There are plenty of examples of male artists using a personal experience like a heartbreak to write a smash hit. When Justin Timberlake released “Cry Me A River” in 2002, a song widely believed to be about Britney Spears, he was praised for having one of the best songs of the year, even landing on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Hits of All Time. Writing about relationship woes is nothing new, but when male musicians like Timberlake, Ed Sheeran, and Bruno Mars sing about it, the microscopes and pitchforks don’t necessarily come out in full force.

But then there are female artists like Taylor Swift who have received a fair amount of attention for doing the same exact thing — and that attention isn’t always so positive. What’s more, she’s ended up in positions where she’s had to stand up to interviewers to address sexist comments made about her and women in general. But when she’s faced with a sexist situation? Taylor Swift responds in perfect T. Swift fashion.

The time a radio show host asked Taylor Swift about settling down

Taylor Swift has long been known to keep her fans playing detective when it comes to which ex-boyfriend her songs are about, and she’s also become an expert in keeping her current love life out of the public eye and out of ruthless tabloids.

Rumor has it Swift and British actor Joe Alwyn began dating in 2016, and they seemed to confirm that they were a couple in 2018 when they posted identical Instagram photos posing next to the same cactus one day apart. Since then, Swift has promoted Alwyn’s period piece “The Favourite” on Instagram, and Alwyn was briefly seen in Swift’s Netflix documentary “Miss Americana” where she opened up about falling in love, per Daily Mail. And, in 2021, Swift got the chance to thank Alwyn when she won the Grammy for Album of the Year for “Folklore,” touchingly stating, “[He] is the first person that I play every single song that I write, and I had the best time writing songs with you in quarantine.”

While it appeared that the couple was slowly opening up about their relationship to the public, Swift took the opportunity to shut down a German radio host who asked her if she had any plans to settle down and have children, per The Whisp. According to the outlet, Swift replied, “I really doubt men get asked the same question when they turn 30. I’m not going to answer that question.”

Taylor Swift addressed the criticism surrounding the songs about her exes

Taylor Swift is not one to shy away from writing a song about an ex-lover. That said, as she noted on Australian radio show “Jules, Merrick & Sophie,” she will “never name names.” Even so, that hasn’t stopped fans from assuming there are certain tracks about famous figures like John Mayer and Jake Gyllenhaal. What’s more, Swift has noticed that she has had to constantly defend her lyrics while her male counterparts seem to face less criticism for singing songs about their former flames.

Swift shared with the radio show that she has been unfairly judged for her lyrics, stating, “You’re going to have people who are going to say, ‘Oh, you know, like, she just writes songs about her ex-boyfriends.’ And I think frankly that’s a very sexist angle to take.” She went on to point out that male artists like Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars can dig into their own personal lives in their lyrics without getting hit with the same oversimplified assessment.

In fact, one of her exes, Harry Styles, defended Swift for using her past as inspiration for her music. “I think about what it means to me to write a song about somebody else and for someone else to do that I think it’s flattering, even if the song isn’t flattering, you still spent time on it,” he once said on “The Howard Stern Show.” “Using Taylor as an example, she’s a great songwriter.”

Taylor Swift has had to defend her own songwriting abilities

What’s more, some detractors have wondered about how much of a hand Taylor Swift really has in her music. And as she told Billboard in 2014, if she were a man, that uncertainty wouldn’t be as much of a thing.

“If someone has studied my catalog and still doesn’t think I’m behind it, there’s nothing I can do for that person,” she said. “They may have to deal with their own sexist issues, because if I were a guy and you were to look at my catalog and my lyrics, you would not wonder if I was the person behind it.” She went on to note that she doesn’t “get offended when people don’t fully understand” her level of involvement and has more or less learned to shake it off when someone assumes she does not play a big part in the writing process. But as any true Swifty knows, she’s a songsmith through and through: “I wouldn’t be a singer if I weren’t a songwriter.”

Speaking with Time that same year, she pointed out that there isn’t much doubt surrounding the songwriting skills of male artists like Ed Sheeran. She learned over time that critics began “questioning the validity of a female songwriter” which she found “discouraging.” Swift added that “females have to work so much harder to prove that they do their own things” and included Nicki Minaj as an example.

No, Taylor Swift’s songs aren’t ‘boy-bashing’

While Taylor Swift has made a point to not explicitly say who she’s singing about in a given song, that hasn’t stopped some critics from, as she said in The Telegraph in 2015, accusing her of writing “boy-bashing” lyrics. Tired of people stating that she only writes negative music about her ex-boyfriends, she shared, “There was a bit of a reputation for having a lot of boy-bashing songs. Which is a sexist way of saying heartbreak songs. To trivialize someone who’s heartbroken is really cruel.”

At the end of the day, Swift is a storyteller who is sharing her own story. As she explained in Vanity Fair, “For a female to write about her feelings, and then portrayed as some clingy, insane, desperate girlfriend … that’s taking it and turning it and twisting it into something that is frankly a little sexist.” She went on to say that male stars like Joe Jonas and Harry Styles are described as “having fun” when one could argue that they’re doing the very same thing that she’s doing. Ah, yes. The all too familiar double standards strike again.

Taylor Swift brilliantly navigated a Grammys reporter’s odd remark

At the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, Taylor Swift received seven nominations, including Record of the Year and Album of the Year, and while the singer took home the latter, she also collected Best Pop Vocal Album for “1989” and Best Music Video for “Bad Blood.” Before collecting those gramophone , Swift had to tackle a sexist remark made by a reporter on the red carpet.

