20 Stars Of The 90s Where Are They Now?
Growing up in the 90s, we never wanted the fun to end. If we weren't playing with Pokemon trading cards or listening to a tape in our Walkman, then we were catching up with our favourite TV shows. With shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch to Round The Twist on repeat everyday - there was no decade quite like it.
Most of our delight came from watching all our favorite TV stars. They were in the limelight as much as they were in our hearts. But what actually became of all our on-screen heroes? The pressures on these actors was enormous, not only were they meant to be our role models but they were only children themselves. Some have managed to hold on to a long lasting career and landed big leading roles in Hollywood - whereas others just landed themselves behind bars…
20 Dustin Diamond - Saved By The Bell
Dustin Diamond is familiar to many as the loveable goof from Saved By The Bell since he played Samuel "Screech" Powers from 1993 to 2000. He starred alongside Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Lark Voorhies, Dennis Haskins, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley, and Mario Lopez as the series followed their life at the fictional Bayside High School.
His life after Bayside has been far from perfect. In 2006, he starred in an adult entertainment video titled "Screeched" - although he did state in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that he was not in the tape and they used a stunt double instead. He was then married in 2009 but the relationship has since ended. Then in 2014, Diamond was arrested for possession of a knife, which he used to stab a man during a bar fight. Diamond was convicted and sentenced to five months in prison.
19 Will Friedle - Boy Meets World
Will Friedle is best known for his role as heartthrob Eric Matthew, the underachieving big brother, in the TV sitcom Boy Meets World which ran between 1993 to 2000. In 1997, he started dating actress Jennifer Love Hewitt and she even made a guest appearance on Boy Meets World.
Since then he has voiced characters such as Batman in Batman Beyond, and Ron Stoppable of Kim Possible. Following Friedle on Twitter will always remind you of the good times as he's a huge fan of posting Boy Meets World throwback pictures for his fans.
18 Senta Moses - Beakman's World
Phoebe was everyone's favourite lab assistant in Beaker's World - but what is the actress who played her, Senta Moses, up to now? Well firstly she is the commercial queen, ever since she landed her first diaper advert at just 6-years-old and to date she has starred in over 100 national adverts - including ones for Toyota and Wendy's.
Since Beaker's World she has took on roles for shows like Everybody Loves Raymond, The Division, Touched by an Angel, Party of Five, My So-Called Life and Sister Sister. She now has a regular role on Faking It as Principle Penelope - from star pupil to head of the school!
17 Jeremy Jackson - Baywatch
Jeremy Jackson played Hobie Buchannon on Baywatch for eight seasons. According to his co-star, David Hasselhoff, the part almost went to Leonardo DiCaprio, although now Jackson is probably wishing they really had swapped careers. During an interview with E! he complained that during his time on Baywatch he had a severe drug problem, he confessed that the drugs made him feel that working on the show was beneath him and this is why he quit. After being arrested in a methamphetamine raid, he was admitted to rehab and has been clean since 2000.
After appearing on VH1's Confessions of a Teen Idol in 2009, there wasn't much seen of the one-time heartthrob until January 2015, when he took part in the British reality television series Celebrity Big Brother. Jackson spent only four days as a housemate, before producers removed him from the show for opening fellow housemate Chloe Goodman's dressing gown against her will. He was cautioned by police officers for common assault.
16 Madeline Zima - The Nanny
Ever since actress Madeline Zima landed her first commercial aged just 2-years-old, she has never stopped working. Between 1993 to 1999 she played Grace Sheffield on The Nanny then fast forward to 2007 and she was transformed into a sexually promiscuous and conniving 16-year-old for the TV series Californication. In 2009, she joined the cast of Heroes as a bisexual roommate Gretchen Berg.
Although she does like to take on flirty roles, Zima claimed in an interview with a Daily News blogger that this wasn't true to her real character. She said, "I couldn't believe when I got the (Californication) role because I'm so different from the character. I tricked everyone into believing I'm this sexy, destructive, ruthless person. It's amazing that I pulled that off. I've always played the sweet girl-next-door character."
