15 Heartthrobs From The 90s We Still Love Today
There's no doubt about it - the 90s are making a comeback. Shows like Full House and Boy Meets World are receiving spin offs, countless media outlets are doing 'where are they now' features with former film stars and television show casts, trends we thought were long gone are making their way onto the runway and more. Maybe it's nostalgia, maybe it's millennial tastes taking over the industry and maybe it's just the cycle of life, but whatever the reason, we're definitely obsessed with the 90s.
And when it comes to talking about the 90s, it's hard to forget all the teen heartthrobs that captured hearts throughout the decade. Nowadays, fans can engage with their favourite celebrities through social media and get a glimpse into their lives through their various social media accounts. Back in the day, however, fans were left with only a magazine profile here and there, and, of course, a few posters to tape to their walls. Their heartthrobs were a little bit mysterious, and a whole lot dreamy.
We're throwing it back to the 90s with 15 teen heartthrobs from the 90s that we still love today. In fact, we'd argue that some of them have even gotten better with age.
15 Jared Leto
Nowadays, Jared Leto is a serious actor. He has taken on tough roles in films like Dallas Buyers Club and the upcoming Suicide Squad, and is known for being a method actor who completely devotes himself to his roles, no matter what it takes (as his extreme weight loss for his role in Dallas Buyers Club proves). He's also become quite the fashion icon, and basically single-handedly brought the man bun into the formal world by rocking a killer man bun on the red carpet during awards season. However, back in the day, he was capturing teen hearts as the edgy bad boy Jordan Catalano in the short-lived cult television series My So-Called Life. The show, also starring a young Claire Danes, may have only lasted one season, but it made the world eager for more Leto. Whether he's tackling gritty acting roles or performing onstage with his band, Leto is the kind of guy who just gets better with age.
14 Jonathan Taylor Thomas
No matter what kind of list of 90s heartthrobs you're reading, you'd be hard pressed to see one that doesn't include Jonathan Taylor Thomas. At just ten years old, he managed to snag a role as the middle child on the long-running sitcom Home Improvement. While in many shows, it's the older brother that ends up achieving heartthrob status, in this case audiences were all about JTT. As he entered his teenage years, audiences absolutely couldn't get enough of the brunette babe. He eventually left the show and took a bit of a step back from acting to focus on his schooling, but it seems he might be ready to get back in the acting game after about a decade away. He had a small recurring role on former co-star Tim Allen's sitcom Last Man Standing, and it's safe to say that audiences haven't tired of the former heartthrob - if he were to ever snag the leading role in a movie, women would flock to see it for JTT nostalgia alone.
13 Freddie Prinze Jr.
There was a time when you seemingly couldn't see a movie without seeing Freddie Prinze Jr. pop up somewhere in it. He was one of the most popular leading men in teen sitcoms, and for good reason - with his puppy dog eyes, tousled black hair, and charm, he was irresistible on screen. He's now hit 40 (we know, we couldn't believe it either), and quite frankly, he's proving to be like a fine wine - he just gets better with age. In the 2000s he snagged various recurring roles in television shows, including the hit 24 and even a brief guest starring gig as a manny on Friends. He's married to former 90s mega-babe Sarah Michelle Gellar and just released a cookbook entitled Back To The Kitchen: 75 Delicious, Real Recipes. Now, the only question is, how do we get Freddie Prinze Jr. to come from his Los Angeles kitchen and cook something for us in our own kitchens?
12 Leonardo DiCaprio
Ah, Leo - a true Hollywood classic. DiCaprio broke into Hollywood by tackling tough roles in films like What's Eating Gilbert Grape and The Basketball Diaries, earning a ton of critical acclaim and attention from the entertainment industry. He secured his heartthrob status in the late 90s by playing Romeo in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, and the charming artist Jack Dawson in Titanic. However, Leo wasn't content to leave the best of his roles behind him - he's continued to take on challenging roles in films like The Aviator, Blood Diamond, Revolutionary Road, Inception, Django Unchained… I mean, the list goes on and on, and he's definitely not content to be typecast as a handsome romantic lead. He's also tried his hand at directing and producing, and has become a go-to choice for the legendary Martin Scorsese. Thanks to his work in The Revenant, he finally snagged his Oscar - and his career shows no signs of slowing down.