When ET’s Nancy O’Dell interviewed Swift ahead of the show, she asked the cameraman to pan down so that viewers could look at her stunning Elie Saab dress. However, it was her comment that made Swift and viewers alike flinch. “I just wanted to show the legs, ’cause as I was telling you ahead of time, you’re going to walk home with more than maybe just a trophy tonight, I think lots of men,” the reporter said. Amazingly, Swift kept her composure when answering O’Dell, and quipped, “I’m not going to walk home with any men tonight. I’m going to hang out with my friends, and then I go home to the cats.”

Hopefully, O’Dell looked back at her cringeworthy interview with Swift and learned from her gaffe.

Taylor Swift didn’t let a joke from a Netflix series slide

Netflix’s “Ginny & Georgia” became an instant hit with viewers. The show’s premise about a mother and her two kids who move away to an affluent neighborhood in Massachusetts for a fresh start is jam-packed with drama, romance, comedy, and crime, and has even been compared to the beloved series “Gilmore Girls.”

That said, it sounds like Taylor Swift wouldn’t call herself a “Ginny & Goergia” fan. The pop superstar tweeted to her over 80 million followers about a certain line in the series’ script that struck a bad chord with her. According to E! News, in the 10th episode, during an argument between Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and her mother Georgia (Brianne Howey), the former says, “What do you care?  You go through men faster than Taylor Swift.” Addressing the line, Swift tweeted, “Hey Ginny & Georgia, 2010 called and it wants its lazy, deeply sexist joke back. How about we stop degrading hard working women by defining this horse s*** as FuNny.” Swift also called out Netflix where she had released her documentary, stating, “Also, @netflix after Miss Americana this outfit doesn’t look cute on you. Happy Women’s History Month I guess.”

Days after Swift shared her thoughts on the sexist line, Gentry took to Instagram to thank viewers for supporting the show and reflected on her character, but did not touch on the controversy.

Taylor Swift regularly stands up for women

While the body positivity movement has made strides as far as the universal acceptance of women of all shapes and sizes goes, there’s still a lot of work to be done — especially in Hollywood, where in a lot of ways, it is a superficial place. Conventionally attractive actors rule marquees, aging is almost like a sin, and Hollywood wouldn’t dare cast a woman with wrinkles. Time after time, Taylor Swift has spoken out about the immense pressures women experience in the industry and elsewhere to look younger than they are, especially when men are rarely judged on their appearances.

After turning 30, she shared with Elle, “I’ve learned that society is constantly sending very loud messages to women that exhibiting the physical signs of aging is the worst thing that can happen to us.” Calling it “an impossible standard,” she noted that women are made to feel as though they “aren’t allowed to age.” Even though, you know, aging is a totally natural part of being a human being.

Speaking with Time magazine, the “I Knew You Were Trouble” songstress also took a swipe at those who have pitted women who are “killing it” against each other. As she put it, other successful women should “challenge you and inspire you rather than threaten you and make you feel like you’re immediately being compared to them.” If anyone knows a thing or two about girls sticking together it’s Swift.

Her song The Man takes a swipe at sexism

Sexism in the music industry has literally inspired Taylor Swift’s work. In 2020, Swift took aim at the patriarchy when she released her song and music video for “The Man.” The song depicts what life would be like if Swift was — you guessed it — a man, and it is a brilliant attack on the differences between men and women in similar roles. The chorus sums up the thesis: “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can / Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man / And I’m so sick of them coming at me again / ‘Cause if I was a man, then I’d be the man.”

Sharing her thoughts on “The Man” and how it came to be, Swift told Billboard the song was inspired by the double standards women encounter in the music world, noting that “it’s really about re-training your own brain to be less critical of women when we are not criticizing men for the same things.”

Forever a savvy artist, Swift ensured the song was “catchy” — and not just because she wanted to make sure it reached the top of the charts. The award-winning musician hoped “it would get stuck in people’s heads, [so] they end up with a song about gender inequality stuck in their heads.” We’re still humming this track, so consider the mission accomplished and then some.

The more famous Taylor Swift became, the more sexist comments were thrown at her

Taylor Swift might not have ever imagined her career would skyrocket as it has since she dropped her self-titled debut album when she was just 16, but she did notice that as she climbed up the ladder of success, she felt like she wasn’t getting the credit she deserved. When talking to Vogue in 2019 about the sexism she encounters as a powerful female recording artist, she shared, “The second I became a woman, in people’s perception, was when I started seeing it. As soon as I started playing stadiums — when I started to look like a woman — that wasn’t cool anymore.'”

She went on to say that her skills as a songwriter don’t always get the credit they deserve, pointing out that even as an acclaimed artist, her work is often reduced to the content of a few tracks. “People would act like [writing about past relationships] was a weapon I was using,” she shared. “Like a cheap dirty trick.” Of course, there are many people who revere and appreciate her artistry; as NPR noted in 2018, “her songwriting has been compared to that of artists like Dolly Parton and Mary Chapin Carpenter.” But as her fame level ascends to new heights, the double standards are all the more glaring.

“There’s a different vocabulary for men and women in the music industry,” she once said on “CBS Sunday Morning.” “A man ‘stands up for himself,’ [whereas] a woman ‘throws a temper tantrum.'”

Don’t mess with Taylor Swift and her cats

In 2014, Taylor Swift made an appearance on BBC One’s “The Graham Norton Show” where she ended up calling out actor John Cleese for his sexist remarks — in the most T. Swift way, of course. While talking about Swift’s cat Olivia Benson, Cleese insulted the physical appearance of the singer’s feline companion and asked if Benson was a “proper cat” or if she was “damaged.” And, if that wasn’t enough, Cleese took a quick dig at all human women and Swift wouldn’t have it.

