Then And Now: What All Your Favorite '90s Stars Are Doing Today
The '90s were a glorious time. The decade was full of denim, pop music, and hundreds of teen heartthrobs. The young actors of the generation became all the rage thanks to magazines like Tiger Beat and TV shows like "TRL," but a lot has changed since their glory days.
Some stuck it out in the industry and made it big, but others opted for simpler lives, leaving their young fame behind.
It's been 20 to 30 years since many of these budding celebrities got their start and half of them haven't been heard of in years. Here's what your favorite '90s stars are up to now.
#1 Melissa Joan Hart
Melissa Joan Hart hit stardom after starring on '90s classics "Clarissa Explains It All" and "Sabrina: The Teenage Witch."
Her career continued with several TV movies and she hit it big again in 2010 when she started ABC Family's "Melissa & Joey," which ran for five years.
Outside of acting, the mother of three has also become a spokesperson for Nutrisystem, starring in many of their commercials and ads.
#2 Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson has been a comedic icon since the '90s.
As a teen, Thompson rocketed to comedic fame as a member of the sketch comedy show "All That." From that success, he got a show with fellow cast mate Kel Mitchell called "Kenan and Kel," as well as a "Good Burger" movie. Thompson has been a featured player on "Saturday Night Live" since 2003 and is raising a daughter with his wife.
#3 Kel Mitchell
"Good Burger's" Kel Mitchell has been a steady figure in the industry, as well.
Despite reports that he had died, Mitchell is alive and well — and still acting.
Since his stint on "Good Burger" and his voice role in "Pink Panther," he has landed recurring roles on several small TV series, including "Game Shakers" and "Wild Grinders." Most recently, he brought back the infamous Ed character to interview players and report for Nickelodeon Sports at the 2017 Super Bowl media day.
#4 Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Hannigan originated the iconic witch Willow on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
Hannigan had fairly minor roles before busting out with "Buffy." She followed it up with roles in the "American Pie" movie series and another iconic TV role as Lily on "How I Met Your Mother." She's currently the host of "Penn & Teller: Fool Us."
She married recurring "Buffy" star Alexis Denisof and the couple have two daughters.
#5 Jonathan Taylor Thomas
If you grew up in the ‘90s, J.T.T. was it. He came to prominence as the middle child of Tim “The Toolman” Taylor (Tim Allen) on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement (1991-1999). He voiced young Simba in The Lion King (1994) and had leading roles in movies like Tom and Huck (1995) and Man of the House (1995). He was all anyone wanted to talk about during lunch at Dorchester Elementary School in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. Congratulations, Jonathan Taylor Thomas. You truly made it.
After Home Improvement ended and the teen movie roles dried up, Thomas opted out of Hollywood to pursue higher education, travel, and “have a bit of a break,” he told People in 2013. He went to Harvard, Columbia, and the University of St Andrews in Scotland during a 10-year hiatus from Hollywood. He’s since returned to L.A., where he writes, directs, and occasionally acts. He recently guest-starred on his old TV dad Tim Allen’s latest show, Last Man Standing (2011-present).
#6 Tatyana Ali
Ali got her start on Sesame Street in 1985. Here’s a vintage clip of a young Ali watching Herbie Hancock play the keyboard. She’s most well-known, though, for her role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, where she played Ashley Banks. She had many of her formative experiences on the show, like her first kiss.
After Fresh Prince ended, Ali released an album and continued to act. She graduated from Harvard in 2002. She still acts and also directs. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
#7 Mario Lopez
We'll always have a soft spot for the '90s: the bad hair, the even-worse clothes and, of course, the totally awesome pop culture. Ever wonder what happened to your favorite stars of the '90s? Let's take a look, starting with Mario Lopez. If you didn't have a poster of A.C. Slater inside your locker, he was still at least on your list of "first celebrity crushes," right? Mario Lopez started his career in the 1980s, but everything changed in 1989 when he was cast as A.C. Slater in the popular television sitcom "Saved by the Bell." After the show wrapped in 1993, Mario continued to land smaller roles and thankfully hasn't let his delicious dimples, playful smile and full head go to waste.
Handsome Mario Lopez turned to hosting after his "Saved By the Bell" run. He presented several shows throughout the 1990s including "Name Your Adventure" and "Masters of the Maze," but his popularity peaked again in the 2000s. He competed and came in second place on the third season of "Dancing with the Stars" in 2006. He subsequently dated his partner, professional dancer Karina Smirnoff, from 2006 to 2008. Big things happened for Mario in 2008. He began hosting MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew," where he worked until 2012, and started hosting "Extra." It was also the year he began dating Broadway dancer Courtney Mazza. The pair had a daughter, Gia Lopez, in 2010. They married in Mexico in December 2012 and welcomed a son, Dominic Lopez, in 2013.
#8 Selma Blair
The Detroit native and aspiring photographer studied at Kalamazoo College and New York University before graduating magna cum laude from the University of Michigan in 1994. After graduation, Selma Blair moved back to New York City to pursue her acting career. Within a year, she'd made her small-screen debut in Nickelodeon's "The Adventures of Pete & Pete." But it wasn't until 1999 that Selma became a huge star thanks to her roles in teen drama "Cruel Intentions" and sitcom "Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane." So where is she now?
