Then & Now: The Heartthrobs From '80s Hit Young Guns Are Still Hollywood Hunks
The star-studded cast of "Young Guns" were heartthrobs back when the film came out in 1988, and even though decades have passed, they're still just as attractive. Sure, some of them are sporting a lot of grays these days, but we'd argue they just look more distinguished.
"Star-studded" might actually undersell the star power of the "Young Guns" cast. When the film was released, its producer Joe Roth told The Morning Call of the group hired to play the "Regulators," "We have six of the 12 best actors among that age group." Sure enough, the film's cast included brothers Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Dermot Mulroney, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Casey Siemaszko, who, on top of being very promising young actors at the time, were also all seriously good-looking.
Fast-forward to 2026, and the cast reunited at Fan Expo in Dallas. In what seems to have been a selfie taken by Mulroney, the "New Girl" star, Sheen, Estevez, Sutherland, Phillips and Siemaszko posed together, along with another co-star, Terry O'Quinn. Like we said, there are a few silver foxes in the group, Mulroney (he who's been acknowledged as one of People's sexiest silver foxes) leading the pack but closely followed by Phillips (though admittedly, Phillips is still a tad more salt-and-pepper than full-on gray). O'Quinn, who wasn't one of the "Regulators" and is a few years older than the core cast, also has some grays, though his are limited to his beard and mustache, as the actor has since shaved his head. As an aside, we dare say O'Quinn looks younger since doing so. As for Sheen, Estevez, Sutherland, and Siemaszko, they're still rocking the same hair color they did in "Young Guns," though Siemaszko's hair looks a touch lighter. Another silver fox in the making? It's certainly possible.
The cast of Young Guns went on to do big things
Many of the "Young Guns" cast members were already established stars by the time the film was made (we refer once more to the producer's comments to The Morning Call), so it shouldn't come as a surprise that in addition to the actors only getting hotter over time, many of them have also become Hollywood heavyweights. Sure, Emilio Estevez has stepped away from acting, but he's gone on to direct extensively, and he's even been named the director of "Young Guns: Dead or Alive." As for his brother Charlie Sheen, even though the "Two and a Half Men" star went through some very public drama in the 2010s, he's made quite a turnaround and continues to be one of the best-known names in showbiz.
Kiefer Sutherland and Dermot Mulroney have also continued to be big names in the years since "Young Guns," and the same goes for Terry O'Quinn, who went on to star in "Lost" and win an Emmy for his performance in it. Again, O'Quinn didn't play one of the "Young Guns" himself, but we've got to give credit where it's due!
Casey Siemaszko also continued to work pretty regularly after "Young Guns," and Lou Diamond Phillips' resumé is impressive to say the least. The latter has churned out at least one project (often more) every year since "Young Guns," and you better believe he's signed on for "Young Guns: Dead or Alive." Joe Roth knew he had a dynamite cast back in 1988, and he certainly wasn't far off the mark there.