This 89-Year-Old Was a Famous Child Star Who Fought to Escape That Label – Who Is She?

At 89, her name still evokes a golden era of American film. She began acting at three and won a special Academy Award before turning eight. Her career spans more than eight decades.

She was just seven years old when Hollywood handed her a golden promise. In 1944, she received a special honor. The Academy recognized her as the outstanding child actress of the year.

The award confirmed what audiences already believed. She was one of Hollywood's brightest young talents. Studios built films around her. Her face became familiar in homes across America, glowing from silver screens in darkened theaters and flickering in living rooms coast to coast.

More than a decade later, that image followed her. By 1957, as she approached 20, she viewed it with unease. "One of the most difficult things about having been a child actress is trying to convince people that you are no longer a child," she said at the time.

The Curse of the Child Star Label

Television offered a way forward. Film studios had been reluctant to cast her in adult roles. The financial risk was too high, and audiences still saw her as the child they once admired.

Television moved faster; it offered new parts and different expectations. The actress appeared on programs such as "Suspicion," "Playhouse 90," and "Climax." She played women and wives, and in another production, she took on the role of an unstable sister.

She described television as a turning point. It allowed her to step past what she called the "awkward age," a phase she felt the movies had prolonged. She had once earned $5,000 a week at the height of her film career. Her performances in films like "Meet Me in St. Louis," "Journey for Margaret," and "Jane Eyre" defined her early years.

She also appeared in "Music for Millions." Looking back, she described her experience as "half good and half bad." Early success opened doors and also created barriers that proved far more stubborn than anyone expected.

"People think because I started at four-and-a-half I was a born actress," she said. "But there's no such thing as a born actress. You have to work to be any good." She recalled long hours of rehearsal, stating that scenes were repeated until every line was right.

The work shaped her craft, chiseling discipline into a child who might otherwise have been playing with dolls. She said she had no regrets about her childhood in the film industry. Her mother ensured she had time to play with neighborhood children, and she received the same allowance as they did.

Still, one challenge remained. She wanted audiences to see her as more than the child star who had once held Hollywood's rapt attention.

From a One-Minute Role to Overnight Fame

Her first appearance on screen came in 1941. It was a brief moment in MGM's "Babes on Broadway." The role lasted about a minute. Even so, it marked the start of a studio contract — and a destiny that would soon snowball.

Her breakthrough followed in 1942. She was cast in "Journey for Margaret." The film brought immediate attention and reshaped her identity. After its release, she began using a new first name. It was the name audiences would come to know and cherish.

Throughout the 1940s, she ranked among Hollywood's most prominent child performers. Studios entrusted her with demanding material. She often portrayed characters facing loss, fear, or hardship — tiny shoulders carrying enormous emotional weight.

In 1944, she appeared as "Tootie" in Vincente Minnelli's "Meet Me in St. Louis." The role became one of her most recognized performances. That same year, she received a special Academy Award honoring her as the outstanding child actress of her time.

Her public image extended beyond film. In a 1948 article, her mother described how the family celebrated Christmas. According to her mother, preparations began in November. The holiday held deep meaning in their home. She enjoyed surprises, especially those she could arrange for others.

Each year, mother and daughter reviewed the toys in her room weeks before Christmas. They kept only a small number. The rest were boxed and donated to charities serving less fortunate children.

Her mother acknowledged that the process could be lengthy. Like many children, she felt attached to her belongings. Choosing what to give away was not always easy. Even so, the tradition continued.

Discipline, Dolls, and a Carefully Crafted Image

On screen, she handled roles that required emotional range beyond her years. Colleagues noted her discipline and focus. She rehearsed scenes repeatedly to refine each line until it rang true.

Her popularity extended into retail stores. Dolls, hats, paper dolls, and coloring books carried her image. Young fans collected products bearing her name, clutching them as if they held a piece of Hollywood magic.

By the end of the decade, she was one of the most recognizable child stars in the country. The admiration was widespread, so was the label that would later prove difficult — almost impossible — to shed.

The child once known to audiences by a single name was born Angela Maxine O'Brien on January 15, 1937, in San Diego, California. The world would come to know her as Margaret O'Brien.

Her path to Hollywood was not carefully engineered. Unlike some child actors of the era, she was not guided by an ambitious stage parent. Her entry into film came largely by chance.

Her mother, a Spanish dancer, was widowed just months after her daughter's birth. During one engagement, she needed professional headshots. With no babysitter available, she brought along her two-year-old daughter and the family dog.

The photographer, Paul Hesse, took an interest in the dog first. He photographed the pet for a planned Saturday Evening Post cover. Then, as O'Brien later recalled, he remarked that the child was also photogenic. Both appeared on the cover. They would pose for seven more.

The images drew attention from MGM scouts. A small role followed in the Mickey Rooney film "Babes on Broadway." Soon after, the studio offered her a seven-year contract.

Her early career unfolded without public scandal. In later years, other former child stars described troubling experiences in Hollywood. Shirley Temple, for example, wrote in her autobiography about inappropriate conduct by a studio executive during her youth. O'Brien has not shared similar accounts from her own time in the industry.

A Legacy That Refuses to Fade

As an adult, she continued working. The "Secret Garden" actress married twice and had a daughter. She remained active on television and on stage. Looking back on a past interview, she said she had enjoyed her career and credited it with giving her a fulfilling life.

In 2025, her Academy Award found a new home. She placed the Oscar on display at Movie Madness in Southeast Portland. The gleaming statuette joined a collection of her film costumes and memorabilia — relics of a childhood lived under blinding studio lights.

She told KOIN 6 News that she wanted the award kept somewhere secure. At home, she said, it would be tucked away and unseen. At the museum, it could be properly preserved and viewed by the public.

The museum's owner, Mike Clark, had known her for years. She said his collection offered a permanent place for the Oscar, alongside other pieces from her career.

She began acting at the age of three. More than eight decades later, her name remains linked to one of Hollywood's most enduring child star legacies.

Today, at 89, O’Brien continues to draw admiration from audiences who grew up watching her films. Online tributes reflect the lasting impression of her early work. One admirer described her as "an incredibly talented woman." Another called her "one of the greatest child actors of all time" and referred to her as an icon.

Others have focused on her longevity. "She is such an amazing woman! So well spoken and so poised after all these years. I just love her!!" one comment read.

The comments highlight the durability of her public image. For many, she remains forever entwined with the performances that defined 1940s Hollywood. The bright-eyed child who conquered the screen, and the determined woman who refused to be trapped by it.