See What Your Favorite 90s Stars Are Up To Now

Roseanne Barr got her start as a standup comedian in the 1980s, who won national acclaim after performing on Late Night with David Letterman. When TV execs wanted to create a sitcom about a working class family, Roseanne was chosen to play the family matriarch, and the show that followed was largely based on her own life and kids.

Since Roseanne went off the air in 1997, Barr has done a lot of work as a voiceover artist, in addition to sporadic guest roles on several TV series. Barr has been a prolific series producer since the early 1990s, which included both her own show, as well as several others like The Jackie Thomas Show. She hosted her own talk show, The Roseanne Show, before it was cancelled, and made several reality shows. The Roseanne revival is set to debut in 2018.

When Jane Sibbett was introduced on Friends she was replacing the original actress who portrayed Ross’s lesbian ex-wife, Carol. Sibbett was featured often in the first several seasons of Friends, especially during the storyline that regarded Carol’s pregnancy with Ross’s child, and how the pair dealt with co-parenting the baby alongside Carol’s new partner, Susan. Sibbett broke new ground on television as Carol, as she portrayed one of the first lesbian weddings to ever appear on TV in Friends’s second season.

Since she completed her run as Carol on Friends, Jane Sibbett continued to work on film and television intermittently. In the mid 2000s, she shifted her main focus from acting to producing, as she began working on a series of documentaries that follow a Croatian faith healer named Braco. So far, she has released four films about his work, including Braco: The Golden Bridge and Evolution. In 2016, Sibbett returned to the screen in Jessica Darling’s It List, as Mrs. Darling.

Megan Mullally’s shot at stardom may have been delayed when she lost out on the role of Elaine in Seinfeld to Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Her big break came when she won the role of Karen Walker on Will and Grace, where she played Grace’s sassy, rich assistant who is consistently out of touch with the rest of the world. Mullally’s hilarious portrayal of Karen earned her a number of awards of over the years, including two Emmys.

When Will and Grace went off the air in 2006, Mullally was given her own talk show, called The Megan Mullally Show, which she hosted between 2006 and 2007. Mullally had a number of guest appearances in the following years, before earning another regular role on a series. A talented singer, Mullally began performing on Broadway in the 1990s, and also created the role of Elizabeth in the stage musical, Young Frankenstein. Mullally has made her way back in front of the camera in the Will and Grace revival.

Jaleel White became an instant family favorite when he appeared as Steve Urkel in the second half of the first season of Family Matters. Surprisingly, White had only been booked for a one time guest role on the sitcom as the family’s annoyingly nerdy neighbor, but White was so funny, he was asked to return to the show as a regular character. The show shifted its focus from the Winslow family to Urkel himself, making White the main character of the series.

Following Family Matters, White had roles in a number of different TV shows, including voicing Sonic in the animated series, Sonic Underground. He also played J. Calvin Frasier in the show grown ups between 1999 and 2000. In 2010, he had an arc as Reggie Culkin in the show, Fake It Til You Make It. Many people still associate White with his character Urkel, and are surprised to see that he isn’t actually an awkward skinny nerd. Most recently, he played Darryl in Me, Myself and I.

Katey Sagal made a name for herself as an actress when she was cast in Married… With Children as the protagonist, Al Bundy’s wife, Peggy. Sagal’s often hilarious antics as the working class wife of a shoe salesman made her immensely popular with audiences. Peggy’s signature red updo was inspired by the wig that Sagal had worn to her audition for the role, and producers liked it so much they decided to have her keep the hairdo on the show.

After Married… With Children’s 11 year run, she moved on to do voiceover work in the animated adult TV series, Futurama, with its ardent audiences of devotees. In 2002, she began playing another TV mother as Cate Hennessy in 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, where she was John Ritter’s wife. The show also starred a young Kaley Cuoco, but didn’t last much longer after Ritter’s death. Sagal has recently appeared in Brooklyn Nine-Nine as well as this year’s Superior Donuts.

John Goodman had been acting for a number of years before he began playing Roseanne’s husband, Dan Connor, in the sitcom Roseanne. The show focused on the blue collar Connor family, and Goodman’s character, Dan, was often bouncing from job to job. As a sort of sitcom everyman, many people found Dan Connor to be more real and relatable than a lot of other TV dads, as he was far from perfect, but was always there to support his family.

