10 former male child stars i love to see make a comeback for the big screen

Macaulay Culkin, one of the most famous American child stars, was born on August 26, 1980 in New York City, New York, USA, as the third of seven children of his father Kit Culkin (a former stage and child actor and also Macaulay's former manager) and mother Patricia Brentrup. He is the brother of Shane Culkin, Dakota Culkin, Kieran Culkin, Quinn Culkin, Christian Culkin, and Rory Culkin, most of whom have also acted. Macaulay's mother, who is from North Dakota, is of German and Norwegian descent. Macaulay's father, from Manhattan, has Irish, German, English, Swiss-German, and French ancestry.

"Mack", as he's known to his close friends and family, first came into showbiz at the age of 4, appearing in a string of Off-Broadway shows such as the New York City Ballet's The Nutcracker and, by 8 years-old, the films Rocket Gibraltar (1988) and See You in the Morning (1989), which included him in the rare company of kids who have received rave reviews from The New Yorker and The New York Times.

By the age of 9, the young actor had nearly upstaged star John Candy in Uncle Buck (1989) (his deadpan interrogation of Candy was Buck's funniest scene). Then, in 1990, writer John Hughes turned his finished Home Alone (1990) script over to director Chris Columbus with a suggestion to consider Culkin for the lead. Though Macaulay was the first kid Columbus saw, he was skeptical about having him in the lead and saw over 200 other possible actors and he admitted that no one came as close to being as good as Culkin. By the callback interview, Mack had memorized two scenes, and Columbus was sure he found his "Kevin McCallister". The movie grossed more than $285 million in the US alone, becoming one of the highest grossing movies of all time and making Macaulay Culkin one of the biggest movie stars of the time.

His next big project was My Girl (1991) in which he played "Thomas J. Sennett", a boy who seems to be allergic to everything. Despite some controversy over the ending, the film was released anyway and proved to be another hit film for Mack (and featured his very first kiss). In 1992 came Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), which grossed more than $172 million in the US alone. In 1993 came The Good Son (1993), which was the first role to depart from his cute kid comedies. He played a murderous little demon named Henry. He got the role when his powerhouse negotiator/manager/father Kit Culkin said that he would pull Mack out of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) unless he was given the psychotic boy lead in The Good Son (1993). He was also given a salary of $5 million for the film.

In 1994, at the age of 14, came a string of duds, The Pagemaster (1994), Getting Even with Dad (1994) and Richie Rich (1994). He was paid $8 million for the last two, the highest salary ever paid for a child star. Many people believed Mack had lost his touch, though, because he was no longer that cute tiny kid they saw in Home Alone (1990). In 1995 his parents, who were never married, separated and started a greedy legal battle over the custody of their kids and Mack's fortune. In 1996, the young actor had reportedly said he wouldn't accept any roles until his parents settled their custody dispute. That case would not be resolved until April 1997 when Kit Culkin relinquished control to Brentrup.

In 1998, Macaulay married actress Rachel Miner, but separated in 2000 because Rachel wanted to start a family and Mack wanted to get back into acting. There has been a gap of eight years since 1994's Richie Rich (1994), and although he made a 'comeback' on stage in 2001, appearing in a London production of "Madame Melville", and also portrayed Michael Alig in Party Monster (2003); with an estimated fortune of $17 million he clearly never has to work again - if the roles don't appeal to him.

Michael Oliver was born on 10 October 1981 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Problem Child (1990), Problem Child 2 (1991) and Platypus Man (1995). He has been married to Magnolia Ponce since 4 June 2016.

Jake Matthew Lloyd Broadbent is an American former actor. He is most famous for playing Anakin Skywalker in "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)." Directed by George Lucas, the movie became the second-highest-grossing film worldwide at the box office, behind only "Titanic (1997)."

Lloyd appeared in commercials at a young age and appeared in four episodes of "ER (TV Series)." He made his film debut in "Unhook the Stars (1996)," starring Gena Rowlands and Marisa Tomei. After Lloyd achieved his dream of working with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Christmas film "Jingle All the Way (1996)," director George Lucas picked him out of roughly 3,000 child actors to star as nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker in the highly anticipated prequel, "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace."

Despite massive box office success, "The Phantom Menace" met with extreme negative backlash from both critics and audiences, particularly with actor Ahmed Best's portrayal of Jar Jar Binks and with Lloyd's performance as Anakin Skywalker. After overwhelming response from both the media and the public, Lloyd retired from acting following "Episode I." He did, however, reprise his role as Anakin in five Star Wars video games for LucasArts. Although his last role was filmed in 2000, Lloyd's final film was "Madison (2005)," starring Jim Caviezel.

