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10 Child Actors To Keep An Eye On

The most interesting thing about child stars is their potential. If they've already made it in the entertainment industry as minors, what are they going to be capable of when they’re grown up? Because of how little acting experience they've had, these kid stars can be very hit or miss. Some are cute but forgettable set decoration, some are precocious but ultimately playing themselves, and some seem great at memorizing lines but can’t seem to bring any emotion to the roles they’re playing. Then you've got a tiny, tiny percentage of child actors who really seem to get it – they don’t need to be told how to emote, or how to interact with the camera, or anything like that. With that in mind, these are the ten child stars of today that I think should weather the storm of puberty and make it through to the other side as legitimate adult actors.

5. Elle Fanning

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I chose Elle over her older sister Dakota for two simple reasons. One, Dakota is eighteen now, so I don’t think she technically qualifies for this list anymore. But more importantly, I genuinely feel that Elle has picked more interesting and challenging projects in her short career.

The first time I noticed her as anything other than Dakota’s little sis was when she guest starred on Criminal Minds, and for a pretty standard role in a procedural drama, she was really good. Since then, I’ve been nothing but impressed by the choices she’s made.  She shined in a small but critical role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and was equally impressive in her more recent leading role in Super 8. I wish her and big sis all the best in their adult careers.

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