When Cleese admitted that he preferred cats over dogs, he added, “They’re unpredictable and cussed, like women.” Well, that did not sit well with the songstress who quickly replied, “Oh, we don’t want to do that.” After Swift shut the Monty Python co-founder down with seven quick words, the audience erupted in applause. She stared him down as he burst into laughter, and his sexist joke looked a lot like egg on his face.

Sexism comes in all sorts of forms, and clearly, Swift knows this all too well. And honestly, the jabs about who she chooses to write songs about, or the men she’s been with, or just being a powerful woman in the music industry are getting a little old.

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Child Stars Who Defied The Odds

We’ve heard the tragic stories of child actors who were thrust into the spotlight, overwhelmed by the pressures of fame that come with the very adult profession of entertainment. Actors like Dana Plato, Macauley Culkin, and Amanda Bynes, all seemed to fall into a downward spiral, almost rebelling against the attention. And the devastating losses of child actors like River Phoenix, Lee Thompson Young, and Sawyer Sweeten who never got to see their full potential because they died much too young. This is nothing new for Hollywood. From 1966 to 1971, Anissa Jones played Buffy on the hit show “Family Affair.” According to Outsider, within six months of turning 18 and gaining access to the money she earned, Jones died of an overdose, a mix of cocaine, PCP, quaaludes, and Seconal.

Of course some child actors simply walk away from the profession, choose another life — like Jonathon Taylor Thomas who left “Home Improvement” to pursue his education and never returned — while others seem to be less in demand when they transition from the adorable kid to someone Hollywood might deem less attractive to audiences. Sometimes the opposite is true, as in the case of Jeff Cohen of “The Goonies,” who claims he stopped being cast when he grew “from Chunk to hunk” (via Daily Mail).

And yet, there are individuals who successfully navigate not only the difficulty of being a child in the entertainment business but the transition to adult actor. So, let’s take a look at some of Hollywood’s biggest stars who defied those odds.

Jason Bateman ended up on the right path thanks to an ultimatum

Jason Bateman is probably one of the most likable actors in Hollywood, and yet his career in terms of being in the public eye is somewhat understated. Known for his television roles in “Ozark” and “Arrested Development,” Bateman has been consistently acting since he was 11 years old and appeared in a Golden Grahams commercial. From there, the budding actor got a guest role on “Little House on the Prairie,” which he played for 21 episodes.

Throughout the 80s, Bateman had roles on shows like “Silver Spoons” and “Knight Rider,” and by 1984, his sister, Justine Bateman started building her own acting resume. During the 90s, alcohol and drugs became a problem, as he shared in a 2009 Details interview. Even marrying Amanda Anka in 2001 wasn’t enough to get him on the right track. Until, that is, she gave him an ultimatum, even taking a trip without him. It was the wake up call he needed to enter AA he told the magazine.

Bateman, however, needed to earn his way back into those coveted acting roles. He told The Guardian in 2022, “It was a case of trying to claw that back towards the end of the 90s, and not getting a lot of great responses.” The start of that new beginning was “Arrested Development,” which he won a Golden Globe for in 2005. He also won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Directing in 2019 for “Ozark.”

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Drew Barrymore had the most intense ‘school of hard knocks’

If ever there was a child actor who seemed as if they were headed for tragedy, it was Drew Barrymore. In reality, Barrymore had some of those tragedies throughout her life, but her humility — despite being Hollywood royalty — and positive attitude likely had something to do with her perseverance. The actor, who first appeared onscreen as a baby in a commercial, went on to star in one of the most iconic movies in history: “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” At the age of eight, Barrymore attended the Oscars, and by 10, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for “Irreconcilable Differences.”

Sadly, Barrymore ended up in rehab by age 13, and was emancipated the following year. As she revealed on “The Howard Stern Show” in 2019, “This was, you know, school of hard knocks in the most severe way,” she said emphatically, adding, “There was no way I was gonna be me without that year and a half.” Barrymore likened it to boot camp after having so much freedom, when she partied among adults in clubs. Tearfully, Barrymore told Stern, “I left there the most humble person you could ever imagine.”

From there, Barrymore thrived, and Hollywood welcomed her back with open arms. In 2020, with more than 40 years of credits under her belt, Barrymore got her own talk show and was nominated for a daytime Emmy.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Robert Downey Jr. smartened up after serving jail time

It might be hard to picture “Iron Man” star Robert Downey Jr. as a little boy, but at the age of five, he was already present on screen, appearing in his first movie: “Pound.” It wasn’t until his teens and twenties, however, that the actor would become recognizable, appearing in movies like “Tuff Turf,” “Weird Science,” and “Less Than Zero.” In 1992, Downey Jr. came into his own with his widely recognized portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in “Chaplin,” garnering a Best Actor Oscar nomination.

It was around this time that his personal life took a nosedive. In 1996, the actor was stopped for speeding and then arrested on suspicion of drug possession as well as possessing a firearm, though it was unloaded, per the Los Angeles Times. Shortly after he was charged, he apparently got into the house of someone who lived nearby, and the occupants found him sleeping in a bed before police came to arrest him once again. A talent agent told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “Two drug arrests in a row? Yes, this can seriously damage your future in this town.”

