Entertainment
30 Awkward Child Stars Turned Insanely Hot
Natalie Portman (Mathilda from Leon: The Professional)
Natalie Portman stepped onto the acting scene at the age of 12 and rose to stardom in the critically-panned Star Wars prequel trilogy as Padme, Luke and Leia’s mother.
Now she is very selective on the roles she takes, with her film resume continuing to grow with the critical hit ‘Black Swan’ which won her an Oscar as well as playing Thor’s love interest, Jane for Marvel. She is now married and focused on raising her child.
Neil Patrick Harris
As Doogie Howser M.D., child star Neil Patrick Harris was a gawky teenage physician known for his brain and not his brawn.
But as a good-looking adult, the How I Met Your Mother actor pulls off the role of a serial womanizer! Neil definitely went from nerdy to dapper.Josh Peck
The Drake & Josh star was once an ugly duckling, but after shedding a little baby weight, he’s hardly recognizable!
Josh Peck made a healthy choice in his teens, transforming his body and the future of his career at the same time. We love his motivation!Jennifer Love Hewitt
Back in the days of Kids Incorporated, Jennifer Love Hewitt hit the scene with her youthful exuberance and cheesy 90s flair.
By the time she hit the big time on Party of Five, Jen began her transformation from average to extraordinary! The voluptuous actress is now considered a sex symbol, and audiences never saw it coming.Emma Watson
Hermione Granger was known for her brainy, know-it-all attitude, and not for her extraordinary appearance.
As actress Emma Watson grew up with the Harry Potter series, it became more and more difficult to mask her ridiculously distracting good looks! Today, the actress is a goddess to men of all ages.
Bonnie Wright
We loved her as Harry Potter’s love interest in the wildly popular films, but it would be a disservice to actress Bonnie Wright not to mention her incredible metamorphosis!
In a couple of short years, the cute teen went from plain and simple to absolutely breathtaking. Tell the wizarding world to watch out!
Taylor Lautner
The Twilight hottie got his start playing a kid turned fish in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, which didn’t say much for his interesting look. But after a few years, Taylor Lautner really came into his own.
As Jacob Black, the tween heartthrob was voted among the sexiest men alive.Alyssa Milano
On Who’s the Boss?, Alyssa Milano played lovable tomboy Samantha alongside Tony Danza.
The character ditched her baseball caps for more girly looks in later seasons, and Alyssa transformed right along with her! Today, the Charmed star is an absolute bombshell.Alexa Vega
After seeing her as Carmen on the Spy Kids series, audiences never thought twice about the cute little actress.
But look out world, she’s turned into one hot chick! Sporting bondage-inspired outfits in the Machete movies, Alexa Vega is getting tons of attention for her provocative look.Justin Timberlake
The NSYNC front man was never really “awkward,” but when you see the before and after, there’s no denying Justin’s incredible transformation.
Mr. Timberlake was a teen idol before, but his sexy, sophisticated look puts him in another galaxy of cool.Kirsten Dunst (Judy from Jumanji)
Kirsten Dunst has worked nonstop since she was a child, starring in films such as ‘Interview with a Vampire’ and ‘Jumanji’ to more recently ‘Melancholia’ and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy.
A versatile beauty who proves she can play innocent to seductive, we expect Kirsten Dunst will have a long career as she refuses to run out of steam. You can next see her grace the screen in the science fiction drama, ‘Midnight Special.’
Christina Ricci (Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family)
Ricci was creepy and kooky in the ‘The Addams Family’ which launched her career, making her the “it” girl in the ’90s.
While her career stalled for awhile, she did return to the scene in Wes Craven’s troubled production of ‘Cursed. Lately, she can be seen swinging her axe on Lifetime in ‘Lizzie Borden Took an Axe.’
Hilary Duff (Lizzie McGuire)
Hilary Duff rose to stardom with her hit show ‘Lizzie Maguire’ which ran from 2001-2004. She continued to have success through multiple Disney films before taking a break from the film industry to focus on her music.