After Hollywood, Lloyd moved with his family to Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana and graduated with the Class of 2007. He enrolled at Columbia College Chicago to study film and psychology but dropped out in 2008. Later, Lloyd attended comic conventions as a media guest, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans. He also started his own production company called Pumpkin Pact Productions [us]. Before long, Lloyd's mother, Lisa Flowers Broadbent, revealed to TMZ he suffers from schizophrenia and he was diagnosed back in 2008. In April 2016, Lloyd was transferred to a psychiatric facility.

After serving 11 months behind bars at Colleton County Detention Center in Walterboro, South Carolina, Lloyd was released from jail. Since his 2015 arrest, he has not done any interviews, made any public appearances nor been present on social media.

Oliver began his career in the film industry at the age of ten, starring in "Poltergeist", executive-produced by Steven Spielberg. After acting in various film and television roles, he moved behind the camera. At the age of fifteen, he wrote, directed and produced The Crystal, which won first prize at the French "Les Mesnil-le-Roi" Film Festival. Upon graduating from the University of Southern California Film School's Production Program, he wrote, directed and produced close to fifty industrial, short and feature films. His feature teen comedies, "Dumped" and "Wild Roomies," both were released to DVD internationally in all world markets. Additionally, the Hallmark Channel recently produced Oliver's screenplay "You've Got A Friend," which aired to the best ratings ever for a June original movie premiere in the history of the network. Oliver will also direct Treasure Entertainment's "Prom Date," another teen comedy scheduled to go into production in mid 2010.

Henry Jackson Thomas Jr. is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor and had a lead role in the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), for which he won a Young Artist Award and received Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Award, and Saturn Award nominations. Thomas also had roles in films like Cloak & Dagger (1984), Fire in the Sky (1993), Legends of the Fall (1994), Suicide Kings (1997), All the Pretty Horses (2000), Gangs of New York (2002), 11:14 (2003), and Dear John (2010). Thomas was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film for his role in the television film Indictment: The McMartin Trial (1997).

Frankie was born in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, to Denise, a nurse, and Francisco Muniz III, a restaurateur. His father is of Puerto Rican heritage and his mother is of Irish and Italian descent. Frankie was home-schooled since Grade Six. He started his acting career performing the role of Tiny Tim in "A Christmas Carol" for three years. Nominations for his performances include "The Hollywood Reporter Young Star Award", as well as "The Young Artist of Hollywood Award". Frankie is quite a good golfer and has been playing since his grandfather taught him at the age of five. Frankie was raised in Knightdale, North Carolina. He resides in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Jason James Richter is a versatile American actor, producer, and director with over three decades of experience in the entertainment industry. Originally from Medford, Oregon, Richter rose to fame as a child actor, starring in the iconic "Free Willy" franchise. His career has evolved to include a wide range of roles in film and television, as well as work behind the camera. Richter's acting portfolio spans various genres, from family-friendly films to thrillers. He has appeared in notable productions such as "The Little Things" (2021), "Last Call" (2021), and "The NeverEnding Story III" (1994). His television credits include guest roles on popular series like "Bones," "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," and "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior". In recent years, Richter has expanded his career into producing and directing. He has produced several films, including "Natty Knocks" (2023) and "The Last Rampage" (2017). His directorial debut came with the short film "The Quiet Loud" in 2013, which he also wrote and produced. Throughout his career, Richter has received recognition for his performances, including a Young Artist Award for his role in "Free Willy" and nominations for MTV Movie Awards. As of 2025, Richter continues to be active in the industry, with his most recent acting credit in "Final Heist" (2024).

Alex Vincent was born in New Jersey. He first appeared as Andy Barclay in Child's Play (1988) when he was a six-year-old. Two years, later during the filming of Child's Play 2 (1990), the young actor endured long days and demanding action that would have tried the patience of many an older person. But Vincent persevered, winning the respect and affection of both cast and crew. In addition to his role of Andy, Vincent has appeared on television in commercials, daytime dramas, and in the feature film, Wait Until Spring, Bandini (1989). In high school, he tried to live down the image of a child star but two years later decided to give acting another try.

Alex D. Linz was born on 3 January 1989 in Santa Barbara, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Home Alone 3 (1997), One Fine Day (1996) and Tarzan (1999).

Bug Hall was born on 4 February 1985 in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Little Rascals (1994), Skipped Parts (2000) and The Stupids (1996). He has been married to Jill DeGroff since 11 February 2017. They have five children.