The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor. Closely associated is teenage actor or teen actor, an actor who reached popularity as a teenager. A notable child actor is Haley Joel Osment as well as child actress Shirley Temple.

Many child actors find themselves struggling to adapt as they become adults. Lindsay Lohan and Macaulay Culkin are two particular famous child actors who eventually experienced much difficulty with the fame they acquired at a young age; Lohan's career resumed after an interruption of several years. Many child actors also become successful adult actors as well, an example being Mickey Rooney's career that included both the popular 1935 film A Midsummer Night's Dream and the popular 2011 film The Muppets.