The Real Reasons You Don't Hear Much From These '90s Sitcom Stars Anymore
The following article includes references to addiction, mental health issues, and domestic abuse.
In the '90s, television sitcoms were all that and a bag of chips. It was the heyday of stand-up comedian-driven humor, and popular shows were crafted around the personas of their stars. Think "Seinfeld," "Roseanne," and "The Drew Carey Show." The sitcom genre also dominated network TV primetime scheduling, with NBC's Thursday "Must See TV" and ABC's "TGIF" programming block becoming the go-to destination for boob tube fans far and wide. And, unlike previous decades, being a sitcom star in the Clinton era could lead to some Hollywood sway. The once-rigid boundary line between TV stardom and a lucrative movie career began to blur. One could appear on one of the hottest network TV shows while also starring in a blockbuster movie.
Some of the decade's biggest sitcom stars still garner A-list attention and can secure A-list projects. Others, however, have moved into the "where are they now" phase of their careers. Whether it's a shift in job title, a change of interest, or falling on hard times, there are plenty of '90s sitcom stars who you just don't hear a lot from anymore. They might not be headlining TV shows anymore, but many former sitcom stars are as busy as ever. Here are the real reasons you don't hear much from these '90s sitcom stars anymore. We promise it won't be a buzzkill!
Jonathan Taylor Thomas lives life out of the spotlight
Jonathan Taylor Thomas ascended the '90s teen heartthrob mountain by playing middle-child Randy Taylor on the hit sitcom "Home Improvement." When he wasn't playing Tim Allen's son on the small screen, Thomas was a rising movie star, appearing in a number of '90s films, including "Tom and Huck," "Wild America," and "Man of the House." He even voiced Young Simba in Disney's "The Lion King." It seemed that America couldn't get enough of JTT (as his fans called him) and his iconic bowl haircut.
Before "Home Improvement" even ended its run in 1999, Thomas seemed primed for the next evolution of his entertainment career. But JTT, who had been working in showbiz since age eight, stepped away from the show and the limelight in 1998 by trading his scripts for textbooks. He attended Harvard University, St. Andrew's University in Scotland, and he eventually graduated from Columbia University in 2010. Thomas returned to acting in 2013 when he appeared on Allen's sitcom "Last Man Standing," but his role was more stunt casting than showbiz comeback. While he expressed his desire to work behind the camera to People in 2013, he hasn't added to his directorial resume since 2016.
Although his IMDb page is quiet these days, Thomas is hard at work serving on the National Board of SAG-AFTRA. Thomas previously told People, "I never took the fame too seriously. It was a great period in my life, but it doesn't define me."
Bonnie Hunt is doing heavy lifting behind the camera
Nurse-turned-comedian Bonnie Hunt was all over TV during the '90s. Having turned down a plum spot on "Saturday Night Live" and a prime role on the CBS hit "Designing Women," Hunt forged her own television path. She starred on the short-lived comedy "Davis Rules" with Jonathan Winters and Randy Quaid. She also created and starred in the sitcoms "The Building" and "Bonnie," but neither show lasted more than a season. While she was working the network sitcom circuit, Hunt was also building up quite the film resume, scoring roles in "Jerry Maguire," "Jumanji," and "The Green Mile," not to mention voice work in Pixar films such as "A Bug's Life" and "Monsters, Inc."
As the '90s came to close, Hunt's career continued apace. She even tried her luck at an eponymous talk show that ran for two seasons in the late '00s. But these days, you're more likely to hear from Hunt than to see her. In recent years, Hunt has mostly stuck to her Pixar voice work, lending her talents to the "Cars" and "Toy Story" franchises, as well as Disney's "Zootopia." She's also busy behind the camera, serving at the showrunner for the Apple TV+ series "Amber Brown."
Hunt doesn't rule out a return to onscreen acting, however, telling AP News in 2022, "I really miss acting. It would be nice if the right thing came along, a great storyteller who'd write something for me. I'd love it."
After some hard times, Brett Butler is on the rebound
Brett Butler rode the '90s wave of stand-up comedians getting their own sitcoms when she starred in the ABC hit "Grace Under Fire." At the height of its popularity, the show was a Top 10 ratings hit, but "Grace" was plagued with behind-the-scenes drama, much of it caused by Butler's personal struggles and reported on-set behavior. Production on the show was interrupted when she entered a treatment facility for painkiller use, per Entertainment Weekly. More drama ensued when she allegedly flashed her breasts in front of then-child actor John Paul Steuer. Amid her bad reputation and declining ratings, the show was canceled in 1998.
