Here's What 40 Celebrities Looked Like as Teenagers (2024)

Gosling got his start on Disney with a two-year stint on the All-New Mickey Mouse Club. Pictured here in 1993, the child star made pretty famous friends on set. His fellow Mouseketeers included Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Keri Russell.

Barrymore looks effortlessly cool at the 1990 premiere of Longtime Companion in California. That same year, the actress released her memoir, Little Girl Lost, in which she wrote about her highly publicized addiction issues and rehab stints.

Black, who excelled in drama classes as a kid, cut his teeth in the acting world early with commercial work. Seen here in 1983, he had landed a gig promoting the Activision video game Pitfall!

Anderson smiles for a high school yearbook photo in 1984. The Canadian native played volleyball and worked as a fitness instructor before being discovered at a football game when she was 22.

Thompson waves to the crowd during an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno in 1997. After his stint on Nickelodeon's All That, Thompson and his frequent comedic collaborator, Kel Mitchell, landed their own Nickelodeon show in 1996.

Johnson smiles at the 2003 premiere of The Cheetah Girls in New York. As the daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, she was no stranger to the spotlight—in 1999, she starred alongside her mother in the movie Crazy In Alabama.

Here, the actor attends the 1997 SAG Awards. By then, the actor was already well-known for his work in films like 1992's A River Runs Through It and 1994's Angels In The Outfield.

Curtis accompanies her parents to a tribute to Orson Welles held in Los Angeles in 1975. She made her acting debut in 1977 with TV guest spots before rising to prominence in 1978's Halloween.

Bateman slings his sweater over his shoulder at the first annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Beverly Hills in 1985. He was coming off of the cancellation of his show It's Your Move, his first time helming a series after nabbing supporting roles in shows like Little House on the Prairie and Silver Spoons in the early 1980s.

By 1976, Foster was already a Hollywood staple: She had three films premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where this portrait was shot.

Decades before his award-winning stint on Succession, Culkin was already oozing charisma at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. That year, the actor helmed the film The Mighty, in addition to scoring roles in Oscar-nominated fare, including The Cider House Blues and Music of the Heart.

Portman beams at the 1995 New York premiere of Mighty Aphrodite. Four years later, she would enroll in Harvard University, balancing acting and schoolwork.

A year after making his film debut in 1991's Critters 3, DiCaprio balled out at a 1992 MTV celebrity basketball tournament. That same year, he was cast by Robert De Niro in This Boy's Life.

As a teen, pictured here in 1984, Bonham-Carter acted in commercials and TV gigs before her big break in 1985's A Room With A View. She also starred in Lady Jane, a period piece that led her to believe she was typecast in pre-20th century roles.

By this point, James was already a shoo-in for the NBA. During his final season at St. Vincent High School in 2003, he brought home a third-straight state title, but was at the center of several eligibility controversies.

Paquin poses at the 1996 premiere of her movie Jane Eyre. By then, Paquin had already won the 1994 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Piano, her first professional acting gig.

Butler attends the 2008 premiere of the Nickelodeon movie Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh. The actor spent his early career working on shows for kids, before switching to teen fare, like the Sex and the City prequel series The Carrie Diaries. It would be another 14 years before you'd see him take his turn as Elvis on the big screen.

Stewart dons a Dunkin' Donuts T-shirt at a 2004 Sundance Film Festival event in Park City, Utah. The teen had delivered an acclaimed performance in the movie Speak and headlined the children's action-comedy Catch That Kid.

Kravitz wears a Paul McCartney T-shirt to a 2004 party celebrating the Seinfeld DVD release. A few years later, she would make her acting debut in 2007's No Reservations after spending her childhood in the spotlight with her famous parents, Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet.

1953 was a life-changing year for Presley. In August, he recorded two songs at Memphis Recording Service—as a birthday gift for his mother, as the story goes—helmed by Sam Phillips, who went on to produce dozens of the King's tracks.