Danica McKellar: Then

Child Stars: Then and Now

Despite the fact that she's written two bestselling books about math, Danica McKellar will always be remembered as Winnie Cooper from "The Wonder Years." Fred Savage and Danica McKellar on The Wonder Years. (Photo: MPTV)

More from this Slideshow

Kelly Osbourne: ... The daughter of legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne, Kelly debuted to the public on MTV's reality show 'The Osbournes.' Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images
Kelly Osbourne: ... A long way from her reality show roots, Kelly Osbourne now has a solo music career and has undergone weight loss and a makeover. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images)
Jack Osbourne: T... The son of Ozzy Osbourne, Jack stared on MTV's 'The Osbournes' in 2002. (Photo by Robert Mora/Getty Images)
Jack Osbourne: N... After a stint in rehab and a dramatic weight loss, Jack has reinvented his image in Hollywood. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Emmanuel Lewis: ... Lewis shot to fame as the star of the 1980s sitcom "Webster." He was 12 years old when the show premiered in 1983, although his small stature led many to believe he was far younger. (Photo: ABC)
Emmanuel Lewis: ... At age 37, Lewis occasionally reappears in Hollywood. He appeared in the child star spoof "Dickie Roberts: Child Star" and in the 2003 season of "The Surreal Life." (Photo: Kevin Winter / Getty Images)
Anthony Michael ... As the archetypal geek in John Hughes' '80s films like "Sixteen Candles," "Weird Science" and "The Breakfast Club," it's hard to believe that Hall grew up at all... (Photo: Universal)
Anthony Michael ... ...let alone grew up to be such a hunk. He has delved back into nerd-dom, portraying Bill Gates in a made-for-TV movie, but has managed to work steadily in both film and TV since his youth. (Photo: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images)
Molly Ringwald: ... As the female lead in films like "Sixteen Candles," "the Breakfast Club" and "Pretty In Pink," Ringwald channeled teen angst for girls across America. (Photo: Universal)
Molly Ringwald: ... As an adult, Ringwald moved to Paris, married and divorced a Frenchmen, became a book reviewer and has stepped back into acting with the new TV show "Secret Life of the American Teen." (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
Leonardo DiCapri... Leo was a standout star even as a young kid, starring with Ellen Barkin and DeNiro in "This Boy's Life." (Photo: Warner Brothers)
Leonardo DiCapri... After making a little film called "Titanic," Leo has become one of Hollywood's most bankable - and respected - actors. But even a big star has to start somewhere - Leo's big break was on the sitcom "Growing Pains." (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
"Growing Pains" Leo played a homeless boy who the Seaver Family took in. At the time, Leo wasn't the heart throb on the show... (Photo: WB)
Kirk Cameron: Th... It was Kirk Cameron, who played oldest brother Mike Seaver, who stole the hearts of tweenage girls. (Photo: ABC)
Kirk Cameron: No... Cameron married co-star Chelsea Noble, had six kids and runs an evangelical Christian ministry called "Way of the Master. (Photo: ABC)
Tracey Gold: The... Snarky sister Carol Seaver was played by Tracey Gold, who had a very public battle with anorexia during her years on "Growing Pains." (Photo: ABC)
Tracey Gold: Now Gold recovered and has continued to act, appearing in Lifetime movies and, most recently, hosting the TLC show, "The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom." (Photo: TLC)
Then: Fred Savag... Adorable Fred Savage starred in movies like "The Princess Bride" and "The Boy Who Could Fly" as a kid, but it was his turn as Kevin Arnold in the TV show "The Wonder Years" that made him a star. (Photo: ABC)
