Lindsay Lohan

Sadly, Lindsay Lohan’s career trajectory is every child star’s worst nightmare. Her first movie saw her playing twins in Disney comedy The Parent Trap; a respectable, even wholesome, start. A short-lived music career, rehab and a couple of DUI arrests later, though, and Lohan’s star now seems to be fading. Still, there’s no denying how insanely hot she turned out.

Dakota Fanning

Talented Dakota Fanning lived through every child’s worst nightmare: braces. At one point she even wore corrective headgear straight out of an old horror movie. And of course, the world was watching. Thankfully, Fanning apparently emerged unscathed from the ordeal, and today she’s a stunning young actress with the world at her feet.

Alyson Stoner

Alyson Stoner first introduced herself to the world in Disney’s Mike’s Super Short Show, which was soon followed by her first big-screen role – as one of the 12 Baker kids in Cheaper by the Dozen. Nowadays, though, she cuts a sexy figure on the red carpet.

Jonathan Lipnicki

Jonathan Lipnicki is a special case. In ’90s hits Jerry Maguire and Stuart Little he was the cute, nerdy kid with glasses. Then he went through a chubby, awkward phase, as parodied on Family Guy. Cut to the present day, however, and he’s a ripped MMA fighter with a six-pack. Quite the transformation.

Abigail Breslin

In 2006 Abigail Breslin wowed audiences as adorably awkward Olive Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine. But it was only a matter of years before Breslin would swap the librarian glasses for cleavage-flaunting dresses and a smoldering stare.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt first made a name for himself by playing long-haired dork from another planet Tommy Solomon in 3rd Rock from the Sun. Yet unlike a lot of TV stars, Gordon-Levitt successfully swapped the small screen for the silver one, starring in blockbusters such as Inception and Looper as a strikingly handsome lead.

Danica McKellar

Danica McKellar makes a strong case for the notion that, sometimes, life is worth waiting for. After all, the actress’ transformation from dorky yet cute Winnie Cooper in The Wonder Years to uber-hot Stuff andMaxim lingerie model has been quite striking.

Nicholas Hoult

British actor Nicholas Hoult is another celebrity who successfully transitioned from unassuming child star to hunky leading man. And it’s almost difficult to believe that the nerdy kid from About a Boy would turn into a strangely attractive zombie, as Hoult did in spooky 2013 rom-com Warm Bodies.

Lacey Chabert

Lacey Chabert practically grew up in the public eye when playing Claudia Salinger in small-screen dramaParty of Five. In 2001, though, she strutted her way through comedy spoof Not Another Teen Movie in slow motion, and suddenly her transition from awkward child star to hot adult was complete.

Jerry O’Connell

Jerry O’Connell would make a great poster boy for puberty. Incredibly, the Sliders star went from playing the fat kid in Stand By Me to being the ripped Hollywood actor we know today. And he’s married to model-turned-actress Rebecca Romijn. Way to go, dude.

Scarlett Johansson

Encouragingly, even smoking hot Scarlett Johansson was once an average-looking child star, as evidenced in ’90s comedies North and If Lucy Fell. Remember, kids, there’s still hope.

Michelle Trachtenberg

Michelle Trachtenberg’s metamorphosis from geeky child star into sexy Maxim cover vamp is the kind of seemingly unlikely transition that gives hope to ugly ducklings everywhere.

Matthew Lewis

We’ve covered Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson already, but perhaps the most shocking Harry Potter-related transformation goes to Matthew Lewis, whose portrayal of chubby nerd Neville Longbottom got more unbelievable as the franchise rolled on. It’s safe to say that Lewis has definitely grown into his looks.

Hayden Panettiere

Before she was the hot cheerleader everyone wanted to save, Heroes star Hayden Panettiere played frizzy-haired Jessica in Malcolm in the Middle – practically the opposite of her future bombshell self.

Alyssa Milano

In the ’80s Alyssa Milano was Tony Danza’s tomboy daughter Sam in Who’s the Boss? Fast forward a few years, though, and suddenly she’s a sex symbol and able to convincingly play a strip-joint waitress inMelrose Place. And even at 42, the Mistresses star is still achingly beautiful.

Daniel Radcliffe / Harry Potter

The world watched as Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe changed from a nerdy little kid into an attractive, well-groomed young man who isn’t afraid to drop his pants on Broadway.

Alexa Vega

Watch any of the Spy Kids movies growing up? Then Alexa Vega’s turn as scantily clad, firearm-brandishing Killjoy in sleazy 2013 action flick Machete Kills would have made your eyeballs pop right out of your head when she first appears on screen.

Josh Peck

Josh Peck has come a long way since he played chubby goofball Josh Nichols in Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh. These days, Peck cuts a far more dashing and undeniably handsome figure, as seen when he hosted the 2015 Teen Choice Awards.

Emma Watson

Growing up is hard enough without having to go through the process in public. Harry Potter star Emma Watson, however, seems to have navigated her way through her child actress years with grace and elegance, transforming from being Hermione Granger to the British Fashion Awards’ 2014 British Style Award winner.

Zac Efron

Before High School Musical, Zac Efron was a rather gawky child actor, starring in movies like Melinda’s World and Miracle Run. Still, it’s fair to say that in 2014 Efron finally shook off his Disney past by playing brawl-happy party animal Teddy Sanders in NSFW comedy Neighbors – and was definitely hot with it.