Before Fame 10 Unrecognizable Celeb Childhood Pics (& 16 Who Haven't Changed)
Pull out a childhood pic of yourself and you'll generally get one of two reactions from people. #1 "Oh my gosh! You look the exact same!" #2 That silence. Yes, that super-awkward moment where they don't want to say: "Er, yeah, I don't see it."
Kim Kardashian has been posting kiddie pics recently. Ariana Grande recently threw social media a "same" pic. Mini Ariana had no high ponytail or over-the-knee boots, but she did exist as a kid.
You won't struggle to picture Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as kids. When being a child star is your head-start, you're famous because of your childhood looks. Macaulay Culkin, Lindsay Lohan, Justin Timberlake and Miley Cyrus all had childhood careers.
It's when you look at major celebrities now versus when they were kids that you get the biggest reality check. Like those pics of Eminem during the hard times in Detroit. Or Jennifer Lopez before she was earning the $12-20 million per Idol season.
Cardi B. Selena Gomez. Gigi Hadid. Justin Bieber. They were all kids once. It's time for a #Throwback. Here are 16 celebs who look the exact same now as they did then, plus 10 who might as well be different people.
26 Miley Cyrus: We'd Recognize That Smile At Any Age
It's like taking Miley Cyrus, shrinking her and throwing her some crayons. Destiny Hope Cyrus is Miley's birth name. Hannah Montana gave this girl a head-start at fame, although being Billy Ray Cyrus's daughter, this kid already came with a #Hollywood.
"I didn't realize how much pressure I was under," Miley told Today in 2017 when talking about being a child star. Being a famous kid has its downsides. In this picture though, life wasn't an audition. We 100% melted finding this Miley snap (and she hasn't changed a bit).
25 Justin Bieber: It's Like Nothing's Changed
When your 2018 came with a #Marriage, it's official- you're all grown up. Justin Bieber went from complete unknown to international icon after Usher discovered him on Youtube.
"I remember sitting in restaurants with my mother and she'd make me order water instead of soda."
As IB Times reports, Justin grew up on hard times. Millions might be the bank balance for this guy now, but some things have stayed the same. The cute smile is 100% The Biebs here (and we wouldn't have it any other way).
24 Ariana Grande: We Were All Blobs Once
It's when you still haven't celebrated your first birthday that you're still in the "blob" years. Onesies are the wardrobe, eyes are wide and life is #Innocent. With "7 Rings" just dropped and Thank U, Next released, Ariana Grande is well over the blob days.
This childhood pic of Ari has her eyes, but otherwise, not much about it says "Dangerous Woman." She's still quite young in the pic to show much resemblance to the singing sensation. Well, that's unless you want to take a baby and stick a giant ponytail on it.
23 Kendall & Kylie: Already In Burberry
Trust the Jenner girls to be in Burberry at such a young age. Interestingly, baby Burberry seems to be a core brand in Stormi's wardrobe, but Kylie Jenner was nowhere near considering motherhood here as she posed with her sister, Kendall.
Yes, they grew up with money (nothing wrong with it). While Kendall's face doesn't seem to have changed, Kylie's definitely has. In fact, the more you look at Kylie, the less you recognise her. These two have stayed super-close, and they're still wearing designer brands.
22 Mindy Kaling: Nerds, We Be Vibing
With a baby of her own, Mindy Kaling is likely getting the smartphone out to snap her own kid. Looking a little less glossy than her current self, a young Mindy seemed to be the ultimate #NerdKid. The Office and The Mindy Project propelled this actress to the A-List, but life was ordinary, once.
Now aged 39, Mindy comes with sleek locks, no glasses and definitely none of the nerd vibe in her characters. While this pic made us smile, we wouldn't immediately have tagged it with @mindykaling.
21 Maisie Williams: Literally, "Game Of Thrones"
If you're on Game of Thrones, you're a giant deal. Alongside co-stars Emilia Clarke and Kit Harrington, Maisie Williams is just one of the stellar cast with millions of fan followers.
Maisie admitted being "fed up with being called cute." "I remember being told I was cute and feeling it was really patronizing- what if I wanted to get muddy and play with the boys?"
As The Cut reports, Maisie revealed how being cute as a button can be an inconvenience. We're still getting over this pic (where we think she looks the same).
20 Gigi Hadid: Modeling Gigs Started Early
Booked-out pretty much sums up Gigi Hadid these days. Whether it's Vogue, Victoria's Secret, Reebok or Tommy Hilfiger, this supermodel seems to be the face of pretty much everything. Gigi was still a child here when Guess was using her for its campaigns.
The Hadid sisters grew up in an $85 million mansion that CNBC called "one of a kind." Proving she had the face to match, Gigi had the million-dollar smile as a kid and it hasn't gone anywhere.
