• June 30, 2008
• Vol. 69
• No. 25

From Boys to (Sexy) Men

After Dropping the Baby Fat and the Bowl Cuts, These Former Child Actors Went from Sweet and Shy to Sizzling Hot

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From PEOPLE Magazine

Shia LaBeouf

2001 (age 15): LaBeouf first scored as an affable dork on Disney's Even Stevens.
NOW (22): The new action hero has a place on the A-list as heir to Indiana Jones.

Emile Hirsch

2002 (age 17): The Emperor's Club showcased Hirsch's precocious talent.
NOW (23): Into the Wild and Speed Racer show his range—and hot features.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

1996 (age 15): Gordon-Levitt shone as the alien-next-door on Third Rock from the Sun.
NOW (27): He plays quietly handsome leads in indie faves like The Lookout.

Elijah Wood

1992 (age 11): A baby-faced Wood was already a critical darling in Radio Flyer.
NOW (27): He's got box office cred thanks to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Bow Wow

2001 (age 14): Before dropping the Li'l, Bow Wow was a pup on Moesha.
NOW (21): His "Shortie Like Mine" is a more grown-up hip-hop hit.

Paul Dano

2001 (age 16): Dano played a cowlicked teenager gone astray in the drama L.I.E.
NOW (24): Films like There Will Be Blood make Dano the go-to quirky guy.

Drake Bell

2004 (age 17): Bell was a fresh-faced newcomer on Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh.
NOW (22): The Superhero Movie actor is also a rocker with two CDs under his belt.

Josh Peck

2000 (age 14): Peck was adorably chubby-cheeked playing hooky in Snow Day.
NOW (21): This funnyman lost more than 100 lbs., but not an ounce of charm.