Actors and actresses from the 90s: See these legends serve iconic looks
Whack on those slap bracelets, dig out your epic gel pen collection, and get ready for a nostalgic sobbing sesh, because today we’re looking back at the hottest 90s hunks and babes to answer the question: just where are they now?
While many of these actors who bogarted a significant chunk of your wallspace back in the day simply faded into the background once their youthful sex appeal wore off, others thrived past the 90s finish line and continue to make hearts flutter even to this day. Our beloved actors and actresses definitely knew how to serve looks in the 90s.
Let’s start with the hunks, shall we? Love hearts at the ready!
Hunks
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Freddie P was the go-to loveable 90s jock, gracing our screens with his nonoffensive face in the likes of She’s All That and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Question is, what was he doing last summer, and the summer before that, and the summer before that?
Well, aside from being #couplegoals with his wifey Sarah Michelle Gellar (more on her later), he’s also done a bit of voiceover work and was a producer & director for the WWE (yes, the wrestling organization!). Why the fuck not, Freddie? You do you.
Mario Lopez
Mario Lopez a.k.a. A.C. Slater was the ultimate swoonfest of Bayside High. Not only was he the hottest hunk of Saved by the Bell, but he’s actually managed to stay within the spotlight by transitioning from acting to hosting. Since the 90s, he’s gone on to host everything from America’s Best Dance Crew to The X Factor. Oh yeah, and he basically hasn’t aged. At all. He continues serving looks from the 90s to now.
James Van Der Beek
Dawson Leery – the guy with the dreamy smile, sensitive nature, and unstoppable cranium. Dawson’s Creek fans were so full of adoration for this guy, they even looked past his “ugly crying” face.
Sadly, his career didn’t really progress after the show finished back in 2003, aside from a stint in the Bret Easton Ellis adaptation The Rules of Attraction (which is awesome, by the way), and the time he parodied himself on Funny or Die. There’s not a lot else worth mentioning.
Skeet Ulrich
The rat-faced wonder that is Skeet Ulrich made many of us feel warm and fuzzy inside, despite playing the bad guy in The Craft and Scream. There was just something about that angular face that got us all hot under the collar. He’s not done so bad on the little screen in recent times, starring in Law & Order: LA and more recently, The CW’s Riverdale. Thumbs up, dude!
Matthew Lawrence
Ah, Matthew Lawrence with his shiny hair and doughy face. This guy transitioned from child actor in Mrs. Doubtfire to 90s teen heartthrob in Brotherly Love. Although he’s still apparently working, his biggest roles since the heydays have been in the 2002 film The Hot Chick and 2007’s The Comebacks. So no major comeback, as of yet.
Kel Mitchell
Did anyone else love Kel as much as he loved orange soda? I do, I do, I do, I do, I do-ooooo! Since his epic stint as one half of Nickelodeon’s most loved duo – Kenan & Kel – the actor has done pretty well for himself, starring in a range of shows including Wild Grinders and Game Shakers.
Luke Perry
Luke Perry was the 90s heartthrob, starring in everyone’s favorite teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210. Not only has he aged incredibly well (the dude’s over 50!), but he’s also gone on to have guest roles on shows like Will & Grace, Law & Order: SVU, Hot in Cleveland, and Riverdale.
Update: Unfortunately, Mr. Perry tragically passed away since this article was first published. R.I.P., Luke!
After a turn as classic Hollywood actor Wayne Maunder in Quentin Tarantino’s highly anticipated Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Perry, unfortunately, passed away at the tender age of 52. Rest in peace, Luke.
Will Smith
We know, we know – everyone is aware of what Will Smith’s up to these days. But we simply couldn’t make a 90s hunk list and not include the Fresh Prince. That would be criminal. So yeah, he was hot stuff back then and he still is now, starring in multiple smash-hit films including Independence Day, Men in Black, Hancock, I Am Legend, Hitch, and Bad Boys. Phew!
Babes
Sarah Michelle Gellar
As the second half of the ultimate #couplegoals duo, Sarah Michelle Gellar has come a long way since her vampire-slaying days, continuing to slay in completely new and amazing ways. She’s in the perfect 90s marriage with Freddie P, and she still acts and does voiceovers for the likes of Robot Chicken and American Dad. We loved her looks from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and she still slays the game.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Starring alongside Gellar in I Know What You Did Last Summer was Jennifer Love Hewitt and her gravity-defying bod. Since then she’s enjoyed a successful career in TV, spending 2005 to 2010 whispering to ghosts and starring in Criminal Minds from 2014 to 2015. Not at lot since then, but then maybe she’s decided to take a break from the limelight. Why the fuck not?
Shannon Elizabeth
After her appearance on American Pie as the girl who spurred on a pie-fucking, Nadia was the object of everyone’s desire back in 1999. Since then she’s had a handful of sitcom cameo roles and a few movie parts (Scary Movie, anyone?), but nothing to write home about.
Christina Applegate
If you don’t remember this blonde bombshell from her ten-year role as Kelly Bundy from Married… with Children, your 90s sitcom lyf was severely lacking. Applegate’s gone on to fulfill a buttload of successful roles, including The Sweetest Thing and Bad Moms (not to mention Rachel’s psychotic sister in Friends).
Stacey Dash
The less said about what Stacey Dash is up to now, the better. Yes, she’s gone on to adopt some rather controversial political views on feminism and the Black Lives Matter movement, but we’ll always remember her as the beloved half of our favorite 90s duo in Clueless. So phat!
Brandy Norwood
She might be better known for her cheesy R&B music career, but Brandy earned babe status in flicks like I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (undeniable classic) and TV shows like Moesha. These days Brandy still acts, although in low-profile shows like Zoe Ever After and The Game.
Tiffani Thiessen
As the female version of Mario Lopez, Thiessen a.k.a. Kelly Kapowski was the ultimate 90s babelicious goddess. Who didn’t want her as their girlfriend back in the day? Not only was she one of the six leads in Saved by the Bell, but Thiessen also went on to star as the witch that was Valerie Malone on Beverly Hills, 90210. Banging!
