The term child actor is generally applied to a child acting in film or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion the latter is also called a former child actor.

Examples (movies in which they played are mentioned only if they were still a child):

For estimating the age at the time of shooting, note that above the years of release are given.

The term "child actor" carries some stigma as child actors sometimes have troubled adult lives, due in part to their unusual upbringings. A well-known example of this is the child cast of the 1980s sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes." Child members of that cast grew into adults who had several run-ins with the law.

See also child singer.