29 Child Actors Who Were So Perfectly Cast, They Outshone The Adults In The Film Or TV Show

The talent!!

A while back, we asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us their favorite child actor performances. We compiled a list and got so many more suggestions — so here are 29 more amazingly cast child actors!

1. Abigail Breslin as Anna in My Sister's Keeper and Olive in Little Miss Sunshine

Sidney Baldwin/New Line Cinema / courtesy Everett Collection

"I always like Abigail Breslin in everything she did as a child actor."

—jessiemeg

2. Noah Schnapp as Will in Stranger Things

Netflix

"I'm gonna go ahead and say that Noah Schnapp is the best child actor in Stranger Things."

—kirstenj47e75a7c9

"NOAH SCNAPP OUTSHONE EVERYONE, FOR GOD'S SAKE! The scene where the thing goes out of his body...the way he screamed, oh damn."

—dojaturtle

3. Jaden Smith as Christopher Jr. in The Pursuit of Happyness

Columbia Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

"Say what you will about Jaden Smith, but his performance in The Pursuit of Happyness was so moving. He made that movie what it was."

—girlglasses

"He's a talented actor. I don't think the kid gets enough credit."

—kat1945

4. Lindsay Lohan as Hallie and Annie in The Parent Trap (1998)

Buena Vista Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

"She nailed two different characters!!!"

—jadekoalas

5. Natalie Portman as Mathilda in Leon: The Professional

Gaumont Buena Vista International

"Portman gave an epic performance...100,000 hearts from me."

—wickedwindz1

"I could see an argument of her matching with Oldman, but she surpasses Reno."

—aniaginejt

6. Mykal-Michelle Harris as Santamonica in Mixed-ish

ABC

"She is hilarious!!!!"

—jenniferdgrier

7. Sunny Pawar as Young Saroo in Lion

Transmission Films

"He was absolutely incredible. I cried for the entire first half of the movie. I don’t know if he’s done anything else, but that was a masterpiece of child acting."

—jp45132

8. Elle Fanning as Alice in Super 8 and Cleo in Somewhere

Francois Duhamel/Paramount Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection, Franco Biciocchi / Focus Films / Courtesy Everett Collection

"Can we talk about Elle Fanning in Super 8? She was amazing!!"

—lizf452652635

"I know it was a really subdued, simple performance, but Elle was so good in Sofia Coppola’s movie Somewhere."

—faceghostta

9. Tom Holland as Lucas in The Impossible

Summit Entertainment

"You forgot Tom Holland in The Impossible."

—halabassioni2

"I was so amazed when I saw it! I was wondering if he needed counseling afterwards because he was so emotive!"

—nikkijamaica

10. Marsai Martin as Diane in Black-ish

ABC

"She plays a great Diane in Black-ish."

—lyndsyjoseph123

11. Mae Whitman as Bernice in Hope Floats

20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection.

"I still can barely think about *that scene* from Hope Floats without crying. IDK how Sandra Bullock got through it. She was incredible."

—ntmydtryoubtch

12. Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie in True Grit

Lorey Sebastian/Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

"She was absolutely amazing and 100% deserves to be on this list."

—adelaideau

13. Emma Watson as Hermione in Harry Potter

Warner Bros. Pictures

—emmswi1921

14. Amandla Stenberg in The Hunger Games

Lionsgate Films

—n4521e9971

15. Freddie Highmore as Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Peter in Finding Neverland, and Jared and Simon in The Spiderwick Chronicles

Warner Brothers / Courtesy Everett Collection, Miramax / courtesy Everett Collection, Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

"Freddie Highmore was a great child actor. He was great in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Finding Neverland."

—ashleem498308f1a

"He also starred in The Spiderwick Chronicles and was phenomenal!!!"

—cdowenlol54

16. Sophia Lillis as Beverly in It, Teenage Camille in Sharp Objects, and Sydney in I Am Not Okay with This

Warner Bros. Pictures

—donnavanleusdenr

17. Jack Grazer as Eddie in It

Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection

"Finn and Jaeden were incredible, but how are we not talking about Jack Grazer as Eddie Kaspbrak? He was PERFECT!!!!!"

—dommeman

"Basically every kid in It was incredible. Jack Dylan Grazer is definitely one of my favorite actors. I can't wait to see him in We Are Who We Are."

—nonexistant_knight

18. Asante Blackk as Kevin in When They See Us — but really every kid on the show

Atsushi Nishijima / Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

"Every single child in When They See Us should be on this list."

—ntmydtryoubtch

"Every kid on When They See Us. All of these child actors deserve accolades."

—lolocarcar

19. Amybeth McNulty as Anne in Anne with an E

Ken Woroner / Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

"Although I’m pretty sure she’s technically an adult now, when she started filming the show she was still a teen and she was/still is outstanding! She is THE PERFECT Anne and plays her so so well. She is so incredibly talented portraying Anne in such a complex way, and I have so much respect for her."

—sincerelytwig

20. Iain Armitage as Sheldon in Young Sheldon

CBS

"Iain Armitage as Sheldon in Young Sheldon. He does an amazing job of conveying the younger version of Sheldon without overdoing it."

—hplover264

21. Dafne Keen as Laura in Logan

20th Century Fox

"She held her own against Patrick fucking Stewart. She was amazing as Laura in that film."

—bigskinny

22. Ja'Siah Young as Dion in Raising Dion — but really all the kids from the show

Steve Dietl / Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

"They do a really fantastic job."

—discosoup

23. Owen Vaccaro as Lewis in The House with a Clock in Its Walls

Quantrell D. Colbert / Universal / courtesy Everett Collection

"Anyone who saw The House with a Clock in Its Walls will agree."

—loveislove97

24. Sennia Nanua as Melanie in The Girl with All the Gifts

Aimee Spinks/Saban Films / courtesy Everett Collection

—lalaorange

25. Carlotta von Falkenhayn as Elisabeth Doppler in Dark

Netflix

"Carlotta von Falkenhayn as Elisabeth Doppler in Dark is amazing. Not to mention that she learned DGS (German Sign Language) with what appears to be impressive fluency."

—maysmordred

26. Jena Malone as Bone in Bastard Out of Carolina

Showtime Networks / Courtesy Everett Collection

"OMG, I still can't watch it straight through without closing my eyes and tearing up. So powerful and realistic. Almost makes you wonder how the heck her parents let her do something that graphic and intense."

—kbabygirl218

27. Jordan Rivera as Hope in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The CW

"She was in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for a short time as Hope, Mack's daughter, and her performance, especially her last scene when she dies, is heart-wrenching. It's one of the saddest scenes in the whole show."

—angry-kirishima

28. Thora Birch as Dani in Hocus Pocus

Buena Vista / courtesy Everett Collection

"I was absolutely enchanted by her acting in that movie; she was so good.

And she went on to have a pretty solid career after that, so just goes to show that she had talent."

—irinacster

29. And finally, Noah Jupe as Young Otis in Honey Boy, Peter in Ford v Ferrari, and Marcus in A Quiet Place

Amazon Studios / courtesy Everett Collection, Merrick Morton / Twentieth Century Fox / courtesy Everett Collection, Jonny Cournoyer / Paramount Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

"He's the son in A Quiet Place, Ford V Ferrari, and Honey Boy. This kid is going places."

—hearts4kevinj

Note: Submissions have been edited for length/clarity.