Now: Fred Savage He may have been the youngest actor to ever win an Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series, but Savage had a hard time shaking his "cute kid" image as an adult actor. Like Ron Howard, Savage has moved on to directing, though mostly for TV shows. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)
Danica McKellar:... Despite the fact that she's written two bestselling books about math, Danica McKellar will always be remembered as Winnie Cooper from "The Wonder Years." Fred Savage and Danica McKellar on The Wonder Years. (Photo: MPTV)
Danica McKellar:... When not writing books like "Math Doesn't Suck," she still acts. You may have seen her on "The West Wing." (Photo: ABC)
"The Cosby Show" Denise, Theo, Vanessa and Rudy Huxtable were the cutest kids of the 1980s sitcom universe. (Photo: Warner Brothers)
Lisa Bonet: Then Bonet, who played Denise Huxtable, eventually starred in her own spinoff show, "A Different World." She eloped with singer Lenny Kravitz when she was 20 and was considered the 'wild child' of the "Cosby" kids. (Photo: MPTV)
Lisa Bonet: Now Recently, Bonet has guest starred on the tv show "Life on Mars." (Photo: ABC)
Malcolm-Jamal Wa... Theo, the lone Huxtable son played by Malcolm-Jamal Warner, was a lovable troublemaker. (Photo: Gene Trindl)
Malcolm-Jamal Wa... Warner continues to act and has also worked as a director. (Photo: Showtime)
Tempestt Bledsoe... Bledsoe played Vanessa, the consummate middle sister on "The Cosby Show." (Photo: NBC)
Tempestt Bledsoe... Bledsoe has a short-lived talk show in the mid-90s called "Tempestt" and has guest starred on shows like "Raising the Bar." (Photo: ABC)
Keshia Knight Pu... Remember Rudy? The littlest Huxtable (or at least until Raven-Symone came and stole her thunder). She's all grown up now and can now be seen as "Tyler Perry's House of Payne." (Photo: MGM)
Then: Maureen Mc... As the eldest Brady sister, Marcia, on "The Brady Bunch" Maureen McCormick was the envy of teenage girls - and the dream of teenage boys - everywhere in the 1970s for her wholesome California looks and disposition. (Photo: ABC)
Now: Maureen McC... McCormick is still a working actor, but was most recently in the news for writing a tell-all book about her struggle with drug addiction and her romance with co-star Barry "Greg" Williams. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Then: Barry Will... Big brother Greg Brady was the dreamiest of the "Brady Bunch" siblings. (Photo: ABC)
Now: Barry Willi... But it was Florence Henderson, who played Greg's mother Carol Brady, who Williams really had a big crush on. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Neil Patrick Har... A genius teenage doctor who typed his thoughts into a computer (pre-Carrie Bradshaw) and had a best friend named Vinny? It doesn't sound like a hit, but "Doogie Howser, M.D." starring Neil Patrick Harris was a success. (Photo: ABC)
Neil Patrick Har... It was hard for NPH to shake the Doogie label, but he's moved on to star in "How I Met Your Mother" and had a memorable turn as an acid-tinged version of himself in the movie "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle." (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg)
Then: Ron Howard Actor-director Ron Howard has been in show business for over 40 years, starring as Opie in "The Andy Griffith Show" and in the film version of "The Music Man." As a teen, he went on to play Richie Cunningham in the hit sitcom "Happy Days." (Photo: MPTV)
Now: Ron Howard Howard made the rare transition for a child star, becoming a successful director of films like "Splash" abd "Apollo 13" as well as running the extremely successful production company Imagine Entertainment with producer Brian Grazer. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
Then: Brooke Shi... As a child model-actress, Shields became famous for her role as a child prostitute in "Pretty Baby" and for her turn as a teen trapped on a desert island in the campy 1980 classic "The Blue Lagoon." (Photo: Warner Bros)