However, she decided to disappear from the limelight completely to get married and have her first child in 2010. Recently, she has returned to music with her first single dropping in 2014 ahead of her fifth studio album.
Taylor Swift
The pop sensation was always good-looking, but even Taylor went through a rough patch as a prepubescent teen.
Back on picture day some time in the early 2000s, Ms. Swift rocked an awkward braided hairdo unbefitting her squeaky clean image. She’s surely come a long way!Nicholas Hoult
Little Nicholas Hoult impressed fans with his poignant portrayal of Marcus in the 2002 film About a Boy. The British pipsqueak was taunted by his peers in the film, and in real life, Nick wasn’t turning any heads.
That is, until time’s natural progression took hold! Hoult is now a hot face in the X-Men film series, and he’s famously dated Jennifer Lawrence.Michelle Trachtenberg
With appearances on Nickelodeon and in Harriet the Spy, audiences knew Michelle Trachtenberg as the well-spoken, brainy kid with the squeaky clean reputation.
But now in her late twenties, Michelle’s killer good looks and slamming body had us all talking after seeing her on Gossip Girl. She’s a certified vixen!Kristen Stewart
When she nabbed the role of Bella in the Twilight series, tweens made Kristen Stewart their instant idol, admiring her beautiful girl-next-door look.
But things weren’t always this way! Stewart has been working in the industry for awhile, and she definitely endured an awkward phase. What a turnaround!Freddie Highmore
We loved him as the adorable but gawky Charlie Bucket alongside Johnny Depp, even if he still had some growing up to do.
Freddie Highmore has since went from cute to completely sexy as the brooding Norman on Bates Motel. Who would have saw this coming?Dakota Fanning
Dakota’s incredible talent and charisma are undeniable. But as a budding young actress, the world got to see all of her awkward phases!
Despite sporting stringy hair, braces, and even headgear at one point in her career, little Dakota came out hotter than most could ever hope for!Joseph Gordon Levitt
As Tommy Solomon on 3rd Rock From the Sun, little Joseph Gordon Levitt stole viewers’ hearts.
But in real life, girls weren’t necessarily swooning over the mousy-haired teen! A decade later, the talented actor has transformed into one of Hollywood’s sexiest leading men.Shia LaBeouf
On Disney channel’s Even Stevens, Shia’s acting talent made us forget about his gawky appearance. But now, these details hardly matter.
The eccentric actor worked out, grew a beard, and is now breaking hearts as one of the sexiest guys in Hollywood. What an amazing journey!Lee Norris
With his appearance on Boy Meets World as brainiac Stuart Minkus, Lee Norris has been typecast as the nerdy sidekick in most of his Hollywood roles.
Although his character was often friendzoned on One Tree Hill, fans couldn’t help but notice his evolving good looks. Without the glasses, Lee is pretty hot!Nicole Richie
The reality star was typically described as “average” or “cute” as the sidekick of Paris Hilton, but years later, Nicole Richie has overcome her awkward phase.
She’s nothing short of stunning! Despite some trouble with an eating disorder and substance abuse, Nicole is as healthy and beautiful as ever.Anna Chlumsky
As the lovable Vada in My Girl, child star Anna Chlumsky stole our hearts before disappearing from the spotlight for over fifteen years.
When she resurfaced, audiences were stunned. The Veep star is drop dead gorgeous, and her awkward tomboy features are now absolutely stunning!Candace Cameron Bure
On the beloved sitcom Full House, Candace played eldest daughter D.J. Tanner, the spunky kid who went toe to toe with her TV dad and uncles. But Cameron also went through a mighty rough patch during her younger years.
She’s shed some considerable baby weight, tamed her wild tresses, and is now one hot mama! Candace gained so much attention, she’s even working on a Full House revival.Jerry O’Connell
The actor’s endearing performance in Stand By Me was incredibly memorable, but Jerry O’Connell gained little attention for his physique.
