AOL TV's Top 20 Greatest Child Stars

[JamesG]

Pigtails and a sassy personality for the girls, dorky haircuts and a guy-next-door vibe for the boys ... those are the qualities we love in our TV kiddie stars. And if the kids happen to sport funky fashions (a la Punky Brewster), outshine their adult co-stars (the Olsen twins on Full House) or spout a great catchphrase (Diff'rent Stokes' Arnold), so much the better.

Peruse our list of the top 20 TV child stars of all time and sound off on your own favorite junior scene-stealers. -- By Kimberly Potts




20. Zack & Cody Martin of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005-2007) and The Suite Life on Deck (2008-present)

Played by: Dylan and Cole Sprouse

The identical twins' careers began with a role as Adam Sandler's faux son in Big Daddy, and by the time they hit their teens, they had become teen and 'tween heartthrobs with their own magazine, a line of Sprouse Brothers merchandise and a gig as the stars of Suite Life, where they play twin brothers who live in a Boston hotel.

That led to a spin-off, Suite Life on Deck, in which their characters now attend high school on a cruise ship.




19. Tabitha Stephens of Bewitched (1964-1972)

Played by: Erin Murphy

It irked her dad, but Samantha and "Derwood's" daughter, Tabitha, did indeed inherit her mom's magical abilities. How'd she use them? Like any tot would ... by making every toy in her room come to life.

As for Murphy, the blonde cutie first shared the role with her fraternal twin Diane, until they started to look too dissimilar.

Most recently, Murphy was a contestant on the reality show Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling -- too bad we can't twitch our noses and make that disappear.




18. Dennis Mitchell of Dennis the Menace (1959-1963)

Played by: Jay North

Dennis comic strip creator Hank Ketchum handpicked North to play Dennis on TV, where North became a top kid star as the ornery youngster who stirred up aggravation for his parents and crabby neighbor Mr. Wilson.

Post-Dennis, North, like a lot of child stars, found that he was typecast in his star-making role, and after drug problems and other personal woes and a stint in the Navy, he left showbiz and worked as a corrections officer in Florida.




17. Webster Long of Webster (1983-1989)

Played by: Emmanuel Lewis

He was 12 playing 7, and funny, adorable Lewis won over viewers with his performance as orphaned Webster in ABC's attempt to duplicate Gary Coleman's success in Diff'rent Strokes.

His petite stature was part of his charm, though it took an odd turn when he befriended Michael Jackson, who often dressed his diminutive friend in matching outfits and took him along on dates, like his 1984 Grammy outing with Brooke Shields.




16. Penelope "Punky" Brewster of Punky Brewster (1984-1988)

Played by: Soleil Moon Frye

Never mind that the series finale revolved around a doggie wedding (really). There was much cuteness leading up to it, as abandoned Punky, who was raised by widowed photographer Henry, was one funky, spunky girl, with her bright, multi-colored outfits, pigtails and boasts of "Punky Power!"

Frye's character was so popular that there was even a cartoon spin-off, It's Punky Brewster, while Frye went on to have a successful career as a cartoon voice actress.




15. Nicholas Bradford of Eight Is Enough (1977-1981)

Played by: Adam Rich

As endearing, bowl-cut-haired youngest Bradford kid Nicholas, Rich was so popular that moms and their daughters would mob him when the show filmed in public locations.

Those same fans were undoubtedly shocked by the kid star's post-Enough downfall, which included arrests for offenses like shoplifting, drug charges, breaking and entering and DUI.

He also famously participated in a 1996 'Might Magazine' article about his (fake) death.




14. Alfalfa of The Little Rascals (1955)

Played by: Carl Switzer

His trademarks: pop culture's most famous cowlick, being vice president of the He-Man Woman Haters Club and off-key crooning.

One of the most popular members of the original Our Gang cast (the 1930s movie shorts were repackaged as the 1955 TV series), Switzer became so synonymous with the Alfalfa character that he was typecast, and spent his adult life as a dog breeder and hunting guide, unable to land many roles outside the Alfalfa persona.




13. Wednesday Addams of The Addams Family (1964-1966)

Played by: Lisa Loring

She loved spiders and a doll that her brother beheaded, as well as the fact that she was stronger than her father, but 6-year-old pigtailed Addams daughter Wednesday (middle name: Friday) was actually a sweet child, by her ghoulish family's standards.

Loring continued her acting career as an adult, starring on As the World Turns in the early '80s, but after dealing with a very public drug problem, hasn't returned to acting full time.




12. Kevin Arnold of The Wonder Years (1988-1993)

Played by: Fred Savage

What My So-Called Life did for teen angst in the '90s, The Wonder Years did for teen angst in the '60s, when middle-class teen Kevin was trying to navigate school, his creepy bro, a crush on neighbor Winnie and a changing America.

Savage, who earned a Lead Actor Emmy nod for the show, is notable for surviving former child stardom unscathed, graduating from Stanford and now directing TV shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.




11. Eddie Munster of The Munsters (1966-1968)

Played by: Butch Patrick

The Munsters' only son, Eddie, was just a normal boy, if you ignored his pointy ears, widow's peak, fancy suit, the fact that he slept in a coffin and, oh yeah, that he was actually a werewolf.

Patrick, who had competed for the role against friend and fellow kid star Bill Mumy (Lost in Space), went on to star in the Sid and Marty Krofft series Lidsville and later started a band called Eddie and the Monsters.




