "Even though we cleared my calendar for the day, I was still on the phone. There was no resting, you just kept on going," Tammy Duckworth says on an episode of PEOPLE's podcast Me Becoming Mom
    • Me Becoming Mom
    • People Every Day
    • PEOPLE in the '90s

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Premium
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Premium
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. People.com
  2. Movies
  3. Your Favorite Christmas Movie Child Stars: Where Are They Now?

Your Favorite Christmas Movie Child Stars: Where Are They Now?

'Tis the season to wonder what ever happened to these adorable kids 

By Lydia Price Updated December 15, 2021 11:35 AM
Skip gallery slides
FB Tweet

1 of 8

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MARA WILSON, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET

mara-wilson-1-2000
Credit: Michael P. Weinstein/20th Century Fox/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock; Chance Yeh/WireImage

Wilson was only 7 years old when she brought wise-beyond-her-years charm to the 1994 remake. She went on to score starring roles in Matilda and A Simple Wish before stepping away from the Hollywood life and earning a degree from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Her memoir, Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame, hit shelves in 2016. In November 2017, she spoke out against the sexualization of young Hollywood stars in a powerful essay for Elle.

1 of 8

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 8

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MACAULAY CULKIN, HOME ALONE

macaulay-culkin-1-2000A
Credit: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock; SPW/Splash News

Roles in the beloved holiday classic, Uncle Buck and Richie Rich helped shape Culkin into an iconic '90s child star. After a near decade-long hiatus from acting, he took on film roles in Party Monster and Saved!. These days, he keeps busy playing with his band, The Pizza Underground, hanging with goddaughter Paris Jackson and being a dad to baby Dakota. "I don't just turn my back [on the spotlight], I actively don't want it," he told The Guardian of fame in 2016. However, he did reprise his famous Home Alone role at Christmas 2018 for a Google holiday ad.

2 of 8

3 of 8

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

PETER BILLINGSLEY, A CHRISTMAS STORY 

peter-billingsley-1-2000
Credit: MGM/UA/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock; Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Vulture Festival

Billingsley's portrayal of aspiring-BB gun owner Ralphie — a performance he delivered at 12 years old — was so endearing that it's now played on TV for 24 hours straight every Christmas. He's stuck with acting over the years, but has been even more active behind the camera. His resume includes executive producer credits on Iron Man, F Is For Family and The Break-Up, and his directorial debut, Couples Retreat. Billingsley also served as a producer on the Broadway musical adaptation of A Christmas Story.

3 of 8

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 8

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

THOMAS BRODIE-SANGSTER, LOVE ACTUALLY 

thomas-brodie-sangster-1-2000
Credit: Peter Mountain/Universal/Dna/Working Title/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock; Chance Yeh/Getty Images

The angel-faced actor has continued to work steadily into adulthood. He's appeared in Game of Thrones, Nowhere Boy, Nanny McPhee, The Maze Runner franchise and even had a small part in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Last year, Brodie-Sangster reprised his Love Actually role for the charity mini-sequel Red Nose Day Actually. Now, he's back on-screen in the hit The Queen's Gambit.

4 of 8

Advertisement

5 of 8

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

TAYLOR MOMSEN, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS

taylor-momsen-1-2000
Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon/Imagine Ent/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock; Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

In 2000, Momsen taught us all about the real meaning of Christmas as Cindy Lou Who. Seven years later, she scored the role of ambitious teen Jenny Humphrey on Gossip Girl. The star now focuses her energies on her rock band, The Pretty Reckless. "It's less frustrating if someone recognizes me for it; it's more frustrating that I still get asked about it," she told PEOPLE in 2016 about being asked to talk about her CW days. "It feels like someone asking you about junior high. It literally was my junior high, so that's what it feels like to me. It's such a past life that it's a strange question to continue to get asked."

5 of 8

6 of 8

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

JOHNNY GALECKI, NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION 

johnny-galecki-1-2000
Credit: Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock; Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Galecki joined the Chevy Chase-led Vacation series as son Rusty Griswold in 1989. He became a permanent cast member on Roseanne in 1992, and returned as David Healy in its revival. Recently done with his long-running role on The Big Bang Theory, the actor brought a Christmas Vacation spinoff to HBO Max.

6 of 8

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 8

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

ERIC LLOYD, THE SANTA CLAUSE 

eric-lloyd
Credit: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock; Eric Lloyd

In The Santa Clause trilogy, Lloyd starred alongside Tim Allen as Charlie, the son of a divorced dad who becomes the actual St. Nick. He continued acting in the eight-year gap between the first and second films in the series before enrolling at Chapman University to study film production. Lloyd now plays in a band, runs a production studio and occasionally acts. "It's funny that people still recognize me," he shared in a 2014 Reddit AMA. "I don't think I look the same. But people will come from across the room and say 'OH MY GOD, CHARLIE!'"

7 of 8

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 8

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

KAROLYN GRIMES, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE 

karolyn-grimes-1-2000
Credit: RKO/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock; Bobby Bank/WireImage

Grimes was a mere 6 years old when she warmed hearts as Zuzu Bailey in 1946. She only acted up until the early 1950s, but the classic Christmas movie remains an important part of her life. She still travels to speak at screenings of the film during the holiday season, and published Zuzu Bailey's It's a Wonderful Life Cookbook in 2000.

8 of 8

Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Lydia Price

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 8 MARA WILSON, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET
    2 of 8 MACAULAY CULKIN, HOME ALONE
    3 of 8 PETER BILLINGSLEY, A CHRISTMAS STORY 
    4 of 8 THOMAS BRODIE-SANGSTER, LOVE ACTUALLY 
    5 of 8 TAYLOR MOMSEN, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
    6 of 8 JOHNNY GALECKI, NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION 
    7 of 8 ERIC LLOYD, THE SANTA CLAUSE 
    8 of 8 KAROLYN GRIMES, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE 

    Share & More

    Pinterest Email Send Text Message
    PEOPLE.com

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Meredith© Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab. People is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab Manage Push Notificationsthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab

    Manage Push Notifications

    If you would like to opt out of browser push notifications, please refer to the following instructions specific to your device and browser: Google Chrome and Android, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge.
    © Copyright PEOPLE.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://people.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Your Favorite Christmas Movie Child Stars: Where Are They Now?
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.