Shirley Temple in The Littlest Rebel (1935)

Could a normal 6-year-old convince President Lincoln to grant her daddy a pardon? A precocious Shirley Temple could.

Drew Barrymore in Irreconcilable Differences (1984)

Barrymore is so much more grown-up than her parents, she divorces them!

Calvin in Calvin & Hobbes (1985)

Wise beyond his 6 years, Calvin—along with his stuffed tiger—offered life lessons on a daily basis.

Macaulay Culkin in The Good Son (1993)

Little Mac was precocious in the wrong way in this dumb thriller: He portrayed a really good murderer.

Martin Short in Clifford (1994)

A full-grown man playing a young boy wise beyond his years and a little psychotic. The mind reels.

Natalie Portman in Leon: The Professional (1994)

In this thrilling assassin flick, little Natalie Portman—12 years old—joins forces with a grizzled hitman.

Jonathan Lipnicki in Jerry Maguire (1996)

In the role that launched a thousand bad haircuts and goofy faces, Lipnicki offers keener insights than the adults around him.

Jason Schwartzman in Rushmore (1999)

Max Fischer has the demeanor—annoying at times—of an adult, though he’s stuck in high school.

Jacob Kogan in Joshua (2007)

You’ll know this 9-year-old murderer is bad news when you hear his piano compositions.

Ellen Page in Juno (2007)

“I’ve taken, like, three pregnancy tests and I’m fo shizz up the spout.”

Chloe-Grace Moretz in Kick-Ass (2010)

She’s 11-years-old, but swears like a sailor and murders with glee. Kick-ass!

Wil Wheaton in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

As Wesley Crusher, a teen with high intelligence, Wil Wheaton came up with Enterprise-saving plans time and time again.