5 Heartthrobs From The '90s You Probably Won't Recognize Today

If you were around in the 1990s and paying attention to movies and television, there's no way you could've missed some of the huge heartthrobs that popped up all over. There were young men gaining widespread fame and legions of fans, and not just for their acting. Their good looks charmed a lot of people, and there were probably many posters of them on young fans' walls. 

Given it's been a few decades since 1990, like anyone else, old heartthrobs have changed a lot since then. Some continued working steadily, with the fans getting older and becoming more mature right alongside them. In other cases, their star power faded and they lost the spotlight, or even decided to leave the entertainment industry on their own. It's certainly been hard to keep track of all of them over the years. A few famous former teen heartthrobs from the '90s have even been lucky enough to have a major resurgence in popularity, like Brendan Fraser. 

But whether or not fan-favorite heartthrobs stayed around or disappeared from the spotlight for a bit, there are a few who have become close to unrecognizable to their original fans. Obviously, you can't expect them to look the same as they did so long ago. But quite a few well-known '90s heartthrobs have changed way more than you'd expect. 

In the early 2020s, an unexpected former young heartthrob had a huge rise in popularity thanks to a transformative role, and that was "Encino Man" star Brendan Fraser. He went from the smooth-talking, brave Rick O'Connell who saved the world in "The Mummy" to a lonely teacher trying to reconnect with his teen daughter in "The Whale." The performance earned him an Oscar, and he was officially back on top. While his character in "The Whale" left him unrecognizable thanks to the full physical transformation in the movie, Fraser still looked a lot different from how old fans remembered him.

Fraser turned 57 in 2025, and obviously, he is showing some signs of his age. He still looks great, but he certainly doesn't have the thick, floppy hair he had in "George of the Jungle" and the "Mummy" films. Considering he was 29 years old while filming the first flick in the "Mummy" franchise, which was released in 1999, no one can expect him to look the same over 25 years later. But don't worry: Fraser continues to prove that he can still look dashing and sophisticated during the many red carpets and entertainment events he attends. 

Unbeknownst to some Fraser fans, he actually continued working quite steadily over the years. His resume is filled with many different roles, including some voice work. Some of his biggest projects from after the 1990s include "The Affair," "Condor," and "Doom Patrol." In fact, the last role got quite a bit of people talking even before he joined "The Whale." After his Oscar win, Fraser's huge comeback showed no signs of stopping. A year later, he even starred in another Oscar-nominated film, "Killers of the Flower Moon." 

Mark-Paul Gosselaar was an icon to teen girls everywhere when he starred in the hit sitcom "Saved by the Bell" as Zack Morris. With blond hair and a cute smile, Gosselaar was a true heartthrob during the '90s while working on the show. Many years later, Gosselaar might look quite a bit different than he did then, but we'd argue he's still quite the heartthrob these days. Still, it's hard to deny how much he's changed. And for people who haven't kept up with him, they might not even realize he's the guy who played Morris in their favorite comedy show. 

Over the years, Gosselaar has moved on from the blond highlights that got him famous. Instead, he's embraced his natural hair color as well as facial hair. The actor has tried out a slew of different facial hair styles over time, including everything from a full beard to a little stubble. It seems like his style usually depends on what his current role expects of him. For instance, his character in "Mixed-ish" had long hair and stubble, while his role in "Found" required a full beard and mustache. He definitely looks great with any look, but bearded Gosselaar is a far cry from baby-faced Morris. 

Along with these two roles, the actor has been on a roll with his career. Some of his other notable projects include the "Saved by the Bell" reboot, "Will Trent," "The Passage," "Nobodies," and "Pitch." In the newest project here, "Will Trent," Gosselaar plays a former foster brother of the title character played by Ramón Rodríguez, and the two's antagonistic relationship causes some tension when they're forced to work together.

