10. Tatum O’Neal in 'Paper Moon' (1973)

Acting opposite her real father, Ryan O'Neal, Tatum O'Neal gives a confident, smart performance. The level of maturity in her character often gives the role a comic edge. She’s brainy and strong-willed but not without a little temper. There are several long uncut scenes where Tatum O’Neal has to deliver a heavy load of dialogue. She tackles these scenes with unwavering energy and cooperative charm. At age 10, she became the youngest Academy nominee to win an Oscar.

9. Jodie Foster in 'Taxi Driver' (1976)

At the age of 14, Jodie Foster was already an acting vet, having appeared on several television shows and a handful of feature films. But her true breakthrough role came in 1976’s neo-noir crime drama, 'Taxi Driver'. Her performance as a 12-year-old child prostitute was not only hauntingly and disturbingly believable, it also proved that Foster could hold her own among Hollywood heavyweights like Robert De Niro, even at such a young age. The role earned Foster her first ever Oscar nomination in the category of Best Supporting Actress, and the film continues to be widely cited by critics, directors, and viewers as one of the greatest movies of all time.

8.  Natalie Portman in 'Léon: The Professional' (1994)

In Natalie Portman’s very first performance, she is surprisingly complex and revealing as Mathilda, a precocious girl who has to witness the massacre of her entire family by a drug lord. She focuses her attention on revenge, and is aided by the hitman-next-door Léon. Portman is funny, silly, sweet, and fragile. Balancing these faces of her character is not an easy task. Portman gives Mathilda a lot of emotional intelligence, a sly body language, and she fills the frame with much energy and emotion.

7. Haley Joel Osment in 'The Sixth Sense' (1999)

In this chilling psychological thriller, Osment is so transparent as an actor and so rare that the pain on his face stabs you in the heart. M Night Shyamalan has fashioned a modern classic here, a chilly, intelligent, emotional ghost story that relies on glimpses of an afterlife that's anything but angels and harps. Haley Joel Osment was nominated for an Oscar for his astonishing performance, in 2000, at the age of only 11.

6. Dakota Fanning in “I Am Sam” (2001)

The elder Fanning sister’s performance just can’t be denied, she’s only 6, but is totally convincing and almost frighteningly accomplished in the role of his precocious child. In more recent performances, Fanning has developed a kind of faraway dreaminess, but here she seems totally engaged, and if she’s also so ridiculously angelic-looking that our powerful dislike of cute child actors almost comes into play, even our hearts are melted as she acts, especially Sean Penn's. 

5. Saoirse Ronan in 'Atonement' (2007)

Maturing into easily one of the best actresses of her generation, Irish national treasure Ronan first came to attention for her third film role, as the childish dark heart of Joe Wright‘s Ian McEwan adaptation. The actress’ almost uncanny, certainly un-cute self-possession and her steady watchfulness is perfect for her role. Getting an Oscar nomination for her trouble, Ronan was only one of three actresses to play the character over the course of her life, Romola Garai and Vanessa Redgrave being the other two.

4. Hailee Steinfeld in 'True Grit' (2010)

Considering their diverse and consistently excellent output, the Coen brothers have surprisingly little form in the juvenile performance stakes. Steinfeld delivers one of the strongest and most memorable child performances in recent memory, in part because it’s seemingly so unadorned.  She is perfectly sparky yet straightforward in what was undoubtedly a very challenging role, receiving an Oscar for her performance at the age of 14. 

3. Quvenzhané Wallis in 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' (2012)

A 6-year-old with no acting experience at the time of filming, Quvenzhané Wallis blew critics and moviegoers away with her performance as Hushpuppy, the fierce young protagonist in the 2012 fantasy drama. The captivating portrayal earned the young actress overwhelming critical acclaim. The role earned Wallis an Oscar nomination for Best Actress at the age of 9, making her the youngest actress ever to receive a nomination in that particular category.

2. Tye Sheridan in 'Mud' (2013)

The 2013 drama thriller was only Tye Sheridan’s second ever film role and it placed him among the ranks of big names, like Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon. But as the 14-year-old Ellis, Sheridan more than proved himself capable of holding his own among Hollywood veterans. His portrayal of the teenage boy, who forms a pact with a fugitive to help him escape and reunite with the woman he loves, earned critical acclaim, and for good reason. Playing a character taking his first steps toward adulthood, Sheridan was both intense and sensitive.

1. Jacob Tremblay in 'Room' (2015)

Five-year-old Jack has spent his whole life in a little room with his mother. The film is told exclusively from his perspective as he escapes the room and discovers the world for the first time. It’s Tremblay’s performance that keeps the film from being didactic and mushy. He’s as sprightly and gullible as any kid, but he is forced to be intelligent and overcome the daunting world.