The 1990s were a strange and beautiful time to grow up. Without social media, most everyone based their early celebrity crushes on movies. Now that the '90s are over, those early crushes grew up too...
Marley Shelton
Everyone was crazy about Wendy Peffercorn, not just Ham from The Sandlot. This legendary lifeguard famously gave mouth-to-mouth to Squints, and we like to think that she kickstarted a lot of our young hearts as well. Fortunately for Marley Shelton, this was just the springboard moment for her career.
Where is She Now?
Right now, Shelton is 41 years old. She formerly starred in Pleasantville, Never Been Kissed, Sugar and Spice, Uptown Girls, and most famously, Mad Men. Like many of us, Shelton is currently taking a break, and when the world sorts itself out, she's planning on returning to Hollywood.
Jessica Biel
Do you remember Mary Camden from WB's hit show 7th Heaven? Yeah, that was Jessica Biel. She was pretty much every '90s kid's childhood crush.
Where is She Now?
Biel kept her TV career rolling along well into her late 20s. Recently, she got involved with doing charity outreach programs for less fortunate and houseless individuals. Oh, and she got married to Justin Timberlake. She's doing a pretty good job making sure her life trajectory stays pointed towards the top.
Tiffani Amber Thiessen
Thiessen played Kelly Kapowski, who was arguably the most widely crushed-on lady of the 1990s. Her time on Saved by the Bell launched her Hollywood career. She moved on to bigger things immediately after her hit show ended.
Where is She Now?
Thiessen landed a role on Beverly Hills, 90210 shortly after Saved by the Bell ended. Nearly 30 years later, Thiessen is just as crushable as ever before. She has a husband, two kids, and is currently starring in USA's White Collar.
Soleil Moon Frye
The legendary Punky Brewster, known for her pigtails, freckles, and brightly colored clothing. Frye grew up to be a successful and beautiful woman! Since Frye was in showbusiness since she was a youngster, she got to see all angles of what it means to be involved with the Hollywood lifestyle...
Where Is She Now?
Frye acted for a long time, and later in her career, she stepped behind the camera. She directed both Wild Horses and Sonny Boy, in addition to winning Best Documentary at the San Diego Film Festival. She is also an entrepreneur and a published author. There isn't much this lady can't do!
Halle Berry
Some people remember Halle Berry from her early appearances in Hollywood films, but her second-place finish in the 1986 Miss USA pageant was what kickstarted her career in the public eye. She had an incredible run as an actress and model through the 90s into the 2000s, and she's not done yet.
Where is She Now?
Berry was able to flip her massive young adult success into a lifetime of fame, fortune, and notoriety. She has received numerous accolades, is in contention for a young lifetime achievement award, and she won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002 for her work in the movie Monster Ball.
Alyssa Milano
Milano began her acting carer as Tony Danza's daughter on the hit show Who's The Boss. She starred in that show for eight years, and when it ended, she transitioned into the soap opera world.
Where is She Now?
After a super successful run on the primetime soap opera Melrose Place, Milano kept to herself until she landed a starring role on WB's Charmed. Since then, she became a political and climate activist with a primary focus on humanitarian philanthropy, on top of continuing to act from time to time.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Hewett captured the hearts of America as Sarah Reeves on her legendary mid-90s show Party of Five. Since that point in her life, Hewitt slowed down her career a bit but she focused on maintaining high-quality acting experiences. She launched her career into legendary status.
Where is She Now?
After Party of Five, Hewitt starred in I Know What You Did Last Summer and Can't Hardly Wait. She transitioned into adulthood gracefully, taking incremental breaks to remain human while working in Hollywood. Now, she is taking some time off to nurse her newborn baby.
Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone's breakout role was literally in a movie called The Crush. However, she didn't reach international stardom until she acted in the legendary 90s mega-hit movie Clueless.
Where is She Now?
Silverstone looks just as good now as she did when she was a young adult. She stepped back from acting and focused on her personal life a bit more. Although, she does dabble from time to time.
Kirsten Dunst
You first found out about Dunst when she starred with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in Interview With the Vampire. She was named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People at the age of 13 (pretty creepy by today's standards, but these were the '90s).
Where is She Now?
Dunst was, is, and has always been a very simple lady. All she wanted was to grow up and be happy. She definitely managed to make that happen. From the looks of it, she has aged into adulthood gracefully, and based on the new mansion she just bought, she's probably happy and comfortable too.
Emma Watson
It's no secret that loads of children who were born in the late '80s and early '90s crushed hard on Hermione Granger in Harry Potter. But, that person who was on the screen proved to be just as hardworking, kind, caring, and intelligent as she portrayed in her character acting. Emma Watson has been killing it since she was a kid, and she's still killing it today.