19 Angelina Jolie: Makes Sense Once We Realize It's Her
Angelina Jolie almost falls into the "knew it" side of this list, except there's a catch. Imagine you'd been shown this photo without the information that it's Angelina. You'd look at it, possibly see a cute kid, but would you be able to identify her?
Angelina is now 43 years old. With six kids of her own, it's unlikely the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider actress has the time to dig out childhood photos, but we do. We got that it's Ange once we found out, but otherwise, we just wouldn't have known.
18 Lady Gaga: We Wouldn't Expect Anything Less
Statement outfits, wigs and dresses made of meat. Lady Gaga is a celebrity with a name to match. "Bad Romance" may have been some years away for Gaga in this childhood pic, but we're getting major #GagaVibes, from the facial expressions to the outfit.
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta is Lady Gaga's real name. With a 1986 birth date, Gaga may be in her early 30s now, but this girl's performance streak was there from day one.
17 Chloe Grace Moretz: So Cute, We Can't Handle It
In 2018, Chloe Grace Moretz was making headlines for her #OnOff relationship with another celeb kid, Brooklyn Beckham. The Kick-Ass actress is now an A-Lister with over 15 million IG followers. On entering the movie world at the age of 11, Chloe told The Telegraph, as Baby Gaga reports,
"I've definitely had an interesting childhood."
Chloe doesn't feel that she "missed out" being a child actress. Given this pic, we can see why the talent scouts were picking her. Beyond cute (and yes, we see the resemblance).
16 Jennifer Aniston: All In The Eyes
With Jennifer Aniston, the childhood pics are going to be black and white. 1969 was the year this Friends star was born, although it's hard to believe that Jen will turn 50 in 2019.
"I was one of the kids who the others would make fun of," Jen told The Daily Mail, as reported by Baby Gaga. "It was an odd period of time during fifth, sixth, seventh grades."
Picking on the kid with beautiful eyes? We don't get it. You can basically see Rachel Green's face in those eyes.
15 Taylor Swift: Could Be Any Blonde Kid In America
Queen of squads, style and calling "lonely Starbucks lovers," Taylor Swift has turned out pretty well. As one of the most powerful women in music, Tay-Tay comes with eye-watering earnings, but she was a regular kid once.
"Little kid, little problems. Big kid, big problems." Taylor Swift has admitted insecurities as a child.
"I think then you grow up and realize that the same things that you deal with in your childhood affect you when you're a grown up as well," Cosmopolitan quotes Taylor saying.
We recognize Taylor, the grown-up. The kid, less so.
14 Kim & Kourtney Kardashian: One's Changed, One Hasn't
Having cameras in their homes made the Kardashians who they are today. In 2017, E! renewed its Keeping Up With The Kardashians contract for $150 million. The childhood pics of Kim and Kourtney are out there on IG, but with these sisters, one needs the tagging.
Kourtney is on the left. We 100% see it. Who she's hugging? Could literally be anyone. It happens to be the great Kim K, but without a bit of a prompt, we'd never have known.
13 Bella Hadid: Talent Scouts Snapped Her Up Fast
Bella Hadid's fame basically catapulted out of control in 2018. The rising "it" girl and lower-profile sister to Gigi Hadid is now up there with her sister, and she's got the contracts to prove it.
Bella is the face of luxury brands like Bulgari, and her relationship status comes with a #Dating The Weeknd. As a kid? Bella had the same innocent eyes. Much like her sister, Bella started modeling young. Victoria's Secret wasn't quite an option for Bella here, but we see the resemblance.
12 Selena Gomez: The World's Most Confident Six-Year-Old Girl
Returning to IG in 2019 netted Selena Gomez another million followers. That makes 145 million of us who've subscribed to this girl's life. Much like Justin Bieber, Selena grew up on hard times.
"We did have to walk to the dollar store to get dollar spaghetti and make it."
Hollywood Life also quotes Selena talking about running out of gas on the highway. Selena was six here. While we see the same smile from a grown-up Selena, you wouldn't immediately know it was the Gomez.
11 Paris Hilton: Already The Center Of Attention
"It's mine." When Paris Hilton refused to return her ex-fiancé's $2 million engagement ring, she gave TMZ a piece of her mind. Paris Hilton was the original 2000s socialite, although don't think Paris doesn't earn her cash.
This childhood snap shows us a Paris we know well. She's in the middle (of course), she's blonde, and yes, she's very cute. Chris Zylka and Paris are no more, but the little girl inside is alive and well. We 100% recognize Paris here.
10 Cardi B: Not Yet "Balenciaga Mama"
"And I park my Bentley truck on my Versace driveway." This hard-hitting loudmouth is now making headlines for her Pepsi Super-Bowl ad, but Cardi's early struggles are more than known.
