90s child stars who look completely unrecognisable, including former Disney Channel actors

Here is a list of ’90s child prodigies, from Nickelodeon and Disney Channel to the big screen, and how completely different they look today…

Millie JacksonContent Managing Editor

6 days agoNov 2, 2025, 11:30 AM GMT

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

He once harboured aspirations to become the next Macaulay Culkin, but you'd now be hard-pressed to pick Jonathan Taylor Thomas out of a lineup. He was a major fixture in films and TV throughout the ‘90s but is best known for Home Improvement.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas wearing a jumper holding a flask — Jonathan looks different from his child star days

Jonathan stepped away from acting to focus on college, so it came as quite a surprise when paparazzi snapped pictures of Jonathan looking worlds away from his Home Improvement character, having broadened out, with darker hair and looking rather more world-weary than before. But who looks their best in a pap shot?

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Mara Wilson

One of my favourite comfort films from childhood is the 1996 hit Matilda – I used to think that if I stared at objects hard enough, I too could make them levitate. Sadly still waiting for that particular ability! Fringed, freckled and with neatly cut brown hair, Mara Wilson was every inch the cutest leading lady, and such was her pulling power that she starred in other classics like A Simple Wish and Mrs Doubtfire early on in her career.

Since her child star days, the fringe has been replaced with side bangs, and Mara has fluctuated between curly and straight hair, returning to her bob then back to a longer length in the years since.

Mara Wilson arrives at the Premiere of Lionsgate's 'Knives Out' in a red dress — Mara rocks the side bangs look

Her face has also lost its youthful roundness and her eyebrows are thicker and darker, making it hard to look at Mara today and see much of Matilda.

Candace Cameron

Joining the cast of Full House in the late Eighties as D.J. Tanner, Candace starred in over 200 episodes. Replete with long, fluffy hair (tied in a scrunchie, of course), a fringe and a ‘90s wardrobe that would make Rachel Green jealous, It's hard to find a child star who looks more ‘of the time’ than Candace.

Candace Cameron Bure in a sparkly silver dress smiling — Candace had a Hollywood glow-up

Nowadays, she looks miles removed from her childhood self, with considerably more modern hair (as you'd expect!), toned physique and incredible cheekbones. Producers for Full House don't share my opinion about her changed looks, however, as she reprised her role in Full House from 2016-2020.

Macaulay Culkin

As the wide-eyed, canny protagonist in Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin cemented himself in the ‘90s child star hall of fame, winning plenty of points for Kevin's cuteness as well as his pranks. But as with all children, Macaulay grew up, leaving behind his character and youthfulness.

First, he debuted dark hair and a noticeably more haggard look when his 2004 mugshot did the rounds.

Macaulay Culkin in a mug shot — Macaulay Culkin in a mugshot

A photograph emerged in 2012 of the actor with fans, which prompted concern over his emaciated appearance.

Macaulay Culkin with long blonde hair — Macaulay had a longer hair phase

This was followed by his rock-star era, where he wore his blond hair long for five years, before he defaulted to a shorter haircut.

Macaulay Culkin with short blond hair and glasses — Macaulay has settled for a short, blonde cut

I'm still holding out for a return of Home Alone!

Olsen twins

Among the most iconic child actors of the ‘90s were the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley. It won't surprise you that this duo have done plenty to distance themselves from the coordinating outfits and matching hairstyles (think big blowouts, boxy fringes and pigtails) of their youth.

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen stood together in floral dresses wearing sunglasses — Mary-Kate and Ashley knew how to co-ordinate outfits

Nowadays, the stars of films like It Takes Two and Passport to Paris have a very different look, opting for a chic appearance, long hair and darker clothes. As is to be expected with the ageing process, their faces look longer and cheekbones more pronounced.

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen both with curly blonde hair, wearing matching black leather — The twins look more mature from their 90s days

One thing that hasn't changed is their similarity to each other – you're still seeing double!

Raven-Symoné

Raven Symone as a little girl in a red dress and red hat — Raven-Symoné was sassy from a young age

You might remember her from Disney Channel classic That's So Raven, but Raven-Symoné had her big break long before then, first as step-granddaughter to Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, and then in Hangin' with Mr. Cooper.

Raven shifted from her wide-eyed and cutesy early years, with hair frequently piled on top of her head or in bunches, to long, straight hair in her teens.

Raven Symone in a yellow off the shoulder top — Raven had long straight hair in her teens

Then came the years of the coiffure transformations, from blonde dye with shaved sides, grey hair, back to white-blonde and cut short, to multicoloured braids – hair-raising, to be sure.

Raven Symone with short black hair, wearing a colourful jacket, jeans and pink tinted sunglasses — Raven experimented with many different hairstyles

Jonathan Lipnicki

You'd be hard pressed to find a more adorable child star than Jonathan Lipnicki, a spiky-haired kid with round, wire-framed glasses and a toothy smile. He became one of the most recognisable young actors of the ‘90s in films like Jerry Maguire and Stuart Little.

