By Wonderwall.com Editors
12:00am PDT, Jul 17, 2022
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Child actors have mixed success — some steal our hearts for a minute, others withstand the test of time. Wonderwall.com is taking a look at the child actors who got their start on kids' TV shows — often on Disney and Nickelodeon — and the fantastic careers they have today, starting with this actor… Ben Affleck (right, in 1986 with "Wanted: The Perfect Guy" co-star Pam Potillo) was in the kids PBS series "The Voyage of the Mimi" and "The Second Voyage of the Mimi" in 1984 and 1988, respectively.
Keep reading to see more stars who got their start on kids shows…
RELATED: Child stars: Where are they (and what do they look like) now?
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Ben Affleck has been an A-list movie star since starring in 1997's "Good Will Hunting," which he also co-wrote, earning an Oscar for his efforts. Since 1997, he's taken home another Academy Award (for producing 2013's "Argo," which he also directed and starred in), and starred in movies like "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Gone Girl."
RELATED: Disney Channel leading ladies then and now
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Leonardo DiCaprio successfully transitioned from child star to heartthrob (remember Jack in "Titanic"?) to serious actor, Oscar winner and environmental activist.
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At 12, Hilary Duff got her start as the quirky and lovable titular character on "Lizzie McGuire," which ran on the Disney Channel between 2001 and 2004.
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Hilary Duff nearly reprised her role as Lizzie McGuire (now in her 30s), but the show got axed in 2020 due to creative differences. Hilary is still a TV queen, though: She starred on "Younger" from 2015 to 2021 and has starred on Hulu's "How I Met Your Father" since 2022.
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Kenan Thompson was an original cast member on "All That," appearing on the first five seasons starting in 1994 when he was 16.
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Kenan Thompson clearly has a love for sketch comedy. In 2003, four years after wrapping "All That," Kenan joined "Saturday Night Live" — where he's now the longest tenured cast member. He dabbled with a sitcom of his own with 2021's "Kenan," but it was canceled after two seasons.
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Demi Lovato (center, on purple ball) and Selena Gomez (right, on yellow ball) got their big breaks on PBS with "Barney & Friends" between 2002 and 2004. Both were 10 when they started on the show.
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Demi Lovato may have gotten their start acting (in addition to "Barney," they starred on Disney's "Sonny with a Chance"), but since then, they've found great fame with music, releasing seven studio albums since 2008's "Don't Forget."
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After "Barney," Selena Gomez also nabbed a Disney show — "Wizards of Waverly Place" — in 2007. After that, she found success in music with hits like "It Ain't Me" and "Come & Get It" and with her Rare Beauty cosmetics brand, though she's continued to act too, most recently on Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building."
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"The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" served as a career launch pad for Justin Timberlake (left, striped polo), Britney Spears (left of center, denim vest), Christina Aguilera (center, jean jacket), Ryan Gosling (upper right, in stripes), Keri Russell (center, hand in hair) and JC Chasez (bottom left, gray T-shirt). The six all overlapped for season 6 in 1993.
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Justin Timberlake, who started with Disney at 12, paired up with "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" co-star JC Chasez for the boy band *NSYNC until spinning off into his own successful solo career with massive hits like "SexyBack" and "Can't Stop The Feeling." The father of two, who's won Emmys for his contributions to "Saturday Night Live," also acts and does voice work in movies like "Trolls."
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Britney Spears (seen here with husband Sam Asghari) first auditioned for "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" when she was 8, but it took her a few years to get the job. After that, she focused on making music and touring, though she's taken a break from performing in recent years as she successfully fought to end the conservatorship that ruled her life for more than 13 years.
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After to rising to fame at 13 on "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club," Ryan Gosling turned his childhood acting roles into a highly respected acting career, earning — among other awards and nominations — two Academy Award noms. In between starring in movies like "La La Land" and "First Man," he's raising two daughters with actress Eva Mendes.
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Christina Aguilera launched her pop music career around the same time her old Disney co-stars Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears were launching theirs. Her powerhouse vocals were behind songs like "Dirrty," "Genie in a Bottle" and "Beautiful." Xtina also was an original coach on "The Voice," appearing on the music competition show between 2011 and 2016.
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Unlike most of her "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" co-stars, Keri Russell — who started on the show when she was 15 — only focused on acting afterward. Most notably, she starred on "Felicity" and "The Americans."
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JC Chasez, who started on Disney's "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" at 15, worked with co-star Justin Timberlake in the boy band *NSYNC for years before both launched solo careers at the same time. JC didn't have the same success as Justin, but he's teamed up with some notable acts, like 3OH!3 and Smokey Robinson, on projects in recent years.
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"Kids Incorporated" introduced audiences to Mario Lopez (on the drums) and Fergie (right, in shorts) in the 1980s.
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Mario Lopez started on "Kids Incorporated" at 11 but rose to fame on "Saved by the Bell" in his teenage years. Today he's a successful radio and TV presenter who's hosted shows like "Extra," "The X Factor" and "Access Hollywood."
