Some completely missed the mark
Once Richards had found fame with 'Jurassic Park,' the multitalented youngster turned her attentions to other passions. As an adult, she has mainly focused on her career as an artist.
Child star-turned-painter Ariana Richards has a handful of movie credits to her name, but by far her most memorable performance was as Lex in the original 'Jurassic Park' (1993).
Brittany Ashton Holmes rose to fame for her portrayal of Delilah in the cult classic 'The Little Rascals' (1994). She was only in kindergarten at the time, but the film turned out to be her best work.
Tay decided to go down the academic route instead–he went to Yale University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.
Danny Lloyd starred opposite Jack Nicholson in Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining' (1980). His role as Danny would become his first and only major film role.
As an adult, Porter has pursued another of her passions: music. In particular, she won season 10 of the 'The Voice,' which has allowed her to pursue a career as a singer.
He decided to leave acting behind him shortly after his rise to fame, because he was heavily bullied for his newfound stardom. He grew to resent the 'Star Wars' franchise and stopped acting.
Joey Gaydos Jr. is another child actor whose only acting credit to date is 'School of Rock.' He played Zack Mooneyham, the lead guitarist of and all-round coolest dude in The Band.
Lloyd is another child actor who decided to pursue academia instead. He did, however, return to acting for 'Doctor Sleep' (2019), the much less noteworthy sequel to 'The Shining.'
Hal Scardino is another actor who has actually cropped up elsewhere in TV and film, but who is by far best known for one role: the protagonist in 'The Indian in the Cupboard' (1995).
Gaydos Jr. was cast in the role as Zack because of his great guitar skills, and so it's little surprise that he decided to become a musician rather than an actor.
As an adult, Scardino gained a degree from Columbia University and worked as an executive producer. Most notably, he produced the 2018 documentary, 'We Are Not Princesses.'
Confession: Liesel Matthews actually had two major film roles. She appeared in both 'A Little Princess' (1995) and 'Air Force One' (1997). She quit acting completely after her third film, 'Blast' (2000).
Despite the film's success, Ostrum decided not to pursue a career in acting. He turned down a multi-movie contract and became a veterinarian instead.
Robert Tsai's first and only film role was in the 2003 Jack Black classic 'School of Rock.' Tsai played Lawrence, a nerd whose epic skills as a pianist landed him a spot in The Band.
Tsai is a brilliant pianist in real life and continued to play throughout high school. He is also a gifted dancer and has been seen dancing with the Instant Noodles dance crew.
Since quitting the industry as a youngster, the former child actress has been pretty busy. She is a member of the wealthy Pritzker family and is now known for being a leader in impact investing.
Tami Stronach is best known for her role as the Childlike Empress in 'The Neverending Story' (1984). After she found success with the film, her parents steered her away from the acting world.
Stronach grew up to become a professional dancer who travels the world, although she is still a keen actress. In 2018, she appeared in the meta drama 'Ultra Low.'
As a child, Peter Ostrum landed a major role in one of the most famous movies of all time: 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' (1971). His role as Charlie was his first and last acting credit.
Child star Jake Lloyd was actually in the business for a while before he landed the role that made him famous: Anakin Skywalker in 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace' (1999).
Daniel Tay's only major film role was in the film 'Elf' (2003), in which he starred opposite Will Ferrell. Soon after the movie he decided that for him, acting was a hobby rather than a career.
Child actress Amber Scott was fresh out of kindergarten when she appeared alongside Robin Williams in the 1991 movie 'Hook.' She played Maggie Banning, his character's daughter.
Holmes had a few acting roles here and there after 'The Little Rascals,' but she essentially dropped off the scene. Not much is known about her life nowadays.
Sources: (Screen Rant)
See also: The biggest child star success stories
As a child, Alisan Porter was the adorable star of the John Hughes movie 'Curly Sue' (1991). She has a few other acting credits under her belt, but that was her only major role.
When you hear the phrase "child star," your thoughts probably go first to the Miley Cyruses and Macaulay Culkins of the world. The child stars we remember are normally the ones who continue into adulthood under the spotlight.
Less likely to spring to mind are those child stars who were only famous for a fleeting moment. But in fact there are plenty of child film stars who, for whatever reason, only made one or two major movies. Perhaps they decided after that major role that the industry wasn't for them, or perhaps they struggled to find work after their initial success.
Either way, there are plenty of former child stars out there who are pretty much one-hit wonders. Check out this gallery to see who they are.
Child star one-hit wonders: do you remember them?
Child actors who only made one (or two) major movies
MOVIES Child actors
When you hear the phrase "child star," your thoughts probably go first to the Miley Cyruses and Macaulay Culkins of the world. The child stars we remember are normally the ones who continue into adulthood under the spotlight.
Less likely to spring to mind are those child stars who were only famous for a fleeting moment. But in fact there are plenty of child film stars who, for whatever reason, only made one or two major movies. Perhaps they decided after that major role that the industry wasn't for them, or perhaps they struggled to find work after their initial success.
Either way, there are plenty of former child stars out there who are pretty much one-hit wonders. Check out this gallery to see who they are.