They see dead people — or worse. Few horror movie tropes are scarier than creepy children, but many of those child actors have grown up to become super successful adults.
Before she was a Golden Globe winner and talk show host, Drew Barrymore played the title role in 1984’s Firestarter, which was based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. The Charlie’s Angels actress starred as Charlie McGee, a little girl with pyrokinesis, a.k.a. the ability to control fire with her mind.
Barrymore was only 8 years old when she filmed the movie, but her acting made a huge impression on King, who still has a signed poster of the actress as Charlie. “It’s hung on my office wall for well over 40 years,” the Carrie author said during a March 2021 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show. “Not only were you a great actress [when] very, very young, you were a good person, and you’re still a good person.”
The Wildflower author returned to the horror genre as an adult in 1996’s Scream, but she’s actually not a fan of scary movies despite her “scream queen” reputation. “Funny enough, contrary to probably popular belief, I am terrified of scary movies and do not watch them,” she said during an October 2020 episode of her talk show.
Like Barrymore, Haley Joel Osment became a huge star after appearing in a horror movie as a kid. The California native starred in 1999’s The Sixth Sense as Cole Sear, a young boy who could see dead people. Osment earned an Oscar nomination for his work, becoming the second-youngest person to earn a nod in a supporting role.
Director M. Night Shyamalan auditioned tons of kids for the role of Cole, but Osment was the first actor that blew him away. “It was like I had never heard the dialogue before,” the filmmaker told The New Yorker in October 2014. “He finished the scene and he was crying and I was crying. I could not believe it. I said, ‘Oh, my God. Who are you?’”
Unlike many child stars, Osment kept acting in film and TV after The Sixth Sense, though he admitted that he sometimes chose roles because he thought they would help him shed the image of Cole.
“I’m most well known for being a good kid and the moral center of the movie,” he explained to The New Yorker in the same interview. “It’s telling that most of my current roles are dark and nasty. It’s not about running away from what I did as a kid, but it’s a way to keep things fresh and challenging.”
Keep scrolling to see what some of the most famous frightening kids have been doing since they haunted movie screens.
They see dead people — or worse. Few horror movie tropes are scarier than creepy children, but many of those child actors have grown up to become super successful adults.
Before she was a Golden Globe winner and talk show host, Drew Barrymore played the title role in 1984’s Firestarter, which was based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. The Charlie’s Angels actress starred as Charlie McGee, a little girl with pyrokinesis, a.k.a. the ability to control fire with her mind.
Barrymore was only 8 years old when she filmed the movie, but her acting made a huge impression on King, who still has a signed poster of the actress as Charlie. “It’s hung on my office wall for well over 40 years,” the Carrie author said during a March 2021 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show. “Not only were you a great actress [when] very, very young, you were a good person, and you’re still a good person.”
The Wildflower author returned to the horror genre as an adult in 1996’s Scream, but she’s actually not a fan of scary movies despite her “scream queen” reputation. “Funny enough, contrary to probably popular belief, I am terrified of scary movies and do not watch them,” she said during an October 2020 episode of her talk show.
[jwplayer a9f3DNLC-zhNYySv2]
Like Barrymore, Haley Joel Osment became a huge star after appearing in a horror movie as a kid. The California native starred in 1999’s The Sixth Sense as Cole Sear, a young boy who could see dead people. Osment earned an Oscar nomination for his work, becoming the second-youngest person to earn a nod in a supporting role.
Director M. Night Shyamalan auditioned tons of kids for the role of Cole, but Osment was the first actor that blew him away. “It was like I had never heard the dialogue before,” the filmmaker told The New Yorker in October 2014. “He finished the scene and he was crying and I was crying. I could not believe it. I said, ‘Oh, my God. Who are you?’”
Unlike many child stars, Osment kept acting in film and TV after The Sixth Sense, though he admitted that he sometimes chose roles because he thought they would help him shed the image of Cole.
“I’m most well known for being a good kid and the moral center of the movie,” he explained to The New Yorker in the same interview. “It’s telling that most of my current roles are dark and nasty. It’s not about running away from what I did as a kid, but it’s a way to keep things fresh and challenging.”
Keep scrolling to see what some of the most famous frightening kids have been doing since they haunted movie screens.
[podcast_block]
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Drew Barrymore, ‘Firestarter’
After Firestarter, Barrymore reunited with King for 1985’s Cat’s Eye. She has since appeared in a ton of movies including Batman Forever, The Wedding Singer, Never Been Kissed, Donnie Darko, 50 First Dates and Going the Distance. In 2009, she made her directorial debut with Whip It, and in 2010, she won a Golden Globe for her role in HBO’s Grey Gardens. The Santa Clarita Diet alum has hosted The Drew Barrymore Show since 2020.
