MomSkoop
The 1990s were packed with dreamy faces plastered on bedroom walls and magazine covers everywhere you looked. From TV shows to blockbuster movies, these guys made millions of hearts race with just one smile.
But time has a funny way of changing things, and many of these once-famous faces have faded from the spotlight. Get ready to take a trip down memory lane and see what happened to the heartthrobs who defined a generation.
1. Andrew Keegan
Remember the guy who made every girl swoon in “10 Things I Hate About You”?
Andrew Keegan was the classic bad boy with a killer smile who lit up every scene he stepped into.
He played Joey Donner so convincingly that fans almost forgot he was acting.
After Hollywood, Keegan took a surprising spiritual turn and even co-founded a new age religious community in Venice Beach.
Life clearly had other plans for this former teen idol.
2. Edward Furlong
At just 13 years old, Edward Furlong landed one of the most iconic roles in cinema history as John Connor in “Terminator 2.” His raw, scrappy energy made audiences everywhere root for him instantly.
He felt like the kid next door who accidentally became a legend.
The years since have been rocky, with personal struggles keeping him out of the mainstream spotlight.
Still, fans who grew up watching him never quite forgot that fierce, unforgettable spark.
3. Devon Sawa
Devon Sawa was basically the king of every 90s girl’s heart, thanks to roles in “Casper” and “Wild America.” He had this boyish charm that felt both approachable and impossibly cool at the same time.
That scene where Casper briefly becomes human?
Pure 90s magic.
Sawa has actually stayed busier than most on this list, popping up in horror projects and TV thrillers.
He never fully vanished, but the mainstream spotlight moved on without much fanfare.
4. Jonathan Taylor Thomas
If you had a bedroom wall in the 90s, chances are JTT was on it.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas was the undisputed king of “Tiger Beat” magazine and voiced Simba in “The Lion King” to top it all off.
He made “Home Improvement” must-watch television for an entire generation of kids.
He quietly stepped away from acting in the early 2000s to focus on education.
His deliberate exit from fame remains one of Hollywood’s most talked-about disappearing acts.
5. Rider Strong
Shawn Hunter was every 90s kid’s favorite misunderstood rebel on “Boy Meets World,” and Rider Strong brought that character to life with surprising emotional depth.
He had the kind of brooding intensity that made fans feel like they truly understood him.
Nobody wore a flannel shirt quite like Shawn Hunter did.
Strong stepped back from acting to pursue writing and directing, and he even earned a graduate degree in literature.
He returned briefly for the Disney revival “Girl Meets World” and reminded everyone just how talented he always was.
6. Nick Carter
Blond, blue-eyed, and impossibly charming, Nick Carter was the face of the Backstreet Boys during their absolute peak of global domination.
Teen magazines could not print his face fast enough to keep up with demand.
He was the poster boy of late-90s pop perfection.
Carter has had a complicated road since then, including health scares and personal setbacks that played out very publicly.
He has continued making music and even competed on reality TV, showing a resilience that fans genuinely admire.
7. Brian Littrell
While Nick Carter got most of the magazine covers, Brian Littrell had a devoted fan base who swore he was the true heart of the Backstreet Boys.
His smooth vocals and genuine warmth set him apart from the typical pop star mold.
That voice could melt anyone within a ten-foot radius.
Littrell has stayed connected to his faith and family throughout the years, occasionally releasing Christian music alongside BSB projects.
He remains one of the more grounded figures from that entire era of pop hysteria.
8. Joey McIntyre
As the youngest member of New Kids on the Block, Joey McIntyre carried the weight of being everyone’s favorite baby-faced pop star with remarkable ease.
His solo hit “Stay the Same” was basically the anthem of every 90s slow dance.
Nobody could resist that endearing mix of sweetness and stage presence.
McIntyre has kept himself remarkably busy with Broadway, reality TV, and NKOTB reunion tours.
He is one of the few 90s heartthrobs who genuinely seems to be having the time of his life.
9. Scott Wolf
Scott Wolf had this all-American, wholesome energy that made him absolutely irresistible as Bailey Salinger on “Party of Five.” He was the responsible older brother you secretly had a crush on while pretending to care about the plot.
His chemistry with Neve Campbell kept fans glued to the screen every week.
Wolf transitioned smoothly into other TV dramas over the years, including “The Night Shift” and “V.” He never quite reached that same cultural peak again, but he never truly disappeared either.
10. Jason Priestley
Brandon Walsh was the moral compass of “Beverly Hills, 90210,” and Jason Priestley made that role look effortlessly cool for an entire decade.
He had the kind of square-jawed, trustworthy handsomeness that parents approved of and teens obsessed over simultaneously.
That show basically invented the primetime teen drama genre.
Priestley moved into directing and producing after his acting star dimmed a bit.
He also survived a serious racing car accident in 2002, which gave him a whole new perspective on life and career.
11. Luke Perry
Dylan McKay was the brooding bad boy that made “Beverly Hills, 90210” a cultural phenomenon, and Luke Perry played him with effortless, leather-jacket cool.
Girls across the country declared Team Dylan with fierce loyalty that rivaled any modern fandom.
He was the gold standard of the tortured romantic hero archetype.
Perry made a beautiful comeback on “Riverdale” before tragically passing away in 2019 at just 52.