15 Nate Richert - Sabrina The Teenage Witch
For seven years Nate Richert played Harvey - the love interest of Sabrina in Sabrina The Teenage Witch. He was a leading member of the cast for seasons one to four, before shortly being dropped from season five and then brought back until the show was cancelled in 2003. Nowadays Nate looks almost unrecognizable as his former child star self.
He has since become a bluegrass singer, keeping a low profile and enjoying local gigs. From squeaky teen star, whose cheeky smile won the hearts of many young girls, to now a cigarette smoking, cool hipster. We aren't sure which one we love more!
14 Scarlett Pomers - Voyager
Scarlett Pomers was spotted at just 3-years-old by a talent scout who advised her mother to get her into acting lessons. Just months later she appeared in the music video for Michael Jackson's Heal The World. Age 5, she landed her first big screen role in The Baby-Sitters Club but her big break came when she took on the role of Naomi Wildman in Star Trek Voyager in 1998. She appeared in 17 episodes and was awarded the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Drama Series.
Sadly for Pomers she was hiding a worrying illness. In 2005, she checked into a treatment facility for anorexia nervosa after her weight dropped to a dangerous 73 pounds. She later revealed that she would exercise for six hours a day. Pomers later became an ambassador for the National Eating Disorders Association. In 2006, she became a certified yoga instructor. She revealed, "Yoga always made me feel really good about myself. It was the final step of letting go of the demon."
13 Jeremy Miller - Growing Pains
Earlier this year, Growing Pains star Jeremy Miller claimed that he started drinking from the age of 4. He was a main cast member playing Ben Seaver from 1985 to 1992. Appearing on an episode of Oprah: Where Are They Now? he revealed, "I began drinking at 4 years old. My grandparents used to throw a lot of parties, and I would run around after the parties and finish off all the empty beers. So that was my first experience." He added, "I didn't really mess around with it after that until I was around 12. That was the first time I ever got hammered."
In 2004, he was arrested for drink driving and said at that time in his life he was filled with "self-loathing and self-hatred." His last TV role was more than ten years ago as he recovers privately.
12 Trevor Einhorn - Frasier
Trevor Einhorn was best known in his recurring role as Frederick Gaylord Crane on Frasier and later as a young sex-driven patient of in Two Guys and a Girl. His later TV credits included two seasons of Mad Men and Sons & Daughters.
Now fans will be able to get even more of their favourite geek as he takes on a role in ABC's upcoming three-hour series remake of the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing. Einhorn will play Neil Kellerman, heir to the Kellerman resort in the Catskills where the story takes place. He joins Bruce Greenwood as Jake Houseman, Abigail Breslin as Baby, Cole Prattes as Johnny, Debra Messing as Baby's mom and Nicole Scherzinger as Penny.
11 Danny Tamberelli - Pete & Pete
Danny Tremberelli originally found fame as Little Pete in the Nickelodeon series The Adventures Of Pete And Pete and as Tommy Duncan in The Mighty Ducks. Earlier this year, he proved he still hadn't lost his sense of humour after he mimicked Kim Kardashian's naked mirror selfie. Danny posted his own version on Instagram with the caption: "When you like don't have a job LOL." Although he didn't quite break the internet he still managed to give everyone a good laugh.
Since he left child stardom behind, he now co-hosts the podcast The Adventures Of Danny And Mike, alongside voicing characters in Grand Theft Auto V. Besides being one of the most recognised TV stars of the 90s, Danny was encouraged by his parents to find regular work. He told Fusion, "My dad was like, 'You have to get a regular job. You're not going to be on TV forever. You're going to have to know what it's like to be a normal kid and have a job.' So I got a job working at a bagel store. (It) was funny because I would have people come in on Sunday morning and be like, 'I just watched you on TV on All That. What the hell are you doing working in a bagel store?'"