Where is She Now?
Watson earned degrees at both Brown and Oxford, and although she continues to act, her work as a humanitarian philanthropist has taken the front seat for her. She was recently appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for U.N. Women as well. It's safe to say that we're still crushing on Emma Watson to this day.
Jennifer Connelly
Connelly got her start alongside David Bowie in the legendary film Labyrinth. Believe it or not, that movie came out more than 30 years ago, Even though it might feel like yesterday, Connelly has used the interim time to become an extremely highly critically acclaimed actress.
Where is She Now?
Well, for starters, Connelly never really left Hollywood. She has been seemingly aging backward, starring in hugely successful shows and movies, and she set a path for her career to stay moving until further notice.
Stacey Dash
We all crushed hard on Stacey Dash when she starred in 1995's Clueless. But, it was actually the 1988 movie Moving that put Dash in the fast lane to success. But, that was 42 years ago.
Where is She Now?
Dash worked in both TV and film for quite a long time before she ditched the big screen for the small screen. She has been working as a Fox News contributor and is an avid and outspoken supporter of former president Donald Trump. She hasn't appeared on Fox News in a few weeks though.
Christine Lakin
Everyone wanted to be Alicia "Al" Lambert from ABS's Step By Step. But, Lakin was the only one who could credibly do the job. After crushing it as a kid, Lakin transitioned smoothly into becoming a successful star as an adult.
Where is She Now?
Well, Lakin never actually stepped out of the limelight. She is cooler and hotter than ever. Since her debut as a kid, she has amassed more than 100 film and TV credits, including multiple successful jobs as a voice actor in shows like Family Guy and Hollywood Darlings.
Christine Ricci
Maybe you didn't have a "crush" on Wednesday Addams, but she was undeniably one of the most unforgettable characters of the 1990s. Christina Ricci continued down the horror train until recent years, where she seems to have reinvented herself.
Where is She Now?
Ricci still acts as her main gig. She saw Addams Family level success in the film Now and Then but has since nailed critically acclaimed roles in productions like Monster and The Opposite of Sex.
Melissa Joan Hart
Melissa Joan Hart got her career started on Nickelodeon's Clarissa Explains it All, but she didn't reach generational crush status until she snagged her starring role in the live-action Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Where is She Now?
Hart took a serious break from acting, but she started to get back into it in her older adult life. She has aged gracefully, which might be due to all of those rituals she performed while on the set of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Danica McKellar
McKellar is most known for playing Winnie Cooper in The Wonder Years. She had a difficult ride transitioning from child to adult actor, but eventually, her early success worked out for her.
Where is She Now?
McKellar struggled to stay relevant until 2005. She did a centerfold of racy pictures for Stuff magazine, which increased her popularity massively. Most recently, she landed on Dancing With the Stars. She didn't get very far, but she still appeared, and that's what counts.
Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg hit it big in the early 1990s when she starred in Harriet the Spy and The Adventures of Pete and Pete. Her career only went up from there, starring in numerous incredible programs.
Where is She Now?
After Trachtenberg's childhood experiences, she went on to star in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and then Gossip Girl. She has been wildly successful for her entire career, and she's still killing it today.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Gellar was known for her leading role as Buffy from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. She was the quintessential 1990s crushable actress. She was the queen of horror, and she continued to be until she got older.
Where is She Now?
Gellar became the queen of horror in the 1990s. She now focuses on smaller-scale productions, primarily horror movies, and simpler voice acting roles. She loves the movie-making process and is dedicated to helping independent filmmakers get their careers started.
Danielle Fishel
You probably remember Rishel as Topanga from Boy Meets World. She was arguably one of the most iconic female characters of the 1990s.
Where is She Now?
Nowadays, she just lays low. She acts here and there, but for the most part, she just enjoys her life as a family woman. She came back for the reprise of Boy Meets World (Girl Meets World) in 2018, but that's the most she's done.
Natalie Portman
Portman's career began very close to the way it's going now. Everybody loved her, she took incredible roles, and absolutely every person on earth had a crush on her. She got started in The Professional, but everyone seemed to take notice of her in Star Wars I.
Where is She Now?
If you've been living under a rock, Natalie Portman has not stopped acting. She has starred in more incredible movies in the past ten years than most actors in their entire lives.
Lacey Chabert
Lacy Chabert first became famous for playing Claudia on Party of Five. However, she later went on to snag even more fame by playing Cosette in the Broadway production of Les Miserables. Everybody loved her, and they still do.
Where is She Now?