For Butler, life after "Grace Under Fire" was anything but smooth sailing. As a sitcom star, she made tens of millions of dollars and she eventually left Hollywood for Georgia, purchasing a farm far away from Tinseltown. However, she couldn't keep up with the payments and lost the property. A part in the Charlie Sheen comedy "Anger Management" kept her afloat in the 2010s, and she took on small roles in popular shows like "The Walking Dead" and "The Morning Show." However, a serious depressive episode during COVID-19 lockdowns struck Butler hard, and by 2021, the actor was broke. At the urging of a friend, she started a GoFundMe to pay the bills, and it seems she's now on the rebound.
In 2021, Butler told The Hollywood Reporter she'd been writing jokes and that a return to stand-up was not out of the question.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Ellen Cleghorne traded the soundstage for the classroom
In the early 1990s, Ellen Cleghorne became a television mainstay during her four-year tenure on "Saturday Night Live." When she left the sketch comedy series in 1995, Cleghorne was definitely ready for primetime, starring in her own WB sitcom "Cleghorne!" The show, co-starring fellow "SNL" alum Garrett Morris, only lasted 12 episodes, but Cleghorne's Hollywood career didn't slow down. She secured roles in box office notables like "Armageddon," "Coyote Ugly," and "Little Nicky."
But in the late '00s, Cleghorne took an extended break from showbiz to focus on her burgeoning academic career. She told VH1 that she spent seven years in graduate school at New York University. With her performance studies doctorate in tow, she's taught at institutions like The New School, leading classes like "You're So Funny: Comedy and Performance of Self" while also serving as the faculty advisor of The New School's Comedy Club. In February 2023, she shared with the New School Free Press, "My students are just amazing, they don't complain, they just go out there and do the work and they inspire me."
Making her Hollywood comeback with a small role in 2013's "Grown Ups 2," Cleghorne hasn't totally abandoned performing. She's gone on to appear in movies like the Jennifer Lopez-starrer "Second Act" and the show "That Damn Michael Che." Over on Instagram in May 2023, Cleghorne teased being on-set for an upcoming project.
Delta Burke has found peace and privacy in retirement
Delta Burke reached peak-fame starring as Suzanne Sugarbaker on the hit CBS sitcom "Designing Women." At the time, Burke was both beloved and brutalized by the tabloid media, her body image the target of vicious mockery by the culture-at-large, per the Los Angeles Times. After a high-profile feud with the show's producers, Burke was fired from "Designing Women" in 1991. She went on to star in several '90s sitcoms, including "Delta" and "Women of the House." Later in the decade, she would relocate from Hollywood to New Orleans, but she eventually moved back to Los Angeles in the early '00s.
When she was working the sitcom circuit, Burke was diversifying her professional life. She launched a clothing brand, penned a memoir, and got into antiques dealing. She also took the stage in Broadway productions of "Steel Magnolias" and "Thoroughly Modern Millie." In the '00s, she also got candid about her personal life, publicly sharing her experience with severe depression, hoarding, and diabetes. After a fall on the set of her sitcom pilot "Counter Culture" in 2012, sources close to Burke claimed to the National Enquirer that it affected her ability to work. "Delta disappeared from Hollywood because the industry and the people in it were becoming detrimental to her health," another insider alleged to OK!.
While Burke is still occasionally photographed by paparazzi around LA, the now-retired actor rarely speaks to the press, but told EatingWell of her health in 2018, "I feel good, and I know I'll get better and better. To me, it's a time of celebration."
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Sinbad is dealing with serious medical setbacks
Comedian Sinbad went from "Star Search" in the 1980s to sitcom stardom in the '90s. After headlining several of his own comedy specials and scoring a recurring role on the popular sitcom "A Different World," the actor was primed for his own show. In 1993, Sinbad scored his own Fox sitcom, aptly titled "The Sinbad Show." Even though it only lasted for one season, Sinbad easily transitioned his career to the movies, starring in '90s comedies like "Jingle All the Way," "First Kid," and "Houseguest."
Although his fame seemingly peaked in the 1990s, Sinbad worked steadily throughout the 2000s and 2010s, headlining his own Comedy Central stand-up special and lending his voice on a number of animated projects. He even appeared as himself on the Emmy Award-winning series "Atlanta." But some serious medical issues in the past several years have meant Sinbad has lived life out of the spotlight.
