Why These Once-Popular '90s Teen Idols Completely Vanished From The Spotlight

If you grew up in the '90s, chances are you're familiar with the teen idols of the time — and, let's face it, you probably had a crush on one. Some of the biggest celebrities of the decade became household names thanks to their roles in popular television shows and movies. Their faces were everywhere, from magazine covers to posters hanging on bedroom walls. For a while, it seemed like these young stars were destined to become some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. But fame isn't for everyone. Some former teen idols chose to leave it all behind for quieter lives away from the cameras, while others found themselves struggling to navigate the challenges that came with growing up in the public eye.

Looking back, it's surprising to see just how many familiar faces from the '90s aren't making headlines anymore. So, what happened to the teen idols who were once on our screens? From unexpected career changes to personal decisions that took them away from the spotlight, here's a look at the '90s teen idols who faded from Hollywood and why.

Charlie Korsmo is best known for his role as Jack Banning, Peter Pan's son, in the 1991 film "Hook." As a child actor, Korsmo shared the screen with stars like Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman, and it seemed like he could have had a successful career in Hollywood. But after the film's release, he decided to step away from acting and focus on his education.

Korsmo studied physics at MIT, but after a few semesters, he found himself missing acting. So, he called his agent, hoping to land a new role, and ended up getting a part in "Can't Hardly Wait." However, Korsmo's return to Hollywood didn't go as planned. "To be perfectly honest, I would've loved to have done one movie a year type of thing, but it just didn't work out," he told People in 2018. Instead of continuing to chase acting roles, Korsmo returned to academics. He graduated from MIT and went on to attend Yale Law School, eventually becoming a law professor. He spent years teaching at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. According to his bio on the school's website, Korsmo "teaches courses in corporate law, mergers, & acquisitions, corporate finance and torts." He's also written a number of articles that have been featured in a variety of well-respected outlets.

You'll likely recognize Jonathan Taylor Thomas from his time on "Home Improvement." The actor became one of the biggest teen heartthrobs of the 1990s and seemed to have it all figured out. Aside from appearing on countless teen magazine covers, Thomas was also landing major roles, including a voice credit in Disney's "The Lion King." By the year 2000, however, Thomas felt as though he wanted a change. "I'd been going nonstop since I was 8 years old," he told People magazine in 2013. "I wanted to go to school, to travel and have a bit of a break," he added. He'd go on to study at Harvard, Columbia, and St. Andrews University in Scotland before eventually returning to Hollywood — but not in front of the camera. Instead, he shifted his focus to writing and directing. "I never took the fame too seriously. It was a great period in my life, but it doesn't define me. When I think back on the time, I look at it with a wink. I focus on the good moments I had, not that I was on a lot of magazine covers," he told People.

Thomas returned to the small screen in 2013, reuniting with Tim Allen on "Last Man Standing." Thomas had a small role in four episodes, the last of which aired in 2015. Since then, Thomas has largely stayed out of the spotlight, seemingly content with the life he built away from his teen-idol days.

We all remember the fashion-obsessed Lisa Turtle from "Saved by the Bell," but the actress behind the role eventually stepped back from show business. Lark Voorhies seemed like she was on track to become one of the biggest young stars of the decade, but as the years went on, she took on fewer roles and largely retreated from public view. In 2020, Voorhies opened up about her personal challenges, including being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. She spoke openly about her diagnosis and the treatment she had been receiving in a candid interview with Dr. Oz. Also during the interview, Voorhies said that she felt hurt that she wasn't included in the "Saved by the Bell" reunion. "I also realized that having this puzzling disorder may have played a major part in that factual decision," Voorhies said. "With that in mind, I am truly thankful for having had the chance to work on a show that has been so successful. They have the right to do that and they're happy in their element and they can have it, certainly," she added.

Voorhies did, however, make a return to the "Saved by the Bell" world in 2020, appearing in Peacock's revival of the series. The streaming service canceled the reboot after two seasons. Voorhies hasn't taken on any projects since.

You might remember Liesel Matthews from her breakout role as Sara Crewe in the 1995 film "A Little Princess." The young actress captured audiences' hearts with her performance as the kind-hearted girl who finds herself facing challenges at boarding school. The role earned her widespread praise and seemed to suggest that Hollywood had found its next young star. Matthews, however, had other plans. After appearing in a couple more projects, she stepped away from acting almost entirely. Instead of continuing her acting career, Matthews focused on her education and personal life. She attended Columbia University and became involved in philanthropy. And what some people may not know is that Matthews is an heiress to the Hyatt Hotel fortune.