Though Selma Blair has never recaptured her early success, she scored hits with "Legally Blonde" and the "Hellboy" franchise. She even starred on Charlie Sheen's "Anger Management" until late 2013 when she was written out of the show amid allegations that she and the tiger blood enthusiast were feuding. In 2016, she starred in two big-screen successes: "Mothers and Daughters" with big names like Susan Sarandon and Sharon Stone and "Geezer." Sadly, Selma has not been particularly lucky in love. She wed writer-producer Ahmet Zappa in 2004 but filed for divorce two years later. Her relationship of two years with "Kath & Kim" co-star Mikey Day came to an end in 2010. And in 2012, she split from fashion designer Jason Bleick -- the father of her son, Arthur -- after two years together.
#9 Carson Daly
The son of a TV host and an actor grew up in Santa Monica, Calif., and attended L.A.'s Loyola Marymount University before he became one of Hollywood's most successful VJs. Carson scored his major breakthrough in 1998 when MTV cast him as the host of music video countdown show "Total Request Live." During the height of his fame, the MTV host romanced Jennifer Love Hewitt and Tara Reid, to whom he was even engaged. In 2002, Carson left "TRL" -- but not Hollywood!
Immediately after he left "TRL," the former MTV VJ began hosting late-night show "Last Call With Carson Daly," which he still hosts today. He's also been hosting "The Voice" since 2011. In 2013, Daly joined NBC's morning show Today as a social media correspondent. That same year, Carson asked food blogger Siri Pinter to be his wife. The duo, who said their vows in December 2015, have three children, son Jackson James and daughters Etta Jones and London Rose. Carson continues to host two radio shows each day: "Mornings with Carson Daly" and "The Daly Download with Carson Daly."
#10 Mayim Bialik
MAYIM BIALIK GOT HER START ON THE ADORABLE TV SHOW "BLOSSOM," WHICH AIRED FROM 1991 TO 1995.
Since her days in that leading role, she's graduated with a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA, written three books (one that hits shelves May 2017), and is currently starring in the hit CBS show "The Big Bang Theory" as Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler. She has even snagged a Critic's Choice Award and four Emmy nominations for that role.
#11 Sarah Michelle Gellar
SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR BECAME FAMOUS FOR STARRING IN "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" IN THE HIT '90S SHOW.
She also starred in "Cruel Intentions" and "The Grudge," as well as the soap opera "All My Children." She recently reprised her role as Kathryn from "Cruel Intentions" in the 2016 TV reboot.
Since having children of her own, she also started a food crafting company called Foodstirs, which creates and sells baking kits for kids.
#12 Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Mark-Paul Gosselaar was the "Saved by the Bell" leading man during it's nearly five-year run.
Once Zach Morris had his fair share of air time, the actor moved on to even bigger and better things. Despite a short lull in his acting career, Gosselaar picked back up with a role in "NYPD Blue," and followed it up wit spots on "Commander in Chief" and "Raising the Bar."
His biggest role since the '90s show was the lead role in "Franklin & Bash" playing Peter Bash, but his most recent part is in "Pitch." He's shed any resemblance to Morris in the new Fox show.
#13 Elizabeth Berkley.
She also starred in the '90s movie "Showgirls," which notoriously bombed at the box office and then turned into a cult classic. Since then, she's had recurring roles on "The L Word" and "CSI: Miami," and danced on "Dancing with the Stars" in season 17.
She also published a book, "Ask-Elizabeth," which draws from her cross country self-help workshops for teenage girls.
#14 Geri Halliwell
The British beauty worked as a nightclub dancer and nude model before she responded to a 1994 casting call looking to form a girl group. That group, the Spice Girls, made Geri an international star. But in 1998, the singer known as Ginger Spice left the group to launch her solo career. The following year, she released her debut album, "Schizophonic," which featured three No. 1 hits in the U.K. Geri, who dated singer Robbie Williams in 2000, released two more solo albums in 2001 and 2005, but her success as a solo artist was to be short lived.
In May 2006, Geri Halliwell welcomed a daughter, Bluebell Madonna, with her ex-boyfriend, British writer-director Sacha Gervasi. The following year, she reunited with her girl group for their Return of the Spice Girls tour. (The Spice Girls reunited once again in August 2012 to perform during the closing ceremony of the London Olympic Games.) The singer-actress, who suffered a failed attempt to release new music in late 2013, served as a judge on the seventh season of "Australia's Got Talent." In 2015, Geri revealed she's been working on new music with the help of Amy Wadge, who co-wrote Ed Sheeran's hit single "Thinking Out Loud," and Eliot Kennedy, who penned the Spice Girls song "Say You'll Be There." But in 2016, she decided to get back with her band mates Mel B and Emma Bunton as the newly-called girl group GEM, announcing that they would be working on music together. After a brief romance with Russell Brand in 2012 following his split from Katy Perry, Geri started dating Formula One tycoon Christian Horner. The pair married in May 2015.