Despite Goodman’s extensive resume, Dan Connor still remains one of his most recognizable roles. Following Roseanne, Goodman appeared in a long string of TV shows and movies that include an arc on The West Wing, Center of the Universe, Evan Almighty, and Treme. He played a weighty role in the 2012 Ben Affleck film, Argo, about the US operation to extract hostages from Iran in the late 70s. This year, Goodman was seen in the film Once Upon a Time in Venice as Dave.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas may have been one of the best known teenage heartthrobs of the 1990s, along with the boy bands and Leonardo DiCaprio. Jonathan Taylor Thomas was cast on Home Improvement as Randy Taylor, Tim Allen’s character’s middle child. Jonathan played Randy until the show’s final season, when he asked for his character to be written out of the show so he could attend university. Jonathan did not return for the series’ finale.

Since Home Improvement, Jonathan Taylor Thomas continued his acting career, which included voiceover work for the Nickelodeon cartoon, The Wild Thornberrys in 2000, and The Tangerine Bear: Home In Time For Christmas. He also had roles in several TV movies, which included Common Ground and An American Town. Over the years he made a few guest appearances on television shows, but was more focused on earning a college degree. His last film appearance were several guest slots on Last Man Standing.

Sara Gilbert got her first taste of stardom when she watched her older sister Melissa Gilbert on the hit 70s TV show, Little House on the Prairie. Determined to follow in her siblings’ footsteps, Sara began doing commercials as a child. In 1988, she was cast as the middle child on the sitcom Roseanne, where she played the sardonic Darlene until the show wrapped in 1997, nine years after it first began airing. The show found her to be so critical, that they filmed around her university schedule.

Gilbert had a number of guest roles on various TV shows following Roseanne, including a run on 24 as Paula Schaeffer in 2002, as well as starring in the short lived series, Twins, from 2005 to 2006. Gilbert briefly reprised her onscreen relationship with her Roseanne character’s partner, when she appeared in several episodes of The Big Bang Theory as one of Johnny Galecki’s love interests. Gilbert is now both a producer and co-host on the show The Talk, and will be playing Darlene in the Roseanne revival.

Karyn Parsons got her big break in Hollywood when she was cast in the Will Smith centered sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Belair as Hilary Banks, one of Will’s cousins. Hilary was often the family member most obsessed with showing off her status, and could often act quite spoiled, as she liked to go shopping and looked down on places that were associated with a lower socio economic level. Though Hilary was never a very brainy character, she eventually finds career success.

After Fresh Prince of Belair stopped production, Parsons starred in the short lived TV series, Lush Life as Margot Hines, which only lasted for four episodes. She followed that up with a couple of film roles, including The Ladies Man and 13 Moons. From 2001 to 2002 she played Toni in The Job. Karyn took a break from acting after the role, but produced a series of films about black heroes. She is set to return to TV in 2018 for the series Fly.

Julia Stiles’ breakout role came in the 1999 rom-com, 10 Things I Hate About You, which was a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Updated for modern audiences, Kat doesn’t quite need to get married, but she does need to find a date before her younger sister can go on one. Starring opposite a young Heath Ledger, Julia proved that there were plenty of other boxes teenagers could fit into, not just nerdy or popular.

Two years after her starring role, Stiles was once again cast as the main character when she took on Save the Last Dance. Though her most acclaimed films up to that point weren’t quite the dramatic fare that characterizes the most celebrated careers, Julia surprised critics with her performance in the Julia Roberts-led Mona Lisa Smile. She spent most of the past two decades as a film star, appearing in most of the Bourne films, including the most recent.

Though Julianna began acting several years before being cast on ER, it was her role as Carol Hathaway, which she began playing in 1994, that put her on the map as an actress. She starred in the show from the pilot episode, where she was featured opposite a young George Clooney. Though Hathaway wasn’t intended to last very long, Margulies’s performance made an impression, and she stayed with the show for six years. She was the only cast member to win an Emmy for the show.

Though Margulies was heavily criticized for leaving ER after only six years while commanding an impressive paycheck, Margulies wanted to move on to bigger things. She had a number of film and TV roles in the intervening years, including several episodes of The Sopranos, as well as Caterbury’s Law, where she played Elizabeth Caterbury. From 2009, Margulies began starring in the legal drama, The Good Wife, as the show’s protagonist, Alicia Florrick, whose on screen husband was played by Chris Noth. In 2017, she was in Three Christs.

Long before she became associated with playing younger sister, Ashley Banks on Fresh Prince of Belair, Tatyana Ali was already used to being on camera. She got her start acting on Sesame Street when she was only six years old, before moving on to bit roles in a number of movies and TV shows. Fresh Prince proved to be Tatyana’s big break, as she played the book smart Ashley for the entirety of the show’s run.