In 2020, Sinbad suffered a severe stroke, and afterwards, he dealt with a series of medical complications, with doctors eventually placing him in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator. After months of physical therapy, Sinbad made his way home. However, years of intense recovery have left him and his family in a financially precarious position, and they've started a trust to help pay for expenses. Meanwhile, Sinbad's official Instagram has shared ways that fans can stay updated on his health prognosis.
David Faustino has embraced his vocal and musical talents
David Faustino found '90s sitcom stardom playing Bud Bundy on the genre-bending TV series "Married... With Children." Already a seasoned child actor when the show launched in 1987, Faustino played the more educated Bundy sibling. When "Married..." was firmly planted on Fox's primetime schedule, Faustino dropped by other network shows like "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" and "Top of the Heap" to work a little crossover magic.
When "Married..." wrapped its then-historical 11-season run in 1997, most of the show's primary cast continued to work in sitcoms as their careers progressed. Christina Applegate went on to star in her own sitcoms like "Jesse" and "Samantha Who?" and starred in movies like the "Anchorman" film series. Katey Sagal lent her voice to Lena in "Futurama" and starred in "8 Simple Rules" and "The Conners." And Ed O'Neill, who played bumbling father Al Bundy, starred in the wildly successful sitcom "Modern Family" as another patriarch, Jay Pritchett.
But David Faustino, well, his career took a different turn — but he's remained hard at work, mostly doing voice work on kids shows like "Winx Club" and "The Legend of Korra." He's also spun tracks as a hip-hop DJ, where he's not afraid to lean into his '90s sitcom nostalgia. In January 2023, he opened for Method Man as "DJ Grandmaster B." That might sound familiar to "Married..." fans as, yes, that's the same name as Bud Bundy's hip-hop persona on the sitcom.
Fran Drescher is repping actors like a boss
Fran Drescher's sitcom "The Nanny" was a '90s sensation. With its star's outlandish laugh, outrageously bedazzled wardrobe, and plenty of old-fashioned multi-camera charm, the show stayed on CBS's primetime schedule for most of the decade, ending its run in 1999. "The Nanny" made Drescher into a household name, and during the show's run, she attempted to parlay her small-screen cache into big-screen fame. While efforts like "The Beautician and The Beast" didn't exactly make her a movie star, she maintained a steady presence on TV screens in subsequent decades.
After "The Nanny," Drescher attempted a second wave of sitcom success in the 2000s and 2010s, with the short-lived comedy "Good Morning, Miami" and the slightly longer-running shows "Living with Fran" and "Happily Divorced." She also starred in "Schitt's Creek" phenom Dan Levy's NBC comedy "Indebted," which was canceled after 12 episodes. These days, Drescher keeps plenty busy, not so much as an actor, but as an advocate and leader. A cancer survivor, she also took on political appointments in the Bush and Obama administrations as a public diplomacy envoy and advocated for women's health and cancer awareness through the State Department.
Drescher still takes on the occasional part, but in 2021, she was elected president of SAG-AFRTA, the union that represents actors in Hollywood. In June 2023, she announced her bid for reelection, a year in which the organization has found itself in serious negotiations with major entertainment studios.
Bronson Pinchot has embraced his passion for design
Bronson Pinchot starred as Balki on "Perfect Strangers," one of the original sitcoms that anchored ABC's legendary "TGIF" programming block. Balki, a distant cousin of newly minted Chicago resident Larry (Mark Linn-Baker), moves in with his American relative. Larry teaches Balki the ways of '80s America, which for Balki means lots of enthusiastic misunderstandings about the pop culture of the day — and hilarity ensues. In 1993, Larry and Balki did their last "Dance of Joy," as "Perfect Strangers" wrapped its successful eight-season run.
After "Perfect Strangers," Pinchot transitioned into another sitcom, "The Trouble with Larry," but the show was quickly canceled, and his other CBS sitcom, "Meego," met a similar fate. Throughout the '90s to the 2020s, Pinchot made guest stops on shows like "Step by Step," "NCIS," and "Ray Donovan," and he had parts in zeitgeisty movies like "True Romance" and "The First Wives Club" — but he took a serious career pivot when he left Hollywood behind for the small town of Harford, Pennsylvania, where he fixed up old houses and worked on developing his own home decor brand. His knack for home design became the subject of his own renovation show, "The Bronson Pinchot Project," on the DIY Network.
