Cute Teen Stars "All Grown Up"


When I was growing up, I remember being slightly envious of “child stars”. I thought they had the perfect lives-they were attractive, rich and popular, while I was a nerd in her “awkward stage”. As it turns out, that sort of thing didn't last. Many of them-Lindsay Lohan, River Phoenix, Corey Haim-ended up in a bad way because of the way their celebrity has affected them. Some of the others were really great for a while, but age wasn't kind and their looks faded as they got older. However, this isn't the case with everyone. Here are a few examples of men who started out in show business when they were young and have just gotten better (and better-looking) with age.

Justin Timberlake. Some of you might remember him as the guy with the curly hair in N'SYNC while others may have seen him as a child on The Mickey Mouse Club. No matter where you first saw him, though, you can't deny that he's grown into a gorgeous young man. Even if you're not a fan of his music, you've got to give him credit for having a great sense of humor about himself. He's hosted Saturday Night Live five times, each time making fun of himself by performing ridiculous 90s style R&B seduction song parodies with Andy Samberg or dancing in front of a store in a really weird costume. I think my favorite costume was a DD breast implant advertising a shop called "Plasticville"! 
Patrick Dempsey. Those of us who grew up in the '80s and early '90s probably saw Patrick with his black hair and blue eyes  in several "teeny-bopper" movies. I think the funniest (and most appropriately-titled!) movie he was in was Loverboy, where he played a pizza delivery guy who made, um, house calls to older women who order "extra anchovies". At 47, he's still got that  thick hair, albeit with a little more gray. These days, he's probably best known for playing Dr Derek Shepard (aka "McDreamy") on Grey's Anatomy. Rumor has it that this season will be his last, but a man with his looks and experience (he's been acting since he was 15!) will have no problem working as long as he wants to.
Neil Patrick Harris. When I was 12, I had a mad crush on him when he was the main character in Doogie Howser, M.D. He played a 16-year-old prodigy doctor who was very well-versed on medicine, but rather awkward when it came to girls and basically being a teenager. I thought he was cute and smart then, but he's even better-looking now. He was 16 at the time, but had been acting in some manner since he was about 10. What I find rather interesting about him is that, despite his many womanizing (How I Met Your Mother) and “hormonal” (Harold and Kumar Go To Whitecastle) characters, he's gay and has been “out” since about 2006. In coming out and being as comfortable with himself as he is, he's a rather good example of the way that being gay doesn't have to be seen as something shameful anymore; people are who they are, and that's all they really need to be.
Who are some of the celebrities you think have gotten better-looking with age?

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