Are you nostalgic for the nineties? Boy bands like the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC were taking over, Friends and Baywatch were at their peak and yes, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were still everyone's couple goals. The 90s were an era full of icons that left a lasting impression on pop culture, but where are the decade's most famous faces today? Well, no more reminiscing because here's a look at precisely what the stars we were all once obsessed with are up to now.
Alicia Silverstone
The "as if" star Alicia Silverstone starred in the 1990s cult-classic film Clueless, known for its iconic fashion and memorable lines that people have been quoting for decades. She was wanted for every role in the entertainment industry during that time, but now she lives a much more low-key life. Though she is still in the spotlight, she spends most of her time advocating for animal rights, veganism, and healthy organic diets.
Alicia once confessed she hated acting after getting body-shamed so much in her twenties. However, now she found her passion for theatre again and hopes to perform until the day she dies!
Carmen Electra
Tara Leigh Patrick, professionally known as Carmen Electra, is most famous for her time on Baywatch and has always had a passion for entertainment and Hollywood life. Carmen Electra is fifty years old but hardly seen on the big screen nowadays. However, she admitted that the iconic red swimsuit that catapulted her to fame is actually framed in her living room. But, these days, her career path has taken a bit of a turn in ways people might have never expected.
Carmen Electra started posting content on the adult content website, OnlyFans. Her profile is filled with seductive photos of herself in lingerie, swimsuits, and high-heeled shoes. It's not quite acting anymore, but with 55,000 OnlyFans followers, she won't be leaving the platform anytime soon.
Matthew Perry
Friends actor, Matthew Perry, may have been a jokester on the popular sitcom, but his real life was a lot darker. In his new book, Perry shares that despite stardom and success, he struggled with alcoholism and was addicted to pain pills. He admitted at one point, he would take fifty-five Vicodin pills a day. Though he thought his co-stars couldn't tell, Jennifer Aniston confronted him one day on set and revealed they could all smell alcohol on him.
The Emmy winner shocked fans when he revealed that his colon burst from opioid overuse. Despite being successful, drug addiction is a disease he is still trying his best to overcome.
Tiffani Thiessen
The stunning actress Tiffani Thiessen had people swooning over her when she starred in Saved by the Bell as Kelly Kapowski at the young age of fifteen. She dated two of her co-stars while filming for the show, Mario Lopez and Mark-Paul Gosselaar, but they didn't quite work out. In 2020 there was a sequel series in which she joined and revived her iconic role as Kelly. But acting isn't her only passion.
Once America's TV sweetheart, now Tiffani spends her days cooking and posting the recipes on her social media. She also hosts an MTV show called Deliciousness, all about food videos from the Internet.
Macaulay Culkin
Former child star Macaulay Culkin is most famously known for his iconic role in Home Alone. He rose to fame so young and became a recognizable face of the nineties. He even dated That 70s Show actress Mila Kunis when they were only 21 and 18, respectively. They had a long relationship that lasted about eight years, and they heavily relied on each other for emotional support, bonding over their childhood fame.
But whatever happened to him? He revealed that in the years following Home Alone, his abusive father made him endlessly work and threatened to steal all of his money. With all the family drama, he just wanted out of the spotlight.
Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore, star of films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Never Been Kissed and Scream, had a tumultuous childhood as she started acting at only five years old. By the nineties, she was no stranger to the big screen or entertainment world but had a love-hate relationship with acting because of the trauma it had brought her. She was partying, doing drugs, and dating men way older than her, which was undoubtedly an intense time. But today, she has grown from those experiences and hosts her own daytime TV show where she shares some of those stories.
Drew talks about her life and career in the nineties openly and acknowledged how crazy it was for her. Though she is very different today, she inspires people with her honesty about it all.
Winona Ryder
The It Girl of the nineties, Winona Ryder was wildly successful everywhere. Everyone knew her face and name from her films like Edward Scissorhands, Little Women, Reality Bites, and Girl, Interrupted. She was in one of the most high-profile relationships with Johnny Depp, with fans obsessing and drooling over the power couple. Though she quickly vanished from the public eye when she got caught shoplifting and was sentenced to three years probation.