Jonathan Lipnicki smiling in a black suit — Jonathan is unrecognisable

Since then, he's debuted hair that sticks up, flops down à la blond surfer boy, before settling on a mousy brown – pun intended – hairstyle with short back and sides and a face decorated with stubble. You'd be hard-pressed to match the man with the child star if you passed them in the street.

Jaleel White

We're used to seeing Family Matters star Jaleel White with trouser braces, big glasses and a checked shirt, but he's come a long way from his supernerd persona on the hit TV show.

Jaleel White in a black and white top — Nowadays Jaleel has a more mature look

His boxy haircut and clean-shaven appearance is gone, replaced with a neat goatee and more tightly cut hair. The actor has transitioned from nerd to quarterback!

Jake Lloyd

Stepping into the shoes of a young Anakin Skywalker would be a challenge for any child actor, but Jake Lloyd did so with gusto when he was just eight years old in The Phantom Menace. Star Wars fans will remember a baby-faced and earnest Jake alongside more established actors like Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman – I certainly remember thinking he was the cutest padawan!

Jake Lloyd as a teeenager with a goatee and short brown hair, wearing a grey sweater — Jake stepped away from acting

Remembered as a sweet child with a mop of straight, blond hair, Jake looks very different now. He had to step away from acting after mental health problems and struggles with schizophrenia. He has sported a variety of different facial hair options, including a goatee, and the blond hair is gone, replaced with shorter dark hair.

Edward Furlong

Actor Edward Furlong attained pin-up status in his breakout role as John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, wowing audiences with his dark hair and brooding looks and securing more roles in Hollywood, including films like American Heart, American History X – where he shaved his long locks for the role – and Detroit Rock City.

There is often a price to fame, especially for those stars who come to it before adulthood, and Edward certainly paid it, with multiple run-ins with the law, jail time, stints in rehab and drug and alcohol addiction.

Edward Furlong in a police mug shot — Edward Furlong in a mugshot

Recent photographs of the star make him nearly unrecognisable to his former self, markedly dishevelled in appearance. Most notable are his teeth, which suffered at the hands of his drug abuse. Pictures of the star's mouth show rotting or missing teeth.

Edward Furlong wearing a t-shirt — The star is almost uncrecognisable

"It sounds weird for me to be talking about teeth because I don't live and breathe the way I look but every time I looked in the mirror, it just bummed me out as a reminder of what I had done for all those years," he told The Daily Mail, describing how he replaced all of his teeth and felt the look was a fresh start. Now four years sober, Edward has returned to acting, and with a new set of pearly whites, the sky is the limit!

Lindsay Lohan

Freaky Friday star and leading lady of the ‘90s and ‘00s, Lindsay's appearance has undergone multiple evolutions throughout her career. She started as a fresh-faced, red-haired twin of herself at 12 years old in The Parent Trap, but her early glow somewhat dulled in early adulthood as the pressures of fame caught up with her.

Lindsay Lohan with dark black hair — Lindsay ditched her trademark red hair for dark locks

Lindsay's facial appearance shifted distinctively, documented in her various mugshots as she struggled with substance abuse issues and time in and out of court. She dyed her trademark red hair blonde, and appeared to have puffier features.

This composite image compares the six booking photos of actress Lindsay Lohan — Lindsay struggled with substance abuse issues

But with sobriety and her television comeback came an entirely new look – first, she appeared to 'age backwards' with noticeably smoother skin and a return to red hair, then back to a blonder, fresh look that was so far removed from her mugshot days that many suspected plastic surgery to be involved. Lindsay credits her dramatic, glowing transformation to her rigorous approach to staying healthy.

Lindsay Lohan with long blonde hair, wearing a black dress — Lindsay now looks gorgeous with her long blonde hair

Amanda Bynes

One of the most marked transformations on this list is that of actress Amanda Bynes, who came to fame in Nickelodeon shows like All That and The Amanda Show before breaking away to become a leading lady in her own right, starring in ‘00s classics like She's the Man and What a Girl Wants.

In a fashion typical with many child stars of her ilk – the Jonas brothers and Demi Lovato spring to mind – Amanda kept a clean-cut image.

In her earlier years, the most drastic transformation the Sydney White star made was hair extensions, and swapping her natural brunette hair colour for honey blonde to play Penny Pingleton in Hairspray.

Amanda Bynes with blonde hair — Amanda played Penny Pingleton in Hairspray

Turning away from the limelight, Amanda retired from acting at just 24 years old (although maybe not so young when you consider she started in the profession aged 10). With her retirement came a slew of physical changes: pink hair dye, a blue wig with a fringe, a nose piercing and tattoos, including one outline of a heart under her left eye. Gone were the 'no makeup makeup' looks from her Nickelodeon days, replaced instead with black hair, a side fringe and dark eyeliner.