Top 10 Best Acting Performances by Teenagers

Abraham Attah ultimately won this role when the film’s casting director saw him playing soccer on the streets of Ghana. Then 13-years-old, Attah was tasked with portraying Agu, a traumatized child soldier in a war-torn African country. The young man brought a multilayered performance to the role that was nothing short of spellbinding. Abraham, making his debut on the big screen, was somehow able to steal the spotlight from his more experienced co-star, Idris Elba. His critically acclaimed performance even won him the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor at the Venice Film Festival.

This Soviet anti-war movie features some truly moving shots and impressive cinematography. What really anchors the gut-wrenching film, however, is its 14-year-old lead actor, Aleksei Kravchenko. In the film, Kravchenko’s Flyora joins the Soviet partisan forces resisting Nazi occupation of Belarus during World War II. The role was so physically and emotionally grueling that director, Elem Klimov, tried to have Kravchenko hypnotized for certain violent scenes. The young actor instead opted for a relaxation technique known as autogenic training. By the end of the film, Kravchenko looks like an entirely different person. And thanks to his striking performance, he leaves the audience feeling different as well.

This supernatural classic became the first horror film to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. It was also the movie that made audiences and critics laud Linda Blair’s phenomenal performance. The young actress, who was just 13 at the time of shooting, beat out 600 other actresses to win the role of Regan, a young girl possessed by the demon Pazuzu. Blair does a fantastic job portraying the precocious little girl at the beginning of the film, only to slowly give way to a terrifying depiction after the character is possessed. Even though the spine-chilling demonic vocals weren’t provided by the teen actress, the fact that most people believed they were, is a testament to Linda Blair’s acting prowess.

In Joe Wright’s adaptation of Ian McEwan’s “Atonement," then 13-year-old Saoirse Ronan plays Briony Tallis, an aspiring writer whose wrong judgment ruins several lives. Ronan’s head-strong, yet subdued performance brought a much needed layer of vulnerability to the unrelenting character. Even in the company of powerful actors like James McAvoy and Keira Knightley, Ronan proved her star quality. The role catapulted the young Irish actress into the limelight and even resulted in multiple award nominations. Her onscreen teenage exploits didn’t stop there however, as she would later re-team with director Joe Wright for a more physically challenging role in “Hanna”.

An adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, “Babes in Arms” featured a teenage Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. It also marked their second of multiple films together. Rooney particularly shines, as he plays the son to vaudevillians struggling to keep the art form alive. His high energy performance, electric musical numbers, not to mention impressive catalog of impressions, all added much needed substance to the film. For his all round brilliant performance, Rooney was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, becoming only the second-youngest nominee in that category.

Patty Duke started her career in the late ‘50s by appearing in television shows. She was even a contestant on the quiz show “The $64,000 Question.” However, her breakout performance came on Broadway in 1959 when she took on the part of Helen Keller in the play, “The Miracle Worker.” After the show’s run, Duke reprised the role in the 1962 film adaptation of the same name opposite Anne Bancroft. Duke’s raw and intense portrayal of the blind and deaf activist received critical acclaim, shooting her to superstardom. The 16-year-old won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her depiction, becoming the youngest competitive Oscar-winner at the time.

By the mid-80s, River Phoenix was already an established child actor, racking up multiple TV credits including several commercials. His transition from child actor to teen idol began with his celebrated performance in the 1986 adaptation of Stephen King’s novella, “Stand by Me.” 16- year-old Phoenix plays Chris Chambers, part of a group of boys who embark on a quest to find the body of a missing boy and confront a bully. The coming-of-age tale provided a glimpse of Phoenix’s sharply focused acting skills. These skills would go on to net him an Oscar nomination for his role in “Running on Empty” eight years later.

The Coen Brothers’ adaptation of the 1968 novel “True Grit” is a gun-toting and bounty-hunting Western that features multiple Oscar winners and nominees. Yet, among the well-established cast, the real standout was a then 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld in her feature film debut. Steinfeld plays the headstrong Mattie Ross, a girl who hires a U.S. Marshall to hunt down the vicious outlaw who killed her father. Steinfeld naturally settles into the no-nonsense character, giving way to a fearless performance that ended up nabbing her an Oscar nomination. No wonder the young actress beat out 15,000 other applicants for the part!

Before she volunteered as tribute and screamed her lungs out at Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence won the role of a lifetime in Debra Granik’s bleak mystery drama, “Winter’s Bone.” Set in the Ozarks, Lawrence plays Ree Dolly, a tough and unflinching teen who has to protect her family while trying to locate her missing father. Lawrence fully inhabits the character of Ree, providing all the requisite anguish and frustration of a teen who suddenly must take on adult responsibilities. The role propelled her acting career and made her the second-youngest Oscar nominee for Best Actress at the time.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Keisha Castle-Hughes as Paikea Apirana, “Whale Rider” (2002)
The 13-Year-Old New Zealander Became the Youngest Best Actress Oscar Nominee at the Time for Her Moving Performance.

Jean-Pierre Léaud as Antoine Doinel, “The 400 Blows” (1959)
In the First of Five Films, 14-Year-Old Léaud Plays the Severely Misunderstood Antoine Doinel to a T.

Christian Bale as Jim Graham, “Empire of the Sun” (1987)
From as Early as 13, the Incredibly Dedicated Actor Has Wowed Audiences With His Commitment to the Characters He Plays.

Jack Wild as Artful Dodger, “Oliver!” (1968)
His Performance as a Street Urchin in the Musical Drama Earned Him Rave Reviews and Nominations at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards.

Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, “Beetlejuice” (1988)
Arguably Her Most Beloved Performance, Ryder’s Portrayal of the Oddball Lydia Inspired a Generation of Goth Girls.

In his first of many Oscar-nominated roles, Leonardo DiCaprio starred opposite Johnny Depp in this dramedy about a dysfunctional small town family. DiCaprio plays Arnie Grape, the mentally disabled brother of the titular character, played by Depp. The portrayal of Arnie could’ve easily gone awry in the hands of someone less capable, but DiCaprio’s delicate and magnetic performance hit all the right notes. Yep, this was the world’s introduction to the burgeoning star that was Leonardo DiCaprio and is, to this day, one of the highlights of his extremely fruitful career!