After the public discovered her shoplifting, Hollywood stopped casting her in leading roles. She disappeared from acting, and the spotlight altogether and only made a comeback the past few years with her role in Stranger Things.
Pamela Anderson
Bathing suit goddess, Pamela Anderson had a hold over the nineties. Her sex appeal and style undoubtedly influenced pop culture, while her role in the television series Baywatch became iconic and skyrocketed her to fame. Around this time, she met Mötley Crüe rocker Tommy Lee and married him four days later. They split after a tumultuous relationship which people speculated could've been because of their infamous stolen sex tape being released. So what does the former Baywatch actress do now?
Pamela quit social media over a year ago and moved back to Canada. She spends most of her time advocating for organizations like Peta, the National Sexual Violence Resource Centre, and The International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Jamie Lynn Spears
As the younger sister of Britney Spears, Jamie followed right in her footsteps. As soon as she could walk, she was in the limelight. She went on to star in the Nickelodeon show Zoey 101. But it was canceled as news of her teen pregnancy soon took over the headlines. She stopped acting, but her public image was never the same, especially considering her disturbing public feud with her sister in which Britney accused Jamie of being involved in enforcing her conservatorship.
Though Jamie claims to have known nothing about Britney's 13-year conservatorship, the details don't add up. The sisters seem to have no contact until this day.
Brandy
At fifteen years old, Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Brandy Norwood was already selling millions of copies of her album. Her wild success was attributed to her soft yet raspy voice and amazing riffs. Though a few years later, the R&B pop sensation was accused of driving recklessly and committing manslaughter when she was involved in a fatal car accident that killed the other driver. She was found not guilty and continued her music career.
Recently, Brandy was hospitalized, and some fans speculate it was from a seizure. But so far, she has only shared that it was from extreme exhaustion and dehydration.
Mario Lopez
The talented Mario Lopez began his journey in the entertainment world at ten years old, when he was discovered at a dance recital. Ever since he has been acting and dancing professionally. He made a name for himself when he starred in Saved by the Bell. He went on to get married to actress Ali Landry but admitted in an interview with Howard Stern that he cheated, which was a bit of a bad publicity stunt.
Now the former 90s actor has made a career for himself by spending most of his time relentlessly hosting different TV shows and events like Extra and Access Hollywood.
Donna D'Errico
The stunning actress Donna D'Errico gained popularity after she had a starring role in the television series Baywatch. She was famous for being beautiful and strutting in a bathing suit on TV, revealing that she's still practically doing that today. She confessed she has an OnlyFans account where she posts bikini and lingerie photos of herself. However, the Baywatch actress feels judged for doing so because of her age, approaching fifty-five years old.
Donna recently shared, "I don't take myself too seriously, as well as the fact that I'm on Onlyfans. I'll do funny things in a bikini, I have such an amazing sense of humor, but I'm very humble."
Nick Carter
Nick Carter described himself as "the weird kid," but he was once a part of an influential best-selling boy band, The Backstreet Boys. The only boy band to ever have all of their ten albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200 charts, which is insane by anyone's standards. Nick continued a successful solo career over the years and even tried his hand at acting. But Carter had a dark secret that would soon come to light.
He struggled with drug and alcohol abuse and was often arrested for DUIs. But seems to be better now as he is heading on a world tour with Backstreet Boys this year.
Melissa Joan Hart
The true queen of 90s sitcoms, Melissa Joan Hart, starred in Clarissa Explains It All, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Moesha. When she was around twenty years old, the bright actress took courses at New York University. However, she suddenly dropped out after learning she was cast as the lead character Sabrina Spellman in Sabrina the Teenage Witch. The spooky show would go on to run for seven seasons but she admitted when the cameras weren't rolling the was a party animal.
Melissa shared that away from the cameras, she did drugs, partied a lot, and cheated on her then-boyfriend with Ryan Renolds. But nowadays, she lives her life calmly in Nashville as a mom to three boys.
Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci is known for playing weird characters, especially her iconic role as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family. She also starred in Casper and alongside Johnny Depp in the films Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Sleepy Hollow. Though she is well-known, typecasting definitely affected her. She became known for cult characters and seemed to only land gritty roles. Most recently received an Emmy Award nomination for her acting on Yellowjackets.