10 Austin St. John - Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Austin St. John was everyone's hero when he played Jason Lee Scott, the original Red Ranger and leader of the Power Rangers, in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. One fun fact is that his real name is actually Jason Geiger, his Hollywood agent decided that it wasn't a strong enough name so they put together his new alias. He has studied martial arts since childhood and holds a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a first-degree black belt in Judo.
A new Power Rangers movie is due for release in 2017 - but would Austin return to the big screen? He told ScienceFiction.com, "I'm excited to see what they do with it. If they were to offer me something or send me something, I'd definitely entertain the idea of appearing." Nowadays he is a whole different kind of hero - he works full-time as a paramedic.
9 Michael Fishman - Roseanne
For almost ten years, Martin Fishman dedicated himself to the role of D.J Conner in the long-running comedy series, Roseanne. The level-headed star has always kept his feet firmly on the ground saying, "I've always tried to be a positive example of the Entertainment Industry and overcome the perceived negative connotations of growing up a 'Child Star'. It was important to everyone from the show that all of us kids on Roseanne grow up to be responsible adults."
He also told blogger Retro Ladyland that he was very close to his on-screen parents, Roseanne Barr and John Goodman. Fishman revealed, "I initially met Roseanne during the audition process. We immediately hit it off. She and I had a very close relationship from the start. John on the other hand is a mountain of man. We first met after I'd been hired and we didn't quite know how to interact besides general pleasantries. John is very quiet if you don't know him. Once you do he's loyal, kind and strong. John and I really grew together. We spend hours playing catch, it solidified our bond."
8 Marla Sokoloff - Full House
Actress Marla Sokoloff won over many fans as cool schoolgirl Gia Mahan in the sitcom Full House. Gia was the original mean girl, she would taunt her peers for not smoking and would also encourage them to makeout together.
Her rise to fame began after she begged her mother to let her audition. She told Contact Music, "An agent saw one of the plays I did and told my mom, 'I really think your daughter should go to L.A.' But my mom was like, 'No, no. She's too young.' I became so annoying (that) a year and a half later she just couldn't stand hearing me anymore. So we went down for (television) pilot season, I got 'Full House' and we wound up never leaving."
In 1998, she then shook off her bad girl images and became Lucy Hatcher on The Practice for a staggering 113 episodes. Friends superfans will also remember her as Dina, Joey's youngest sister, who got pregnant and had to break the news to Joey. Nowadays, she much prefers the normality of being a mother. She married in 2009 and now has a daughter and a son.
7 Keenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell - Keenan and Kel
If you were a true 90s kid then you've probably been asked many times in your life: "Can you remember Kenan and Kel?" Way back when, Kenan Thompson (played by Kenan Rockmore) and his best buddy Kel Mitchell (played by Kel Kimbie) were always up to no good. Kenan never let go of his comedy roots and has since appeared in Goodburger, Fat Albert and he has regular appearances on SNL. Kel also starred in Goodburger and had voice over work as Clifford the Big Red Dog.
The very sad news is there will be no reunion show between the pair as they have had some beef over the years. Kel claimed that Kenan had been "actively avoiding him." In an interview with TMZ he claimed "The truth is Kenan does not want to be seen with me in any form of media, or even have my name mentioned around him." The pair were supposed to reunite for a magazine interview in 2012 but Kenan pulled out at the last minute. Kel said he doesn't hold a grudge but instead "respects his choice of wanting to make a name for himself solo."
6 Robert Ri'Chard - Cousin Skeeter
We all remember Robert Ri'Chard in Nikelodeon's Cousin Skeeter as the smart and well-behaved cousin of Skeeter, Bobby. He also made a few appearances as himself on the their fun game show, Figure It Out. Since leaving child acting behind, he has also appeared in films such as Coach Carter and House of Wax.
Ri'Chard remembers his gruelling schedule with Nikelodeon, he told Indie Wire magazine, "When I was 13, 14 years old I was working a 60-hour week, 12 hours a day on set with other adults and expected to perform at a certain level of professionalism. A typical day on set is 16 hours, but we're shooting in 12 hours because when you're underage the government says you can't work more than 11 or 12 hours."