In 2002, Matthews filed a $6 billion lawsuit against her father and several of her cousins, accusing them of mishandling money tied to the trust funds set up for her and her brother. The lawsuit was settled in 2005. A short while later, another lawsuit was filed — and settled — and Matthews ended up with $280 million. 

If you grew up in the '90s, chances are you remember Andrew Keegan. From his roles in shows like "Boy Meets World" to his major movie credits in "Camp Nowhere" and "10 Things I Hate About You," Keegan quickly became one of the decade's most recognizable stars. Despite finding his way in Hollywood, Keegan took a step back from the spotlight, taking on fewer projects and smaller roles. In 2014, Keegan made headlines for a surprising reason when he opened a spiritual community called Full Circle in Venice Beach, California. It didn't take long for rumors to circulate that Keegan was part of a "cult," which he addressed during a 2024 episode of Danielle Fishel's podcast, "Pod Meets World." "There was no doctrine. We were just getting people together. For all intents and purposes, it was a really cool community center for a bunch of people in Venice for a few years," he explained. 

Although Keegan isn't making regular headlines, he still dabbles in the entertainment industry. He's been reconnecting with other actors of his generation and has even attended '90s Con, where he's met some of his longtime fans. Over the years, Keegan has remained a recognizable name from the teen star era, even as his career has taken a very different path than many of his "10 Things I Hate About You" co-stars, for example.

Not every '90s child star stayed in Hollywood long enough to grow up on screen. Lisa Jakub, who many remember from the 1993 film "Mrs. Doubtfire," is one of those actors who stepped away from fame at a young age, despite an early career that seemed promising. In the film, she played Lydia Hillard, the eldest daughter of Robin Williams' character, holding her own in one of the decade's most beloved family movies. At the time, Jakub appeared to be on a steady path in Hollywood, with several additional film roles throughout the '90s. But after a string of projects, Jakub made the decision to switch gears. 

In 2013, the former actress published a blog about her decision to leave Hollywood — even though she admits she didn't "hate" working in the entertainment industry. "Parts of my job were wonderful. But then I got to the point where the competition and the politics and the superficial nature of the industry started to get to me. I felt like a phony who was trying to live someone else's dream. My anxiety and depression intensified. So, I decided I should leave," she wrote. Jakub hasn't taken on any entertainment projects since 2000 and has since worked as a writer, mental-health advocate, and yoga instructor. In 2025, Jakub reposted a headline claiming that she'd "completely vanished," which she couldn't help but poke fun at. "Big news, everyone. I've just found out that I have 'completely vanished,'" she captioned an Instagram post. "Was it my current lack of popularity that made me vanish? I'm not sure how I was able to evaporate entirely (have I been a wizard all along?), but as soon as we have more information, I'm sure this publication will let you know," she added.

Justin Cooper seemed to be on his way to becoming one of Hollywood's next big child stars. After landing small television gigs, he got his breakout role in 1997 when he starred alongside Jim Carrey in "Liar Liar." Cooper continued acting for a few more years, appearing in TV shows like "Brother's Keeper" and "All About Us," but by the early 2000s, his acting career had quietly come to an end. Instead of trying to revive his career, Cooper chose an entirely different path. He focused on building a career behind the scenes in sports media. After graduating from college, the "former actor" became an executive producer on Fox Sports Radio, according to his bio on X.

Although Cooper rarely discusses his time as an actor, fans still recognize him as Max decades after "Liar Liar" was released. Based on his social media activity, it's clear that Cooper is happy with the life he's built outside of the entertainment industry, proving that leaving Hollywood doesn't always mean leaving success behind.

For millions of television viewers, Erik Per Sullivan will always be Dewey, the quirky youngest brother on "Malcolm in the Middle." The actor spent seven seasons growing up in front of the camera, becoming one of the sitcom's most beloved cast members. When the hit series ended in 2006, Sullivan continued acting for a short time, appearing in projects like "Christmas with the Kranks" and even landing a voice role in Pixar's "Finding Nemo." But the actor gradually stepped away from the entertainment industry altogether. His final acting credit came in 2010, after which he largely disappeared from the public eye.