Downey would eventually serve his time in jail in 1999 and then return to Hollywood, garnering roles in both movies and TV. In 2014, he spoke to Vanity Fair about his addiction, his time in prison, and at a treatment facility. “Job one is get out of that cave,” he said. “A lot of people do get out but don’t change.”

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Jake Gyllenhaal was born into Hollywood, yet his parents put a focus on education

In 1991, an 11-year-old Jake Gyllenhaal appeared alongside Billy Crystal in “City Slickers.” The son of a producer/screenwriter and director, Jake seemed destined for the industry. Despite that, Gyllenhaal’s parents wanted their kids to have as normal a childhood as possible, and that foundation likely set him on the right path. In 1992, he was selected for the movie “The Mighty Ducks” but his parents wouldn’t let him accept the role. While on “The Howard Stern Show” in 2015, the actor recalled, “I definitely remember crying on the kitchen counter.” At the time, his parents wanted him to focus on his education.

After becoming an adult, Gyllenhaal garnered roles in movies like “Donnie Darko,” before landing the role of a lifetime in “Brokeback Mountain.” Not only did he win an Oscar, he had the opportunity to work with a friend — the late Heath Ledger.

After more than 30 years of acting, Gyllenhaal spoke to Variety magazine in 2022 about “Brokeback Mountain” and his acting journey. “I turned to acting and performance and expression, self-expression, to understand things about myself,” he shared. “The act of expression is healing.” Listening to Gyllenhaal reminisce about the movies he’s done reveals how thoughtful he’s been in his choices. “There are these great moments of the size that a movie can be, like the grand nature of making movies that is just so beautiful,” he said.

Kurt Russell never fell into the trap of troubled child stars

Kurt Russell is now a legendary Hollywood vet, yet the actor was once a child star. Russell’s first role was a 1962 guest spot on “Dennis the Menace” at age 12. He also got to appear in a film with Elvis Presley: “It Happened at the World’s Fair.” One year later, he would snag a starring role in the television series, “The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters.” His first movie was Disney’s “Follow Me, Boys!” And when the actor played Elvis in a TV movie, he was nominated for a primetime Emmy in 1979.

From action to western, rom-com to sci-fi, Russell seemed to be conquering it all. Not only was Russell making a name for himself in the industry, but he was also respected and liked. Even with his somewhat controversial relationship with Goldie Hawn, Russell showed his constant love and commitment. The couple has been together since 1983 but never married. They share a son, Wyatt, while Russell has a son, Boston, from a previous marriage, and Hawn has two children from a previous marriage: Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson.

The actor is known to avoid the press but will do an interview to promote a movie, as he told GQ in a 2016 chat. He’s also a hard worker on set, yet, he notes, “When the man says, ‘That’s a wrap,’ I’m bolting … ‘Goodnight guys, see you tomorrow — I’m going into my life now.'”

Keshia Knight Pulliam was the youngest actor to be nominated for an Emmy

In 1984, five-year-old Keshia Knight Pulliam stole the hearts of Americans as Rudy Huxtable on the hit TV show, “The Cosby Show.” In 1986, she became the youngest actor to be nominated for an Emmy for her supporting role on the show. After “The Cosby Show” ended, there was a significant gap in her acting credits as she was attending Spelman College to get her bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Throughout the 2000s, Knight Pulliam was steadily working, including scoring a role in 2005’s “Beauty Shop” starring Queen Latifah. Shortly after, she was selected for a role on Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne,” which she would hold until 2022.

Aside from acting, Knight Pulliam seems passionate about whatever she does — and apparently, she’s very competitive as well. She’s participated in quite a few reality shows including “The Mole,” “The Apprentice,” and “Fear Factor,” which she won in 2015. In 2010, the actor established a nonprofit for kids called Kamp Kizzy. According to their site, the organization aims to “bring youth together to learn from each other and to challenge one another to dream big, think big and accomplish big.”

As she shared with Windy City Live in 2021, Knight Pulliam is grateful for the experiences she’s had during her career. “The beauty of it is, is that I have had the pleasure of being in so many people’s homes and families for so many decades, so I’m grateful.”

Sean Astin’s mother greatly impacted his career

Sean Astin, another child actor from a high-profile acting family, had his first on screen role in 1981 with “Please Don’t Hit Me, Mom,” at the age of ten. His mother, acting legend Patty Duke, also starred in it. The interesting thing about Astin is that there’s an ongoing debate on social media between generations, where one group remembers him from 1985’s “The Goonies,” another generation remembers him from “Lord of the Rings,” and yet another from “Stranger Things,” proving how beloved his characters are.

Astin has also done quite a bit of voice work, including a stint as Raphael on “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Personally, Astin has been just as blessed. He’s been married to film producer Christine Harrell since 1992 and the couple has three children.

Astin has forty years of acting under his belt and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. In fact, he had a recurring role in two TV shows in 2022 — “Young Rock” and “Perry Mason” — as well as having several other projects in production. In a 2019 Collider Interviews, Astin spoke about his career and his mother’s influence, noting, “What she taught me wasn’t something that she said in words, it was the power of her example and she worked incredibly hard … That work ethic, I think, is what enabled me to develop longevity with my career.”

Dakota Fanning credits Tom Cruise for making her ‘a better actress’

From the moment Dakota Fanning stepped on screen in 2000 as a patient on the hit TV show “E.R.,” it was clear there was something special about her. And in about the span of a year, she appeared in almost a dozen other shows before landing the coveted role in “I Am Sam” opposite Sean Penn. It wasn’t long before this young actor was appearing in hit films along with A-list actors like Tom Cruise, Robert De Nero, and Denzel Washington. Even her interviews to promote her movies showed a sweet bubbly child who had an uncharacteristic maturity about her.

