It’s hard to imagine those innocent child stars from movies like A Christmas Story, That’s So Raven and Shake It Up going on to have such troubled and wildly different futures.
But for many young actors and actresses, dealing with fame isn’t easy – nor is being thrust into the spotlight from a young age. Some stars turn to racy adult careers to deal with their pasts, while others have been bogged down by a life of crime.
And for others, their transformations could be something as simple as beefing up at the gym, leaving them totally unrecognisable. From Nickelodeon and Disney stars turning to racy careers, to others being arrested on charges of domestic violence and car chases, it’s all going on in the world of child stars.
READ MORE: Reality show deemed ‘too raunchy to air’ with bondage, ‘flange’ and sauna sex returning
READ MORE: Want more showbiz? Daily Star has just the thing for you!
Daily Star takes a look at some of the wildest transformations over the years. From beefcakes to mugshots, it’s all here.
Nolan Gould
(Image: ABC)
After shooting to fame on ABC sitcom Modern Family, child actor Nolan Gould went on to star in everything from Grey’s Anatomy to Celebrity Dating Game. He’s also a member of Mensa, with an IQ of 150. Nolan did his GED in 2012, when he was only 13 years old, and was later accepted into the University of Southern California in 2017.
Nolan has also undergone a complete transformation, beefing up at the gym and sharing various shirtless videos on Instagram showing off his impressive biceps and six pack. In one clip, Nolan clutched a pneumatic drill and pounded it into the ground in nothing but a pair of tiny grey shorts.
He added a baseball cap over his hair that read “f*** actors” and a face mask to protect him from the dust, showing off his bulging muscles and toned legs.
Nolan captioned his cheeky video: “Alright you weirdos caption this thirst trap so I can better target you with ads.” And thankfully, plenty of fans flocked to the comments section with one giggling: “The ground won’t be the only thing imma break tonight.”
Another added: “This ain’t the Luke I remember but I’m here for it!” as a third giggled: “Luke was always good with the carpentry stuff.”
Bella Thorne
(Image: NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Shake It Up star Bella Thorne went from being a Disney gal to starting her own OnlyFans page – releasing racy songs like Stupid F***ing B*tch and P***y Mine. In 2020, Bella smashed through financial records on the adult site, scooping an eye-watering $1million in just 24 hours of her profile being live. Within a week she’d made double that.
However, things quickly spiralled, and Bella was hit with allegations that she offered to send a “nude” pay-per-view snap to fans for $200 each – but it later turned out she was not naked in the photo. Sex workers also claimed Bella was problematic as she didn’t acknowledge the stigma against the sex work trade and appeared to be signing up purely for fun.
(Image: bellathorne/Instagram)
Bella later apologised, explaining: “Remove the stigma behind sex, sex work, and the negativity that surrounds the word sex itself by bringing a mainstream face to it that’s what I was trying to do… I have risked my career a few times to remove the stigma behind sex work, porn, and the natural hatred people spew behind anything sex-related.
“I am a mainstream face and when you have a voice, a platform, you try to use you in helping others and advocate for something bigger than yourself. Again in this process I hurt you and for that I’m truly sorry.”
Jake Lloyd
(Image: Keith Hamshere/Lucasfilm/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
Star Wars star Jake Lloyd rose to fame as Anakin Skywalker in the 1999 film The Phantom Menace – but after that, things went downhill, and fast. Lloyd was arrested in 2015, aged 26, after allegedly leading South Carolina cops on a high-speed car chase.
He faced charges of reckless driving, driving without a license, failing to stop for a blue light and resisting arrest. In his mugshot, the actor looked totally different – sporting a small goatee and darker hair as he stared straight into the camera.
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Lloyd was in custody for 10 months awaiting trial, and was later transferred from jail to a psychiatric facility.
Police had previously responded to an alleged assault by Lloyd on his mum, Lisa Riley, who later declined to press charges – explaining that her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was off his medication at the time.
Orlando Brown
(Image: Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Disney star Orlando Brown was best known for his role as Eddie in That’s So Raven, a role he held from 2003 until 2007. He’s also acted in everything from Straight Outta Compton to Phil of the Future. But in 2022, everything started to go wrong for the young actor.
In December, he was arrested on an aggravated menacing charge, on a $25,000 bond. He was accused of threatening Matthew Sanders, in whose house he had been living, with a broken-off knife blade and a hammer, accusing Sanders of raping his wife and yelling at him.
(Image: Allen County Sheriff’s Office)
The New York Post said Brow was take into custody after Sanders filed domestic violence charges, which were reduced to a misdemeanour. The police report noted: “It appeared to officers that Orlando suffers from mental disorders and is delusional.”
The star’s mugshot showed him sporting various tattoos all over his neck, with a wild grin on his face and highlighted tips at his hair – looking unrecognisable compared to his child star days.
Scott Schwartz
(Image: Columbia/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
Best known for his role as Flick in A Christmas Story – who got his tongue stuck to a frozen pole – Scott Schwartz had a very different career years after that memorable “double dog dare” scene. He went on to have a career in porn.
The star, now 55, went on to perform “non-sexual” roles in adult films, as well as managing various porn actors. He went on to run a collectibles store with his dad, admitting he starred in films like Booby Trap and Scotty’s X-Rated Adventures due to financial difficulties.
(Image: Wicked Pictures)
He explained: “At the time, financially, I wasn’t doing very well. Royalties from movies don’t pay a lot. It was something I looked at as off-the-norm for someone of my background. But rather than buy some coke and do eighty down Sunset with a sign that said ‘Arrest me,’ I decided to take that path .”
Jonathan Lipnicki
(Image: Columbia Tri Star/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Stuart Little child actor Jonathan Lipnicki blew fans away when he transformed from a slight, shy kid who appeared in Jerry Maguire into a proper beefcake. He loves to be active, and left his Instagram followers with a oiled-up shirtless snap, lifting weights at the gym.
The star credits intense workouts for his new figure, explaining: “I like kick-boxing, and working out. I like to be active, I find I’m much more productive when I’m working out and staying healthy.”
(Image: @jonathanlipnicki/Instagram)
He added: “There are a lot of misconceptions when you disappear as a child actor. ‘Are they on drugs?’, ‘Are they partying?’, and that’s just not me.” Instead, he’s trying to “transition properly” into adulthood after starring in numerous blockbusters as a kid.
Follow Daily Star on Threads here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