11 Mario Lopez
When it comes to Saved By The Bell, it was always tough to pick a favourite between the two leading males because they were both so handsome, albeit in different ways. Mark-Paul Gosselaar's Zack Morris was a major heartthrob for girls who loved a slightly mischievous, preppy type, but for girls who were all about the athletes, it was all about the hunky wrestler A.C. Slater. He frequently appeared on screen in his teeny wrestling uniform - and female audiences wouldn't have it any other way. Since then, Lopez has somehow found a fountain of youth, because he seemingly hasn't aged a single day in about twenty years. He occasionally nabs small roles here and there, but the majority of his work comes from his hosting duties for entertainment news shows and on reality television shows - and with a smile like that, it's no wonder he's doing so well at it.
10 Matthew Lawrence
You may not recognize Matthew Lawrence by name - after all, his name does sound like a fairly generic, forgettable actor name. However, if you see a picture of him, we have a feeling it'll transport you right back to the 90s when you likely had a picture of him taped to your bedroom wall, or at the very least tuned in eagerly to see him on television every week. In comparison to some 90s heartthrobs who went on to have even bigger careers as they matured into adulthood, Lawrence has kept a fairly small filmography over the years. He played the handsome Jack Hunter on the beloved sitcom Boy Meets World, and snagged a movie role here and there, but it wasn't until he reprised his role in Girl Meets World that he truly returned to the public's attention. And, let's be honest - everyone immediately remembered why they loved him in the first place.
9 Rider Strong
Speaking of Boy Meets World… everyone knows you can't have a list of 90s teen heartthrobs without Rider Strong. While Ben Savage's Cory Matthews was arguably the lead of the show, every fan had a soft spot for the lovable bad boy Shawn Hunter, played to perfection by Rider Strong. When the show started, Strong was in his early teens, rocking a bit of a goofy look and floppy hair. As the show went on, though, it became obvious who the heartthrob of the cast was. Since graduating from the family-friendly sitcom, Strong has had a varied career. He graduated with an English degree from Columbia University and a MFA from Bennington College, married fellow actress Alexandra Barreto, started up a podcast about books and writing, wrote and directed a short film with his brother Shiloh and more. Hey, we always knew that Shawn Hunter was destined for great things.
8 Joshua Jackson
When it comes to 90s teen heartthrobs, let's be honest - there was nothing quite like a bad boy. Sure, there were some squeaky clean heartthrobs at the time, but many of the world's favourites were actors who portrayed characters with a bit of an edge - including Joshua Jackson. He got his start in Hollywood with film roles in The Mighty Ducks series and twee movies like Andre, but he didn't really capture the public's attention until he snagged one of the leading roles in the teen drama Dawson's Creek. As Katie Holmes' Joey tried to decide between Dawson and Pacey, the audience was pretty much decided - you pick Pacey, every single time. He had a bit of a lovable bad boy edge that fans absolutely adored. Since then, Jackson has starred in slightly more serious television shows like Fringe and The Affair, and remains a mega babe (although, he's been with the absolutely gorgeous Diane Kruger for a decade, so ladies, don't get your hopes up).
7 Andrew Keegan
In the 90s, Andrew Keegan snagged roles in teen television hits like Party of Five and 7th Heaven, as well as in iconic teen films like 10 Things I Hate About You. While he's gotten a few small roles here and there in both film and television since then, his main focus in the past two years has been on something completely different - and we'll bet that you'll never guess what it is. Turns out former teen heartthrob Andrew Keegan founded a religion. Well, to be more accurate, he founded a community spiritual center in Venice Beach called Full Circle, which has been called both a new religion and a cult by various news outlets. Well, whatever he's occupying his time with lately, we'll say one thing for sure - he looks just as good as he did in the 90s. We might refrain from drinking the kombucha at his center, though.
6 Usher
If it seems like Usher has been around forever, it's because… well… he has. Though he's only 37, he released his debut album when he was just a fresh-faced sixteen year old. Since then, he's been continually releasing hits and capturing the hearts of fans worldwide - as well as encouraging them to tear up the dance floor with hits like “Yeah!” and “DJ Got Us Falling In Love.” However, as much as we love his more recent work, every girl has a soft spot for young 90s Usher with his hits like “Can U Get wit It” and “Nice & Slow.” Over the years, he's snagged several endorsement deals, appeared in movies and on reality television, won Grammy after Grammy after Grammy, gotten married and then married again, suffered personal tragedies… I mean, it's hard to believe how much has gone on in his life. Regardless, he's not going anywhere - we have a feeling he'll be releasing or producing hits for decades to come.