Now: Brooke Shie... Shields has remained in the public eye as an actress ("Suddenly Susan" ) and for speaking out publicly about her struggle with post-partum depression and a public feud with Tom Cruise over the subject. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
Then: Corey Feld... Since it's impossible to pick a favorite Corey, we'll go alphabetically. Corey Feldman made his mark in the 1980s in films like "Stand By Me," "Goonies" and "The Lost Boys"... (Photo: Columbia)
Then: Corey Haim ... which co-starred the other teen heart throb Corey: Corey Haim. Haim also starred in the touching film "Lucas." (Photo: Warner Brothers)
Now: The Two Cor... Both Coreys struggled, like many other child stars, with drug addictions and subsequent recoveries. Feldman seems to be doing better than Haim, based on their reality show "The Two Coreys." (Photo: A&E)
Then: Winona Ryd... At 13, Winona Ryder starred in her first film role, "Lucas" opposite Corey Haim and at age 18, she portrayed the 13-year-old child bride of Jerry Lee Lewis in the biopic "Great Balls of Fire" with Dennis Quaid. (Photo: Orion Pictures)
Now: Winona Ryde... Ryder went on to become the It girl of Generation X, starring in films from "Reality Bites" to "Alien" throughout the 1990s. An arrest for shoplifting in 2001 tarnished Ryder's star a bit. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images )
Then: Jerry O'Co... At age 11, O'Connell stole the show as the chubby, sweet-natured Vern Tessio in the 1986 film "Stand By Me." (Photo: Columbia)
Now: Jerry O'Con... O'Connell grew up to be a total hunk. He married actress and swimsuit model Rebecca Romijn and has continued to work in films like "Jerry Maguire" and the TV show "Sliders. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Natalie Wood: 19... Actress Natalie Wood was just nine years old when she starred in the classic holiday film "Miracle on 34th Street." (Photo: 20th Century Fox)
Natalie Wood, 19... She would go on as an adult to star in many classic films like "West Side Story," "Splendor in the Grass" and "Gypsy." She died in a tragic boating accident in 1983. (Photo: Getty Images)
Then: Christian ... You might be surprised to learn that the 'Batman' star was a child actor, starring in the Steven Spielberg's 1987 film 'Empire of the Sun.' (Photo by Warner Brothers)
Now: Christian B... As an adult, Bale has been an in-demand actor with films like "American Psycho" and "The Presitge." (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
Then: Shirley Te... Temple was the original child star, beloved for her ringlets and charm in the 1930s. (Photo by General Photographic Agency/Getty Images)
Now: Shirley Tem... The staunchly Republican Temple went into an entirely different field of endeavor when she entered politics in the mid-'60s. She made an unsuccessful bid for Congress, was appointed U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in 1968, was U.S. ambassador to Ghana (1974-1976) and Czechoslovakia (1989) and during the Ford and Carter years kept busy as the U.S. Chief of Protocol.(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Then: Macaulay C... He was in 'Uncle Buck' and 'Jacob's Ladder', but it was the 'Home Alone' (1990) franchise that turned him from a child actor into a child star. (Photo by Newsmakers)
Now: Macaulay Cu... Culkin spent the late 1990s the next few years embroiled in a bitter dispute with his father over control of his finances. He was officially "divorced" from his father and manager over his $30 million fortune. Culkin has periodically appeared in films, from 'Party Monster' and also had to testify in the Michael Jackson molestation trial. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
Then: Jodie Fost... (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) At age 14, Foster's controversial performance in "Taxi Driver” as the teenage prostitute who inspires Robert De Niro's deranged personal crusade garnered her an Academy Award at the tender age of 14.
