Best Performances by Child Actors

In modern times, public opinions on art are more accessible than ever. Among this ocean, the laws of optimisation and engagement mean that more provocative opinions, generally ones that focus heavily on the flaws of a piece of work, are more likely to rise above the parapet. Though child actors are almost always at a disadvantage due to having much less acting qualifications and experience than their adult co-stars, their performances have nonetheless in many unfortunate cases been used as a lightning rod for such negative focus. This entry will cover some of the on-screen performances from child or teenage actors that matched or even exceeded those of their co-stars.

Roman Griffin Davis & Archie Yates - Jojo Rabbit

In Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit, the aim was to explore World War II and Nazism from the perspective of the children inducted into it. The reason this comes off is in part down to the strong performances behind lead character Jojo Betzler, and his best friend Yorki, allowing us to see these characters for what they are; children without a hateful bone in their body. They are drawn in by the logos, the outfits, the skills they learn as part of the Jungvolk, and the opportunity to express their imagination, shown by the scrapbook with which Jojo draws and creates characters based on depictions of Jews that had been passed onto him. It is through this that the two adopt a jovial embrace towards the Nazi movement, again shown by the light-hearted composition of Jojo’s imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler.

The two have very different paths going forward, Jojo is forced to question everything taught to him due to personal tragedy and his encounters with a Jewish girl. The film’s heavier moments land impeccably, as Roman Griffin Davis pulls of Jojo’s apprehension and disgust at Elsa, the Jewish girl in his house, to pure devastation when faced with personal tragedy, to fear that the Nazis in his area might get what they want. Archie Yates as Yorki, on the other hand, is pulled deeper into the Nazi movement, fundraising, being told new groups to hate, and even being sent into battle, all of which he does with the same smile as he’s only fulfilling the recommendations of his many role-models. Still, his human side shows as he shows happiness for his friend Jojo after learning of his Jewish ‘girlfriend’, despite everything he had been told to fear and dislike about Jewish people.

It was bold, the direction in which Waititi chose to take a film with very serious themes, but the innocence both Roman and Archie bring to their characters, often trying and failing to replicate the hateful and aggressively masculine nature they are told to idolise, that help the film’s message come through.

Thomasin McKenzie - Leave No Trace

It could have also been her role in Jojo Rabbit that landed McKenzie on this list, with which she formed playful chemistry with Griffin Davis, choosing largely to take the high road with someone who at first sees her as an enemy. However, it was an earlier role in Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace that began putting McKenzie’s name on the map.

This film finds McKenzie as Tom, a 13-year-old girl living completely off the grid with her father Will, a PTSD-suffering war veteran. The two live in a tiny camp in a forest, and have been for a long time, until they are finally spotted and arrested by park rangers. They are soon adopted by social services, who attempt to integrate them into public life. Despite an initial attempt to embed into their new lives, her father soon decides to leave their housing setup and return to the forest, with Tom reluctantly following.

A lot is left unsaid in this film and instead communicated between the lines via two muted but graceful performances and strong chemistry between the two actors. Though they are opposing forces to each other’s goal, with Tom wanting to live a normal life and Will wanting to return to life off-the-grid, they never turn on each other, nor does the film attempt to paint either as a villain.

Julia Butters - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Julia plays quite a small part in Tarantino’s 10th feature, but it’s the attitude she brings to the role that allow her to leave her mark nonetheless. Playing a child actor on the set of Lancer, one of the highlights of the film is the scene she shares with Leonardo DiCaprio while the two characters are on their lunch break.

With DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton dishevelled in his demeanour as a result of his career being at a crossroads, Butters’ character comes across as the mature of the two, presumably born of confidence at the great career ahead of her. This shows as she checks Dalton’s physical manners and use of terminology, speaks to her strife for excellence in her job, and helps Rick Dalton break down his book. Her character appears to have intelligence and maturity years beyond her much elder counterpart and we believe it every step of the way.

