Teen Heartthrobs Who Definitely Don't Look Like This Anymore

Every decade, there's a slew of young actors that the world just can't get enough of. Their extreme popularity and dedicated fanbases — which sometimes borders on obsession — leads to them being referred to in the media as "teen heartthrobs." These actors tend to earn this status by playing lovable misfits or bad boy characters in movies and TV shows. During this early pinnacle of fame, these teen heartthrobs may feel like they're on top of the world, but they have to grow up eventually.

It's always interesting to follow these actors throughout their careers. It's not at all uncommon for teen heartthrobs to never recapture the fame they experienced when they were younger. However, there are cases where they grow up to become some of the most successful actors in the world, like Leonardo DiCaprio or Zac Efron. Regardless of the trajectory of their careers, one thing is inevitable: every teen heartthrob will change a lot as they get older. Therefore, here are 12 teen heartthrobs who are almost unrecognizable today.

After making his film debut with "A Nightmare on Elm Street," Johnny Depp quickly became a teenage heartthrob, which seemed to take him by surprise. Depp definitely wasn't a traditional pretty boy, and fans were drawn to him because of his edginess, which he was able to showcase in movies like "Edward Scissorhands" and "Ed Woods," which both helped to solidify him as a true Hollywood star. As reported by PEOPLE, Depp revealed he was uncomfortable with his heartthrob status in a documentary series about director Tim Burton, whom the actor has frequently collaborated with. "I was completely freaked out by [fame]," he said. "Paparazzi would take pictures of me. People would whisper and point their finger and stuff. I felt like sort of this raw nerve on display."

Even though Depp didn't fully embrace his fame, it's undeniable that people were enamored by him when he was rising up in Hollywood in the late '80s and '90s. Back then, he had a sharp jawline and distinctive dark eyes that seemed to stare into the souls of viewers. Today, it's evident that Depp's time in the spotlight has aged him. He now consistently rocks long hair and can usually be seen with facial hair and glasses. Furthermore, fans usually have to do a double take when he appears in films since he tends to undergo drastic transformations.

Depp is unrecognizable in movies like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Alice in Wonderland." He even looks completely different from his real-life appearance as Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, which is his most popular role. For his most recent movie, "Day Drinker," Depp has undergone yet another transformation and has gray hair and striking blue contact lenses. Therefore, it's clear that Depp has changed a lot since he first appeared on screens in the '80s.

Brendan Fraser's roles in movies like "Encino Man" and "School Ties" cemented him as a teenage heartthrob in the early '90s. He came across as a perfect all-American young man, but also wasn't afraid to show off his wild side and take bold swings with characters. He went on to star in major movies like "George of the Jungle," "The Mummy," and was even once in the running to play Superman. For a while, it seemed like Fraser might become the biggest star in Hollywood, but things didn't go that way. After a few flops, Fraser wasn't cast in any major Hollywood productions for years.

In 2022, many years after he was fawned over as an up-and-coming leading man, Fraser made a major comeback with "The Whale." The actor looks unrecognizable in "The Whale," in which he plays a 600-pound reclusive English teacher. While promoting this movie, it was evident that Fraser's appearance had changed a lot over the years. Nowadays, Fraser has a somewhat thinning head of hair and isn't nearly as ripped as he used to be. He may not be ready to swing around a jungle or fight supernatural monsters at a moment's notice, but fans were thrilled as he dominated the 2023 awards season and ended up winning best actor at the Academy Awards, which completed his comeback.

During an appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" (via People) in January 2023, Fraser reflected on his career comeback and stepping back into the spotlight. He said, "I feel like I'm still waiting for someone to walk in and tell me that the jig is up, you know." Even though he has changed a lot since the '90s and early 2000s, Fraser's return has been one of Hollywood's most heartwarming stories in recent years.

Skeet Ulrich became a teenage heartthrob in the '90s thanks to his roles in horror films like "The Craft" and "Scream," which is one of the most influential slashers of all time. Unlike some other actors on this list, fans were attracted to Ulrich because of his ability to be completely unhinged in movies. Paired with his good looks, Ulrich's unpredictable nature and character choices made him a fascinating actor to watch. Reflecting on the attention he received as a young actor in an interview with Cosmopolitan, Ulrich said, "As to where I sat on the heartthrob scale, I had no [idea]. There was no real barometer."

Now that he usually rocks a beard, Ulrich looks almost unrecognizable today. However, fans were absolutely stunned by his muscles and swagger after he posted a TikTok in the summer of 2025, which he filmed with his daughter. In response to his appearance, one user commented, "Trust me, we have NOTHING BUT nice things to say about him."