Cardi uses her lyrics to relate that life once came with a #Poverty. The "bad [… ] from The Bronx" was in New York here, but there was no Balenciaga. That said, the facial expression and eyes are so Cardi here, we're sticking her on the "looks the same" pile.
9 Leonardo DiCaprio: Basically, Already Titanic
It's kind of weird to think back to when Leonardo DiCaprio wasn't taken seriously. Titanic threw us "pretty boy" looks from this actor, but it would be quite a while before anyone recognized Leo's talent.
With an Oscar to his name, Leo now commands the $25 million salary Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is paying him, Variety reports. Here he is approaching his teens. It's basically like looking at Will from Titanic. Leo, you're richer, but you haven't changed.
8 Katy Perry: That Bowl Haircut
Bow dresses and bowl haircuts aren't what you think of when picturing Katy Perry. "Roar" has more than shown us this girl's ambition, although Katy is mostly known for those bubblegum outfits, pixie cuts and colourful wigs.
“I didn't have a childhood,”Katy told Rolling Stone about her strict, religious upbringing.
Raised in an Evangelical Christian family, Katy didn't have the freedom of most children. Parenting philosophies aren't what we're looking at, though. With that haircut and those clothes, Katy, we'd have no idea it was you.
7 Beyonce: Glam Squad Was Alive And Well
Beyonce quite literally "Runs This World." With Forbes listing Bey and Jay-Z's joint net worth at $1.16 billion, you could say that Beyonce has made it. Bey grew up in Texas. Her father was a Xerox salesman, while her mother ran a salon.
Yes, we're already joining the dots. Bey's #Glam now rivals that of the Kardashians. Turns out this artist was getting the glam squad treatment as a kid (if ever so slightly more basic). We're seeing the "Halo" now, and we're seeing it back then.
6 Megan Fox: We Could Eat Her Up With A Spoon
Megan Fox is making a comeback. Transformers was the vibe back in the day, but this actress and mother has a new travel show. Yes, Megan has spent her career being tagged with an Angelina Jolie #Lookalike. The Ange-like pout was there as a child, though.
As far as recognizing the face? While we'd eat this kid up with a spoon, there's no way we'd have guessed it was Megan Fox. Interestingly, Megan described her childhood self as "obnoxiously outgoing" to GQ.
5 Adele: Could Pass Off As A Pic From Yesterday
Adele built her career on a #Real image. Growing up as a regular British kid, life was ordinary for Adele, although that's kind of a giveaway when you share pics like this.
"I get so nervous on stage I can't help but talk. I try. I try telling my brain: stop sending words to the mouth. But I get nervous and turn into my grandma,"
Adele said, as Female First reports. Funny that she should be referencing her family. We're now wondering if Adele's grandma looked like this. 100% the same girl.
4 Eminem: The Real Slim Baby
No words. Eminem's struggles in 8 Mile, Detroit, are no secret- with the iconic movie documenting Em's early years, this rapper's youth got a #Public from the silver screen. With the "pointy nose" Eminem refers to in his lyrics, we picture Eminem, the grown-up.
This childhood pic of Eminem could literally be any kid. The cheeky good looks are there, but it just isn't the Eminem we know. Remaining notoriously private, Em doesn't share much about his family, but his daughter is now pretty popular on IG.
3 Rihanna: Not Yet @BadGirlRiRi
A powerhouse best sums up Rihanna right now. Harper's Bazaar just reported that RiRi is in talks with Louis Vuitton's parent brand, LVMH- a luxury clothing line may be in the works.
Long before Fenty, PUMA or even her music career, Rihanna was a regular kid in Barbados. The island now has a street named after her. Much like Angelina Jolie and Megan Fox, this pic makes sense once you find out it's Rihanna, but @badgirlriri doesn't come to mind here. #NotTheSame
2 Mila Kunis: It's Like Looking At Her Now
Mila Kunis is now so famous, her surprise Bachelorette appearances make front-page headlines. Voicing Meg on Family Guy doesn't show much of Mila, but the Friends With Benefits actress is known for her good looks, down-to-earth personality and #MarriageGoals with Ashton Kutcher.
Mila moved from the Ukraine to the US as a child. The family had $250 to their name, The Independent reports. The Hollywood smile was already there with this girl, though. Mila looks the exact same now as she did back then.
1 Kanye West: It's Like The Rants Were Already There
That face. When Kanye West makes a statement, he pulls a weird face. Sort of like a young child who knows they've done something bad. Now married to Kim Kardashian, Kanye runs fashion, footwear and music, but things weren't always so steady.
In 2016, Kanye made Variety's headlines for being "53 million dollars in debt." Then again, in 2018, Kanye's Yeezy shoes were the most searched-for online, Business Insider reports. Same face then, same face now with Kanye. It's like we're waiting for the rant.