10. Danny Partridge of The Partridge Family (1970-1974)

Played by: Danny Bonaduce

David Cassidy was the resident heartthrob, and Bonaduce was the show's comedy star as brother and bass player Danny, the wise-crackin' redhead who often sparked the ire of band manager Reuben Kincaid. Bonaduce's off-screen life was considerably less sitcom-y, thanks to, he says, his abusive father.

Bouts of drug and alcohol abuse have often overshadowed his career as an adult, though he's currently a drive-time radio host in his native Philadelphia.




9. Rudy Huxtable of The Cosby Show (1984-1992)

Played by: Keshia Knight Pulliam

As the youngest member of the Huxtable family, Knight Pulliam's Rudy could always be counted on to bring the cute factor, from The Cosby Show's second episode, where dad Cliff planned a funeral for her goldfish, to her habit of referring to her friend Kenny as "Buuuud" and giving Cliff "zerberts."

Knight Pulliam, who was just 5 when the show began, even won an Emmy nomination during the show's second season.




8. Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver of Leave It to Beaver (1957-1963)

Played by: Jerry Mathers

How did he become "Beaver"? It was revealed in the series finale: Young Wally couldn't pronounce his baby bro's name -- it came out sounding like "Beaver" -- and the nickname stuck.

It seems like an appropriate moniker for the Beav, whose harmless shenanigans made him viewers' ideal of the all-American boy.

As for that persistent rumor that Mathers was killed in Vietnam, not true. The actor has even appeared in a Beaver sequel movie and series.




7. Laura Ingalls of Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983)

Played by: Melissa Gilbert

Sure, viewers loved the family drama, but it was Gilbert's Laura, with her braided pigtails, buck teeth and feisty personality, who was the show's breakout star, which was fitting since Laura's writings were the inspiration for the series.

Gilbert, who went on to become a staple in made-for-TV movies and president of the Screen Actors Guild, recently released her autobiography, Prairie Tale: A Memoir, which details her drug and alcohol abuse.




6. Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey of The Facts of Life (1979-1988)

Played by: Kim Fields

The only African-American girl amongst the main Facts characters, Tootie could be found roller-skating around campus, hanging out with best bud Natalie and gossiping about her fellow students (hence her catchphrase, "We're in trouuuuuble").

Fields played the character through her teen years and into adulthood, which spring-boarded her into further career success, as an R&B singer, a TV director and co-star of the Fox comedy Living Single.




5. Annette of The Mickey Mouse Club (1955-1959)

Played by: Annette Funicello

One of the original Mouseketeers (and the only one chosen by Walt Disney himself), 12-year-old Funicello became viewers' favorite female on the show, and she reportedly received more than 6,000 letters a month by the end of the first season.

Her all-American girl looks -- and her vocal talents -- carried over into her teen year, as she became the bikini-wearing, singing heroine of the Beach Party movies with Frankie Avalon.

For the past several years the beloved performer has battled multiple sclerosis.




4. Cindy Brady of The Brady Bunch (1969-1974)

Played by: Susan Olsen

The lisp! The pigtails! The Kitty Carryall! Cindy was "the youngest one in curls," but she was also often a thorn in her siblings' sides, especially when she engaged in her favorite pastime, being a tattletale.

We learn from Brady reunion movies that Cindy grew up and became a DJ (she did love to talk), as did Olsen, who also worked as a graphic designer and just released a book, Love to Love You Bradys, about the infamous Brady Bunch Variety Hour.




3. Arnold Jackson of Diff'rent Strokes (1978-1986)

Played by: Gary Coleman

Coleman was not only the owner of the most pinch-worthy cheeks in TV history, but the 10-year-old had comedy chops actors three times his age would envy.

His Arnold was the center of the sitcom with his wisecrackin' and "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" catchphrase, but his comedic skills are usually overshadowed by the fact that the show and its young stars became the go-to example of the tragic-former-child-star story.




2. Michelle Tanner of Full House (1987-1995)

Played by: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

They became stars at 9 months of age, playing youngest Tanner kiddie Michelle, a tot so adorable that she continuously upstaged adult hams John Stamos, Dave Coulier and Bob Saget.

During House, the Olsens launched a merchandising company, Dualstar, that has earned hundreds of millions of dollars for the stars, who, despite a few tabloid-type troubles along the way, have parlayed their acting and business success into careers as fashion designers.




1. Opie Taylor of The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968)

Played by: Ron Howard

Howard was 6 years old and already a showbiz vet when he began portraying Opie, the sweet, motherless son of Mayberry sheriff Andy Taylor. Opie was such a good kid, his biggest offense was accidentally ruining Aunt Bee's prized roses.

Howard followed up playing one of America's favorite grade schoolers by playing one of TV land's favorite teens as Happy Days Richie.

And then there's that little matter of an Oscar-winning filmmaking career ... His pa sure would be proud of how little Op turned out.

http://insidetv.aol.com/2009/10/06/g...v-child-stars/

[Schmoopie]

Good list and I agree with most of them. Many of these have been on lists like this before. Kind of ironic to see this since just yesterday I watched the "E" Channel's "50 Cutest Child Stars" hosted by Candace Cameron and Keisha Knight Pulliam. That's a good show, but their pick for #1 was the biggest joke I have ever seen. That was a terrible way to end that show. I guess they did that so they wouldn't play favorites. I don't want to give it away, but I can tell you who it was if you really want to know. That might save others from watching the entire 2 hours of this show!

[MickeyMac]

Why werent Stanley or Barry Livingston included on that list???

[icecream]

Kevin Arnold should have been much higher.

[Goldilocks]

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

Why werent Stanley or Barry Livingston included on that list???

Thank you! I was wondering the same thing.