Breaking
Remember that child star?
Save for some of those kids whose parents didn’t allow to watch TV when they were young, I’m sure you know some of the celebrities you’ll be reading about in a bit.
You might be wondering whatever happened to Liam Neeson’s kid in ‘Love Actually’ or young, fearless ‘Matilda’ or even the kid-turned-monkey from ‘Jumanji.’
If you grew up in the Philippines, you might also be wondering whatever happened to that adorable kid who screamed for one more ChickenJoy (no more #chickensad!) or that super enthusiastic kid singing about iodized salt.
Well, consider those questions answered by the time you finish reading this article.
These former child stars may no longer be enjoying (or stewing under) the limelight, but they have chosen their own path—some away from the glitz, glamour, and complications of showbiz; some delving deeper into the craft that goes beyond superficial entertainment and into their own passions.
First, let’s start with our Pinoy child stars.
Pinoy Bagets: Sa’n na kaya sila?
Let’s see how many of these Pinoy child stars you can remember.
EM-EM MABANGLO
FIRST SEEN AS: Kid villain Macy on ‘Anna Luna’
NOW SHE IS: Reportedly a professor in the University of the Philippines in Diliman… or a physiotherapist in St. Luke’s Medical Center. It depends on who you ask. Eitherway, terrific odds.
LADY LEE
FIRST SEEN AS: The child star alongside Aiza Seguerra
NOW SHE IS: Reportedly employed as a call center agent in Makati.
SERENA DALRYMPLE
FIRST SEEN AS: The kid asking for more ChickenJoy—and who could blame her? She’d probably still be singing “Isa pa! Isa pa! Isa pang Chickenjoy!” since Jollibee’s #ChickenSad phase the past weeks.
NOW SHE IS: Travelling around Europe, as proven by her tasteful Instagram photos.
R.R. HERRERA
FIRST SEEN AS: The kuya figure in the movie ‘Eh Kasi Bata’
NOW HE IS: An underwater photographer and life coach, according to 8list.ph. He his blissfully wed to Carelle Mangaliag—the one who sang the 1995 World Youth Day Philippines theme song ‘Tell The World Of His Love.’
CHANTAL UMALI
FIRST SEEN AS: A chubby, heartbroken kid saying goodbye to hotdogs, chocolates, and spaghetti. But no worries, she immediately came to her senses and said goodbye to Carlo (her crush) instead.
NOW SHE IS: A totally fit mom and yoga (AYCY) ambassador. Check out her Instagram account for totally rad yoga poses.
L.A. LOPEZ
FIRST SEEN AS: The face of the Department of Health’s iodine campaign, singing “Iodized salt! Iodized salt! Mag-iodized salt tayo!”
NOW HE IS: Now a pastor and/or church leader. As of his ‘Tunay na Buhay’ guesting on GMA 7, he has established a house church in his residence.
TOM TAUS
FIRST SEEN AS: Antoinette Taus’ adorable younger brother. He also landed the lead roles in “Cedie” and “Anak ng Bulkan.”
NOW HE IS: An up-and-coming DJ in Hollywood. And dare I say: time has been most kind to Tom.
In an ABS-CBN interview on March 2014, he shared, ““I’m pretty fortunate, actually, that I am able to do what I love, and to be out there, and you know, make money while I’m doing what I want to do. So it’s pretty good because I’m doing Hollywood, L.A., and Vegas and right now slowly but surely I’m getting up there.”
Hollywood Kiddos: Where are they now?
From ‘Jumanji’ to ‘The Phantom Menace’ to ‘Home Alone,’ where are these iconic Hollywood (and one British) child stars now?
BRADLEY PIERCE
FIRST SEEN AS: The kid who turned into a monkey starring with the great Robin Williams in ‘Jumanji.’ He’s also the voice behind Chip in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and Tails in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ series.
NOW HE IS: A father of two who works with several charities and does a little bartending on the side.
JAKE LLOYD
FIRST SEEN AS: Young Anakin ‘Ani’ Skywalker on the ‘Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.’
NOW HE IS: “…filming everything he can on his new camera and editing,” as stated in his Facebook page. “He is also an avid gamer.”
MARA WILSON
FIRST SEEN AS: The fearlessly driven bookworm Matilda on the movie ‘Matilda’ in 1996. She received two Saturn Awards for her work in the movie.
NOW SHE IS: A blog writer. She also produced a web series after graduating from NYU. Wilson reportedly “fell out of love with film,” according to Hollywood.com. In fact, in one of her blog posts, she wrote, “Anything I can do, Anna Kendrick or Ellen Page or Jennifer Lawrence … can do better.”
THOMAS BRODIE-SANGSTER
FIRST SEEN AS: That British child star who was EVERYWHERE. But most notably, he was Liam Neeson’s kid in ‘Love Actually’ and the eldest kid in ‘Nanny McPhee.’
NOW HE IS: Jojen Reed in the recently concluded fourth season of the HBO epic ‘Game of Thrones.’ Enough said.
MASON GAMBLE
FIRST SEEN AS: Dennis the Menace
NOW HE IS: Pretty freakin’ smart. He was “a National Merit Scholar Finalist in high school and was also a pretty accomplished pole vaulter,” according to Mental Floss. He studied marine biology in 2011 after earning his degree from UCLA’s Dentistry School. All these things he accomplished while filming a movie with Malcolm McDowell and Frances Fisher entitled “Golf in the Kingdom” in 2010.
BRITTANY ASHTON HOLMES AND BUG HALL
FIRST SEEN AS: The love-hate couple Darla and Alfalfa from ‘The Little Rascals’
NOW THEY ARE: following different paths. Holmes has stopped acting in 1996, while Hall has been active on both big and small screens. He was a guest star in several TV shows, including “The O.C.,” “Nikita,” and “Criminal Minds.” Based on the same Mental Floss article, he is “also a musician, an acting teacher, and a rather enjoyable Tweeter.”
JONATHAN LIPNICKI
FIRST SEEN AS: The adorable four-eyed kid from ‘Jerry Maguire’ and ‘Stuart Little’
NOW HE IS: A mixed martial arts (MMA) trainer. Yep, he trains MMA fighters. And yes, he is ripped. He’s still quite active in showbiz with a few movies here and there. According to reports, he has stayed in touch with ‘Jerry Maguire’ co-star Tom Cruise over the years.
MACAULAY CULKIN
FIRST SEEN AS: The intrepid Kevin McAllister in the ‘Home Alone’ movie series. He is also known for his iconic role as Thomas J. Sennett in ‘My Girl.’ Caulkin was the first child actor to receive one million dollars for a single movie, according to MovieFone.com.
NOW HE IS: Still performing. Movie Fone reported that he “has been performing in an avant-garde cover band ‘The Pizza Underground’ since the beginning of 2014.” He is also reportedly dating “All My Children” actress Jordan Lane Price.