Now: Jodie Foste... Foster is the poster child for child star success. She went on to graduate from Yale, win two Academy Awards, direct a film and generally managed to avoid the drugs, prison time and poor choices that plagued other child actors. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Then: Haley Joel... He won hearts as Tom Hanks' son in "Forrest Gump" and saw dead people in "The Sixth Sense." (Photo by David McNew Online USA)
Now: Haley Joel ... He's continued to work as he's gotten older and has had a brush with the law, pleading no contest to one count of driving under the influence of alcohol and one count of possession of marijuana at the age of 18. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Then: Elizabeth ... The child star won audiences' hearts with her performances in "Lassie Come Home" and "National Velvet" in the 1940s. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Now: Elizabeth T... Taylor has won two Academy Awards and starred in a number of hugely successful films, but it's her seven marriages and turbulent love life that have been gotten the most publicity. As her acting career wound to a close, Taylor has been a committed activist in the fight against AIDS and a perfume mogul. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Then: Tatum O'Ne... At the tender age of 10, O'Neal was the youngest actress to ever win an Oscar, for her role in "Paper Moon" opposite her father, actor Ryan O'Neal. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Now: Tatum O'Nea... O'Neal's career has been riddled with ups and downs ever since. She battled a heroin addiction and found sobriety for several years, although a recent public relapse brought her troubles back into the limelight. (Photo by REUTERS/Chip East)
Then: Sean Astin The son of actors Patty Duke and John Astin, Sean Astin was a child star ("Goonies" "War of the Roses") who managed to avoid the drugs-drinking-jail pitfalls that have befell many of his contemporaries. (Photo by Warner Bros.)
Now: Sean Astin As an adult, Astin is best known for his role as hobbit Samwise Gamgee in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
Then: Drew Barry... Barrymore, a descendant of a long line of actors from both stage and screen, exploded on the screen as the adorable Gertie in "E.T." (Photo by Universal Pictures)
Drew Barrymore Barrymore struggled with drugs and alcohol as an adolescent before entering rehab and cleaning up her act, forming her own production company and finding her way back to big screen success. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images)
Then: Mickey Roo... Mickey Rooney started in vaudeville and rose to fame in the 1930s in "Andy Hardy" films. He was best known for co-starring with Judy Garland. (Photo by MGM Studios/Courtesy of Getty Images)
Now: Mickey Roon... Rooney has been married 8 times (including to Ava Gardner) and is still performing to this day. (Photo by Chris Blumenshine/Getty Images)
Then: Sarah Jess... SJP started as a child actor, starring in the Broadway run of "Annie" and in the short-lived CBS sitcom "Square Pegs" as a teen. (Photo by CBS)
Now: Sarah Jessi... As an adult, Parker starred in several hit films like "L.A. Story", but her real claim to fame has been as Carrie Bradshaw in the HBO show "Sex and the City." (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Then: Lindsay Lo... The promising redhead played adorable twins in the remake of "The Parent Trap" and starred alongside Jamie Lee Curtis in "Freaky Friday." (Photo by Buena Vista)
Now: Lindsay Loh... As a teen, Lohan's starring role in "Mean Girls" almost guaranteed that she'd be the next big thing, but Lohan was getting more attention for her tabloid antics than her film career. Three trips to rehab before she turned 21 seemed to scare off prospective film makers, but recently Lohan has been trying to rebuild her image. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, File)
Then: Kirsten Du... She was signed to Ford models when she was four and as a 12-year-old played a tiny vampire alongside Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in "Interview with a Vampire." (Photo by Warner Bros.)
