Jason Bateman has been in the acting business since he was a child, and though he had a lot of projects as a child and teen performer, Bateman’s best movies and tv shows are all from his career as an adult. His career began with television commercials in the 1980s before he gained roles in shows like Little House on the Prairie and Silver Spoons. Though a lot of working child actors might not be able to successfully transition to more adult roles, Bateman did, and he found his niche mostly in comedic roles.

Bateman also made history when he directed episodes of The Hogan Family in the 1980s at just 18 years old. At the time, he was the youngest member of the Directors Guild of America. Bateman directed three episodes of the show, and as an actor today, he often pulls double-duty as a director too. He has...