15 Child Actors Who Broke Through At Age 15

What were you doing when you were 15? Probably not starring in a major motion picture, or being part of a children's TV series. When it comes to these child actors who had their "breakthrough" moments at age 15, most have gone on to achieve major stardom as adults, or have quietly enjoyed their lives having made their fortunes as child stars. 

Let's take a look at 15 actors and actresses who broke through at age 15, and find out what they're doing now.

Christian Bale

A man who needs no introduction, Christian Bale received his first role at the age of 13 in Empire of the Sun (1987). However, his role in Henry V (1989) is broadly considered to be his youth breakout role. Henry V has been praised as "one of the best Shakespeare film adaptations ever made". American Psycho (2000) was Bale's adult breakthrough role. 

Asim Bharwani, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Molly Ringwald

Although synonymous with The Breakfast Club (1986), Molly Ringwald's breakthrough film role was in Tempest (1982), when she was 15. She would receive a Golden Globe nomination for her acting, setting her up for a bright future and that all-important The Breakfast Club role.

Angela George, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Drake

The Canadian rapper was also an acclaimed child actor, playing a teenage troublemaker in the hit series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001). Although now almost exclusively associated with his rap music, Drake's first breakthrough was in Degrassi at the age of 15.

thecomeupshow, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Jennifer Connelly 

Used to acting in star-studded action-packed thrillers like Top Gun: Maverick (2022), Blood Diamond (2006), and Requiem for a Dream (2000), Jennifer Connelly is no stranger to big roles, but her first breakout role came at 15, in Phenomena (1985). She also had a role at age 14 in the crime epic Once Upon a Time in America (1984).

GlynLowe.com, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Leonardo DiCaprio 

Although he garnered worldwide recognition alongside Kate Winslet as the ill-fated Jack in Titanic (1997), Leonardo DiCaprio had been acting since he was a child, landing minor roles from the age of 11. But his first big break as a child star came at the age of 15 in the pilot of The Outsiders (1990).

UNclimatechange, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Michael B. Jordan

Michael B. Jordan's first major breakthrough on American television came at the age of 15, when he played a 16-year-old drug dealer named "Wallace" in the hit crime drama The Wire (2002).

Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Ethan Hawke 

Although his first film was a bit of a disappointment at the Box Office, 15-year-old Ethan Hawke's role in the 1985 sci-fi flick Explorers would be the catalyst for a long career, despite Hawke taking a break from acting shortly after the movie's lackluster release. He would redeem himself with Dead Poet's Society (1990).

Montclair Film, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Despite beginning his acting career at the age of seven by appearing in several small TV roles, Gordon-Levitt's breakout role would come at 15, in 3rd Rock From The Sun (1996). 

Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Jason Bateman

Jason Bateman was a child actor from the time he was 12, appearing in Little House on the Prairie (1980). But it wasn't until his 1984 appearance in Silver Spoons that he received critical acclaim and began a career in showbiz. He became the youngest-ever director at the age of 18, directing three episodes of The Hogan Family in 1987.

Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Kenan Thompson

Before he was a Saturday Night Live stalwart, Kenan Thompson was a 15-year-old hockey superstar in 1992's The Mighty Ducks. While not exactly a comedic film, The Mighty Ducks did set Thompson up for a career in showbiz.

Daniel Arnold, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Mayim Bialik 

Mayim Bialik may now be synonymous with The Big Bang Theory (2007), but before she was Sheldon's awkward girlfriend, she was a tap-dancing sweetheart in 1988's Beaches and scored her first major role at 15, in Blossom (1990).

Mark Neyman, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Elijah Wood

Though Elijah Wood played a small part in Back to the Future: Part II (1989),  Flipper (1996) was one of his first major roles as a teenager.

Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Dylan And Cole Sprouse

Dylan and Cole Sprouse are two brothers in American film and television that have enjoyed tremendous success, both as a duo and a partnership. It was in that partnership, shown in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody (2005-2008), that they both enjoyed breakout roles as the stars of the show. They were 15 when the show ended and had been acting since they were eight months old.

Alex, Flickr

Emma Stone

Before she was famous for Superbad (2007), Zombieland (2009), and her first leading role in Easy A (2010), Emma Stone began her professional acting career at age 15. She had a role in In Search of the New Partridge Family, a 2004 TV flick. 

Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis starred in That 70's Show (1998) at the age of 15. She played the girlfriend of fellow teenage star, Ashton Kutcher. The TV show instantly became a hit and has become something of a cult classic over the decades. Interestingly, Kunis and Kutcher are now married with two kids. But, while they were on-set of That 70's Show, Kunis recounted when Kutcher and now-disgraced co-star Danny Masterson made a bet about French kissing her!

Sometimes child actors are destined for success, other times, it may take a few years and a hiatus for them to really recapture the magic that got them their first roles. Can you think of any other 15-year-old child actors that broke out at such a transformative age? Let us know in the comments!  

 Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons