“From Stardom to Obscurity: Uncover the 25 Child Actors Who Vanished from the Spotlight!”
Tatyana Ali
Tatyana Ali started working professionally at just six years old, when she was offered a regular spot on Sesame Street. Around the same time, she also appeared on Star Search, before getting her big break in 1990 with the role of Ashley Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Alongside her acting career, Ali also successfully broke into the music world, with a certified gold debut album, Kiss the Sky, in 1999.
However, Ali also wanted to pursue an education alongside her music, and so she made time to attend the prestigious Harvard University, graduating in 2002 with a degree in African American Studies and Government. She has also continued to land recurring acting roles, recently appearing on CBS’s The Young and the Restless and BET’s Second Generation Wayans.
Melissa Joan Hart
Way before Riverdale and Netflix’s The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, there was another beloved teen show centred on a classic Archie Comics character. In 1996, Melissa Joan Hart brought Sabrina to life in ABC’s hit sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which ran until 2000. This show alone shot Hart into the spotlight, after she was primed for fame by her starring role in the Nickelodeon series Clarissa Explains It All.
Though her momentum stuttered as she entered adulthood, Hart eventually found a comfortable niche for herself, starring in Hallmark Christmas movies. The choice to pivot to festive family entertainment actually represented a full-circle moment for her, as her first-ever acting job was playing Amy in 1987’s Christmas Snow.