Barrymore was married to Tom Green from 2001 to 2002. After dating Fabrizio Moretti and Justin Long, she tied the knot with Will Kopelman in 2012. The duo, who split in 2016, share daughters Olive and Frankie.
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Linda Blair, ‘The Exorcist’
The Missouri native is best known for playing Regan MacNeil, the possessed little girl at the center of 1973’s The Exorcist. Blair reprised the role in Exorcist II: The Heretic before starring in films including Hell Night, Repossessed and Witchery. She had a cameo role in the original Scream alongside fellow horror movie kid Barrymore.
The Golden Globe winner dated Rick James in the early 1980s. The “Super Freak” singer later said that he wrote the song “Cold Blooded” about Blair.
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Daveigh Chase, ‘The Ring’
Chase terrified audiences as Samara Morgan in 2002’s The Ring, which forever altered the way viewers looked at wells. The Nevada native went on to star in Big Love, Without a Trace and American Romance. She also appeared as Samara in archive footage used in later Ring sequels. Disney fans may recognize Chase as the voice of Lilo in the original Lilo & Stitch as well as its sequels and spinoff TV show.
Credit: New World/Angeles/Cinema Group/Kobal/Shutterstock; YouTube
John Franklin, ‘Children of the Corn’
Franklin played Isaac Chroner, the child leader of a murderous cult in 1984’s Children of the Corn, which was adapted from a short story by King. The Illinois native later starred as Cousin Itt in The Addams Family and its sequel Addams Family Values. His other film and TV credits include Chicago Hope, Wag the Dog, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Fresh Off the Boat.
The Star Trek: Voyager alum took a break from acting in the early 2000s to become a high school teacher. He taught for 14 years before returning to showbiz in 2016.
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Isabelle Fuhrman, ‘Orphan’
After starring as Esther, the titular orphan in 2009’s Orphan, Fuhrman went on to play District 2 tribute Clove in The Hunger Games. Her other film and TV credits include Masters of Sex, The Novice and One Night. She also reprised her role as Esther for the long-awaited Orphan sequel, Orphan: First Kill, which is due out August 2022.
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Lisa and Louise Burns, ‘The Shining’
The Burns twins played the Grady girls in 1980’s The Shining. They didn’t keep acting, but fans can find them on Cameo — and get personalized videos of the twins saying their famous line: “Come play with us, Danny.”
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Haley Joel Osment, ‘The Sixth Sense’
As a kid, Osment went on to star in A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Pay It Forward and Secondhand Lions. After graduating from New York University, he appeared in films and TV shows including Yoga Hosers, The Spoils of Babylon, Future Man and The Boys. He is slated to appear in Dave Franco‘s upcoming film Somebody I Used to Know.
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Miko Hughes, ‘Pet Sematary’
After playing Gage Creed in the 1989 version of Pet Sematary (another King adaptation), Hughes starred in Kindergarten Cop, Apollo 13 and Spawn. He also played Michelle’s nemesis Aaron on Full House. As an adult, he’s appeared in Tropic Thunder, Veronica Mars and Scrubs.
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Patty McCormack, ‘The Bad Seed’
McCormack earned an Oscar nomination for her performance as Rhoda, a possibly murderous preteen in 1956’s The Bad Seed. The New York native went on to star in a ton of movies and TV shows including Rawhide, Hart of Dixie, The Master and Criminal Minds. She played Liz La Cerva, the mother of Adriana (Drea de Matteo), on The Sopranos. In 2018, she had a cameo role in a made-for-TV remake of The Bad Seed, which was directed by Rob Lowe.
The Scandal alum shares two children with ex-husband Bob Catania, whom she divorced in 1973.
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Harvey Spencer Stephens, ‘The Omen’
Stephens played Damien, a young boy who turns out to be the Antichrist, in 1976’s The Omen. He didn’t continue acting after earning a Golden Globe nod for his performance, but he had a cameo role in the 2006 remake of The Omen, which starred Julia Stiles and Liev Schreiber.
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Macaulay Culkin, ‘The Good Son’
After becoming a huge star thanks to Home Alone, Culkin played Henry, a boy with an unhealthy obsession with death, in 1993’s The Good Son. As an adult, the My Girl actor went on to appear in Saved!, Party Monster, American Horror Story: Double Feature and The Righteous Gemstones.
Culkin was married to Rachel Miner from 1998 to 2002. After dating Mila Kunis, the New York City native moved on with Brenda Song, who starred alongside him in Changeland. The duo welcomed son Dakota in April 2021.
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Megan Charpentier, ‘Mama’
The Canada native played one of the feral children in 2013’s Mama. She went on to appear in Never Ever, The Shack and It. Before Mama, she played a young Amanda Seyfried in both Jennifer’s Body and Red Riding Hood.
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Isabelle Nélisse, ‘Mama’
After playing the other feral sister in Mama, Nélisse reunited with Charpentier in It. She has also appeared in The Strain, The Tale and The Far Shore.