Chabert laid low until she ended up playing Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls. She was actually a lot older than one would think when she played that character, and that moment rocketed her into permanent stardom. Nowadays, she lays low and spends her time away from the cameras.
Tyra Banks
Yeah, Tyra Banks was one of the coolest, hottest, and most impressive fashion icons of the 1990s well into the 2000s. She's a model, designer, and personality to boot. She's been doing it since she was a kid, and it doesn't look like she's going to stop any time soon.
Where is She Now?
Tyra Banks currently hosts a talk show, America's Next Top Model, and is a social media sensation. Her extreme success made her an extremely recognizable public figure, and we're super happy about that.
Anna Chlumsky
Chlumsky made everyone crack a smile when she played Vada in My Girl. She bustled through several projects after that, but she never quite saw the same stardom. However, she did make a resurgence in her later life.
Where is She Now?
Chlumsky went down a few different career paths, but she decided to return to the acting game when she was in her late 20s. She landed a spot on HBO's hit series Veep, and she starred in Broadway's Living on Love as well.
Katie Holmes
If you don't remember Katie Holmes from Dawson's Creek, then you probably caught her later on in life. Holmes was super popular when she was young, but she really started to take off in her adult years.
Where is She Now?
Holmes got married to Tom Cruise, but that didn't last. Currently, Holmes is reinventing herself on television and in films, and she's doing it with a huge smile on her face.
Drew Barrymore
Barrymore hit the scene with a bang in the extremely popular sci-fi film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Shortly after that, she became one of Hollywood's most sought-after stars.
Where is She Now?
Barrymore never stopped acting, but her personality shines through in everything she does. She's bright, bubbly, and incredibly talented. She is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, even today.
Claire Danes
Danes hit the scene 25 years ago and it doesn't seem like she plans on stopping her ride anytime soon. Her career has been on fire since she starred in Romeo + Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Where is She Now?
Right now, Danes is playing a paranoid, bipolar CIA officer named Carrie Mathison on Showtime's Homeland. She's doing extremely well for herself, and she has aged gracefully.
Madeline Zima
Zima played a promiscuous 16-year-old (she was 22 at the time, but still, kinda gross) in Showtime's Californication, which caused her to become a Hollywood icon for quite a while. Her career took a surprising turn after that.
Where is She Now?
Right now, Zima is hotter and bigger than she has ever been before. After she left Californication, she took a role on the popular CBS sitcom The Nanny. Both of those shows are over now, but Zima's career is far from being finished. Keep an eye out for her.
Christine Taylor
Taylor had some humble beginnings on the show Hey Dude, where she played a member of an exclusive dude ranch. She then went on to play Marcia Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie, and the rest is history.
Where is She Now?
You won't believe this, but she married Ben Stiller while filming a multitude of movies together. Although they separated in 2017, they lived incredible lives together, and they're both getting back into acting and directing as individuals.
Vanessa Williams
Williams wasn't just crowned as Miss America. She won Miss Universe and was the first African American woman to do so. This helped launch Williams into a super successful music and acting career that still follows her to this day.
Where is She Now?
Williams finished up a stint on Desperate Housewives, and she received three Emmy nominations for her role on Ugly Betty. She's still beautiful, fashionable, and inspiring.
Christina Applegate
Believe it or not, Married... with Children wasn't Christina Applegate's only trick. She's working harder in her older age than she ever did before, and her success is apparent.
Where is She Now?
Have you watched Anchorman? Do you recognize the name "Veronica Corningstone?" Yeah, that was her. That moment revitalized her career, and it's still on the up and up right now.
Danielle Harris
Harris was a staple in the Halloween movies when she was just 10 years old. She also was cast in Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, which was truly the moment where she became the "scream queen" we know her to be today.
Where is She Now?
Harris still makes horror movies to this day! She actually recently starred in the remake of Halloween, which landed her a spot in the horror movie hall of fame.
Carmen Electra
Electra made her debut in American Vampire in 1997, where she played a hot young woman who was trapped in a bad situation. She's been in dozens of movies and shows, but she doesn't seem to want to stop.
Where is She Now?
Electra is actually the star of The Last Dance, which is a docuseries aboutn Michael Jordan. She still pops up on TV and the radio from time to time. She made sure that she'd never be forgotten.
Shannen Doherty
Doherty nailed the role of Jenny Wilder on Little House on the Prairie when she was just 11 years old. She really rose to fame in Heathers though, and she also played an important character in Beverly Hills, 90210.
Where is She Now?
Nowadays, Doherty picked up a role in the remake of Heathers, which launched in March of 2018. She lost her house to a fire in the same year, but she's still trucking along. As you can see, she hasn't lost much of her good looks over the years.