Top 10 '90s Heartthrobs: Where Are They Now?
#10: Jason Priestley
Everyone remembers Jason Priestley as Brandon Walsh on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” which is pretty much the quintessential '90s teen drama. We’re happy to announce that Jason is not only doing well for himself, but that he’s still incredibly hot. From 2010 to 2013 he starred in a Canadian comedy called “Call Me Fitz” and later starred in the shows “Raising Expectations” and “Private Eyes.” Beginning in 2019, Priestley became one of many ex-“Beverly Hills” stars to return for “BH90210,” a comedy where the cast plays fictionalized versions of themselves. He also married make-up artist Naomi Lowde in 2005, and the couple have two children.
#9: Mario Lopez
Mario Lopez earned national attention, and the hearts of young girls everywhere, when he starred as A.C. Slater on “Saved by the Bell.” Since that time, Lopez has appeared in dozens of movies, TV shows, and reality programs. He has landed a recurring role on FX’s “Nip/Tuck,” starred as himself in “Jane the Virgin” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” and voiced Social Smurf in “The Smurfs 2.” Lopez is also known for his hosting duties, having hosted “Candy Crush,” “The X Factor,” “America’s Best Dance Crew,” and the entertainment news-magazine series “Extra.” In 2012, Lopez married Broadway actress Courtney Mazza, and the couple have three children, the oldest of which was born in 2010.
#8: Joshua Jackson
Joshua Jackson was quite popular in the '90s in both the male and female demographics. For the females, he was the hunky Pacey Witter on “Dawson’s Creek.” For the males, he was Charlie Conway in the “Mighty Ducks” trilogy. Jackson has since appeared in numerous independent films, including “One Week,” for which he won the Genie Award for Best Actor. However, Jackson has stuck primarily to television, starring in the shows “Fringe” and “The Affair.” In 2019, he appeared in three episodes of “When They See Us,” the Netflix drama about the infamous Central Park jogger case.
#7: Rider Strong
Aside from having the coolest name in the universe, Rider Strong became famous for playing Shawn Hunter on “Boy Meets World.” After the show concluded in 2000, Strong went to college like a good boy and proved his wicked intelligence, graduating magna cum laude from Columbia and earning his Masters at Bennington College. In this time, he continued to appear in bit roles in movies and TV shows, but finally broke back into the mainstream with “Girl Meets World,” where he reprised his role as Shawn Hunter, and directed eighteen episodes. He also landed a recurring role on Disney XD’s “Star vs. the Forces of Evil,” where he voiced Tom Lucitor.
#6: Ryan Phillippe
Ryan Phillippe just managed to squeak by and earn his credentials as a '90s heartthrob thanks to a string of late '90s movies, including “Cruel Intentions” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” He also earned fame and notoriety by marrying Reese Witherspoon, and the couple had two children together. Unfortunately, they officially divorced in 2008. Since then, Phillippe has scored a few notable roles on television. He appeared in ten episodes of “Damages” in 2012 and landed a main role on ABC’s “Secrets and Lies.” He also produced and starred in the USA Network drama “Shooter,” which ended its after three seasons in 2018.
#5: Christian Slater
Christian Slater rose to prominence in the late '80s before breaking into the mainstream with big-budget movies like “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” and “Interview with the Vampire.” Despite appearing in numerous movies, TV shows, and Broadway plays throughout the 2000s and 2010s, he's never quite regained the fame and critical attention he enjoyed in the late '80s and early '90s. Fortunately, that changed with “Mr. Robot,” the USA Network drama that Slater helped produce. His role as the eponymous Mr. Robot has earned him a Critics’ Choice Television Award, a Golden Globe, and a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor. Yep, he’s back!
#4: Jonathan Taylor Thomas
We know what you’re thinking – did JTT drop off the face of the Earth? Because it certainly seems like he did! Thomas was a megastar throughout the '90s thanks to his roles in “The Lion King” and “Home Improvement.” However, he left the show in 1998 to focus on his schooling, which certainly worked out well. He graduated with honors from Chaminade College Preparatory School in 2000 and the Columbia University School of General Studies in 2010. More recently Thomas appeared in episodes of “Last Man Standing,” effectively reuniting with his “Home Improvement” co-star Tim Allen. Aside from that, he's been living a quiet life away from the spotlight, and we certainly respect that.
#3: Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Mark-Paul Gosselaar earned national attention as a teenager when he starred as Zack Morris in “Saved by the Bell” and its spin-offs. Beginning in 2001, when Gosselaar was 27, he began starring in “NYPD Blue,” a role he would inhabit for 87 episodes between 2001 and 2005. Since then, he has scored numerous roles in various television shows, including “Franklin & Bash” and “Pitch.” In 2019, he landed main roles in the ABC sitcom “Mixed-ish,” a spinoff of “Black-ish,” and Fox’s “The Passage,” where he played federal agent Brad Wolgast. He is also married with four children and enjoys race car driving, dirt biking, cycling, and piloting aircraft. In short, he’s not without things to do!
#2: James Van Der Beek
If everyone loved Joshua Jackson in “Dawson’s Creek,” then everyone positively swooned over Dawson himself. Van Der Beek appeared in all 128 episodes of the series, and despite all this work, his legacy amounts to an ever popular meme. Following “Dawson’s Creek,” Van Der Beek sort of disappeared before emerging as a wacky, fictionalized version of himself on “Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23.” Following this, he landed main roles on various TV shows like “Pose,” “Vampirina,” and “Carters Get Rich,” and he also created the Viceland comedy “What Would Diplo Do?,” a series about a stupid but kind-hearted DJ.
#1: Freddie Prinze Jr.
And now for the biggest heartthrob of the '90s – Freddie Prinze Jr.! Like Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Prinze just barely squeaked into our little '90s hearts thanks to various popular movies, including “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “She’s All That.” Freddie has had a quiet 2010s, with his most substantial role being that of Kanan Jarrus in “Star Wars Rebels.” He has also done some voice work in the video game industry, appearing in both “Mass Effect 3” and “Dragon Age: Inquisition.” Aside from that, he’s simply living a quiet life with his wife, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and their two children. Sounds pretty cozy!