In 2005, when Tom Cruise was interviewed on “Oprah” and Fanning came on the monitor for a remote interview, he was hanging on her every word. Cruise seemed touched when she thanked him, saying, “You made me a better actress. I’ll never forget my memories with you.” Afterward, Cruise said, “She’s lovely … I just want to protect her.” He also said he told Fanning, “I don’t care how old you are, you’re a great actress.”

In 2018 Fanning spoke with Variety, about growing up in Hollywood. “Looking back, I literally can’t imagine having any other life or doing anything else other than being an actor. It’s become a part of who I feel I am,” she said. On staying grounded, she shared, “My mom managed to give me a very table, grounded life, and she went with me everywhere. She was always with me.”

Neil Patrick Harris has been a funnyman since the 80s

Actor, singer, and host extraordinaire, Neil Patrick Harris wasn’t always the charismatic, witty man he is today — but actually, he kind of was. Even as a gawky kid, there was something about him that had viewers wanting more. His first on screen credit was a feature film with Whoopi Goldberg called “Clara’s Heart”—for which he received a Golden Globe nom — and it wasn’t long after that he got his own show: “Doogie Howser, M.D.” Not only was the storyline unique in that he was a teenaged doctor, but Harris himself looked young for his age. When the show premiered, Doogie was already practicing medicine and was 16 years old, as was Harris. Ironically, the actor himself entered the workforce at a young age, not just as an actor. He shared with Elle in 2022 that he was no more than 10 when he started working at a bookstore.

Harris continued on with a string of mostly charismatic or funny characters, like his much-loved Barney on “How I Met Your Mother.” Of course, it was exciting for fans and the actor himself when he snagged the role of creepy ex-boyfriend in “Gone Girl.” Harris told The Guardian in 2014, “I was pinching myself at the opportunity.” He also shared about his long and varied career, saying, “I’ve been very fortunate to have lived a myriad of chapters in the last decade.”

In his personal life, Harris married his partner, David Burtka, in 2014, and the couple shares two children.

Brooke Shields maintains that her mother was protective of her

Brooke Shields has been in the public eye virtually all her life, starting as a child model and moving into acting around age 10. Some of the projects her mother, Teri Shields, allowed her to take drew criticism over the years, including some nude photos she did for Playboy at age 10, per The Guardian. If that’s not all, she also let Brooke snag a role as a pre-teen sex worker in 1978’s “Pretty Baby,” and then later, a suggestive Calvin Klein ad in 1980. Once she became an adult, Shields continued to act steadily, including getting her own series in 1996, “Suddenly Susan,” for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe two years in a row.

In 2021, the actor discussed the Calvin Klein ad with Today, saying she didn’t realize at the time that her line, “You want to know what comes in between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” was sexually suggestive. What it did, though, was practically make Shields and Calvin Klein household names. And despite the public scrutiny of her mother, Brooke says Teri was protective of her. She told Newsweek in 2022, “She was so protective of me that I did maintain a certain naïveté, which allowed me to find joy in the actual work.” In her 2014 memoir, “There Was A Little Girl” Shields shared that the entertainment business is what has kept her sane all these years (via The Guardian).

College football is what ‘humbled’ Mark-Paul Gosselaar

Zack Morris, played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar, became a pop fiction icon thanks to “Saved by the Bell,” which premiered in 1989, when the actor was 15 years old. Gosselaar had been acting since 1984 at that point, with guest spots on popular TV shows like “Highway to Heaven” and “The Wonder Years.” Not only did “Saved By the Bell” and its many spin-offs stay with the actor until 1994, he was also in the reboot in 2020 and 2021. Given that most of his previous roles were charismatic or funny, viewers were surprised — and maybe a little skeptical — when Gosselaar was cast as a detective in “NYPD Blue” in 2001, but he kept the role for four seasons.

While most of Gosselaar’s work has been on television, the actor did appear on the big screen a few times, including 2015’s “Heist” starring Robert De Niro, and “Precious Cargo,” with Bruce Willis, the following year.

In 2021, Gosselaar was interviewed on the “Anna Faris is Unqualified” podcast and revealed that it wasn’t until after “Saved by The Bell” that he decided to become a serious actor. In his eyes, he likened his time playing Zack to being in Little League, and after it ended (and he had trouble finding work), he decided to pursue football in college. He said, “It humbled me to the point of where now I understood how important and how much of a blessing it is that we get to do this for a living … And I still enjoy it.”

Alfonso Ribeiro has worked in the industry for over 40 years

Though Alfonso Ribeiro has been a working actor for more than 40 years, long-time fans of his will probably remember him most for two things: his iconic Pepsi commercial in 1984 where he dances with Michael Jackson, and for creating “The Carlton,” a dance move he originated on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Even some 30 years later, Ribeiro said on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in 2022, “I typically get asked to do the dance pretty much every day of my life if I go outside.” But Ribeiro actually started acting on stage before age 10, and in 1983 he starred on Broadway in “The Tap Dance Kid.” Not long after, he landed on the show “Silver Spoons” with fellow child star Ricky Schroder.

While Ribeiro’s career mostly focused on TV shows, the actor is also making a name for himself as a host. In 2015 he took over hosting duties on “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” and after winning the Mirror Ball Trophy on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2014, Ribeiro returned in 2022 to co-host the show with Tyra Banks — while continuing his “AFV” gig.