Now: Kirsten Dun... Dunst starred in many successful films as she's gotten older, including "The Virgin Suicides" and "Bring It On", but none as prominent as her role as Mary Jane Watson in the "Spiderman" franchise. (AP Photo/Rick Maiman)
Then: Anna Paqui... In 1993, Anna Paquin won an Oscar at age 11 for her role in the film "The Piano." (Photo by Miramax Films)
Now: Anna Paquin Paquin has continued to light up the big screen with roles in films like "Amistad" and "X-Men" and is currently starring in the HBO series "True Blood." (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Then: Christophe... Christopher Knight played middle son Peter Brady on "The Brady Bunch." (Photo: ABC)
Now: Christopher... While he's appeared on several TV specials like "The Surreal Life" and starred in "My Fair Brady," a reality show about his marriage to model Adrienne Curry, Knight also has a successful second career as an executive in the information technology industry. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)
Then: Eve Plumb It was always "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" who got the attention on "The Brady Bunch," but Eve Plumb, who starred as middle sister Jan Brady, had fans, too. (Photo: ABC)
Now: Eve Plumb Plumb still acts, but has shied away from doing much Brady stuff. And she cut her braids! (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Then: Susan Olse... Susan Olsen played little lisping Cindy Brady on "The Brady Bunch." (Photo: ABC)
Now: Susan Olsen Olsen also still acts and was rumored to have appeared in an adult film (which turned out to be false). She's appeared in Brady reunions and specials and recently appeared on a radio show extremely hungover and apparently got sick on the air. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
"Full House": Th... We're not sure which Olsen Twin that is, but Candace Cameron and Jodie Sweetin are definitely in the photo. (Photo: Mario Casilli)
"Full House": No... The Tanner sisters are all grown up. (L-R: Mary-Kate Olsen, Jodie Sweetin, Candace Cameron Bure and Ashley Olsen.Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Candace Cameron ... After starring as D.J. Tanner in "Full House," Candace married a professional hockey player and had three children. Like her brother Kirk Cameron, she's involved in evangelical Christian ministries. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for SocalVibe)
Jodie Sweetin: N... Sweetin starred as spunky middle daughter Stephanie Tanner on "Full House." Her years after the show ended were difficult - she had an addiction to methamphetamines, although she is now in recovery. (AP Photo/Chris Polk)
Olsen Twins: The... The Olsen twins started their joint gig as Michelle Tanner, the youngest daughter on "Full House," when they were just nine months old. They parlayed this role into a multi-million dollar empire of twindom.
Olsen Twins: Now The sisters have a clothing line and just published a book. Mary-Kate has continued to act, guest-starring in "Weeds," but Ashley seems to be avoiding the big and small screens. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Wally and The Be... Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow starred as Theodore 'Beaver' Cleaver and his big brother Wally Cleaver. (Photo: Gabi Rona)
Wally and The Be... Jerry Mathers appears occasionally in TV roles while Tony Dow is a producer and respected abstract sculptor. (L to R: Jerry Mathers, Barbara Billingsley, Tony Dow. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Scott Baio: Then As Chachi, he loved Joanie on "Happy Days" and was the eponymous babysitting boss on "Charles in Charge." (Photo: ABC)
Scott Baio: Now Baio has never really gone away, appearing occasionally on sitcoms and finally in a reality show "Scott Baio is 45 and Single." Not anymore - he's pictured here with his wife and newborn baby. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
"Family Ties" Th... The Keaton siblings from the top-rated sitcom "Family Ties" were right up there with the Huxtables in terms of teen popularity in the 1980s. (Photo: NBC)
Justine Bateman:... Justine Bateman played airhead Mallory Keaton, the middle sister. (Photo: NBC)
Justine Bateman:... Like fellow '80s sitcom star Tracey Gold ("Growing Pains"), Bateman struggled with eating disorders. She is now a clothing designer, although she still acts, having recently appeared on "Men in Trees." (Photo: ABC)
Jason Bateman: T... Justine's brother Jason Bateman was a teen heart throb, with roles in "Silver Spoons" and "The Hogan Family." (Photo: NBC)
Jason Bateman: T... After staying out of the limelight for most of the '90s, Bateman is back in a big way, starring in the cult TV show "Arrested Development" and films like "Juno" and "Hancock." (Photo: NBC)
Brian Bonsall: T... Adorable Brian Bonsall played the Keatons' fourth child, Andy. (Photo: NBC)
Brian Bonsall: N... As an adult, Bonsall has had several run-ins with the law. He no longer acts.
Tina Yothers: Th... As Jennifer Keaton on "Family Ties", Tina Yothers played the annoying little sister to perfection. (Photo: NBC)
Tina Yothers: No... Yothers' most recent appearance on television was on the reality show "Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp," her second appearance with the franchise. (AP Photo/Mark Mainz)