What Do Julianna Rose Mauriello, Raven-Symoné, and Other Child Stars Look like Today?

All of our favorite child actors from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s have changed significantly over the years. Some are still acting, but others already walked away from Hollywood.

“The Sixth Sense,” “Stuart Little,” “My Girl,” and many other films and TV series from a few decades ago always make us nostalgic, but some of the children who starred in those projects have mixed feelings about them.

Take “Matilda” star Mara Wilson, for example. She had a hard time accepting her acting career. “That’s So Raven” actress, Raven-Symoné, also dealt with some homophobic remarks. Scroll down to see how some of your favorite child stars look like today.

JULIANNA ROSE MAURIELLO

Although Julianna Rose Mauriello is best known as Stephanie, the pink-haired girl in “LazyTown,” she was the second option for that role. Fortunately, the actress who got cast declined the position.

When her time on the show ended, she attended an Ivy League school in NYC and earned a master’s degree in occupational therapy at Columbia University. Her last time working in the entertainment industry was in 2013.

HALLIE EISENBERG

Pepsi had some hilarious commercials in the 90s featuring a curly-haired girl. Her name is Hallie Eisenberg, and she looks way different now.

In 2010, after appearing in “Bicentennial Man” and “The Miracle Worker,” Eisenberg walked away from the film industry to go to college. Some people might not know that she is actually Jesse Eisenberg’s sister!

MARA WILSON

“Matilda” star Mara Wilson was one of the most famous child actresses in the mid-90s, but she once admitted she had a complicated relationship with her career. She felt people liked her characters more than her actual self.

After writing a letter to Matilda and reading Roald Dahl's novel “Matilda,” Wilson appreciated the opportunity to play such an iconic character, and things got better. She stopped acting in 2000 and is now a writer.

HALEY JOEL OSMENT

Haley Joel Osment today looks quite different than the small boy in “The Sixth Sense.” While portraying Cole, Osment delivered one of the most chilling and memorable lines in horror films: “I see dead people.”

For a few years, he pretty much disappeared from Hollywood. Osment then began landing gigs in indie films and TV shows and is now coming back to mainstream with appearances in “The Boys,” “The Kominsky Method,” and “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.”

[Jonathan Lipnicki] dealt with bullying from other kids calling him a “has-been.”

RAVEN-SYMONÉ

Actress and TV personality Raven-Symoné shot to stardom in the early-2000s with her hit Disney Channel show “That’s So Raven.” Unlike some actors on this list, she has kept herself busy in the show business. Raven-Symoné even co-hosted “The View.”

After coming out as a lesbian, Raven-Symoné revealed that someone of no relation to Disney complained that she looked “too much like a lesbian” during a “That’s So Raven” tour. She only felt she could live in her true skin at the age of 28.

ANNA CHLUMSKY

A lot has changed in Anna Chlumsky’s life since “My Girl.” She once pointed out that kids are commonly introduced into the entertainment industry because they are “cute” and “bright.” However, some child actors see it as a way to get approval from adults.

Chlumsky turned her back to Hollywood because she didn’t want to follow any “scarier path of low self-esteem,” especially because she was already on that track. She took a seven-year hiatus, landed a significant role in “Veep,” and is expected to appear in more projects.

SOLEIL MOON FRYE

“Punky Brewster” star Soleil Moon Frye is one of the few celebrities on this list who has kept a steady workflow in Hollywood throughout the years. In late 2020, she and her husband of 22 years, Jason Goldberg, made headlines for parting ways.

Earlier this year, Moon Frye directed a documentary film titled “Kid 90.” It covers her life from ages 11 to 19, and it shows her trying to make a name for herself as an actress after “Punky Brewster,” experimenting with drugs, and her relationship with Charlie Sheen.

JONATHAN LIPNICKI

While Jonathan Lipnicki had a very successful career as a child actor for his roles in “Jerry Maguire” and “Stuart Little,” he dealt with bullying from other kids calling him a “has-been.” It contributed to panic attacks and anxiety, unfortunately.

Nowadays, Lipnicki is still active in the entertainment industry, but he primarily performs in low-budget projects. Apart from that, he frequently trains in mixed martial arts.

TINA MAJORINO

Tina Majorino’s life after “Waterworld” hasn’t changed that much. After taking a five-year break from acting, she booked a part in “Napoleon Dynamite.” The comedy “reignited” her love of filmmaking.

More recently, she portrayed a villain in “Into the Dark: Delivered,” a Hulu TV series. Most of these actors have a special place in people’s hearts, and it’s great to see that they’re doing well nowadays.