A child star, who once acted alongside Hollywood legends such as Will Smith, sadly died with nothing to his name

Alyson Stoner is taking the trauma they endured as a child actor and helping other kids take control of their mental health. The Disney Channel star recently opened up about their work as an on-set mental health coordinator,

Gary Coleman was one of the highest-paid child actors on television for his role in hit American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, but he died penniless after a legal battle with his parents

Malinger was 8 years old when he starred in Sleepless in Seattle as Jonah, the son of protagonist Sam (Hanks), who set his father up with Annie (Meg Ryan). Now at 42, Malinger is reflecting on his lasting friendship with Hanks, 69.

Her organization strongly discourages child actors from using social media in their efforts to be discovered. And besides, she said, it doesn’t work.)

Spencer starred on the show from 1976 to 1979 and later reprised her role as Thomas in the spin-off “What’s Happening Now!!” She largely left Hollywood after that to become a veterinarian. Spencer wound up portraying a veterinarian in the 1997 film “As Good As It Gets.” Spencer was 60 years old.

In an interview with PEOPLE, the 10-year-old actor says he "pretends to be my nightmares" when trying to act "scary" in movies like 'Weapons'

Making the leap from successful child actor to A-list star as an adult isn't easy. While young actors may get a head start in Hollywood, it doesn't always guarantee them success as they get older.

Now 41, Golden, a husband and father to a 3-year-old daughter, works in the tech space and is launching a startup company called Golden Path, which is designed to help those in the creative world, specifically former child actors, deal with fame after being thrust into the spotlight. The company, he says, falls under the “educational tech” banner.

As many former child stars have noted, audiences come to expect a certain look and performance from you that no longer exists after puberty. "Making it" as an adult actor takes time, the right projects,