Even though he still looks great, especially considering he's over 50 years old, the actor admitted he doesn't like walking red carpets and having his picture taken in the Cosmopolitan interview. "I never look how I thought I'd look. I'm like, 'I think I look pretty good tonight.' And then I see the picture and I'm like, 'Oh, I was very wrong,'" he explained.

After emerging on the scene with movies like "School Ties" and "Scent of a Woman," Chris O'Donnell consistently went up against Leonardo DiCaprio for roles throughout the '90s. O'Donnell ended up beating out DiCaprio and landed the role of Robin in "Batman Forever." This film helped cement O'Donnell as a teenage heartthrob, but he didn't end up having the Hollywood career that many may have predicted. Despite his charm and good looks, O'Donnell didn't star in many major movies after 1997's "Batman & Robin" flopped.

Instead, he found much more success on television. O'Donnell starred as Special Agent G. Callen in "NCIS: Los Angeles" for 14 years and recently debuted his fire chief character in "9-1-1: Nashville." Even though he is still showing off his physicality in this show, O'Donnell is not as jacked as he once was, and definitely looks more like a dad than someone who's ready to throw on a costume and start fighting crime in Gotham City.

Omar Epps' guest role in "ER" and his plethora of film roles in the '90s, which led up to 2000's "Love & Basketball," established him as a teenage heartthrob. He had effortless charisma and had viewers glued to their screens, but he didn't star in many Hollywood movies after "Love & Basketball." Instead, he found success in television by playing Dr. Eric Foreman in "House," which earned him a plethora of awards. Additionally, more recently, Epps played Detective Malcolm Howard on "Power Book III: Raising Kanan."

Eric Foreman and Malcolm Howard are both much more mature than the younger characters Epps played in the '90s and early 2000s, and he definitely looks the part. Epps may not have the boyish charm he once had, but he still commands the screen with a more mature presence.

In his personal life, Epps has embraced being a dad, which he reflected on in his 2018 memoir "From Fatherless to Fatherhood." In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter after the release of the book, Epps discussed how "thankful" he is for his acting career and said, "No matter what your story is, you can make something of your life and of yourself and you can help someone along the way. That message is needed more now than ever."

Some teen heartthrobs struggle to find roles when they get older since they are most popular with younger audiences. However, Leonardo DiCaprio successfully broke free from his teenage heartthrob image and has become one of the most successful, acclaimed actors in the world after emerging on the scene in the '90s. Movies like "Romeo + Juliet" and "Titanic" had people obsessing over DiCaprio. The actor wasn't completely thrilled by the massive success of "Titanic," though. In an interview with The New York Times, DiCaprio admitted that he was bothered by his public image after the release of the James Cameron-directed movie because he was "defined in the media as a cutie-pie."

Thankfully, a slew of roles in the 21st century managed to change the public's perception of DiCaprio. Throughout his career, he has starred in acclaimed movies like "Catch Me If You Can," "The Departed," "The Wolf of Wall Street," "The Revenant," which earned him his first Oscar, and most recently, "One Battle After Another."

Without a doubt, DiCaprio is no longer seen as a "cutie-pie." Instead of rocking striking blond hair and acting like a lovable goofball in interviews, as was the case in the '90s, DiCaprio now has slicked back brown hair and seems to take himself quite seriously. He tends to let his facial hair grow, and has even been spotted with quite a bushy beard in recent years. On the surface, DiCaprio seems a lot less put together than he was in the '90s and early 2000s, but he is still achieving constant praise for his choice of roles.

Audiences couldn't help but swoon over Freddie Prinze Jr. after watching him in movies like "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "She's All That." These films made him one of the most prominent teenage heartthrobs of the late '90s and early 2000s, and Prinze Jr. showing off his silly side in the live-action "Scooby-Doo" movies made him one of the most likable actors of his generation. However, as he told People, Prinze Jr. decided to take a break from acting after his early successes to focus on being a "present father."

Therefore, instead of graduating from his teenage heartthrob persona and taking on more serious roles, Prinze Jr. largely stepped away from the spotlight. Thankfully, he has made an acting comeback in recent years with films like "Christmas with You," "The Girl in the Pool," and the new "I Know What You Did Last Summer" entry. Now that he has gray hair and usually some stubble, Prinze Jr. looks much different than he did when he first broke out in Hollywood, but it's still great to see him in movies and shows again after so many years away.

Superman is a superhero who has graced the big screen on numerous occasions, but Tom Welling actually played the character in the television series "Smallville," which ran from 2001 to 2011 and showcased a much closer look at Clark Kent's personal life. This series, as well as his role in the "Cheaper by the Dozen" movies, cemented Welling as a teen heartthrob in the early 2000s. The actor's sharp jawline, piercing blue eyes, and boyish charm made him an amazing Superman in the series, but a lot has changed since "Smallville" went off air.

