Child stars have a way of catching the attention, so much that some child actors go on to make millions. Welcome to the very top of that world, where box-office success means child-size riches.
The crafty but cute Kevin McCallister in the “Home Alone” movies reshaped how much young actor Macaulay Culkin. His fee for Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, which is claimed to be $4.5 million broke records back in the days way before those made by Robert Downey Jr for “The Avengers” franchise. While he is now worth just $18 million, that figure allowed Culkin to prevent a crumbling life from ruining his post-stardom adult years.
TV also proved lucrative for Angus T. Jones, aka Jake Harper of “Two and a Half Men.” In the sitcom’s heyday, Jones earned an enormous $300,000 a show. By the time she was 20, this had resulted in a net worth of around $20 million not bad for someone with barely any real-world experience at that point.
Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” was the breakout role that catapulted Miranda Cosgrove to superstardom on nearly every network. When she played Carly Shay, the role not only won hearts but also helped her become a Guinness World Record holder (at age 19) for being the highest-paid child actress in history(2012). Cosgrove further solidified her career as a young female actor by becoming one of television’s highest-paid actresses, earning $180,000 per episode.
On the other end of the spectrum, “Modern Family’s” Manny Delgado aka Rico Rodriguez is an example of that long-tail TV paychecks snowball effect. With the show growing in popularity, Rodriguez’s salary multiplied too with earnings of between $70k & $100k per episode. His projected net worth of $9 million just goes to show you that being a child star on a network cash cow bode well for your finances down the line.
Frankie Muniz, who played Malcolm in “Malcolm In the Middle,” also earned a substantial amount. Near the series finale, reports claimed Muniz was making up to $120,000 for each episode. His considerable earnings from TV, along with his movie work has him sitting at a net worth of around $30 million and making MacCauley one of the richest child stars alive.
It was so that the fantasy realm became a cash-cow for Daniel Radcliffe. His pay skyrocketed after he stepped into the iconic shoes of Harry Potter. For each of the last two films in the franchise, he apparently earned an astonishing $20 million. That, in addition to his total payday for the series overall has this young man rocketed to one of the highest-earning child actors ever. As of today, Radcliffe has a sizeable net worth that clearly proves the “Boy Who Lived” is alive to this day.
The streaming era has brought a new generation of child stars who command big salaries. Recently emerging phenomenon, the very popular Millie Bobby Brown of Netflix’s “Stranger Things”, has been captivating audiences bootstrapped She reportedly earned $300,000-350,000 per episode in the later seasons. Her fame is now recognized worldwide, with Brown also standing amongst the most coveted of young actors in the world.
These extraordinary child actors embody the financial promise that Hollywood can be. Their tales tell of how early victories can yield lifelong triggers for peace-of-mind up the road in life. Yes, the road to child stardom is long and hard but for a chosen few it leads them on through life with basically what amounts untold riches.