Tatyana would continue to find success in the years after Fresh Prince wrapped, with appearances in films like The Clown at Midnight, Nora’s Hair Salon, and Back in the Day. Tatyana returned to television in 2009 when she was cast in the show Buppies as Quincy, though the role only lasted one season. Her next big role was in Love That Girl which ran for four seasons between 2010 and 2014. This year, Tatyana is in the series Fly as Captain Bess Davenport.

Mackenzie Rosman is one of those quintessential child actors whose lives were defined by their time onscreen. Mackenzie began her acting career when she earned the part of youngest sister, Ruthie Camden on 7th Heaven, when she was only six years old. Though Ruthie was often used for a dose of cuteness during her younger years, as she aged, she became increasingly rebellious, especially once her older siblings had moved out of the house. Mackenzie played Ruthie until the show wrapped in 2007.

Mackenzie has continued to find some sporadic acting jobs in the past decade, but given that she was constantly on screen for the majority of her childhood, no one could blame her for wanting to step away from the limelight just a bit. In 2010 and 2011, she had a four episode arc on the ABC Family drama, Secret Life of the American Teenager. She appeared in several films in 2013, including Nightcomer. The same year, she courted controversy by posing in Maxim magazine.

Lark Voorhies began acting at a young age and was one of the original stars of Good Morning Miss Bliss that was transferred over to Saved by the Bell. As Lisa Turtle, Voorhies played the sometimes haughty, rich character in the friend group. Turtle was the most fashion conscious of her group of friends, and when the original series ended with the characters’ high school graduation, Voorhies’s character moved to New York City in order to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Voorhies only reprised her role of Turtle once during the run of the spinoff series, Saved by the Bell: The College Years. Following Saved by the Bell, Voorhies had notable runs on Days of our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful. Afterwards, she played Mercedes Langford in the show In the House from 1997 until 1999. Voorhies began writing books in 2010, as has published three so far. Her last film appearance was 2012’s Closer to God: Jessica’s Journey.

David Hasselfhoff ended up being the man to bring Baywatch to the masses. It’s original run starring Hasselhoff in 1989 didn’t go well, but Hasselhoff saw its potential and invested his own money in rebooting the show. He played the role of Mitch Buchanon for 11 years, ending his run on the show in 2000. Hasselhoff also appeared in the Baywatch spinoff, Baywatch Nights between 1995 and 1997, which helped cement him as the world’s most watched man on TV, for which he won a Guinness World Record.

Since the end of Baywatch over a decade and a half ago, Hasselhoff has been seen in a large number of movies and TV shows. He also finally fulfilled his childhood dream of being a Broadway star when he made his debut in Jekyll and Hyde in 2000. He also had starring runs in the Broadway productions of Chicago and The Producers. Most recently, he can be seen spoofing himself in Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2, where he’s officially billed as “The form of David Hasselhoff”.

James Van Der Beek may be best known as a 90’s TV heartthrob, but like many of the most famous actors, he actually got his start acting in theatrical productions as a teenager. Van Der Beek made his mainstream film debut when he was cast in Dawson’s Creek in 1997, and the show became an instant hit. Once he was a TV regular, the film roles kept pouring in, and Van Der Beek starred in such dramatic vehicles as Varsity Blues and American Psycho.

Once Dawson’s Creek went off the air in 2003, Van Der Beek found himself relegated to guest roles and TV movies. In 2008 and 2009, he returned to the world of teen drama when he appeared in several episodes of One Tree Hill. Van Der Beek found that he had a resurgence in popularity when he was cast as an exaggerated version of himself on the short lived hit, Don’t Trust the B—- In Apartment 23, which ran between 2012 and 2013. You can now see him on Vampirina.

Kirk Cameron got his start on TV doing commercials as a child before he was cast as the oldest son, Mike Seaver, on the sitcom Growing Pains. Throughout the run of the show, Cameron was the guy every teen girl was crushing on, especially as he charmed lady after lady as his character. Towards the end of the show’s run, however, Cameron became an evangelical Christian, and wanted his character’s actions to reflect his newfound faith.

After the show wrapped, Cameron became so focused on his new faith that he cut off all contact to his former cast mates, barely speaking to them for many years, until the cast began reuniting for movies and talk show reunions. Despite his turn towards religion, he never left show business behind entirely. Cameron co-hosted The Way of the Master, a Christian ministry show from 2003 to 2014. Recently, he has appeared in Extraordinary as Barry, as well as The National Bible Bee Game Show.