In 2012, Pinchot told "Good Morning America" of his new career and lifestyle, "I never did love Hollywood, I just loved the work." Unfortunately, Pinchot has run into some financial problems, filing for bankruptcy and putting his Harford home up for sale in the mid-2010s.
Sasha Mitchell has found a passion for welding
Martial artist and actor Sasha Mitchell played the affable, van-dwelling Cody Lambert on the "TGIF" sitcom "Step by Step." Before TV stardom, Mitchell took over the "Kickboxer" film franchise from action superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme and had co-starred alongside his "Step by Step" co-star, Patrick Duffy, on the primetime soap opera "Dallas."
While Cody was a warm-hearted addition to the Foster-Lambert blended sitcom family, Mitchell faced serious legal consequences for his real-life behavior. According to the Los Angeles Times, Mitchell was arrested in 1995 and charged with battery, spousal abuse, and child endangerment. Following his conviction in 1996, Mitchell was ordered to 60 days in jail for violating his probation, having already served 30 days in jail for not complying with the terms of his sentencing. That same year, he was out at "Step by Step," returning for one last appearance during Season 7 in 1998.
After "Step by Step," Mitchell stuck around Hollywood with stints on shows like "NYPD Blue" and "ER," but outside of appearing in a handful of low-budget films, Mitchell's Hollywood career has been pretty quiet. Mitchell has continued to support his love of martial arts on social media, posting photos of events on his Instagram page. According to LinkedIn, Mitchell is also a welder, operating American Steel Design since 2005. It seems he's fully embraced the welder's life, even getting a tattoo honoring the profession.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Doug E. Doug remains creatively independent
Doug E. Doug was a star on the rise in the 1990s. In 1993, not only did Doug star in the hit movie "Cool Runnings," but he also transitioned into sitcom stardom with "Where I Live." Doug starred in and co-produced the ABC "TGIF" comedy, which aired for two seasons. The actor continued his '90s sitcom work on "Cosby," playing Griffin Vesey until the show was canceled in 2000. Doug cultivated his film career while he worked in the sitcom world, starring in '90s movies like "That Darn Cat" and "Operation Dumbo Drop," and in the '00s, he appeared in films such as the horror comedy movie "Eight Legged Freaks."
But for Doug, his Hollywood career never reached superstar status, and that's by his own design. When asked why by Comedy Hype in 2022, Doug simply explained, "I'm a big believer in personal power and personal responsibility; it didn't go there because I didn't want it to." Financially secure, Doug was fine leaving Hollywood in the past, but he's open to receiving accolades from fans for his time in Tinseltown. He said, "I've just been luxuriating in rebooted love for decades, and I'm grateful for it. I'm not taking it for granted."
However, just because Doug isn't active in Hollywood these days doesn't mean he hasn't been creative. In the 2010s, he produced and starred in the web series "The Doug Life Show," which he made in his Harlem neighborhood. In 2022, Doug starred in, co-directed, and co-wrote the independent film "In the Weeds."
Janeane Garofalo stays true to herself
Janeane Garofalo's career was mega-hot in the '90s, and among her many showbiz gigs during the decade, she co-starred on the popular sitcom "The Larry Sanders Show." In May 2023, she told The Washington Post about her time on the series, "Being on the show gave me this cachet that I hadn't earned in many ways. ... Those things are fleeting unless you are a hard worker, which I am not. I squandered a lot of opportunities."
Contrary to her opinion, Garofalo seemingly took advantage of her popularity by taking copious roles on both film and television, but despite her career success, Garofalo didn't seem to enjoy Hollywood. In 1995, Garofalo admitted to New York Magazine that she considered her brief stint on "Saturday Night Live" to be "the most miserable experience of my life;" she later told Entertainment Weekly that she'd begun to grind her teeth due to the stress from her lead role in the 1996 rom-com "The Truth About Cats and Dogs."
Garofalo has since managed to work in Hollywood while keeping true to her alternative comedy roots. The "Wet Hot American Summer" star hosted a show on the now-defunct Air America Radio, continued to perform stand-up comedy, and racked up steady, if not high-profile, roles. These days, you'll probably find Garafalo low-key performing comedy around New York City, telling jokes her way, per The New York Times. She's not on social media and she's admittedly somewhat press-averse, but if you look hard enough, you'll find Garofalo on stage, slinging her caustic comedy for an eager audience.