Examples (movies in which they played are mentioned only if they were still a child):
The term "child actor" carries some stigma as child actors sometimes have troubled adult lives, due in part to their unusual upbringings. A well-known example of this is the child cast of the 1980s sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes." Child members of that cast grew into adults who had several run-ins with the law.
See also child singer.