"Best Child Actress in a SF Movie?" Topic

I'll nominate Carrie Henn ("Newt" from Aliens).

We'd better get back, 'cause it'll be dark soon, and they mostly come at night… mostly.

Believe it or not, she's now in her 30s… how time flies…

(Let's define "child" as 15 or under)

I'm betting this thread will go to "Inappropriate" in less than twenty posts.

Allen

How about the Chaka looking boy with the boomerang from Mad Max?

<shakes head>

Johnny Facehugger from the start of AvP:Requiem

Oh, sorry, actress….this is a bit of a strange poll……don't normally spend that much time thinking about girls under 15….

I'd have to second: Carrie Henn ("Newt" from Aliens).
And now for a bit of trivia; since this is one of my favorite characters, my youngest daughter's middle name is Newt…

What? No love for Molly Ringwald in Space Hunter?

Newt's gonna be Hard to dethrone from 'Fan Favorite',
but I'll nominate Joesph Lucien as Denree in 1995's
"City of Lost Children".
The Kid is the main character, and pulls it Off admirably.
link
link
(Ron Perlman co-stars in his second best role ever (acting, anyway)
{His Best Role of course is in 'The Name of the Rose as Salvatore)
as the Big Brother 'one'..)

_Actress_ though, eh?

Judith Vittet (another child actor) as Miette,
her co-starring role in the same film.

An honorable mention would be Lacey Chabert as Penny Robinson in the Lost in Space remake.

Lacey Chabert from the remade Lost in Space.

dammit his nibs beat me to it.

Ariana Richards in Jurassic Park had the 'deer in the headlights' look down pat.

Considering how few young actresses are actually *acting* as opposed to being pushed around the set as scenery, Lacey Chabert may merit more than an Honorable Mention…

_WORST_ actress of All Time has, Hands Down,
gotta be Alicia Witt as Alia the Knife in Lynch's 'Dune'.
To my ears,
I still think her lines were (badly) overdubbed by an adult 'child-talker'
<shudder>

Before I even clicked on this post I thought "Newt"..seemed obvious.

How about the Chaka looking boy with the boomerang from Mad Max?

I don't think Emil Minty will qualify as an actress!

Newt.

Kirsten Dunst from "Interview With A Vampire" -- she was 12 at the time of release. The movie lived up to its source material, which is to say, it was interminable and intolerable, but Ms. Dunst was awesome. And is probably the best actress likely to appear on this list.

Oh, maybe a goth vampire book doesn't count as SF? In which case Carrie Henn is looking better.

Hmmm, Christina Ricci for "The Addams Family"? Another 12-year-old with a standout performance, but probably also not SF.

Who would not vote for Drew Barrymore in back to back classics, E.T. and Firestarter. In the latter, so cute and so deadly.

I would not vote for Drew Barrymore in anything… except maybe 'most annoying actress'.

I'll second the vote for Joesph Lucien… she went through a lot of emotional states and but never seemed to just rely on being 'cute'.

The little girl in 'Let The Right One In' was very good as well… but that's a vampire movie and I think her voice was dubbed, at least in places.

Isn't this a trick question? The correct answer is that there is no good way for a child actor or actress to be in a sci fi movie. They almost always annoy.

(Though I do like Newt.)

Jodelle Ferland was in a Stargate episode, but is more well known from the horror genre, Silent Hill, Kingdom hospital.

The girl in Jurassic park also featured in Tremors.

Carrie Henn ("Newt" from Aliens), was this really a question?

John

Roberta Tovey as Susan in the Cushing Dr. Who films.

If Interview counts then I vote for Dunst as well.

Jennifer Connelly in Lambyrinth was still 15 when filming. She turned 16 during post production.

Regards, the Gorb

Dakota Fanning in the Wow remake.

You've all got far too much knowledge of teenage girls…..how long before the red-haired goth cat-schoolgirls turn up?….

Ditto earlier comments. When I saw this I instantly thought, 'Duh, Newt.'

No offense. It is an interesting topic.

Terrement, that is fascinating! Amazing that she did not want to keep acting after a rocket-start for a star.

Interestingly enough, I just saw the kid who played young Conan in Conan the Barbarian. He is now a major Spanish actor.

Dakota Fanning was great in "Taken", but I'm not sure if this would qualify as a movie or a miniseries.

"Taken"? With Liam Neeson?

She was great in "Man on Fire" with Denzel.

In fact I was pretty astonished how good that movie was.

Newt. And best way for a child actress to have a career. Be a big star in one movie, disappear from sight and live happily ever after.

imdb.com/name/nm0846903

Honorable mention to my stepdaughter. Okay, she's not 15.

Mike "Bunkermeister" Creek
bunkermeister.blogspot.com

"Taken"? With Liam Neeson?

"Taken," the Spielberg miniseries about UFO abductees.

"Taken" was a 10 hour miniseries on the SciFi channel years ago.

Abigail Breslin in Signs was pretty dang adorable.

I'd have to go with Newt.

Another vote for Newt:
link

and my personal fave version of same: link

I'll vote for Newt.

I also have to admit that I really fancied Ariana Richards from Jurassic Park, although I was only 15 at the time.

Drew Barrymore in Firestarter. Cute, menacing and she held her own on the screen with George C. Scott.

What about the girl in Poltergeist? She died tragically young. Her brother is the guy in Christmas Story.

Seems there is clear winner here. Another vote for Carrie Henn.

I'll throw in another Dakota Fanning nomination, this time for "Push" which was just released. I checked her IMDB entry, she was born in 1994, it was released this year, so she squeaks in under the wire. Definitely SF. Possibly edges out Dunst -- Fanning isn't a better actress, but it's a bigger role and she's very good in it.