Hollywood has the power to corrupt even the most innocent actors if they step on the wrong path. Some stars appear in movies at a very early age, and all the fame and money that follow their success can sometimes be too much to handle.8 Child Actors Who Ruined Their Lives After Becoming Famous
Here are eight stories about young actors who ruined their lives after becoming famous.
1. Tatum O’Neal
In 1974, Tatum O’Neal became the youngest actress ever to win an Oscar. The success came after her debut role in the drama “Paper Moon,” where she played alongside her father. Shortly after becoming famous, her parents divorced, leaving Tatum with her junkie father. At 23, she married the famous tennis player John McEnroe, but it didn’t work out. The divorce that followed hit the actress’s psyche hard, leaving only one way out — drugs. In 2018, she made some sexual assault allegations without naming names, but if it’s all true, no wonder she’s turned out bad.
2. Drew Barrymore
Success came to Drew when she was only seven years old, thanks to the role of Gertie in Steven Spielberg’s “Alien.” Today we know her as the star of Charlie’s Angels, a slew of romantic comedies, and the severely underrated zombie-mom from “Santa Clarita Diet.” But due to early success, young Drew’s life started rolling downhill. When she was 9, Drew became addicted to smoking; at 11, she started drinking; at 12, she smoked her first joint, and by 13, Drew started using cocaine. All this mess lead to a suicide attempt, but rehab came in clutch. Fortunately, the actress was able to take her life back and even wrote a book called The Lost Little Girl.
3. Shia LaBeouf
Shia’s TV career began quite early, but it was never easy due to his father’s heavy drinking. At the age of 19, LeBeouf started butting heads with the law, doing drugs, and having anger issues. Despite all that, Shia managed to achieve financial success, starring in three parts of “Transformers” and other box-office blockbusters. Since 2013, the actor has been the focus of internet memes and even several scandals, almost as if he wanted to remind us that Shia is still alive and kicking.
4. Miley Cyrus
Miley became famous thanks to the TV series “Hannah Montana.” The popularity slammed her over the head and probably knocked a screw loose because she changed her image to look more mature and sexy when she was only 17 years old. Now she is 28, but she still loves to astound the audience with her antics. Miley may look like a grown woman, but her behavior suggests otherwise.
5. Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Culkin started climbing the Hollywood ladder way too quickly. Playing Kevin McCallister in Home Alone and getting a Golden Globe nomination was a terrific start. He could have built a brilliant career, but subsequent films did not have such wild success. Eventually, Culkin’s parents divorced, which wasn’t all that great for his mental health. In 2004 he was arrested for drug possession, and in 2012 attempted suicide. Today the former star is finally living a quiet life and even occasionally appears in some weird projects.
6. Lindsay Lohan
When she was 11, Lindsay starred in a remake of the classic comedy “The Parent Trap,” which has kickstarted her movie career and made the actress a fan-favorite. But after a few more roles, she got cocky and slipped. Alcohol, drugs, and crazy parties — all became staples of Lohan’s teenage years. Cue in the inevitable arrests and rehab visits, and you’ll see the big picture here. Today Lindsay’s more into her music career, which sounds like a much safer path for her.
7. Edward Furlong
After the enormous success of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” Edward Furlong was immediately showered with love, prestigious awards, and, most importantly — money. At the age of 15, he started dating 29-year-old Jackie Domek, who used to be his mentor. However, their relationship went downhill, probably due to Edward being a snot-nosed kid. But the split pushed him into alcohol and drugs. The last notable movie in Furlong’s career was “American History X” with Edward Norton, after which everything went to hell for our John Connor.
8. Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes used to have a successful career after starring in several teen comedies. But her early fame also brought along alcohol and drugs, putting Amanda’s career on hold. Her last semi-good movie was “Easy A,” and after that, she went crazy. She caused several road accidents, was accused of drug possession, and even tried to set her dog on fire. In 2014, she was sent to a psychiatric clinic, and in 2017 gave her first interview, where she stated that one day Amanda Bynes would return.
