Kyla Pratt From The Dr. Dolittle Movies Grew Up To Be Gorgeous

If you've watched classic kids movies from the late '90s and early 2000s, then you're most likely familiar with the "Dr. Dolittle" franchise. It was a huge hit for young fans, with Eddie Murphy playing the titular character in that particular adaptation of the book. Yet, while Murphy starred in the first two movies, it was the child actor who played his daughter, Kyla Pratt, who appeared in the majority of the films. "I actually got to do five," Pratt told Showbiz CheatSheet, adding, "We had so much fun shooting those."

"Dr. Dolittle" was certainly Pratt's breakthrough role, but she had already been working for years. Pratt's mother had been an actor, but her grandmother was the one who got Pratt her first gig after showing her photo on an airplane. "At my first modeling show, I met agents and managers ... and I just fell in love with everything about it," Pratt recalled on Fox Soul.

Pratt went on to star in the family sitcom "One on One" and the Disney cartoon "The Proud Family." Because of that, she's probably best known for having been a child star, despite continuing to work in Hollywood as an adult. She even told L'Officiel, "I have been working basically my entire life. And my love for acting grows more and more as the years pass." Pratt clearly grew up to be gorgeous and has kept busy over the years as well. So let's break down what she's been up to.

It may be hard for some fans to wrap their heads around the fact that Kyla Pratt not only grew up, but is also a mom now too! The former "One on One" star and her fiancé, Danny Kilpatrick, welcomed their first child together, Lyric, back in 2010, when Pratt was 24 years old. "I'm always greeted by this little mini-me ... and it's the best feeling in the world," Pratt gushed to Houston Style Magazine, adding, "I want more kids. I always wanted to be a mom."

Pratt and Kilpatrick did just that: In 2013, the couple had their second daughter, Liyah. They are also raising Kilpatrick's son from a previous relationship, Danny Kilpatrick Jr., whom Pratt calls her "bonus baby." When asked about juggling being a mother with her acting career on MadameNoire's "Moms on the Move" show, Pratt said, "I've always said that as a woman, I can have everything." She continued, "I can be a mom. I can work. So when you have those days when you're tired, it's like, 'remember.'"

Pratt has also said that she sees her children following in her showbiz footsteps. "They're characters. Their parents are both artists in every single way, so there's no way around it," she said on Pix11 News. While she added that she was hesitant about that at first, she'll always support their dreams as long as they're enjoying themselves and having fun.

Kyla Pratt has come a long way from her Disney days, but in 2022, she returned to her roots by voicing one of the characters that made her famous. That's right: We're talking about Penny Proud from "The Proud Family" because Pratt returned for the Disney+ reboot of the show, "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder." "Not a lot of artists get to revisit a character they played 20 years before, so I feel blessed to be able to do so," Pratt told L'Officiel.

Naturally, it's different for Pratt to portray a teen now that she's a mother in her 30s, and not the 14-year-old she was when she first voiced Penny. Yet, as she told Wondermind, "To see things from a different perspective this time around has been interesting, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it." What makes this even better is that Pratt's children are fans of the show too. She said that they've not only rewatched it multiple times, but that they're also super excited when new episodes air.

It's not just Pratt's kids, though, because the reboot seems to have gotten a great response. As Pratt explained to Elle Canada, "There's so many people who enjoyed the show the first time around who were excited about us coming back — and there were so many new fans of the show." Pratt is also proud that the cartoon has continued to stay committed to representation and remained relevant with the changing times.

Kyla Pratt might have continued to thrive professionally in adulthood, yet her personal life took a hit in 2022 after she lost someone very close to her. That person was late actor Leslie Jordan, with whom Pratt had been working on the sitcom "Call Me Kat" when he died in a car crash that October. Pratt later told Elle Canada, "It's been extremely difficult, especially because we are all so close. Leslie didn't have family on the West Coast, so we felt like his family."

To make matters worse, the show's star, Mayim Bialik, revealed on "The Jennifer Hudson Show" that the cast had learned of Jordan's death while waiting for him on set. While they were able to later honor him in an episode, Pratt told KTLA that she had a difficult time coping with his death. "[T]o go from seeing someone every single day, who lights you up, to realizing you're not going to see them in person anymore was frustrating, to say the least," she said.

Pratt even told E! News that she dealt with Jordan's death by just pretending he was away for the week. Yet she said she knew that deep down, he'd want her to stay strong. "In my mind, I can hear him saying, 'B****, you better get it together,'" she said. Pratt eventually changed her focus to feeling lucky enough to have met Jordan and to helping keep his legacy alive.

Kyla Pratt was inspired to use her fame to spread awareness about emotional wellness after struggling with her own following the birth of her second daughter. She told Health she didn't realize what was wrong at first and didn't know how to address it. "I feel like everyone is working through something they don't talk about ... We can normalize it, and it becomes something we can bond over," she said.

Pratt has focused on supporting mental health for children and teens because she feels social media has made life harder for them. This is of course a priority with her own children as well. She told Wondermind that they have conversations about self-acceptance and even use topics that "The Proud Family" has covered as examples. 

She also told Elle Canada that she keeps her own mental health in check by saying no to anything that doesn't serve her, making sure she does some sort of physical activity every day, and surrounding herself with positive vibes. "I'm just making sure that I'm trying to grow into a better me every day," she said.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Although Kyla Pratt grew up to be a Hollywood beauty, the "Hotel for Dogs" actor doesn't just want to work onscreen. She also has aspirations to work behind the scenes. As she told Pix11 News in 2023, "I'm writing ... directing, producing ... Mama has to spread her wings and do as much as she can as long as she wants to." Pratt even apparently told Square Mile that trying her hand at different aspects of show business is the thing she's most proud of professionally. When asked about her greatest career accomplishment, she answered, "I would say allowing myself to grow and learn behind the scenes and not letting doubt take over."

Pratt did clarify that she still wants to continue acting, but that her fans can expect to see a whole different side of her as she gets older. She told Elle Canada, "Being a part of projects where you might not necessarily see my face, but my name and work will be there." They may also see her name on projects outside of Hollywood, given she has also said she wants to write a children's book series.

Unlike many former child stars, it appears that Pratt has really come into her own as an adult and continued to find success. She's not only become a beautiful woman, but has also proved that she has the talent and drive to last in the entertainment industry for years to come.