For his personal life, the actor has no trouble leaving the glitz and glamor for a good-old-fashion RV camping trip with his family. He told “Good Morning America” in a remote interview at his New England campsite, “Every year we kinda decide where we want to go.”

Mario Lopez’s parents ‘instilled a strong work ethic’

These days, Mario Lopez has been doing double duty on “Access Hollywood” and “Access Daily” since 2019 — this coming off a 12-year stint as a co-host on “Extra” starting in 2007. In a 2022 on “Today,” Craig Melvin said of the actor, “You’ve got a podcast, you’ve got two radio shows as well. I’m not sure exactly when you sleep.”

Lopez has been hard at work since he snagged his first acting gig in 1984 at age 11 with a guest spot on “Simon & Simon.” Five years later, he landed the role he’s most known for: the charismatic, dimpled, and muscled A.C. Slater on “Saved by the Bell,” which had a reboot in 2020 and saw Lopez reprising his character. After the first run of “Saved by the Bell,” the actor starred in “Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story.” From there, he continued getting guest roles in TV shows and movies.

As Lopez shared on “Today,” his version of the entertainment business involves his family — wife, Courtney, and their three children. Two of his kids sometimes appear with him on “Access Kids,” and Courtney appeared in the 2022 movie, “Steppin’ into the Holiday.” For pulling it all off and being a family man, Lopez gives his parents much of the credit. He told Yahoo! Life, “They instilled a strong work ethic.” And while Lopez wants the same for his kids, he adds, “I would say I always try to come from a place of love.”

Jerry O’Connell hated being recognized from his breakout role

11-year-old Jerry O’Connell went from a Duncan Hines cookies commercial to starring in an Oscar-nominated film that helped launch the careers of Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, and Corey Feldman — “Stand by Me.” After that, O’Connell would move to television, garnering a handful of guest spots before getting his own show in 1989, “My Secret Identity.” The young actor seemed to transition well into adult roles and continued to work on projects for both the small and big screen. In 2002, he had a five-year stint on “Crossing Jordan” and shortly after the last episode aired, O’Connell married actor and former model, Rebecca Romijn.

More recently, O’Donnell voiced the character of Commander Jack Ransom in “Star Trek: Lower Decks.” And after several years of being a guest co-host on “The Talk,” the show finally made it official in 2021, per Deadline, and signed him as a permanent co-host, following the firing of Sharon Osbourne.

Looking back, O’Connell feels good about his experience, especially that first movie — even though he admits as a young adult he hated being referred to as “the fat kid [from] ‘Stand By Me,'” as he shared in a Paramount Plus interview. The actor also shared that early on, he didn’t take his acting career seriously, and had no pressure from his parents except for him finishing college — which he did. “I’m really fortunate to have my parents,” he added.

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Child Stars Who Are Unrecognizably Gorgeous Today

Puberty isn’t kind to anyone. For child stars, it’s particularly painful. Not only do they have to endure all the braces, acne, and awkward missteps, but they have to do it in the spotlight. Here, the rest of us are trying to destroy any evidence of our self-cut bangs and regrettable platform Sketchers in our old photo albums, while child stars have to deal with the tabloids catching them on a particularly bad day for their bowl cut (which is honestly every day because it’s a bowl cut).

Nonetheless, these child stars entered the cruel cocoon of puberty and flourished out as beautiful butterflies. If Matthew Lewis didn’t spend years hiding in a fat suit on the set of Harry Potter, would his sexy underwear photoshoot be so shocking? And how did Samara from The Ring go from so darn creepy to so darn beautiful? From adorable braces-clad smiles to sexy six-packs, we can’t even recognize these stars from their breakout roles.

​Jonathan Lipnicki

Jonathan Lipnicki rose to fame as the adorable, bespectacled kid in 1996’s Jerry Maguire. He also had notable roles in The Jeff Foxworthy Show and Stuart Little, but he struggled with his stardom during his teen years. Though he’s consistently landed roles since his debut as a child actor in the mid ’90s, being a famous kid — especially with such a unique look — was rough for the young star.

“As a kid/teen, I was made fun of relentlessly by some people,” he wrote on Instagram (via Vanity Fair). “I was told I was a has-been and would never book a job again. I was made to feel like garbage every day of middle school to the point where I had a panic attack every night before school, because I wondered how I would get through the next day.”

Fortunately, Lipnicki has put his self doubt behind him, and his brand new confident exterior is unrecognizable from the adorable child we saw on-screen in the ’90s. Not only is he still an actor with four projects slated for a future release, as of this writing, but he’s managed to become a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has some major muscles to show off from his hard work. And yes, he finally graduated from braces!

Josh Peck

Josh Peck will probably always be known as a Nickelodeon star, first on The Amanda Show and later on Drake & Josh, which is perhaps his most famous role. Part of the reason his beloved sitcom worked so well was because Peck was the polar opposite of his co-star Drake Bell. Bell played a smooth-talking, ultra-attractive ladies man, while Peck was the chubby, nerdy brother. Oh, how the tables have turned. There’s a reason no one wants to peak in high school.

Since the early days of Drake & Josh, Peck has “lost about 110 pounds,” while his cool guy co-star Bell navigated bankruptcy and DUI charges. In a 2008 interview with Parade the star admitted, “I always had a weight issue since I was a young kid. I just realized that I was not really happy, and I decided to become healthy. Hopefully, I will be able to keep it off.”