His legacy lives on through fans who never stopped loving that original Dylan McKay swagger.
12. Skeet Ulrich
Often called a poor man’s Johnny Depp, Skeet Ulrich had a dark, angular handsomeness that felt dangerous and magnetic all at once.
His role in Wes Craven’s original “Scream” made him a horror icon and a teen magazine staple overnight.
That smirk alone launched a thousand crushes.
Ulrich found renewed popularity on “Riverdale” as FP Jones, reminding a whole new generation why the 90s went absolutely wild for him.
He proved that some kinds of cool simply do not expire.
13. Ethan Embry
Ethan Embry was the lovable, goofy best friend type who somehow also managed to be crushworthy at the same time.
His role in “Can’t Hardly Wait” cemented him as the unofficial mascot of late-90s teen comedies.
He had this infectious, puppy-dog energy that was impossible not to root for.
Embry stepped away from the spotlight for a while but popped back up in shows like “The Walking Dead” and “Grace and Frankie.” He is one of those actors whose warmth translates no matter what the role requires.
14. Jeremy London
Jeremy London charmed his way into living rooms everywhere as Griffin Holbrook on “Party of Five” and Tommy Turtle in “Mallrats.” He had a laid-back California surfer vibe that felt authentic rather than manufactured.
His effortless cool made him stand out even in scenes packed with talented actors.
London’s later years brought some very public personal difficulties that overshadowed his earlier work.
Still, fans of that golden 90s TV era remember him fondly as one of the decade’s most underrated charmers.
15. James Van Der Beek
Dawson Leery cried, philosophized, and swooned his way into teen culture, and James Van Der Beek made every single moment feel completely believable. “Dawson’s Creek” was the show that defined an entire generation’s idea of romance and heartbreak.
That famous crying meme?
Iconic in ways he probably never predicted.
Van Der Beek embraced his cult status with humor, famously poking fun at himself in shows like “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.” He remains one of the most self-aware and genuinely funny figures from that whole era.
16. Joshua Jackson
Pacey Witter was supposed to be the sidekick, but Joshua Jackson made him the undisputed star of “Dawson’s Creek” without even trying that hard.
His natural charisma and sharp comedic timing made Pacey the character everyone actually wanted to end up with.
Sorry, Dawson, but the fans have spoken.
Jackson went on to star in “Fringe” and “The Affair,” proving his range extended well beyond teen drama territory.
He has aged into a genuinely compelling leading man that Hollywood keeps finding great uses for.
17. Freddie Prinze Jr.
Freddie Prinze Jr. was the romantic lead of every late-90s teen movie you ever watched at a sleepover.
From “She’s All That” to “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” he had this earnest, warm charm that felt genuinely sweet rather than calculated.
He made falling in love look like the easiest thing in the world.
He married Sarah Michelle Gellar and largely stepped back from acting to focus on family and cooking.
That pivot surprised many fans, but it clearly suits him perfectly well.
18. Eric Mabius
Eric Mabius had a quietly smoldering intensity that set him apart from the louder heartthrobs of his era.
His breakout role in “Welcome to the Dollhouse” showed he could handle darker, more complex material than most of his contemporaries.
He was the art-house crush hiding inside a mainstream package.
Later, he became widely known as Daniel Meade on the hit show “Ugly Betty,” earning a whole new wave of admirers.
His career arc is proof that slow-burning talent eventually finds its rightful audience.
19. Mario Lopez
AC Slater did more pull-ups and flashed more dimples than any other character on Saturday morning television, and Mario Lopez made every single moment look completely effortless.
His role on “Saved by the Bell” turned him into a certified 90s heartthrob with a fanbase that never fully moved on.
Those dimples should honestly have their own fan club.
Lopez has stayed remarkably visible as a TV host on “Extra” and various entertainment programs.
He might be the most consistently present face on this entire list, still working those famous dimples daily.
20. Scott Bairstow
Scott Bairstow had rugged, outdoorsy good looks that felt tailor-made for the frontier dramas he starred in throughout the 90s.
His role in “Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years” gave him a dedicated fan base who loved that raw, untamed energy he brought to every scene.
He was the cowboy heartthrob the decade did not fully appreciate.
Bairstow’s career faded fairly quickly due to legal troubles that derailed what could have been a promising trajectory.
He remains one of the more obscure names on this list for genuinely unfortunate reasons.
21. Adrian Grenier
Before “Entourage” made him a household name in the 2000s, Adrian Grenier was already turning heads in late-90s films like “Drive Me Crazy” opposite Melissa Joan Hart.
He had this effortlessly disheveled, curly-haired charm that felt refreshingly unpolished next to more traditionally groomed heartthrobs.
He looked like someone who stumbled into fame and somehow made it work.
Grenier has become a passionate environmental activist in recent years, channeling his platform toward ocean conservation causes.
That shift in focus has earned him a whole different kind of admiration from fans.
22. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Long before he became a critically acclaimed indie darling, Joseph Gordon-Levitt was charming living rooms everywhere as Tommy Solomon on “3rd Rock from the Sun.” He had this quick-witted, expressive energy that made him impossible to look away from even as a kid.
You could tell even then that something special was happening on screen.
He evolved into one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, starring in films like “500 Days of Summer” and “Inception.” His transformation from sitcom kid to serious leading man is genuinely one of the best Hollywood glow-up stories around.