Amanda Bynes was a child star who managed to turn heads with her hilarious portrayals in the teen sketch show, All That. She created several memorable characters that would recur in sketches throughout her years on the show including, sketches like ‘Ask Ashley.’ Bynes was eventually given a sketch show of her own, which was titled The Amanda Show when she was only 13 years old, which often parodied many popular shows that were airing at the same time.

After All That and The Amanda Show, Bynes seemed to be on track to become Nickelodeon’s biggest breakout star. She went on to play What I Like About You which was on a network television show. Bynes also began starring in films,with her first big screen appearance opposite Frankie Munez and Paul Giamatti in Big Fat Liar. Bynes’s performance in the movie musical Hairspray was well received. She also had positive feedback for her role in Easy A, which was her last film appearance.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar was first cast as Zack Morris when he was only 14 for the Disney channel show, Good Morning Miss Bliss. The show was cancelled after one season, but producers found Gosselaar so charming that they decided to redevelop the show to center on his character, Zack. Zack and several of his friends were moved to California and joined by a few new faces, with their new show named Saved By the Bell. The show ran for four years.

Following Saved By the Bell and its various, but less successful spinoffs, Gosselaar tried to make a move into film, first appearing in a TV movie, before getting his break on the big screen in Dead Man on Campus. In 2001, Gosselaar was cast in the TV drama, NYPD Blue, where he played Detective John Clark, Jr. until 2005. From 2011 until 2014, Gosselaar appeared in the show Franklin & Bash in the starring role of Pete Bash. Most recently, he was in Pitch.

Tiffani Amber Thiessen’s role as Kelly Kapowski was the envy of many a teenage girl in the early 1990s. She was a fashion icon for other teens, and most boys wanted to date her, which is exactly how the character of Kelly was depicted in the show. Thiessen charmed audiences as the good hearted cheerleader, seeming to excel in almost anything she tried her hand at. Audiences always rooted for Kelly to reunite with Zack Morris, which they eventually did.

Thiessen moved from the comic relief in Bayside to the drama of Beverly Hills, 90210 after Saved By the Bell was cancelled. Tiffani continued to enjoy a busy television career, moving from one show to the next, which includes featured roles in Good Morning Miami and What About Brian. By 2009, Thiessen was cast on the comedy White Collar as Elizabeth Burke. She was the host of a cooking show called Dinner at Tiffani’s and can now be seen in Alexa & Katie.

Before Melissa Joan Hart was Sabrina, a teenager who was the offspring of a magical family, she was Clarissa in Clarissa Explains It All. Hart was ready to take a break from acting when she was cast as Sabrina, a role she couldn’t pass on. Sabrina often found herself in some sticky magical situations, which would pull her from her regular life to a magical realm. Teen audiences found her trials relatable, whether they were normal high school milestones or magical ones.

As Melissa grew up, she wanted to take on responsibility beyond merely being on screen, and managed to find herself directing several episodes of her show. For the next seven years, Melissa didn’t find one long running role, though she did start a family with her husband Mark Wilkerson. Hart returned to television in 2010 as the star of Melissa & Joey which ran for five years. Most recently, she can be seen in A Very Merry Toy Store.

Tori Spelling began playing Donna Martin on her father’s teen drama, Beverly Hills, 90210 in 1990, a role she played for a full 10 years before the show wrapped in 2000.

Following Beverly Hills, 90210, Tori had roles in a number of different television shows and movies. Though she reprised her role as Donna Martin in the 90210 reboot in 2009, she remade her adult image as a reality TV star, allowing her family to be filmed for several shows documenting their lives, including Tori & Dean: Inn Love, Tori & Dean: Cabin Fever, and 2014’s True Tori. In 2017 she appeared in a TV movie called, Mother May I Sleep With Danger as Julie Lewisohn.

Though Fran earned her first role in the 1970s, she only found sporadic work with smaller film roles throughout the 1980s. In the early 90s, she and her husband created the show, The Nanny, which took a lot of inspiration from Fran’s early life, down to the characters upbringing in Queens and her family members’ names. The show made Drescher a bonafide star, and even earned her an Emmy nomination along with two Golden Globe nominations.

After The Nanny wrapped in 1999 after six seasons on the air, Fran had several small roles in a number of films and television shows before getting back to writing and producing her own material. In 2005, she created and starred in the show, Living with Fran, which ran for two seasons. In 2011, she put her life back on the screen with Happily Divorced which was based on her and her long term husband’s relationship. This year, she appeared in an episode of Broad City.