For those wondering what became of Sullivan, he focused on his education and was accepted to Harvard University, where he was enrolled as a student as of early 2026. When he was asked to rejoin his "Malcolm in the Middle" family to reprise his role as Dewey for a limited series reboot, Sullivan declined. "He's studying Dickens and is an incredible student — they offered him buckets of money to come back, and he just said: 'No thank you,'" actress Jane Kaczmarek told The Guardian. He ended up being the only actor recast for the four-episode limited series. Sullivan lives his life completely out of the public eye and doesn't appear to have any public-facing social media accounts.

If you grew up in the '90s, you would instantly recognize Jeff Cohen as Chunk, the lovable kid with an unforgettable appetite in "The Goonies." Released in 1985, the film became a cult classic, and Cohen's hilarious Truffle Shuffle scene remains one of its most iconic moments. Although "The Goonies" turned him into a recognizable child star, Cohen's acting career slowed as he got older. He appeared in "Family Ties" and "Amazing Stories" and then shifted gears. He worked as a producer on five episodes of "The Living Century" before leaving Hollywood behind. 

"It was fun being an actor, but by the time college rolled around, I was ready to try some new things. By the time I graduated, I realized I enjoyed having a normal life and I never went back," Cohen was quoted as saying, according to his IMDb page. Cohen made out just fine, however. He earned his Juris Doctor from UCLA Law School and, in 2002, he co-founded Cohen Gardner LLP, where he "focuses on transactional representation for clients in the entertainment, media and technology verticals."

Ross Bagley became a familiar face to moviegoers in the 1990s thanks to his roles in movies like "The Little Rascals" and "Independence Day." He also starred alongside Will Smith on the hit sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Suffice it to say, Bagley was certainly booked and busy. Despite that early success, however, his acting career gradually slowed in the 2000s. Rather than continue chasing Hollywood roles, he shifted his focus to his education, eventually earning a degree in cinema and television arts from California State University, Northridge. "I wanted to live a more normal type of life," he said during a 2020 appearance on the "Hip Hop News Uncensored" podcast. "At the height of 'The Fresh Prince,' I would be getting chased out of malls — the whole nine. I live a relatively under-the-radar life and generally, that's kind of how I am; I'm more laid back and reserved."

In 2015, Bagley started working as a realtor for Keller Williams Realty, Inc. In 2017, he joined Pathways, a corporate finance and IT recruiting firm based in California, where he serves as director.

For Nickelodeon fans, Jason Zimbler will always be remembered as Ferguson "Fergbreath" Darling, the obnoxious younger brother on "Clarissa Explains It All." Starring opposite Melissa Joan Hart, Zimbler became a familiar face on one of the network's defining shows of the early 1990s. When the show came to an end in 1994, Zimbler walked away from Hollywood for good. "The cast just kind of all went in different directions," Hart told People magazine in 2024, adding that she really didn't keep in touch with anyone from the hit show. 

As for Zimbler, he focused on school and eventually earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Notre Dame and a master's degree from Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs. Sometime after he graduated, he started working for a company called CalStart as a senior director of light-duty vehicles. His passions include hiking and travel, and he's a man of many talents; he plays the piano and the ukulele, and he can hold a tune. His career may have taken a dramatically different direction than many expected, but his story is another example of a child actor finding success outside of television.

For many '90s sitcom fans, Blake McIver Ewing will always be remembered for being a part of the cast of "Full House," playing Derek, Michelle Tanner's friend. He also appeared in films like "The Little Rascals" and "Tom and Huck." He took on a variety of roles through the early 2000s before stepping away from Hollywood proper. Ewing took a lengthy break from 2004 through 2013 and has only three credits to his name since. Rather than continue to pursue a career in screen acting, he leaned into his love of live theater and music, and he's been releasing original songs since 2014.

In 2025, Ewing reunited with his "Full House" co-stars Andrea Barber and Jodie Sweetin for an episode of their "How Rude, Tanneritos" podcast. He was asked about being a "recovering child actor," which is what's written in his Instagram bio. "I feel like we're all in recovery always," he explained. "It's an annoying process. People ask me about it all the time, and I'm like, 'No. It's not a negative thing. It's just like there's a constant process of recovery.'"