Jackson Nicoll - Bad Grandpa

A very different film from the ones mentioned so far, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa sees a narrative of an elderly widow (Johnny Knoxville showing his range) taking his grandson from his incarcerated mother to live with his father, worked around various hidden-camera stunts.

The movie tracks a growing bond between the two. Grandfather Irving is exactly as vulgar as you’d expect an elder Johnny Knoxville to be and while many write his behaviours up to his senile state, it’s clear his grandson places him on a much higher pedestal. The two play off each other very well, and it’s endearing watching Nicoll’s character attempting to emulate his grandfather’s energy and demeanour, very often stealing some of the movie’s biggest laughs for himself.

Jared Gilman & Kara Hayward - Moonrise Kingdom

The casting process for Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom took up a much larger time than the filming itself, with the director even saying “there’s no movie if we did find the perfect kids.” The fact I’m writing about this film should notify you of the success of this endeavour.

The two romantic leads in a film are roles that have tripped many great actors up, so to pull it off while maintaining the same energy and quirks typical of Anderson’s films is an accomplishment. Their exchanges together also carry a lot of the traits of early relationship stages, especially between two adolescents, including bowed heads, frantic delivery of dialogue etc.

Their body language matches the story very nicely, it’s clear that the two are both running on the adrenaline rush of going awol against their parent/camp’s wishes. Interestingly, it’s one of the scenes in which the two let their hair down and break through the awkwardness barrier that’s one of the highlights of the film, with the two dancing together on the beach in a manner akin to Vincent and Mia in Pulp Fiction.

Haley Joel Osment - A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Haley made his first film appearance in spectacular fashion, acting as Forrest Gump Jr in you-can-probably-guess-which-film, before truly bursting onto the scene alongside Bruce Willis in supernatural thriller The Sixth Sense, a role which actually earned him an Oscar nomination. Because of such an eye-catching early start to his career, his performance in the Spielberg epic A.I. tends to go under the radar slightly.

Again, the fact this film was ever made at all was a testament to the acting ability of its lead, as this project languished for many years under the guise of Stanley Kubrick, who didn’t believe a child actor would be able to convincingly portray the lead. The film is a critique of how we want to have a more human-like relationship with technology all the while knowing that we will never treat technology as our equal due to not being human, and it is Osment’s emotional and yearning performance that carries this message, forcing the audience to empathise with and feel the pain of the character even while knowing that they are merely a piece of technology.

Jacob Tremblay - Room

When it comes to awards, young stars are often at a disadvantage due to not having the name power of their senior co-stars. Still, one of the more eye-catching Oscar snubs in recent years is that of Jacob Tremblay, for his role of Jack, a five-year-old living alongside his mother in a single-room garden shed, under the captivity of his biological father.

Tremblay’s performance helps breathe joy into a very harrowing story, approaching the more sinister elements and developments with nothing other than pure childlike curiosity. The sensation of experiencing nature and civilisation for the very first time, while being of an age to comprehend what we’re seeing, is an incredibly rare one that very few people will ever experience, and yet Tremblay sells it completely that he is seeing the world for the very first time.

Natalie Portman - Léon: The Professional

Léon finds an unlikely bond between two people both driven by revenge, but at very different stages in their lives. Jean Reno stars as Léon, a seasoned hitman, who reluctantly offers Portman’s 12-year-old Mathilda shelter from the corrupt DEA agents arriving to take out her family.

In her full acting debut, Portman gives us the full range of emotions, from absolute fear and pleading for her safety, to pure admiration for Léon and a desire to prove herself as his adversary, to staunch bravery in the face of threats on their lives left, right, and centre. She shows her vulnerability, gets in the midst of some spectacular action sequences, and wears some stellar outfits along the way. As film debuts go, this is about as good as it gets.

NOTE: This is by no means an exhaustive list so feel free to comment if you know any other performances deserving of recognition. Thanks for reading!