Do you remember these iconic 1980s horror child stars? Here's what they look like today

Lisa and Louise Burns shot to fame in 1980 thanks to their incredibly spooky performances in The Shining as the Grady sisters. 

The film, directed by Stanley Kubrick, was based on Stephen King's bestseller of the same name, and followed writer Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson) as he takes on a caretaker job at a haunted hotel and begins to unravel in front of his wife, played by Shelley Duvall, and his son, played by Danny Lloyd.

In the film, the girls uttered the famous line, "Come and play with us, Danny," instantly cementing themselves as stars. The duo later shared with the Daily Mail that being on set was like "a very exclusive party", and that they were the "luckiest people to be there".  

"Stanley wanted us on set every single day," Louise told the publication. "So between scenes we would play with Danny and Jack."

After The Shining was released, the twins stepped away from Hollywood to pursue their passions, though they still frequently attend horror conventions. Lisa now works as a lawyer, while Louise is a microbiologist and a published academic.

Danny Lloyd portrayed the child with psychic powers, Danny Torrance, opposite Lisa and Louise in The Shining. 

He was just five years old when he landed the role, and earned critical acclaim for his performance in the horror flick. In the years after The Shining, Danny struggled to land roles, and decided to leave the entertainment industry altogether at 13.

"I always enjoyed it. It was exciting," he told The Guardian of acting. "But as I got a little bit older, it got kind of boring. Then I had to tell my parents that I was ready to quit. Which they were fine with. They were never stage parents. They made sure I had a normal upbringing."

Danny now works as a biology professor at a Kentucky community college, yet returned to the screen in 2019 for a small part in Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining.

Miko played the young Gage Creed in the 1989 film Pet Sematary, and was just two years old when he filmed the horror classic. 

The story follows a grieving father who resurrects his son in an ancient burial ground, and is adapted from Stephen King's novel of the same name.

Miko found success after his work in the film and went on to appear in Kindergarten Cop, Apollo 13, Mercury Rising, Full House, and later Roswell as a teen. 

In adulthood, he continued to act in projects like Tropic Thunder, Remains and The Untold Story. He currently has several other projects in the works, including Reaper's Night.

Alex Vincent, who shot to fame as Andy Barclay in 1988's Child's Play, has become an intrinsic part of the film's franchise and legacy, going on to reprise his role in Child's Play 2, Curse of Chucky, Cult of Chucky and the TV series Chucky from 2021 to 2024.

As a young adult, he took a lengthy break from acting to pursue his love of music and went on to build a career as a sound engineer, music producer and owner of a recording studio.

Alex returned to the franchise in 2013 with Curse of Chucky, and told Syfy Wire in 2024 that he never got tired of his role in the film's legacy. "From being a part of this from the very beginning – 36 years – Chucky's very near and dear to my heart, obviously," he said.

"And I've been doing conventions and appearances for 22 years now. To see the fans excited about our show that we're very, very proud of, it's incredibly gratifying."

Oliver portrayed Robbie Freeling in the 1982 film Poltergeist, which followed a family being terrorised by the malevolent spirits who abducted their daughter. 

After starring in the film's 1986 sequel, Poltergeist II: The Other Side, Oliver left acting behind and studied film and music at college.

He returned to Hollywood in the late '90s as a writer and director, and headed projects like Eating LA, Dumped, Wild Roomies, You've Got A Friend, Man Overboard, Devil's Whisper, Celebrity Crush and Connected.

Another Stephen King-adapted hit was the 1983 film Cujo, about a St. Bernard dog who contracts rabies and terrorises a woman and her son. Danny Pintauro played Tad in the film and a year later won a role in the sitcom Who's the Boss?, which ran from 1984 to 1992.

After the show ended, Danny struggled to land another acting gig and decided to step away from the spotlight to live a normal life. 

While he made several on-screen appearances in the following years, it wasn't until 2022 that he decided to make a serious bid at acting after working as a Tupperware salesman, a restaurant manager and a vet tech.

Danny starred in A Country Christmas Harmony that same year, followed by The Comeback Kids in 2025. He got candid on social media about the trials of being a working actor in April 2026, and revealed that he'd been making ends meet as a delivery driver.

"Working hard while 'not working.' The entertainment business has been soooo slow, so I've been doing what a lot of people do – figuring it out, showing up, and taking the work that's there while I keep building the work I really want. 38 packages today! There's no shame in staying in motion," he wrote.

The actor later shared with Fox News that he was taking any job he could while auditioning.

"I’ve been open with the people who follow me about what this chapter of my life looks like, and right now that includes acting, teaching, building my coaching studio, creating custom book nooks for clients, and driving for Amazon Flex to supplement my income," he said. 

"My point was simple: recognition is not the same as financial security, and there should be no shame in honest work."