Now: Neil Patrick Harris

Child Stars: Then and Now

Neil Patrick Harris went from "Doogie" to "Barney"--and evaded the "child star curse"--when he staged a huge comeback by playing scene-stealer Barney Stinson in the hit CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother." (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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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)
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: 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: 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)
Then: Jack and K... Rocker Ozzy Osbourne's brood, Jack and Kelly, were reluctantly swept up into the pressures of public life when they were angsty teens, when the family's MTV show, "The Osbournes," became a sensation back in 2002. Kelly entered rehab for the first time for painkiller addiction in 2005. (Photo: AP File)
Now: Jack and Ke... Older but perhaps not wiser, Kelly Osbourne was arrested for assault in January after allegedly slapping a gossip columnist. She entered rehab for an undisclosed issue soon after. Jack, on the other hand, seems to be doing well. The family is jumping back into the spotlight this spring with a new Fox variety show, "Osbournes: Reloaded." (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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: Adam Rich Everybody just couldn't get "Enough" of adorable Nicholas (Adam Rich), the youngest of the Bradford bunch on "Eight Is Enough." (Photo by ABC)
Now: Adam Rich Adam Rich has had a troubled adult life, marked by substance abuse and several arrests. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/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: 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 currently stars in the NBC show "Lipstick Jungle." She has spoken out publicly about her struggle with post-partum depression, even enduring a public feud with Tom Cruise over the subject. (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 the coupls is expecting twins. He has continued to work, most recently in the failed sitcoms "Carpoolers" and "Do Not Disturb." (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Then: Brian Bons... Adorable kid Brian Bonsall played Alex P. Keaton's little brother Andy on "Family Ties" from 1986-1989. (Photo by NBC)
Now: Brian Bonsa... "Family Ties" kid Brian Bonsall, seen here in his mugshot, seems to have fallen under the "child star curse." Bonsall, now 26, was arrested in March of 2007 for allegedly attacking his girlfriend. A warrant for his arrest was issued in July 2008 when he failed to appear for a court hearing. He also was arrested for a DUI in 2004. (AP File Photo)
Then: Tina Yothe... Tina Yothers played know-it-all little sister Jennifer on "Family Ties." (Photo by NBC)
Now: Tina Yother... Who says blondes have more fun? Tina Yothers now has pitch-black hair and sings in a rock band called Jaded. She got married in 2002 and was recently seen on "Celebrity Fit Club." (AP Photo/Mark Mainz)
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)
Then: Melissa Gi... Melissa Gilbert became a "half pint" star for her role as Laura Ingalls on the beloved family classic "Little House on the Prairie." (Photo by NBC)
Now: Melissa Gil... "Half pint" Melissa Gilbert grew up into a full pint of a beauty--and even served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild. She still keeps in touch with her "Little" rival, Nellie Oleson (Alison Arngrim). (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Then: Alison Arn... With her trademark blonde curls, Alison Arngrim played "Little House on the Prairie's" spoiled brat Nellie Oleson. (Photo by NBC Television/Getty Images)
Now: Alison Arng... Hey, that's Nellie Oleson! Alison Arngrim was a hoot as Walnut Grove's spoiled little brat, and today she's a stand-up comedian and an AIDS activist. (Photo: By: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Then: Keshia Kni... The baby of The Coz's brood, who didn't adore sassy Rudy Huxtable on "The Cosby Show"? (Photo: NBC)
Now: Keshia Knig... Rudy's a hottie! "Cosby" kid Keshia Knight-Pulliam graduated from college in 2001 and has recently starred in films such as "Beauty Shop" and in Tyler Perry's TV series "House of Payne." (Photo by MGM)
Then: The 'Full ... Gee, whatever happened to those kids who filled up the "House"? (Photo: Mario Casilli)
Now: Jodie Sweet... Stephanie "How rude!" Tanner shocked fans when she admitted during a 2006 "GMA" interview that she had battled a "full-blown" meth addiction. Clean and sober since March of 2005, Jodie Sweetin married Cody Herpin in 2007 and gave birth to daughter Zoie on April 12, 2008.(Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)
Now: Jodie Sweet... Jodie Sweetin joined her former "Full House" big sis Candice Cameron Bure ("D.J.") on the red carpet for the film "New York Minute" in 2004 to support their other TV siblings, the Olsen twins. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
Then: The Olsen ... Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were just nine months old when they got their first job, sharing the duty of portraying Michelle, the tiniest tot on "Full House." (Photo by ABC Television/Getty Images)
Now: The Olsen T... Millionaires by the age of 10, the Olsen twins became a phenomenon. The mini-moguls started their own company and launched a brand worth millions, including everything from DVDs and dolls to cosmetics and furniture. They now have their own high-end fashion line called Elizabeth and James, and recently released a fashion-focused coffee table book, "Influence." Oh yeah, and they continue to act too. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Then: Neil Patri... Neil Patrick Harris rose to fame in 1989 as 16-year-old child prodigy, "Doogie Howser. M.D." (Photo by ABC)
Now: Neil Patric... Neil Patrick Harris went from "Doogie" to "Barney"--and evaded the "child star curse"--when he staged a huge comeback by playing scene-stealer Barney Stinson in the hit CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother." (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Then: Ricky Schr... Little Ricky Schroder found child-star success as a cute little rich kid in "Silver Spoons." (Photo by NBC)
Now: Ricky Schro... A grown-up Ricky Schroder is a married father of four, who has found continued acting success in projects like "Lonesome Dove," "NYPD Blue," and "24." (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
Then: Jason Bate... As a child star, Jason Bateman made his mark as brat Derek Taylor on "Silver Spoons" and as eldest son David Hogan on "The Hogan Family." (Photo by Lorimar TV)
Now: Jason Batem... Jason Bateman developed a cult following with his critically acclaimed sitcom "Arrested Development," which has lead to big-screen success in comedies like "Starsky and Hutch," "Dodgeball," and "Hancock." (Photo by Michael Buckner/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: 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", "She's All That" and "X-Men." She currently stars as a telepathic waitress seduced by a handsome vampire in the HBO series, "True Blood." (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Then: Danielle B... Danielle Brisebois is most known for her role as Stehpanie Mills on "All in the Family" and its spinoff, "Archie Bunker's Place." (Photo by CBS)
Now: Danielle Br... When she grew up, Danielle Brisebois tried her hand as a singer in the '90s. (AP Photo/Tom Hinkley)