Besides acting, she is passionate about activism. Ricci has been the national spokesperson for America's largest anti-sexual violence organization since 2007.
Lance Bass
Lance Bass rose to fame as one of the singers for the boyband NSYNC. They were so successful that he was devastated when the band broke up. He was the most vocal about it and blamed Justin Timberlake for pursuing his successful solo career. In a surprising turn of events, after they completed a tour, he moved to Russia for space tourism and became certified by both NASA and the Russian Space Program after several months of training.
Bass married his partner Michael Turchin in 2014, and they have twins, Violet Betty and Alexander, who both recently turned one!
Kevin Richardson
Kevin Richardson has been singing his heart out for decades and was often seen as the big brother of the group, Backstreet Boys. He regularly left the band and rejoined, marking his complicated relationship with his desire for a solid solo career yet genuine love for his bandmates and music. There were speculations of a new band member replacing him, and he would continuously share he wanted to move on to something new in his life.
Luckily for their many fans, the Backstreet Boys have stood the test of time because Kevin rejoined once again, and they are all touring together this year, reliving their young days.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
The five-time winning Teen Choice Awards actress, Sarah Michelle Gellar, was internationally recognized for her part as Buffy Summers on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Although it was hugely successful, there have been recent allegations about the show's creator, Joss Whedon abusing his power and making the work environment toxic. She recently spoke out against it sharing she doesn't want to be associated with the show anymore because of him.
The actress sees herself as a juggler of many things; she wrote a cookbook and has been heavily involved with several charities like Project Angel Food and Habitat for Humanity.
James Van Der Beek
James Van Der Beek has been a longtime favorite actor in the entertainment world, especially after he made his breakthrough on the hit show Dawson's Creek. The series ran for six seasons before he went on to appear in films like Texas Rangers, Scary Movie, and The Plague. However, these days, he needs a break from Hollywood. He's had a few random hosting and TV gigs but hasn't appeared in anything significant for a while.
He shared on social media that he wants a life where his kids can play outside, away from LA glam. So he and his wife picked up and moved across the United States to Texas, finally escaping the buzz of Los Angeles.
Aaron Carter
The "I Want Candy" singer, Aaron Carter was the ultimate pre-teen pop star of the 90s. He was already performing at seven years old and had sold millions of albums by nine. Despite his major success, he had a very bumpy life. From high-profile relationships with Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan, his very public and strained family relationships, bankruptcy, and rehab visits for drug abuse, Aaron hasn't managed to catch a break.
The former pop icon sadly passed away at the age of 24 in November 2022. Fans worldwise paid tribute to the late star, including ex Hilary Duff, who said her teenage self loved him deeply.
Luke Perry
The TV icon and heartthrob Luke Perry rose to fame in the early 90s. He starred in films like 8 Seconds and Terminal Bliss but felt most connected to his role on Beverly Hills, 90210. Most recently, he had played the role of Fred Andrews on Riverdale, the series based on Archie Comics. However, it was a devastating day when the public learned he had a massive stroke and was in critical condition. Sadly he passed away shortly after at the age of fifty-two.
He's been on the minds of many, like his friends, family, and co-stars, who have spoken about missing him and the memories they shared together.
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Freddie Prinze Jr. made an appearance in Family Matters before he would go on to act in I Know What You Did Last Summer and finally landed a leading role in She's All That. Despite having a lengthy career, he realized he had another passion and wanted to escape the Hollywood scene. He admitted he dreamt of being a stay-at-home dad to his kids, whom he shares with another 90s icon, Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Freddie shared he felt he accomplished everything he wanted in the acting world and preferred his full-time job to be cooking and raising his kids.
Dustin Diamond
Dustin Diamond was best known for his character Samuel "Screech" Powers on Saved by the Bell. Though on-screen he was a geeky kid, he took part in some seriously scandalous things in his real life. He filed for bankruptcy, professionally wrestled, formed a metal band, and directed and released his sex tape. He was arrested several times and served time in jail for carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct.