At 48 years old, Welling is much older than he was when he starred in "Smallville," and this is evident by the gray that is starting to creep into his hair. Additionally, he now usually rocks a beard or goatee, which would never be seen on an actor while they are playing the Man of Steel. To this day, Welling embraces his time playing Superman by consistently appearing at various fan conventions. Unfortunately, he was arrested and charged with DUI in early 2025. Welling looks unrecognizable in his mugshot photo, but hopefully all will be well with the former Superman actor.

An actor should consider themselves lucky if they get to play a major character in one popular television show. In Milo Ventimiglia's case, he has starred in several hit shows. Firstly, he played Jess Mariano on "Gilmore Girls," and Jess' bad boy personality quickly made Ventimiglia a teen heartthrob. Reflecting on his "Gilmore Girls" character in an interview with W, Ventimiglia said, "Still to this day, you know, it blows me away — the impact of the Jess character, how much everyone was in love with him and wanted to find a guy like Jess. He was kind of trouble, you know."

His success on the small screen didn't stop there. After "Gilmore Girls" ended, Ventimiglia also played Peter Petrelli on "Heroes," which ran from 2006 to 2010. These two shows kept Ventimiglia on people's television screens for most of the early 2000s. The actor's next hit show was "This Is Us," which proved just how much he had changed since his time as a teenage heartthrob. Ventimiglia played a father and husband in "This Is Us," and sports much longer hair and a thick beard for most episodes in the series.

At most public appearances in recent years, Ventimiglia has had long hair and a beard or at least some type of facial hair. However, as reported by Hello!, the actor underwent a drastic transformation while filming the show "I Will Find You." In set images from the show, Ventimiglia has a buzz cut and no facial hair, which makes him look even more unrecognizable from his "Gilmore Girls" and "Heroes" days.

"The O.C." is generally regarded as one of the best coming of age teen shows of all time, and Ben McKenzie's Ryan Atwood was at the center of its drama. In "The O.C.," Ryan is a troubled teenager who is abandoned by his family and taken in by the wealthy Cohens, who reside in Newport Beach. McKenzie's brooding portrayal of Ryan quickly made him a teenage heartthrob. Since his time on "The O.C.," McKenzie has starred in several other shows, such as "Southland" and "Gotham."

McKenzie still acts to this day, but he has also decided to make a surprising career pivot by becoming an outspoken voice in the cryptocurrency community. In his book "Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud" and his documentary "Everyone Is Lying to You for Money," which premiered at the SXSW London Screen Festival in early 2025, McKenzie criticizes cryptocurrency. In many ways, he now looks more like a banker and financial guru than an actor. McKenzie still has his signature short blond hair that he rocked on "The O.C.," but it's clear a lot has changed since he was deemed a teenage heartthrob in the early 2000s.

People obsessed over Zac Efron after he starred as Troy Bolton in "High School Musical." The success of the film led the actor to starring in two sequels and plenty of other hit movies, such as "17 Again" and "Charlie St. Cloud." On his rise in Hollywood, Efron became known for his longer hairstyle and bangs, but he has since parted ways with this look. Nowadays, Efron has shorter hair and usually has a beard, or at least a little bit of stubble.

However, beyond these features, fans have noted that Efron's face has looked much different in recent years. These fans have specifically commented on his jaw, which appears much more prominent than when he was younger. Many people criticized the actor for getting plastic surgery, but that's not the case. In fact, in an interview with Men's Health, Efron revealed that he actually shattered his jaw after running through his house in socks and slipping, causing him to smash it on a granite counter. Because of this injury, the actor explained that his masseter muscles — which are used for chewing — grew very big and changed his appearance.

Movies like "Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging" and "Kick-A**" made Aaron Taylor-Johnson a teenage heartthrob. Even though he played a nerd in "Kick-A**," Taylor-Johnson has turned out to be quite the hunk. In the years since "Kick-Ass'" release, he has fully embraced the superhero genre by starring in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Kraven the Hunter," which saw him undergo a dramatic physical transformation. Nowadays, Taylor-Johnson is completely shredded and usually sports longer hair and a beard, which has led many people to view him as the perfect rugged man.

Aside from the aforementioned superhero flicks, Taylor-Johnson has also starred in movies like "Godzilla," "Bullet Train," and "28 Years Later," and it doesn't seem like his Hollywood leading man status will expire anytime soon. As reported by E! News, the actor looked more unrecognizable than ever while attending the 2025 Venice Film Festival. At the festival, Taylor-Johnson's beard, which he most likely grew out for a movie, was scruffier than ever. This proves that a lot has changed since Taylor-Johnson was first on the rise in Hollywood in the early 2010s.