Devon Sawa was known for quite a few iconic roles in the 1990s and 2000s. He first made an impact early in the 1990s in "Little Giants" and "Casper," with his turn as the friendly ghost kickstarting his heartthrob status. In 1995, he acted in "Now and Then," before fully embracing his stardom and jumping right into horror with "Idle Hands" in 1999 and "Final Destination" in 2000. The latter is arguably what he's most known for, and it's definitely impressive for an actor to get fans falling in love while dodging death in a film as intense as "Final Destination."

Sawa has continued acting over the years, but he went a bit more under the radar after "Final Destination." In 2002, he starred in "Slackers," but after that, his next major role was arguably in the show "Nikita" between 2010 and 2013. And he never fully left his horror home behind, starring in many more horror projects since the 1990s. They include "Devil's Den," "The Exorcism of Molly Hartley," "Black Friday," the 2020s "Chucky" TV series, and the 2020 slasher comedy "Heart Eyes." 

In a 2025 interview with The New York Times, Sawa talked about how he tried to leave his former teen heartthrob era behind, saying, "There was a certain amount of years I just didn't want to talk about it anymore." But since then, he's accepted that it's simply a part of his life that will never disappear. Sawa said, "Now, I've come to peace with it. It's never going to go away."

Joey Lawrence got his start in the 1980s, with one of his first major roles in the sitcom "Gimme a Break!" But what really solidified his status as a heartthrob and rising actor was his role in the fan-favorite TV show "Blossom" in the early-to-mid '90s. Lawrence was one of the main cast members, starring alongside Mayim Bialik as the title character. But this wasn't his only major project of the decade, as he also starred in the series "Brotherly Love" alongside his real-life brothers, "Mrs. Doubtfire" actor Matthew Lawrence and Andrew Lawrence. Fans quickly fell in love with his suave charm and lush wavy hair, making him a star.

As Joey got older, he had a steady acting career, but he never achieved quite the same level of success as he had back in the 1990s. Who knows, maybe it had to do with the fact that he kept his hair super short after the 1990s, even rocking a bald or super closely shaved head for a while. For fans who knew him as the young man breaking hearts decades ago, with long hair that had many people jealous, it's no wonder some don't recognize him now. 

Joey might've changed his hair and experienced natural changes from getting older, but he's just as handsome as he was back then, and he's stayed in great shape. He also had another hit show with the comedy series "Melissa & Joey." The sitcom co-starred Melissa Joan Hart and ran from 2010 to 2015. Overall, Joey has kept super busy, starring in quite a few holiday romcoms and a variety of other roles as well. Meanwhile, he has welcomed four kids over the years, whom he loves talking about whenever he gets the chance. 

Actor Jason Priestley was making fans fall in love all over the place in the 1990s when he starred as Brandon Walsh in "Beverly Hills, 90210," the hit teen drama that is still beloved to this day. Of course, alongside his acting talent, his sharp jaw, chic hair, and bright blue eyes certainly helped. Fans dreamed they would get the chance to date him after seeing him woo most of the female leads on the show. While his "Beverly Hills, 90210" role remains his most famous, any fans who run into him might not even realize that they're talking to the former heartthrob.

After a few decades, Priestley still has the shining blue eyes and charming smile he's known for, but with some of the wrinkles that naturally come from aging. Sure, he looks a little different now, but it's clear that he's aged well so far. Along with his looks, Priestley's day-to-day life also looks a lot different now. He is a devoted family man and shares a daughter named Ava and a son named Dashiell with his wife, Naomi Lowde. He often shares updates showing off his family on Instagram, such as when they went on a skiing trip over the 2025 holidays. 

But for those who want to see Priestley on screen again, there's no reason to worry. He's been booked and busy for years and doesn't plan to stop anytime soon. He began starring in the popular series "Wild Cards" in 2024, while his hit show "Private Eyes" got a 2026 spinoff called "Private Eyes West Coast." Priestley is also a director, moving behind the camera for work every once in a while.