Sadly Dustin was diagnosed with cancer in 2021 and died soon after starting treatment at forty-four years old.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
The Olsen twins started acting in the hit TV series Full House when they were just six months old. They filmed dozens of movies and TV shows together, but there is an unfortunate dark reality to their child star fame. With the constant pressure and tabloids talking about them, they grew to hate their upbringing. Mary-Kate Olsen suffered from anorexia, and they completely retreated from the public eye. These days they stick to fashion, but the controversy doesn't stop there.
The twins own a successful luxury fashion line but recently, a class-action lawsuit was filed against them for underpaying their workers and dangerous working conditions.
Kenan Thompson
The hilarious actor made a name for himself on Nickelodeon's All That and Kenan & Kel while he was still a high schooler. He was a natural at sketch comedy and soon joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. He became known for his celebrity impressions, especially those of Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Cosby, and Steve Harvey. Earlier this year, he celebrated his 20th anniversary on the show, making him the longest-tenured cast member in SNL's history!
The self-proclaimed mayor of television isn't slowing down anytime soon. He is a six-time Emmy nominee and recently hosted the 2022 Emmy Award show for the first time.
Alanis Morissette
The iconic pop singer Alanis Morissette skyrocketed to fame when her album Jagged Little Pill became highly successful. She went on to take home four Grammy Awards in 1996. Though she enjoyed the fame, she recently spoke out in a new documentary about the multiple relationships she had with older men while she was fifteen. She finally admitted after years of therapy, she realized she was simply a grooming victim.
Lately, she's been making new music and decided to try something new by making a meditation album. Alanis has also been touring in celebration of Jagged Little Pill reaching its 25th anniversary.
Candace Cameron Bure
Candace Cameron Bure is most known for portraying DJ Tanner, a funny and naive character on Full House, but what is she actually like today? Candace has been caught in quite a few scandals regarding her conservative views on life. She defended a bakery that refused to make a cake for a lesbian wedding and said, "I don’t think this is discrimination at all. This is about freedom of association."
She was also called out for refusing to take a photo with the singer and dancer JoJo Siwa, who is openly lesbian.
Jaleel White
The unforgettable role of Steve Urkel on the sitcom Family Matters was played so beautifully by Jaleel White for a total of nine seasons. He was known for his catchphrase, "Did I do that?" He played that character so well that he felt restricted by it, admitting it was difficult finding other roles because people only saw him as Urkel. Now over two decades since the show ended, he is still acting.
In 2022, he landed a supporting character role in the movie Hustle alongside big names like Adam Sandler and Queen Latifah.
Jodie Sweetin
The cute and hilarious little Stephanie Tanner of Full House was played by no other than Jodie Sweetin. She was innocent on TV but had a dark secret in real life. Following the end of Full House, at around fourteen years old, Jodie began drinking and using drugs. It would send her into a spiral for years until she could get clean and stay sober in 2008. She began working at a drug rehab center and completed her degree as a drug and alcohol counselor.
Sweetin has become a public advocate for recovery from addiction and even returned to the world of acting with the reboot Fuller House.
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple graced the world with her unique and melancholic pop. In 1997, she won the "Best New Artist in a Video" award at the MTV Video Music Awards. She was only twenty years old and clearly talented. But she was soon labeled unhinged and had a meltdown on stage that would cause her to disappear for a while. Despite her absence, she maintained a career in the music industry and released her last album in 2020.
The singer-songwriter has struggled with drug use in the past and shared she wouldn't be able to stay sober if she was in the public eye, facing constant judgment.
Robin Tunney
The cult classic actress participated in many renowned projects like Encino Man, Empire Records, and The Craft. She even acted in well-recognized shows like Prison Break and The Mentalist. She was once very recognizable and a promising actress, but what ever happened to her? She has kept a relatively low profile for a while, but in 2020, she starred in the movie Horse Girl. She also surprisingly has a completely unrelated hobby.
Apparently, she slowed down on acting gigs because she enjoys playing in poker tournaments. Now she spends her time between that and raising her children.
Jason Priestley
Jason Priestley was cast as Brandon Walsh on the hit TV show Beverly Hills, 90210. The show was so popular it instantly turned him into a teen idol. However, there was a lot of behind-the-scenes drama fans were unaware of. He released a memoir and specifically talked about how awful Shannen Doherty was, insinuating she was challenging to work with and complained about everything. Shannen bounced back quickly, saying his memory got altered from all the accidents he was in.
