Some actors don’t remember what it feels like to take a casual walk without getting mobbed by adoring fans and paparazzi. The reason is simple: these actors became household names early, while most other actors in their age group were still struggling to land auditions. The five actors on this list have been acting for a long time, and every single one of them became a major movie star before turning 25.
One of them turned an underwear dance scene into box office gold. Another has been acting for so long, and when she eventually blew up, people thought she was an overnight success. From former child stars to a British import who made one of Marvel’s biggest roles his own, these five actors prove that stardom doesn’t care about how many candles are in an actor’s birthday cake. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.
1. Tom Cruise
One image pops into the mind of early ’80s cinephiles whenever Bob Seger’s Old Time Rock and Roll comes on the radio: it’s the image of 21-year-old Tom Cruise sliding across a hardwood floor in his underwear and white socks. That scene is from the 1983 movie Risky Business. And the movie got Hollywood’s attention in the best way possible by pulling in over $63 million from a budget that was considered pocket change even by the standards of the 1980s.
It became one of the top ten earners that year, and Cruise promptly went from a promising newcomer to a name studios wanted in their posters. His status as an actor who became a major movie star before turning 25 was sealed with the release of Top Gun in 1986. He was just 23 years old when the movie became the highest-grossing movie of 1986.
2. Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley had been in the business longer than some of her Pirates of the Caribbean co-stars had been alive. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but barely. She begged her parents for an agent when she was just three years old, but didn’t actually get one until she was six. She then spent most of her childhood racking up multiple film and TV credits, the kind most actors twice her age would kill to have. She was only 18 years old (17 during filming) when Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl hit theaters in 2003.
To anyone who hadn’t been paying attention to her impressive career up to that point, she was just this new face who came out of nowhere and somehow held her own alongside Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow and Orlando Bloom’s Will Turner. But those who knew her weren’t surprised one bit. Two years later, at the age of 20, she bagged a Best Actress nomination for her incredible portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, making her the third-youngest nominee in that category’s history at the time. She hasn’t looked back since then, and her impressive resume features several blockbusters, including Atonement and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.
3. Leonardo DiCaprio
Most people immediately point to Titanic as the movie that made Leonardo DiCaprio a star. Sometimes, it’s hard to argue against that premise because the 1997 epic historical romance became the first movie to cross $1 billion worldwide. But the then 23-year-old star had been making serious waves in the industry before Titanic. His performance in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape landed him nominations for Best Actor in a Supporting Role at both the Golden Globe and Academy Awards ceremonies when he was just 19 years old.
Romeo + Juliet further enhanced his profile in the mid-nineties, and the Jack Dawson in Titanic role simply put the final seal of approval on a burgeoning career. Of course, the immense scale and impact of Titanic meant that he spent the next decade proving he was more than just a pretty face in a life vest. It worked a treat. Several Oscar nominations and one eventual win later for The Revenant; no one’s questioning his talent.
4. Zendaya
Twenty-four years old. That’s how young Zendaya was when she won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2020. She won the award ahead of Jennifer Aniston and Olivia Colman, significantly older and relatively more established stars. She became the youngest-ever actress to win in that category, and she did it for her first season playing Rue Bennet in Euphoria. That role was so raw and may have cracked actresses twice her age, but she did justice to it.
It was her first nomination too, which made it hit so hard for anyone who watched her grow up on Disney Channel sitcoms and singing forgettable pop songs about shaking it up. The kid from K. C. Undercover had officially leveled up, and Hollywood noticed fast. Major roles in the Spider-Man and Dune franchises have since followed, and she’s proof that child stars don’t have to crash and burn.
5. Tom Holland
Back in 2015, a 19-year-old British kid walked out of a Marvel audition, probably feeling like he had blown his chance. Instead, he got the call that summer and officially became the youngest actor ever cast as Spider-Man, beating out a stacked field of hopefuls for one of the most scrutinized roles in blockbuster history. Tobey Maguire was 26 years old when he donned the suit, and Andrew Garfield was 27, which made Tom Holland practically a baby by comparison.
He was introduced to audiences in Captain America: Civil War, and they immediately fell in love with his energy. By the time Homecoming came out the following year, he’d become known for doing his own stunts until he was exhausted, all while looking like he was having the time of his life. These days, it feels almost alien not to have Holland feature in some capacity in a blockbuster, a strong testament to how big a star he’s become.
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