5 Ross Hull - Are You Afraid Of The Dark
Are You Afraid Of The Dark? was one show that would have us running away from the TV at the first sight of the abandoned swings. True 90s kids will remember just how terrifying this show was and how awesome Gary, founder and president of the Midnight Society, played by Ross Hull was too.
In 2005, after completing the Meteorology Program from Mississippi State University, he became a weather personality and now works as a meteorologist with Global Toronto. On his sexuality he told HNGN, "As for being 'out,' I think that's all a part of being comfortable with who you are and that ultimately helps you in all aspects of life. It's not always easy to get to that point though, which is why a supportive community always helps as well as knowing that others have taken that path (with success) before you."
4 Larisa Olyneik - The Secret Life Of Alex Mack
Nickelodeon's The Secret World of Alex Mack ran from 1994 - 1998 and during this time the lead heroine of Alex Mack, played by Larisa Oleynik, won our hearts. She later slayed again as Bianca Statford in 10 Things I Hate About You.
Oleynik told The Huffington Post, "It's funny because for a period of time it was very uncool to be Alex Mack, and so I'm glad that it's like cool and retro. I still get people asking me to turn into a puddle. I think (the powers) were, for me, more of a metaphor for all the weird changes you go through in that time in your life."
3 Tia and Tamara Mowry - Sister Sister
"Sister, sister/ Never knew how much I missed ya… " There was no Lindsay Lohan style twin trick going on here - for Sister Sister the lead role's of Tia and Tamera were played by actual twins, well… Tia and Tamera. The pair are almost identical apart from the famous mole on Tamera's left cheek. The series ran from 1994 - 1999 and by the end of shooting they had never spent more than 9 hours away from each other.
When asked how they managed to avoid the child star curse, Tia told Digital Spy, "I think it's because of our support system. Our parents are just wonderful. They are not in the business, they just kind of focus on encouraging us to be the best people we can be. They're more interested in who we are - our character - than what we're doing. They always taught us that acting is just a job. You're not better than anyone else. I think I've learned to balance life and career. I don't live out my career, I live my life."
2 Melissa Joan Hart - Clarissa Explains It All & Sabrina The Teenage Witch
Melissa Joan Hart was a legendary actress in the 90s after she landed title roles in both Clarissa Explains It All (1991 to 1994) and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1996-2003). Unlike other teen stars, Melissa stayed fully clear of doing any hard drugs, she wrote in her memoir Melissa Explains It All: My Abnormally Normal Adulthood: "I've never snorted or shot anything into my body, and the one time I was offered coke, which happened to be by Paris Hilton, I turned it down."
Behind all the good times and the smiles was a more sinister to fame. She had to hire a team of bodyguards to help keep her safe from all the crazy stalkers. In an interview with Vice magazine, the now 40-year-old mother-of-three revealed, "I do have a few restraining orders now. A lot of men seem to think I'm their wife? These deranged men. Luckily I have a very big husband and lots of dogs."
1 Amanda Bynes - The Amanda Show
Amanda Bynes first rose to fame as a child star on the Nickelodeon series All That and The Amanda Show. She later continued her career starring in movies What a Girl Wants (2003), She's the Man (2006), Hairspray (2007) and Easy A (2010). Then in 2012, Bynes announced that she would be retiring from acting and what came next shocked the world…
The same year she announced her retirement, she was arrested for drunk driving but the charges were later dropped after she made a plea deal and was sentenced to three years probation for reckless driving. Then the following year, she was arrested at her Manhattan home for criminal possession of marijuana, attempted tampering with evidence, and reckless endangerment. She was then referred to UCLA Medical Center for "specialized treatment in a private facility" before being released and once again landing herself on the wrong side of the law and with a second DUI.
Then in a series of bizarre tweets she launched attacks on Rihanna, Drake, Courtney Love and Miley Cyrus - before claiming she had been assaulted as a child by her own father. Her parents reached out to their daughter and she was sent to a psychiatric unit for help. She has since emerged looking happier and healthier - and thankfully off Twitter.