Now at fifty-two years old, he prefers to spend his time directing. He's directed episodes of many series like Private Eyes, BH90210, and Ghost Wars.
Amy Jo Johnson
Amy Jo Johnson first hit the big screen in 1993 when she played the original Pink Ranger in the TV series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. She also made appearances in Susie Q and Saved by the Bell: The New Class. However, acting is not her only forte because she shifted her focus when she began songwriting and released three studio albums. As the years went on, she decided to get back into acting, but this time behind the scenes.
She identifies as a filmmaker and has directed and produced several projects, including short films, a feature film, and an episode of Superman & Lois.
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill, the singer and songwriter, is often regarded as one of the best musicians. She broke barriers for females in music, from her group, the Fugees, to her iconic album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. She won eight Grammy Awards yet disappeared in the decades following. She had become pregnant at the height of her career and quickly developed a reputation for being rude, late to all her shows, and unreliable.
Several years later, she would serve a few months in prison for tax evasion. Nowadays, she occasionally performs and is primarily active on social media about various social rights movements.
Christine Taylor
Christine Taylor was most famous for perfectly playing Marcia Brady in the 1995 version of The Brady Bunch and acted in several movies and TV shows such as The Craft, The Wedding Singer, and Friends. She became involved with fellow actor Ben Stiller in 1999, and the start of their tumultuous seventeen-year-long marriage began. Though they never officially spoke about why they spit up, rumors were Ben Stiller was mean and brutal to be around.
However, time proves to heal all wounds because they revealed this year that they were giving their marriage another try. Christine prefers to stay low-key and spends her time with her family.
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty had her breakout role in the series Beverly Hills, 90210 playing the character Brenda Walsh. After garnering major success, she left the show after the fourth season, though many speculated she was fired. Apparently, she had a reputation for being difficult to work with and was getting into fights with her co-star Tori Spelling. Besides having a knack for acting, she also enjoyed modeling. In fact, she posed nude for Playboy magazine several times throughout the 90s.
The beloved actress has been battling cancer on and off since 2015 and, in February 2020, revealed it had returned. She credits her strong support system for helping her through it all.
Gaby Hoffmann
Gaby Hoffmann began acting at the young age of four and soon after found success; she would even help her parents pay their bills from her earnings. She had roles in Sleepless in Seattle, and Everyone Says I Love You alongside Natalie Portman and even worked with Macaulay Culkin. However, those days were somewhat traumatizing for her, as she recalls when Mel Gibson screamed at her until she cried at eleven years old.
Gaby had taken multiple breaks from acting but recently went all in to play the first female manager of a major sports arena in Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty.
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson, or 'The Rock,' wasn't always the successful actor he is known as today. In fact, throughout the 90s, he was an athletic star. He played football for the University of Miami and professionally wrestled before appearing on That 70s Show. From that moment on, he began his acting career and never looked back. Now he finds himself starring in franchises like Fast and Furious, where he's been in a years-long feud with fellow co-star Vin Diesel.
Some speculate the feud between the two actors was more of a publicity stunt, but The Rock posted on Instagram, "There’s no other franchise that gets my blood boiling more than this one. My female costars are always amazing and I love ’em. My male costars, however, are a different story."
Will Smith
Will Smith hit significant success when he starred in the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and movies like Bad Boys and Men in Black, but that's not the only thing he hit. Each decade he seems to take on more exciting projects and recently won an award for best actor at the 2022 Oscars. But that celebratory moment quickly disappeared when he slapped Chris Rock during the award show. Did they ever settle their beef?
Well, Will Smith recently apologized to Chris Rock, but Chris said he wouldn't forgive him. After getting punched in the face on live TV, who can blame him?
Justin Timberlake
In the late 1990s, Justin Timberlake made tidal waves when he rose to fame for his incredible vocal skills in the boyband NSYNC. He became an internationally-recognized name and went on to make music with a successful solo career, winning awards one after the other. He was dating Britney Spears at the time but got into hot water when he revealed in an interview that they had slept together, despite Britney sharing she was waiting until she was married.
After a new documentary about Britney Spears and her conservatorship was released, Justin took to Instagram to publicly apologize to her all these years later.