14 Christmas Movie Child Stars You Won't Recognize Today

Even the meanest of Grinches can't resist a classic Christmas movie during the holiday season. Whether you're a "Miracle on 34th Street" fan or prefer the whimsy of "Elf," putting on a festive flick can raise your spirits, even if you aren't feeling merry during the holidays. For decades, these films have delighted and captivated audiences, bringing us back time and again for the sweet nostalgia and traditions. However, a lot of time has passed since your favorite Christmas movies have come out — probably more than you realize.

While we can turn back the clock with ease by hitting play and watching Cindy Lou Who charm the Grinch with her compassion, or little Ralphie blurt out the word "fudge," the child stars who played these characters have changed remarkably since then, having grown up quite a bit. If you're ready to feel nostalgic, here are 14 Christmas movie child stars you won't recognize today.

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings." The line, recited in "It's a Wonderful Life" by Karolyn Grimes as little Zuzu Bailey back in 1946, is still quoted around the holidays. Despite being just 6 years old at the time, and the fact she'd gone on to star in other films throughout the late '40s and early '50s, it became the actor's most recognized and beloved role. However, Grimes admitted to Cinema Sugar in December 2022 that she somehow hadn't gotten around to watching the movie until she was 40.

"I do have a great regret that I never found that magic in time for me to make watching this film every Christmas a holiday tradition with my own children," she said. The message of "It's a Wonderful Life" had a huge impact on Grimes when she did eventually watch it, though.

She left acting behind as a teenager when her parents both died, orphaning her, and she spoke rarely of her Hollywood past. In the '70s, "It's a Wonderful Life" had a resurgence in popularity, and upon watching it herself, Grimes dedicated herself to paying it forward, attending reunions with the cast and interacting with fans. While she's made a couple on-screen appearances since her early years, Grimes now lives a quiet life with her third husband in Seattle.

It's been over four decades since Peter Billingsley as Ralphie nearly shot his eye out in "A Christmas Story." While it's "borderline sacred for a lot of people," according to the actor in a November 2022 interview with People, the movie wasn't a very big hit at first and it took some time for Billingsley to become well-known. He continued acting throughout the '80s, but made a left turn into producing and directing in the '90s, seeming to enjoy the work behind the camera.

However, Billingsley's involvement with holiday films was far from over, as he produced "Four Christmases," had a minor role in "Elf" as Ming Ming, and then finally revisited the character that started it all. The 2022 sequel, "A Christmas Story Christmas," saw Ralphie Parker return to his hometown, now a father himself, bringing plenty of nostalgia to the living rooms of those who had grown up watching the original.

In speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in December 2023, Billingsley remarked, "Obviously, it's not the kind of movie that you wanted to get wrong because certainly there's a risk in tarnishing the original and people's love of it." However, he added, he was happy with the way it turned out.

If there's one film families return to again and again over the holidays, it's probably "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," which starred the iconic Chevy Chase. It was the third installment of the popular franchise, and with the character of Rusty Griswold getting swapped out every time around thus far, there was a lot for Johnny Galecki to live up to when he filled the role in 1989 as a teenager.

Obviously, the actor did extremely well for himself in the years following his child stardom, as he secured a lead role on "The Big Bang Theory" in 2006. He earned a whopping $1 million per episode by the final season in 2019 and more or less retired when the series wrapped. After leaving Hollywood behind, the actor showed Architectural Digest around his Nashville home in February 2024, giving his first interview in four years. "I never felt like much of an Angeleno," Galecki said of his 30 years living in Los Angeles. "And I did try. I say that with sadness, not with snobbery." With his wife, two children, and a stunning gothic mansion, it seems Galecki is doing pretty well these days, even if it's out of the spotlight.

Today, she's probably still best known for her roles in flicks like "Natural Born Killers" and "From Dusk Till Dawn," but Juliette Lewis was another '80s child star who had the opportunity to portray Audrey Griswold in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." She was just 15 years old when she starred in the classic movie alongside Johnny Galecki, and while she hasn't had the same level of success in her career as her co-star, the actor did go on to add her name to over 100 more projects.

While on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" in March 2023, Lewis got emotional when speaking about the public's heartfelt response to the Christmas movie. "[Fans are] like, 'You're a part of my family.' People who've lost their parents or whatever. What it meant to them, it's a tradition," the actor said through tears. "You can never imagine that is ever going to happen in a film you do." Lewis continues to act today, having starred in shows like "Welcome to Chippendales" and "Yellowjackets," as well as the movie "The Thicket."