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Fergie stayed in music after "Kids Incorporated," on which she first appeared at 9. She then sang in the girl group Wild Orchid but found greater success as the sole female vocalist in the Black Eyed Peas before launching a solo music career.
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In 2006, audiences met Miley Stewart, a pre-teen played by Miley Cyrus who had a secret life as pop star Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana."
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Miley Cyrus couldn't wait to shed the good-girl Disney image she cultivated after auditioning for "Hannah Montana" at 13. Today she's an edgy pop singer with hits like "Wrecking Ball" and "We Can't Stop."
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Before he was Drake, Aubrey Graham kicked off his career in Canada playing Jimmy Brooks, a former basketball player who uses a wheelchair on "Degrassi: The Next Generation."
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Drake became a bona fide rapper in 2009 with the release of "Best I Ever Had," which kicked off a superstar music career for the Canadian that's been full of hit singles — and he has four Grammys to his name.
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Audiences first met Ariana Grande when she was a Nickelodeon kid — she played Cat Valentine on "Victorious" starting in 2010 then portrayed the same character on "Sam & Cat," which premiered in 2013.
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Ariana Grande began her transition into music while "Sam & Cat" was airing. She's had massive success with songs like "thank u, next," and "God is a Woman" over the six studio albums she's released.
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Shia LaBeouf grew up before our eyes as Louis Stevens on the Disney Channel's "Even Stevens," which premiered in 2000. He won the job at 14.
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Shia LaBeouf has had his fair share of personal and legal struggles since exiting the Disney Channel bubble, but he's also found success in movies like "Transformers," "Honey Boy" and "The Peanut Butter Falcon."
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Between 1996 and 2002, Amanda Bynes was a Nickelodeon darling, appearing on "All That" and "Figure it Out" before earning her own series, "The Amanda Show."
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Amanda Bynes was becoming a movie star when she announced a hiatus from acting in 2010 after starring in the hit movie "Easy A." Since then, her private troubles have played out publicly as she's battled mental health and addiction issues. Her mom served as her conservator from 2013 to 2022, during which time Amanda regained her health and graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.
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Bella Thorne and Zendaya (center) both got their start on "Shake It Up!" — a Disney show about backup dancers — than ran between 2010 and 2013. Zendaya started on the series at 14 while Bella was 13.
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Zendaya has become a fashion icon since her Disney Channel days. Professionally, she's focused primarily on acting, appearing in films like "The Greatest Showman," the latest "Spider-Man" series and "Dune." In 2020, she won an Emmy for best lead actress in a drama series for her work on "Euphoria," making her the youngest woman to ever earn the award.
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Bella Thorne has attracted quite a bit of controversy since "Shake It Up!" ended in 2013. While she's acted in films like "The DUFF" and "The Babysitter," it's things like earning $1 million in one day on OnlyFans that's sparked headlines.
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Melissa Joan Hart was the relatable girl next door, Clarissa Darling, on Nickelodeon's "Clarissa Explains it All" between 1991 and 1994. She began starring on the hit series at 15.
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Since "Clarissa Explains It All," Melissa Joan Hart has worked consistently in television, starring on long-running shows like "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and "Melissa & Joey" as well as in Lifetime movies. She's also a seasoned producer.
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Between 1998 and 2000, Nick Cannon made kids laugh on Nickelodeon's "All That," which he joined at 18.
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Gabriel Iglesias is another funnyman who got his start on Nickelodeon's sketch-comedy show "All That." He was 23 when he appeared on the show's sixth season in 2000.
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Gabriel Iglesias continues to make people laugh thanks to his short-lived Netflix show "Mr. Iglesias," his voiceover work and his stand-up comedy.
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Joanna Garcia Swisher is another Nickelodeon alum. The actress starred on the scary show "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" between 1993 and 1996.
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Joanna Garcia Swisher bopped from TV show to TV show after she wrapped "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" — she's popped up on "Freaks and Geeks," "Reba," "Privileged," and, more recently, "Sweet Magnolias."
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Real-life twins Dylan Sprouse and Cole Sprouse were 12 when they started playing fictional twins Zack and Cody Martin on the Disney Channel's "The Suite Life of Zack And Cody," which ran from 2005 to 2006.
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Dylan Sprouse and Cole Sprouse have pursued separate interests since they were childhood stars and always appeared together. Both took a break from acting and went to New York University — Dylan graduated with a degree in video game design while Cole studied archaeology. Dylan has since appeared in films like "After We Collided" and "The Curse of Turandot" and serves as the brewmaster at his All-Wise Meadery in Brooklyn. Cole has starred on the hit TV series "Riverdale" since 2017, when the brothers started taking on their own projects.
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Nickelodeon's "Drake & Josh" introduced us to a then-10-year-old Miranda Cosgrove in 2004. She then starred on "iCarly" (pictured) from 2007 to 2012 as a teen.
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Miranda Cosgrove returned to her roots in 2021 when she once again became Carly Shay on an "iCarly" reboot after a nine-year break. In between her appearances as Carly, she also did voice work in the "Despicable Me" franchise and other projects.