These days, Peck is less of a nerdy sidekick and more of the actual star — and he did manage to maintain his slimmer figure. His YouTube channel has more than 3 million subscribers, and he’s racked up leagues of credits in TV series and indie hits, from voicing Eddie in Ice Age to a starring role in James Franco’s gritty The Labyrinth. He’s also come a long way from chasing Mindy Crenshaw on TV. The star grew up and got himself a wife and a kid.

​Tania Raymonde

No matter how awkward here middle school years were, Tania Raymonde was always a babe  — at least, to Frankie Muniz, that is. The star broke out in Malcolm In the Middle as Malcolm’s krav maga master crush Cynthia Sanders. Basically, she’s always been totally tough and managed to translate this to grittier roles as an adult.

Since her days hanging in the schoolyard with Malcolm, the star has completely transformed into a powerful, painfully gorgeous grown woman. She transitioned from melodramatic teen roles like Zarra in ABC Family’s Switched At Birth, to seductive killers like Jodi Arias in Lifetime’s Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret, to sultry scream queens like Nikki in Texas Chainsaw 3D. She’s also nabbed parts in long-running series like Lost and Goliath.

Though Raymonde might be able to land sexier roles than she did as a teen, it doesn’t necessarily feel natural for her. Regardless, it sure is fun.

“She’s this typical free-spirit, sl—y girl in a horror movie that you always expect to see in them,” she told Dread Central of her Texas Chainsaw role. “I never expected to be playing this kind of character, but I’m all for doing something vastly different too whenever I can. But it was just freeing playing that kind of expected role and hopefully fans have fun with her, too.”

Matthew Lewis

Long live Neville Longbottom, the Harry Potter underdog who taught us that you don’t always need to be brave to be a hero. Matthew Lewis started playing the nerdy Gryffindor when he was just 11 years old. By movie No. 2, he was already fighting with puberty to keep his childish looks. It didn’t work, and thus, his intimate, years-long relationship with a fat suit began.

“I thought they might recast me after No. 2,” Lewis told AV Club. “I grew up, lost weight, got taller, which was by mistake. By accident. I didn’t plan that. I thought they might recast me. They didn’t. Then they had to stick the fat suit on, the false teeth, and the ears, and it was a chore.”

Lewis finally got to debut his slim figure after enduring six films in a fat suit and fake teeth. He looked almost nothing like his former self, but hey, everyone has to grow up and graduate from Hogwarts eventually. His transformation was so astounding that Buzzfeed coined the term “Neville Longbottoming” to describe when puberty gives someone a major glow-up.

As of this writing, the unlikely Harry Potter hero is enjoying life as a newlywed and strutting his stuff in shirtless magazine spreads that show off his six pack and rather noticeable bulge. We never thought we’d see Neville in his underpants, but here we are (and we don’t mind it).

Daveigh Chase

Most of us who saw 2002’s The Ring have the creepy, TV-static footage of the infamous VHS tape permanently burned into our brains. The image of Samara crawling out of the television to steal our souls is still absolutely terrifying more than a decade later, but as it turns out, Samara actually isn’t all that scary in real life. She’s all grown up and totally gorgeous.

Before her role in The Ring, actress Daveigh Chase had some minor TV parts, and starred as the voice of Lilo in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch (just about the polar opposite of a cursed kid that was pushed into a well). After playing the creepy, undead tween, Chase ditched the long, black locks and starred as Rhonda Volmer in HBO’s Big Love. As of this writing, Chase is nearing the end of her ’20s and has completely nailed the Instagram model shot. She’s still acting and even had a brush with the tabloids when she was arrested in 2017 after allegedly dumping a dying man outside of a hospital. According to TMZ, she wasn’t a suspect and was merely trying to help the man, who died of a possible overdose, but she did have an outstanding warrant at the time. According to The Blast, the actress was arrested again in 2018 for misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.

Abigail Breslin

Most of us first saw Abigail Breslin as the unlikely beauty queen in Little Miss Sunshine. Olive Hoover was an icon of self-love in oversized glasses and sweatbands. As it turns out, the star isn’t too far off from her character as an adult. She’s still smashing Hollywood’s beauty norms — despite her obvious good looks — and spoke out about the subject, specifically addressing some damaging comments on Selena Gomez’s bikini photos in 2015.

“How are young girls supposed to grow up normally and not feel bad about themselves and not develop eating disorders if it’s literally national headline news that a THIN girl may or may not have put on a few pounds, and YET still remains THIN?” Breslin wrote on Tumblr (via E! News). Amen, sister.

Breslin doesn’t just spend her days smashing the patriarchy and defying beauty norms. She’s still acting, and starred alongside Lea Michele and Emma Roberts as Chanel #5 in Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens. She also released a biting breakup song called “You Suck” in 2014 which sent 5 Seconds of Summer fans — the inspiration for the song was reportedly bandmate Michael Clifford — into a frenzy.

Daniel Curtis Lee

Daniel Curtis Lee started acting at the age of seven and landed his first major role in Friday After Next, but no one knew who he was. Despite the popularity of the 2002 Ice Cube flick, the star’s character wasn’t even given a name, just a number. Lee only became a household face to tweens across America when he nabbed a starring role in Nickelodeon’s Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide two years later. His character, Cookie, was your stereotypical middle school nerd — with the glasses, braces, and the unfortunate asthma, to boot. Fortunately, as an adult, Lee is anything but nerdy. Talk about a glow-up!

