It seems that some of the films and TV series we loved as children are now decades old. Think of The NeverEnding Story, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, or even Baywatch. And of course, the young actors that played child roles in these have grown up significantly. For example, Jonathan Lipnicki, the child star of Jerry Maguire, is already 30 years old, and Noah Hathaway, who is remembered for his performance as Atreyu in The NeverEnding Story, will turn 50 in November 2021. Even Georgie Henley, aka Lucy in The Chronicles of Narnia is now 25!
Bright Side did some research to find out what 18 child actors from the ’90s and the beginning of the ’00s look like today, and here’s what we found.
1. Jeremy Dunn Jackson (Hobie Buchannon), Baywatch (1991-1999)

2. Jonathan Lipnicki (Ray Boyd), Jerry Maguire (1996)

3. Daryl Sabara (Juni Cortez), Spy Kids (2001)

4. Taylor Lautner (Sharkboy), The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005)

5. Georgie Henley (Lucy Pevensie), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

6. Matthew Lawrence (Chris Hillard), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

7. Lisa Jakub (Lydia Hillard), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

8. Noah Hathaway (Atreyu), The NeverEnding Story (1984)

9. Nicholle Tom (Ryce), Beethoven (1992)

10. Giorgio Cantarini (Giosué), Life Is Beautiful (1997)

11. Anna Chlumsky (Vada Sultenfuss), My Girl (1991)

12. Patrick Renna (Hamilton “Ham” Porter), The Sandlot (1993)

13. Ivyann Schwan (Trixie Young), Problem Child 2 (1991)

14. Madison Lintz (Sophia Peletier), The Walking Dead (2010-2012)

15. Mackenzie Foy (Renesmee), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1 and Part 2 (2011-2012)

16. Alexa PenaVega (Carmen Cortez), Spy Kids (2001)

17. Edward Furlong (John Connor), Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

18. Raven-Symoné (Olivia Kendall), The Cosby Show (1989-1992)

Which of the series or movies listed above is your favorite? Which of the actors do you think has changed the most? Is there anybody else you think we should add to this list?
Preview photo credit The NeverEnding Story / Warner Bros. and co-producers, noahhathaway*** / Instagram
“Batman” Actor Christian Bale Reveals Plan to Build 12 New Homes for Foster Children
“I was stunned and mad to learn that we have more foster kids in Los Angeles than anywhere else in the country,” Christian Bale, the beloved Batman actor, shared. This drove him to want to keep brothers and sisters in foster care together, and he plans to build a ’village’ to make it happen. He also talked about what made him decide to take on such a big project.
Bale recently showed off plans for a new ’village’ in California.

Christian Bale, known for his roles in movies like American Psycho and the Batmanseries, has been working on an idea since his daughter was born in 2005. Now, he’s taking action.
His vision includes building 12 foster homes, two studio flats for kids transitioning to independent living, and a 7,000 square foot community center. Bale wants to keep siblings in foster care together, ideally living under the same roof. So, he’s leading the charge to create a special complex that will make this possible.
It’s set to be the first of its kind in the state.
Construction is currently ongoing on the project, which is estimated to cost $22 million and is expected to be completed by 2025. The village will be located next to a park in Palmdale, a city situated 60 miles north of Los Angeles.
Christian Bale, aged 50, who co-founded Together California, the organization driving the development, described the village as “something absolutely new, totally transformative, and something completely needed.”
He expressed a deep desire to change the sad reality by launching the village project.

Christian Bale spoke passionately about the heartbreaking experience of children losing their families and being separated from their siblings. He hoped this initiative would raise awareness in the community about the challenges these children face and encouraged people in California and Los Angeles to come together to support them.
“Imagine the absolute pain and the trauma of losing your parents or being torn from your parents, and then losing your brothers and sisters on top of that,” he explains.
Bale added that growing up their home was always open to those in need, “We were always having other people coming and living in our house who didn’t have homes, etc. That’s just the guy that he was.”
The actor revealed that his drive to help children in need was ignited after the birth of his daughter, Emmeline, in 2005. Bale admitted that he found himself deeply pondering what life would be like for his daughter if he wasn’t around.
Bale shared that he was “mad” to find out that Los Angeles has the highest number of foster children in the country. He admitted feeling frustrated with himself for not knowing about this earlier, prompting him to decide to focus on addressing the issue. He and his wife resolved to do everything they could to make a difference.
Christian Bale’s kindness towards those who need help is really amazing. Whether he’s standing up for foster children in Los Angeles or doing other good deeds, Bale’s commitment to making the world better shows us the power of caring. Before you go, why not read another touching story? It’s about a woman who adopted her husband’s ex-wife’s baby so he wouldn’t have to grow up in foster care like she did.
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