He overcame his awkward phase, dropped some pounds, and returned to Hollywood as a total hunk! He’s even married to supermodel Rebecca Romijn.Abigail Breslin
As the lead character in Little Miss Sunshine, Abigail won our hearts as the offbeat, goofy girl with a heart of gold. Her “cute” status has since been eradicated.
As she nears her twenties, Abigail’s beauty and wit have evolved beyond measure. Consider her a late bloomer!Jaleel White
Steve Urkel’s ridiculously nerdy persona was fictional thanks to Hollywood costuming and child star Jaleel White’s hilarious acting.
But it’s impossible to ignore the child star’s shockingly hot look these days! As the sexy host of Total Blackout, Jaleel surprised us all.Kelly Osbourne
As a loud-mouthed, back-talking teen on her rock family’s hit reality show, Kelly Osbourne was known for her terrible fashion and over-the-top punk attitude.
But time has been kind to the Fashion Police cohost. Kelly still has her unique style, but she’s definitely gone from gawky to gorgeous.Matthew Lewis
As the hopelessly awkward Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter series, Matthew Lewis had us laughing at his pudgy physique, crooked teeth, and goofy demeanor.
But flash forward a few years, and the hot wizard has the last laugh! Matthew’s incredible transformation spawned a new term for the gawky to good looking phenomenon: “Neville Longbottoming.”Lindsay Lohan
We all remember her from The Parent Trap and a bunch of other Disney movies… at least in the past… more recent memories of Lindsay Lohan are somewhat on the negative side.
Those childhood memories we have are of Lindsay as a cute but slightly awkward girl. She definitely USED to be wholesome, but like we said, back in the day.Nicola Peltz
Nicola Peltz, daughter of Wendy’s billionaire chairman, Nelson Peltz, has been in a few movies since she started acting at the age of 11.
As a child, she never looked really awkward, she basically just looked like a young kid. Fast forward about a decade, and Nicola has really grown into herself and looks fabulous.Lindsay Lohan
And while nowadays Lindsay is on everyone’s “bad radar,” you have to admit she’s become really hot (which she’s not slurring all her words and can stand straight). The girl is a bit of a bombshell.
Just look at the two before and after comparisons above… what a difference a few years make!Nicola Peltz
We know that Photoshop can do wonders, especially when your father is as rich as he is, but we don’t think the Adobe program had to do much for Nicola… her picture was imported looking great!
Nicola’s breakthrough role was in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender where she was still a little girl. We can’t wait to see her in a serious movie now that she’s all grown up.Adrian Grenier
Vince seriously MADE Entourage… well, Ari was right there with him! As a young man, Adrian looked a little awkward but still had appeal.
But once he reached the age of maturity, Adrian surprised everyone with his suave look and piercing eyes.Keke Palmer
When the world was introduced to Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee, they were stunned by her incredible acting chops.
The singer-performer has since undergone her own modern day Cinderella story, growing from an awkward teen into an attractive young twenty-something.Adrian Grenier
We haven’t seen the Entourage movie yet (even though it came out in 2014), but now that this article has reminded us, we’re gonna watch it as soon as possible.
Adrian keeps looking good as he gets older and we think his good genetics will keep him in Hollywood for a long time to come… whether in front or behind the camera (he’s done both!)Kylie Jenner
This cutie was often upstaged by her older half-sisters on their hit reality show Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
But my, how the tides have turned! Kylie is now an icon of her generation, and with a few tweaks to her appearance, she’s as confident and beautiful as ever.Zac Efron
The High School Musical star was cute as a teen, but flash forward a few years, and behold his unbelievably handsome physique!
Zac Efron’s sexy features make him one of Hollywood’s most promising leading men.Jonathan Lipnicki
Jonathan Lipnicki became a household name as the big-brained child star in Jerry McGuire. With his spiky hair, thick glasses, and goofy voice, Jonathan’s future with the ladies seemed a little shaky.
Boy, was the world wrong! Lipnicki reemerged in his twenties looking hot and chiseled.