Lee has steadily acted since his debut with Nick. From 2009 to 2012, he played Kojo in Disney’s Zeke and Luther. At the end of his Disney run, he snagged a small recurring part in Glee, but has mostly focused his efforts on building a music career. According to a profile in Savvy Magazine, Lee “has built an even stronger following as a Hip-Hop emcee, performing under the moniker Saint Maurice. He showcases his “freestyles” and “new music from mixtapes and covers” on his YouTube channel, formerly called DanDontheFly. He’s also one smart Cookie, kind of like his Ned’s Declassified character. According to the star’s Instagram account, he graduated with Cum Laude honors with a degree in linguistics from California State University in 2019.

Alyson Stoner

Before Sia enlisted Maddie Ziegler to play a young, mini version of herself, Alyson Stoner was the original music video dancing tween. The actress is best known for starring in a number of Missy Elliot music videos including “Work It,” “Gossip Folks,” and “I’m Really Hot.” That success led to roles in flicks like Cheaper by the Dozen and Camp Rock, but growing up in the spotlight wasn’t easy for the star.

“The machine is not really designed for overall human health,” she told Romper. “It chews us up and spits out, and we stay because we hope to raise and inspire other people and create impactful material. But ultimately the chaos and the daily fear of being unemployed … the highs and lows, and the volatility of it all is not for the faint of heart.” Perhaps as a result of that experience, Stoner ended up firing her TV and film team to focus on her music career.

As an adult, Stoner looks almost nothing like the pig-tailed little girl above, and in 2018, she revealed another big transformation. “I, Alyson, am attracted to men, women, and people who identify in other ways,” she wrote in a Teen Vogue op-ed that detailed her difficulty with coming to terms with her own sexuality. “I can love people of every gender identity and expression,” she revealed, adding, “It is the love we can build and the goodness we can contribute to the world by supporting each other’s best journeys.”

Nicholas Hoult

Nicholas Hoult has come a long way since starring alongside Hugh Grant in 2002’s About A Boy. He’s not just a boy anymore, though his cobalt blue eyes are the one thing that’s never changed. The star looks almost nothing like his childhood self, and, as of this writing, is embarking on his most important role yet: fatherhood.

“Having a baby puts you in this place where you go, oh, okay, this human is going to change a lot,” he told the Evening Standard in January 2019. “It makes you value time differently, which is why I talk very quickly in interviews now, because I need to get home to them.”

Hoult’s priorities have obviously changed in adulthood. Beyond being a father, he’s also transformed into a full-fledged movie star. After a recurring role in the British teen drama Skins, Hoult was initiated into the Marvel universe. The star plays Beast in the X-Men films. On top of killing it at the box office, in 2018, his period drama The Favourite was nominated for ten Academy Awards.

Blake McIver Ewing

If you saw Blake McIver Ewing today, you’d think he was probably a male model. Little would most of us know that the actor once starred as a nerdy (but totally adorable) little rascal in the early ’90s. Ewing played Waldo, the bespectacled troublemaker, in 1994’s Little Rascals. During this time, he also played Michelle Tanner’s rival on Full House and made a name for himself as a childhood antagonist.

Though child stardom is notoriously difficult and many former kid actors burn out in a string of DUIs and drug arrests, Ewing doesn’t regret a single bit of his past life. “I was one of those lucky ones,” he told Lavender, adding, “I wanted to do it, I wasn’t pushed into it. I had parents in the industry who didn’t want me to do it, but I pushed and pushed. It afforded me a journey that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”

Ewing has since focused his efforts on music — but it took him years to release an album. According to Lavender, the star picked up go-go dancing to fund his career rather than crowdsourcing his music via Kickstarter, which he described as “empowering” because he realized he was “comfortable in his own body.” It sure doesn’t hurt when you’ve got a six pack.

Cole Sprouse

Cole Sprouse’s glow-up is a thing of infamy. It’s not very often a star goes from bowl cut to Met Gala in a few short years. Cole Sprouse and his twin brother Dylan were like the male version of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen of the early aughts. The twins rose to stardom in Disney’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, where they hit every awkward puberty mark — punctuated by their unforgivable bowl cuts and Disney wardrobe (though they were done a little less dirty than, say, some of the cast of Hannah Montana).

After their run with the Mouse ended, Cole and his brother went from The Suite Life to the dorm life. “The goal for me to go to college, and my brother as well, was to fade out,” Cole told Women’s Wear Daily. “It’s no new narrative to say that when people get out of child stardom, they often times rebel in very serious ways. I didn’t want to make that public spectacle. So part of the reason I went to college was that I wanted to fade out peacefully.”

Cole’s plan to avoid fame seems to have reversed, at least, as of this writing. He’s completely reinvented himself as a sex symbol on the CW’s gritty Riverdale. The series marked his first role in five years. And yes, he finally cut his hair.

​Isabelle Fuhrman

Isabelle Fuhrman pulled off a feat most child stars don’t ever accomplish. She jumped into the psyche of a 33-year-old adult who was posing as a child, when she was just a child herself. Discovering that Esther was a full-fledged adult in Orphan will forever go down as one of the most iconic horror movie moments of the early aughts, but it was challenging for the then 10-year-old star to understand some of the film’s adult themes.

“Everyone was conscious of the fact that I was a kid and didn’t want me to grow up too fast,” she told The 405. “But I had to understand what it was like to be sexually rejected; I had to understand what it was like to want love so badly that you would do something like that: 10 year-olds just don’t think about those sorts of things.”

In the ten years since that defining role, Fuhrman, of course, became an actual adult. The star has since landed very mature roles in shows like Masters of Sex and 2018’s Down a Dark Hall. She doesn’t look anything like the pig-tailed nightmare she played as young kid, but she’s every bit as fierce.