Before Macaulay Culkin experienced a string of tragic events, he was just like any ordinary child star who had just gotten his big break with 1990's "Home Alone." The family favorite Christmas movie was a smash hit, leading the actor to reprise his role in the sequel a couple years later. Culkin's wide eyes and impeccable delivery aided in him becoming arguably one of the most successful child stars of his time, making millions of dollars per movie and landing several roles every year throughout the decade.

In the mid-noughties, Culkin was arrested for drug possession without a prescription and he disappeared from the public eye for a while. Photos later surfaced of the actor looking particularly thin, leading sources to speculate that he was using hard drugs. Culkin vehemently denied the accusations, and after a few years, he made his return to acting, primarily in television.

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight in December 2023, the former child star spoke about showing his "Home Alone" movie to his eldest son Dakota. Culkin shared, "He thinks it's so funny," adding that he had jokingly convinced his son that it was him in the film, rather than Culkin. "I said, 'Remember you had yellow hair? Remember when you were getting the bad guys?' He's like, 'Yeah!' He is such a liar."

If there was ever a classic Christmas movie trilogy to watch back to back during the holiday season, it's "The Santa Clause." Eric Lloyd starred alongside his on-screen dad Tim Allen in all three of the films from 1994 until 2006. Having gotten his start in acting at just 18 months old, the child star was a pro by the time he was cast to play Charlie six years into his career.

In a December 2015 interview with ABC News, Lloyd joked about still getting recognized for the role. "People will say, 'Did I go to high school with you, or something?' and I'll say, 'I don't know, maybe!'" he laughed. "It's very humbling, the fan base. They really do love the movie," Lloyd added, clearly touched by how much the family favorite has meant to people.

The actor took a break from Hollywood for a while following the release of "The Santa Clause 3" to follow other passions. Lloyd got his BFA in Film Production, starting his own production company, and served as the vocalist and guitarist for the band Radiomason. In 2022, the actor reprised his role in the Disney+ series "The Santa Clauses," working alongside Allen once more.

"Miracle on 34th Street" has had a couple remakes, but the 1994 version, starring Mara Wilson, is likely the one you watch most during the holiday season. The child star only had five roles, including "Mrs. Doubtfire," prior to playing Susan Walker, the young Santa Claus skeptic, but it was clear she was incredibly talented for her age. "Sir Richard [Attenborough] was just lovely. ... He really did feel like Santa Claus to me," Wilson told Entertainment Weekly in December 2018 about working with the on-screen Santa. "He was so kind. He made it a really fun movie to work on."

Just a couple years later, she landed "Matilda" which catapulted her to fame, but sadly, Wilson's reign in Hollywood was short lived. Being thrust into the limelight at such a young age proved difficult, especially as her mother died from breast cancer around the same time. In her 2023 book "Good Girls Don't," Wilson wrote about this time in her life, saying, "I felt completely lost, completely unmoored. ... I didn't really know who I was." After a successful few years, Wilson dipped out of the public eye for a while, returning to lend her voice to a handful of projects on occasion.

"Star Wars" fans probably know Jake Lloyd best from "The Phantom Menace," but those who habitually watch Christmas movies probably recognize him as Arnold Schwarzenegger's on-screen son Jamie in "Jingle All the Way." The child star was just 7 when he played the role of a kid who desperately wants the hottest toy around, Turbo-Man. A few years later, he landed his big break as Anakin Skywalker, but the critical reception of his performance led Lloyd to retiring from Hollywood shortly after.

Sadly, like many child actors, the "Jingle All the Way" star went through several tragic events after his retirement, including dropping out of college in 2008 and an arrest after leading police on a high speed chase in 2015. Ultimately, Lloyd was diagnosed with schizophrenia and his mother Lisa supported him while he received treatment. In March 2024, she updated Scripps News on her son's mental health, saying he was in an in-patient facility. "He's doing much better than I expected," she said. "It's kind of like having more of the old Jake back, because he has always been incredibly social until he became schizophrenic."

Joseph Cross is one of the lucky former child stars who maintained a pretty successful career from start to present day. His earliest roles include two feature films alongside Michael Keaton, including the beloved "Jack Frost" in 1998 when the actor was just 12. The effects might not hold up as well today, but fans still love the heartwarming father-son story. Since then, Cross has had a fairly consistent career, even maneuvering behind the camera after decades of being in front of it.

As he told Film Inquiry in July 2019, the decision to move into directing was easy once he'd read the script for "Summer Night." Cross said, "When I first read Jordan Jolliff's script, I was approaching 30. I'd been acting for so long I was starting to think about how I could be useful in other parts of the filmmaking process." He added that the story stuck with him, saying it felt "really honest, really nuanced, and interesting." While he's yet to direct another film, the former child star has continued acting, appearing in "Big Little Lies" in 2017 and 2021's "Licorice Pizza."

