Let’s be honest, not all of us age gracefully. And celebrities, no matter how high of a pedestal we put them on, are no exception. But it’s still sort of shocking when good-looking child stars grow into unhealthy adults.
Whether it’s extreme weight changes or substance abuse, the following former child stars have certainly gone through transformations.
Haley Joel Osment
Left: A young Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense. | Buena Visa Pictures, Right: Haley Joel Osment attending a red carpet event, | Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Anyone who has watched the most recent season of Silicon Valley knows that Haley Joel Osment is a far cry from his child star days. When the Oscar-nominated star of The Sixth Sense disappeared from the limelight to finish his education, he was a fresh-faced, small-statured preteen. So naturally it was a shock for fans when he returned to the scene a couple years ago and had gained a shocking amount of weight.
Next: Marcia Brady gets a makeover.
Maureen McCormick
Left: Maureen McCormick as Marcia Brady in The Brady Bunch. | TV Land, Right: Maureen McCormick at a charity event for Macy’s. | Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for AHA
There was a time when every girl wanted to be like petite and perfect Marcia Brady. But in the years that followed, actress Maureen McCormick struggled with the scale. To her credit, however, she tackled her weight woes — and on TV, no less. McCormick won VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club after dropping 36 pounds.
Next: Another ’70s child star has trouble off-screen.
Danny Bonaduce
Left: Danny Bonaduce in The Patridge Family | Screen Gems Television, Right: Danny Bonaduce arrives at NBC’s Fall Premiere Party. | Timothy Norris/Getty Images
Thanks to a radio career and VH1’s plethora of celebrity-centered reality shows, we’ve gotten a first-hand look at how far Danny Bonaduce had fallen. After his days of being the comedic relief on The Partridge Family, Bonaduce went through a battle with alcoholism and drug addiction, seemingly brought on by his rough home life as a kid. By the time he was making appearances on VH1, he was a disheveled shell of a person.
However, the red-headed former Partridge appears to have cleaned up and gotten into tip top shape, and he even has exercise tips to share.
Next: This actor once starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, but he apparently didn’t take any fitness tips from him.
Edward Furlong
Left: Kenny Furlong in his role in Terminator 2 : Judgement Day. | TriStar Pictures, Left: Edward Furlong in court | Frederick M. Brown/Stringer
Furlong is a far cry from his days as the skinny ’90s kid in Terminator 2: Judgement Day. In addition to multiple stints of drug abuse, Furlong has also put on a considerable amount of weight — neither of which are good for his overall health. In his most recent appearances over the last couple of years, the former child star has looked unhealthy and out-of-shape.
Next: A favorite “friend” battled with weight and addiction after the cameras stopped rolling.
Matthew Perry
Left: Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing on Friends. | Warner Bros., Right: Matthew Perry as Oscar Madison on The Odd Couple. | CBS
People forget that the actor everyone knows as “Chandler” got his acting start in his early 20s. But even before Friends came to a sad end in 2004, Perry’s appearance had begun to change. He had already gone to rehab for addiction to Vicodin, and his weight has been a constant yo-yo ever since.
In more recent years, Perry has been photographed looking bloated, overweight, and disheveled.
Next: This ’80s icon has traveled a long, unhealthy road since his days as a child star.
Corey Feldman
Left: Corey Feldman in The Goonies | Warner Bros., Right: Corey Feldman posing with an autographed jacket. | Mike Windle/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
There are few former child stars more fascinating than Corey Feldman — sadly in part because of his reportedly tumultuous childhood, and subsequent forays into crazyville.
With that drama from his child-star days came a very public struggle with substance abuse, which some believe has left him in an unhealthy mental state. (And how can you blame them? Have you seen his Today show performance?)
Next: Don’t forget how this star looked in his younger years.
Judd Nelson
Left: Judd Nelson as a teen movie heartthrob. | YouTube, Right: Judd Nelson at the MTV Movie Awards in 2005. | Frank Micelotta/Getty Images Entertainment
In the heyday of the ’80s “brat pack” film era, Judd Nelson was The Breakfast Club‘s resident bad boy. He was also rather easy on the eyes. Nowadays, sadly, he is a bit difficult to look at. Although he has maintained an active career in show business, Nelson is almost unrecognizable when he makes public appearances.
Next: From Goonie to gaining weight?
Sean Astin
Left: A young Sean Astin | Pinterest, Right: Sean Astin speaking at a panel. | Neilson Barnard/Stringer/Getty Images Entertainment
Child star Sean Astin has continued working into his adult years, giving us a look into how he has kept up his health. Since his stint as adventurous young Mikey in the ’80s cult flick The Goonies, we have seen Astin ride the weight roller-coaster on more than one occasion. There was even criticism of his weight in The Lord of the Rings fan forums, with fans questioning whether or not he needed to gain weight for the role of Sam.
