From Macaulay Culkin's manic adventures in Home Alone, to Eric Lloyd Morelli whose on-screen dad becomes Santa, the magic of Christmas movies often comes from seeing the world through a child's eyes.
Culkin's story since he starred in that hit film is well known: after shooting to fame in the 1990s, he grew tired of acting and retired to seek a normal life (along with a good dollop of rock and roll). In 2021, he made a triumphant return to the screen in American Horror Story.
But did you know that Culkin's brother also starred in Home Alone, before going on to enjoy an acclaimed career? And what happened to Eric Lloyd Morelli and all the other child actors who have starred in our favourite Christmas movies? We've been taking a look.
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Mara Wilson: Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street
Mara Wilson shot to fame as a child in the early 90s for playing Natalie Hillard in 'Mrs Doubtfire' before she landed the role of the most adorable six-year-old in the world, Susan Walker, in 1994's remake of 'Miracle on 34th Street', alongside Richard Attenborough as Kris Kringle.
Despite starring in a handful of smash-hit movies, including 'Matilda', 'A Simple Wish' and 'Thomas and the Magic Railroad', Wilson decided to quit acting and focus on writing. Now 36, the former child star is also a narrator and voice actor. She recently described to The Guardian how Hollywood was "kind of done with me" by the age of 12, adding: “I don’t think you can be a child star without there being some kind of lasting damage.” Her memoir Good Girls Don’t is available on Scribd.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster: Sam in Love Actually
Thomas Brodie-Sangster has featured as a regular on our television and movie screens since he landed his first acting role in 2001 on BBC's 'Station Jim'. However, he is most well-known for stealing the nation's hearts as unlucky in love schoolboy Sam in Richard Curtis' 2003 Christmas hit, 'Love Actually'. He went on to bag leading roles in 'Nanny McPhee', 'Nowhere Boy', and 'The Maze Runner' series
Now 33, Brodie-Sangster was part of the hit TV series 'Game of Thrones', where he played Jojen Reed, who helped smuggle Bran Stark out of Winterfell. His most recent starring role is as the Artful Dodger in the 2023 Disney+ series.
Kieran Culkin: Fuller McCallister in Home Alone
The story of his older brother Macauley Culkin – who played Kevin McCallister and recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – is well-known, but did you know that his own real-life little brother, Kieran Culkin, also had a role in Home Alone? Kieran played Kevin's bed-wetting little cousin, Fuller McCallister.
Kieran Culkin continued acting throughout his childhood and teenage years, bagging roles in the 'Father Of The Bride' movies, as well as smaller parts in 'Music Of The Heart', 'Igby Goes Down' and 'The Mighty'. His most famous role in recent years has been as in the acclaimed HBO series 'Succession', in which he stars as Roman Roy. He has been nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy for the part.
Jake Lloyd: Jamie Langston in Jingle All the Way
Now 34, Jake Lloyd got his big break playing Arnold Schwarzenegger's son in the Christmas comedy 'Jingle All the Way' in 1996. Three years later, he took on one of the biggest child-star roles in history when he starred as Anakin Skywalker (the future Darth Vader) in 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace'.
However, fame at such a young age did not work out well for Lloyd and, despite playing Anakin in a number of videogames, he retired from acting in 2001. A decade later, he explained how his school life became "a living hell" due to bullying from jealous students. He also told the Daily Mail that he had to do as many as 60 interviews a day at the age of just eight.
In 2020, Lloyd's mother explained to American website Geek News Now how her son had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, which was exacerbated by the tragic loss of his younger sister, Madison. Describing Lloyd as a "kind and caring person", she thanked fans for their love and support.
Olivia Olson: Joanna in Love Actually
Back to 'Love Actually', and whatever happened to young Sam's love interest, Joanna – the American schoolgirl who gave Mariah a run for her money during her performance of 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' at the Christmas play? The heartthrob that Sam chased through the airport at the end of the film?
Well, it turns out her real name is Olivia Olson and since her Love Actually stint, she has voiced a series of leading cartoon characters, including that of Vanessa Doofenshmirtz in 'Phineas and Ferb', and of Marceline the Vampire Queen, in 'Adventure Time'. LA girl Olson, now 31, has also since released her own album and even competed on 'The X Factor: Celebrity' in 2019, but she was the second act to be evicted from the live shows. In 2023, it was announced that she would be writing for a 'Phineas and Ferb' revival.
Eric Lloyd Morelli: Charlie Calvin in The Santa Clause trilogy
Child actor Eric Lloyd Morelli, now 37, starred as the adorable eight-year-old Charlie alongside Tim Allen, who played the hopeless father who takes on the role of Santa after an unfortunate accident. He also featured in the film's two sequels and later in NBC's popular television series 'Jesse', and Kyle Grant In 'Dunston Checks In'. Since then, Eric has moved behind the scenes, choosing to work in music and movie production. He started his own firm alongside his college roommate Tyler Payne. He recently reprised his role in the Disney+ series 'The Santa Clauses'.
Daniel Tay: Michael Hobbs in Elf
Now 31, Daniel Tay helped to spread Christmas cheer by singing loud for all to hear back in 2003 as he starred alongside comedy icon Will Ferrell in the much-adored, legendary Christmas hit, Elf. Playing Buddy the Elf's NYC-bound half-brother, young Daniel shot to fame aged 12.
Since Elf, he has shaken off his baby-faced look to feature in numerous screen-based projects, including crime drama Brooklyn Rules. He also lent his voice to the 2009 video game Grand Theft Auto IV.