Little Cindy Lou Who's tall hair in the 2000 version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was pretty iconic. The girl underneath the hair, Taylor Momsen, was just 7 when she played the sweet character opposite Jim Carrey's Grinch, and she went on to have a successful career, later becoming known for playing Jenny Humphry on "Gossip Girl." Unfortunately for Momsen, the "Grinch" role didn't do her any favors amongst her peers, as it led to her being bullied.

During a September 2023 episode of her "Gossip Girl" co-star and on-screen brother Penn Badgley's podcast "Podcrushed," she explained, "I was made fun of relentlessly. So every time I would start a new school or go somewhere else, I don't even think the kids knew my name, I was just 'Grinch girl.'" Luckily, the pestering didn't keep her from pursuing several other roles afterwards. Once her time on The CW show had ended, Momsen had a stunning transformation and left acting behind for good (save for her music videos), instead pursuing music full time as the lead singer of the band The Pretty Reckless.

If you can believe it, Buddy's little brother from "Elf" is all grown up. You'd have to be a cotton-headed ninny-muggins to not remember Michael, the half-brother of Will Ferrell's character who helps spread Christmas cheer by singing loud for all to hear. Daniel Tay was 11 years old when the 2003 film came out, and though it was a success, it doesn't seem like acting was for him. The child star made his final on-screen appearance with a minor role in 2007's "Brooklyn Rules" before pursuing other ventures.

Tay received a degree in Economics from Yale in 2014 and went on to work as a teacher and SAT tutor. There was a time fans thought they would see the cast reprise their roles in an "Elf" sequel, but James Caan revealed before his death that an on-set feud prevented it from ever being made. "We were gonna do it. ... [But] the director [Jon Favreau] and Will [Ferrell] didn't get along very well." With that, it seemed Tay's fate was sealed to never return to acting.

The "Eloise" children's book series had long been beloved by kids and their parents alike, so fans were thrilled when two adaptations came to the screen in 2003. Sofia Vassilieva was 10 years old when she played the titular character in both "Eloise at the Plaza" and "Eloise at Christmastime." As the young star told The Washington Post at the time, she has a lot in common with her character. "I think I'm a lot like Eloise in the sense that we are both very active, and we both like to help people. ... Eloise says everything she wants to say when she wants to say it," Vassilieva said.

The movies helped her get her start, and aside from taking a brief break to go to school, Vassilieva hasn't missed a beat. She went on to star in other book to screen adaptations, including "My Sister's Keeper" and "Looking for Alaska."

"Eloise at Christmastime" still plays on television during the holidays, something Vassilieva is very grateful for. As she told iHollywoodTV in December 2018, "It's really cool because it was such a formative part of my girlhood and my career." Vassilieva added that it's special to know that the movie "still gets to exist and still gets to be treasured."

On the December nights the kids aren't around, "Bad Santa" is a go-to classic starring Billy Bob Thornton, Lauren Graham, and Brett Kelly, who was far too young to watch the movie himself. He was just 8 when he auditioned to play Thurman Merman, an oblivious, bullied boy who befriends the con-Santa, but the adult humor wasn't a problem for him. "I was no stranger to swearing," Kelly told Cracked in November 2022. "My entire extended family had very colorful vocabulary."

What was strange, the actor added, was running crude lines with his dad before booking the part. "It was more just me laughing and not being able to take seriously that it was him saying all these horrible things," Kelly noted. Despite nearly being dropped from the project after he got chickenpox, everything worked out for the child star. Kelly continued working as an actor off and on over the years, including reprising his role in the 2016 sequel, but there's no denying that Thurman is the role he'll always be best known for.

Since its 2003 release, "Love Actually" has been a beloved Christmas movie viewers return to time and again for its festive feel-good moments. From its talented ensemble cast to its iconic romantic scenes, there are so many reasons it's become a part of countless families' holiday traditions. Having been released over two decades ago, the cast of "Love Actually" has changed a lot, perhaps none more so than Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who played Sam. From his sweet crush on his classmate to the romantic rush to the airport scene, his character was beyond cute.

Brodie-Sangster was just 13 when he shot to fame practically overnight following the release of "Love Actually." The London-born actor went on to star in many more classics, including "Nanny McPhee," "Game of Thrones," and "The Queen's Gambit," but it's likely that none of these roles will ever compare to the fan-favorite Christmas movie — and Brodie-Sangster knows it.

During an October 2020 interview with People, the actor said, "Although a little frustrating, it's also an honor." Brodie-Sangster acknowledged that, while he's mostly recognized for the movie he did so long ago, it's also helped forge the path he's on today. "I don't pooh-pooh it too often. I had a lovely time of it and it did wonders for my career," he noted.