He has more recently been sporting a healthier physique — will he keep it, or let himself go again?
Next: Try not to “screech” when you see how much this former child star let himself go.
Dustin Diamond
Left: Dustin Diamond as Screech in Saved by the Bell. Right: Dustin Diamond during a court hearing. | Jeffrey Phelps/Stringer/Getty Images
Life after childhood stardom hasn’t been kind to Dustin Diamond, who, like Bonaduce, became a regular face in VH1 reality show programming. Like many average Joe’s whose metabolism slows down, the once-skinny Screech from Saved by the Bell didn’t maintain his small boyish figure as he got older. Diamond made an appearance on weight-loss show Celebrity Fit Club, although he spent more time fighting with his costars than he did getting himself into better shape.
Next: This star’s weight has been in the spotlight all her life.
Raven-Symoné
Left: A young Raven-Symoné in The Cosby Show. | TV Land, Right: Raven-Symoné as an adult on the red carpet. | Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Child star turned TV show host Raven-Symoné’s struggle with weight has occured in the public eye since she was very young. According to the actress, her weight has been watched since she was seven years old — to the point that she wasn’t allowed to eat certain foods. The pressure to not eat made things worse for her, as she reportedly weighed close to 200 pounds in the early 2000s. Since that time she has lost a significant amount of weight and has been able to focus more on being healthy, as opposed to just camera-ready.
Next: Those teen heartthrob days are gone for this former child star.
Zachery Ty Bryan
Left: Zachary Ty Bryan on Home Improvement. | ABC, Right: Zachary Ty Bryan at a premiere in Hollywood.
When ’90s family sitcoms were in their prime, Zachary Ty Bryan grew from goofy kid to teen poster boy as Tim Allen’s eldest son, Brad, on Home Improvement. While he continues to work both on screen as well as behind the camera, he hasn’t exactly retained that teen heartthrob physique. Most photos of him nowadays reveal a chunkier version of his former self.
Next: This pop princess is no stranger to the scrutiny of weight gain.
Jessica Simpson
Left: Jessica Simpson early on in her career. | YouTube, Right: Jessica Simpson performing in her infamous “mom” jeans. | YouTube
Although not technically a “child star” Jessica Simpson’s pop music career was at its peak before she was in her 20s. In the beginning, photos of her looking svelte and often scantily clad graced the covers of magazines. But all that changed after the birth of her first child when was unable to lose any of her baby weight. Compared to her Dukes of Hazzard days, she looked considerably different.
Simpson has since gone through multiple body transformations, becoming the poster girl for an ever-changing figure. With rumors swirling that she may be pregnant again, her weight will surely become a hot topic once again.
Next: Not all child stars pack on the pounds as they get older.
Christina Ricci
Left: Christina Ricci in Casper | Universal Pictures, Right: Christina Ricci during New York Fashion Week. | Ben Gabbe/Stringer/Getty Images
We’ve taken a good look at child stars who have tipped the scales in their later years. But The Addams Family alum is on the other side of the spectrum. Although she is a couple decades removed from being outed for having an eating disorder, Christina Ricci continues to have an increasingly thin frame. While some praised her for losing weight so quickly after having a baby in 2014, she still looks very frail.
Next: One of the most famous child stars of the 20th century has let himself go more than any other.
Macaulay Culkin
Left: Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone. | Hughes Entertainment, Right: Macaulay Culkin at a Robot Chicken panel. | Cindy Ord/Getty Images
You would’ve had to live under a rock the last few decades to not know how badly Macaulay Culkin has let himself go. Despite a tumultuous family life that plagued him during the height of his career, Culkin appeared as though he had escaped the Hollywood limelight in one piece. But following his breakup with actress Mila Kunis in 2011, the Home Alone star turned to a crippling drug habit that has left him terrifyingly skinny.
Next: A modern day reality star nightmare.
Rob Kardashian
Left: Rob Kardashian at his fittest | David Livingston/Stringer/Getty Images, Right: Rob Kardashian in 2016 | Greg Doherty/Stringer/Getty Images Entertainment
Thanks to celebrity-centered reality TV shows, we have gotten a good look at how far this Kardashian has fallen. The once-slender Rob has gained a terrifying amount of weight over recent years. He hovers around 300 pounds and has even been hospitalized for reported diabetes scares. It remains to be seen if he will get help, or continue to slip away.
Read more: Your Favorite 25 Child Stars: Where Are They Now?
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