Connect with us

Breaking

Remember that child star?

Published

on

ShutterStock image

ShutterStock image

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 - 8list.ph

Em-Em Mabanglo – 8list.ph

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 – Espiya.net / Serena’s Instagram account

Serena Dalrymple – Espiya.net / Serena’s Instagram account

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 – YouTube screengrab / Chantal’s Instagram account

Chantal Umali – YouTube screengrab / Chantal’s Instagram account

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.

 

LA Lopez – myxph.com / 8list.ph

LA Lopez – myxph.com / 8list.ph

 

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 – enchos.com / Taus’ FB fan page

Tom Taus – enchos.com / Taus’ FB fan page

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 – both from Pierce’s Facebook page

Bradley Pierce – both from Pierce’s Facebook page

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 – Center for Inquiry / Lloyd’s FB page

Jake Lloyd – Center for Inquiry / Lloyd’s FB page

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 – TriStar Pictures / Mara Wilson Writes Stuff

Mara Wilson – TriStar Pictures / Mara Wilson Writes Stuff

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 – Universal Pictures / Brodie’s FB fan page

Thomas Brodie – Universal Pictures / Brodie’s FB fan page

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.

 

Holmes and Hall – nikkiloveskiwi.blogspot.com / The Little Rascals reunion

Holmes and Hall – nikkiloveskiwi.blogspot.com / The Little Rascals reunion

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 – fansshare.com / barnorama.com

Jonathan Lipnicki – fansshare.com / barnorama.com

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 – Culkin’s FB fan page

Macaulay Culkin – Culkin’s FB fan page

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.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maria in Vancouver

Lifestyle2 weeks ago

Nobody Wants This…IRL (In Real Life)

Just like everyone else who’s binged on Netflix series, “Nobody Wants This” — a romcom about a newly single rabbi...

Lifestyle3 weeks ago

Family Estrangement: Why It’s Okay

Family estrangement is the absence of a previously long-standing relationship between family members via emotional or physical distancing to the...

Lifestyle2 months ago

Becoming Your Best Version

By Matter Laurel-Zalko As a woman, I’m constantly evolving. I’m constantly changing towards my better version each year. Actually, I’m...

Lifestyle2 months ago

The True Power of Manifestation

I truly believe in the power of our imagination and that what we believe in our lives is an actual...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

DECORATE YOUR HOME 101

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Our home interiors are an insight into our brains and our hearts. It is our own collaboration...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Guide to Planning a Wedding in 2 Months

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Are you recently engaged and find yourself in a bit of a pickle because you and your...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Staying Cool and Stylish this Summer

By Matte Laurel-Zalko I couldn’t agree more when the great late Ella Fitzgerald sang “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.”...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

Ageing Gratefully and Joyfully

My 56th trip around the sun is just around the corner! Whew. Wow. Admittedly, I used to be afraid of...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

My Love Affair With Pearls

On March 18, 2023, my article, The Power of Pearls was published. In that article, I wrote about the history...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

7 Creative Ways to Propose!

Sometime in April 2022, my significant other gave me a heads up: he will be proposing to me on May...