5 Ryan Phillippe
Back in the 90s, Ryan Phillippe was one of the dreamiest actors on the big screen. He started out in the soap opera world (as many classically handsome actors do) on One Life To Live, and eventually moved to the big screen with roles in I Know What You Did Last Summer and Cruel Intentions. It was on the set of the latter film that he met Hollywood's sweetheart Reese Witherspoon and tied the knot when they were both young and in love. The union didn't last, and there's no question that Reese's career has absolutely skyrocketed since then. Phillippe has had somewhat steady acting work over the past decade, acting in about one film a year, and has been trying his hand at acting and producing as well. He may not be the most controversial of 90s teen heartthrobs, and his career may not have taken him to the A-List in the past decade, but there's just something about the blonde babe that we still love.
4 Mark-Paul Gosselaar
There's no doubt about it - whether you were a fan of Saved By The Bell or not, you probably knew (and loved) Mark-Paul Gosselaar. He rose to fame in his role as the mischievous Zack Morris on the hit teen show, and became a huge heartthrob - despite the 90s hair, crazy outfits, and cellular phone the size of a brick. Since leaving Bayside, Gosselaar has primarily remained in the television sphere, starring in Raising the Bar and Franklin & Bash. He hasn't quite maintained the star status that he had in the 90s, but the public's love for Zack Morris runs deep - and, of course, it doesn't hurt that Gosselaar is still an absolute fox. He's still only 42 years old, so we're crossing our fingers that he transitions into the sexy silver fox roles eventually. He's still got the same cheeky grin and sparkle in his eye that he had during his heartthrob days, so we're betting he could still charm audiences.
3 Nick Carter
While we have bands like One Direction today, the 90s were unquestionably the peak period for boy bands, with countless groups such as NSYNC, 98 Degrees and The Backstreet Boys floating around. Though different girls had different favourites, pretty much every band had a standout, popular member - and for The Backstreet Boys, that member was Nick Carter. He was only 12 years old when the group was formed, the youngest of the bunch, and with his 90s blonde hair and boy band dance moves quickly earned a ton of female fans. While the boys (now men) have taken breaks periodically, The Backstreet Boys are surprisingly still a group, with their tenth studio album set to be released sometime in 2016. While you would think grown women wouldn't exactly start screaming at the sight of Nick Carter nowadays, there's something to be said for nostalgia, and there are certainly a fair share of former die-hard BSB fans that have a soft spot for him.
2 Justin Timberlake
Ah, the battle of the boy band heartthrobs. Just like Nick Carter, Justin Timberlake was arguably the most popular member of the group NYSYNC - and also the youngest member. Despite his crazy curly, blonde-topped hair, everyone loved Justin Timberlake - even the biggest pop princess of the time, Britney Spears. Lucky for him, Timberlake has actually gotten even better with age. He's gone from a member of a boy band to a successful solo artist who has also transitioned over to the acting world with roles in films including The Social Network, Friends With Benefits, and Inside Llewyn Davis. The busy triple-threat has also dabbled in the restaurant industry, beverage industry, fashion industry and more. Oh, and he's married to gorgeous actress Jessica Biel, with whom he has a son, Silas, born just last year. While most of the members of NSYNC have gone on to a few small roles here and there, but nothing in comparison to their boy band-era dominance, Timberlake's career only continues to grow.
1 Will Smith
Will Smith is basically the dictionary definition of a triple threat. He got his start in the entertainment industry in the 1980s as a rapper, spitting rhymes under the moniker The Fresh Prince. Then, in the 90s, he stepped into the television world as the star of sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which ran for six seasons and turned Smith into a household name. Sure, he was rocking 90s sweaters and haircuts - but he had a certain goofy charm that audiences loved, and immediately became a teen heartthrob. Though Smith starred in a few films during his time on the show, it was after the show wrapped that he truly began to focus on his film career, starring in films like Ali, the Men in Black franchise, The Pursuit of Happyness, and the upcoming Suicide Squad. And he's not afraid of passing on his talent to future generations - he's been married to Jada Pinkett Smith for nearly twenty years, and their two children, Jaden and Willow, are making waves of their own in the entertainment industry.