Heather Locklear finally earned herself national attention when she was cast as Amanda Woodward on Melrose Place in 1993. She played the role until the series wrapped in 1999, before reprising it in the recent reboot. Following her popular run on the primetime soap opera, which was also the brainchild of Aaron Spelling, the king of 90s teen dramas, she moved on to Spin City. Locklear played Caitlin Moore from 1999 to 2002, firmly cementing herself as a staple of 90s television dramas.

After Spin City wrapped, Locklear bounced around a number of television shows, including LAX where she played Harley Random from 2004 until 2005. Locklear continued to act, but was beset by a number of problems in her personal life, in particular, her divorce from her second husband, and falling out with her ex-best friend, Denise Richards. Beginning in 2016, she began playing First Lady Katelynn Christian in the TV show, Too Close to Home, which was created by Tyler Perry.

Another star who is probably best known for their role on the sitcom Full House is Lori Loughlin, who played Rebecca Donaldson Katsopolis on the show. She starred in a staggering 152 episodes of the popular show. However, she had already reached fame after winning awards for her performances in shows such as The Edge of Night. Although she was one of the icons of 90s TV, Lori Loughlin only appeared in one movie during that particular decade – Casper: A Spirited Beginning.

One thing is for sure; Lori Loughlin hasn’t struggled to stay relevant in the world of TV. In the last 10 years alone, the actress has starred in a number of successful shows such as 90210, Garage Sale Mystery and When Calls the Heart, to name a few. Like many of her other cast members from Full House, Lori Loughlin reprised her role as Rebecca Katsopolis on the Netflix revival series, Fuller House, which has been running since 2016.

Denise Richards got her start bouncing around a number of our favorite teen shows, including Saved By The Bell, Seinfeld, and Married with Children, where she played a variety of small roles. It was her mini arc on Melrose Place as Brandi Carson, however, that gained her enough attention to begin earning bigger roles, including Lt. Carmen Ibanez in the 1997 film, Starship Troopers. That ended up becoming her breakout role, which placed her on the Hollywood map.

By the early 2000s, Denise was earning herself roles on a number of big TV shows, holding her own in long term arcs. She appeared as Debra in Blue Mountain State between 2010 and 2011, as well as several episodes of Two and Half Men, which starred her ex-husband, Charlie Sheen, between 2003 and 2011. This year, Denise appeared in Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce as well as the movie, A Violent Man, where she played Victoria. She has six more films yet to be released this year and next.

There is no doubt that Keri Russell’s most recognized role came in the late 90s when she played the lead role of Felicity Porter in the series Felicity, which ran from 1998 to 2002. She ended up winning a Golden Globe for her performance on the show. However, what many forget is that her first cinematic role came in 1992, when she starred alongside Rick Moranis in the sequel to Honey, I Shrunk The Kids – titled Honey, I Blew Up The Kid.

Although she has had a steady acting career over the years, Keri Russell’s most recent roles have been nothing short of impressive. She has appeared in movies such as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Free State of Jones, to name a few. It is reported that Keri Russell is scheduled to play a key role in the concluding chapter to the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Star Wars: Episode XI. However, her role has yet to be confirmed.

There is no doubt that Candace Cameron’s finest hour came in the early 90s when she played the role of D.J. Tanner in the popular sitcom Full House. She starred alongside the likes of Bob Saget, John Stamos and the Olsen twins from 1987 to 1995. However, she is also known for her role as fictional character Aurora Teagarden. One of the most high-profile Republican celebrities, Cameron has been married to NHL hockey player Valeri Bure since 1996.

Candace Cameron has always held her Christian faith close to her heart, having converted when she was just 12 years old. In fact, she thanks her faith for keeping her marriage with Valeri Bure intact. In recent times, she has starred in movies such as The Wager and Faith of Our Fathers. Also, Candace Cameron reprised her role as D.J. Tanner in the revival series of Full House, aptly titled Fuller House. The show saw many of the original cast members also reprise their respective roles.

Yasmine Bleeth launched her acting career with her starring role in the hit ‘90s TV show Baywatch. Yasmine Bleeth was a household name, and she attracted so much media attention worldwide, that People magazine dubbed her one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in 1995. The New York native continued pursuing a successful acting career following her iconic lifeguard role, starring in the soap opera One Life To Live as LeeAnn Demarest, and guest starring in other television series.

After her recurring role on Baywatch, Yasmine Bleeth continued to act in other television shows and films. She was a featured actress on several TV series, and a guest star on others. In 2000, 3 years before retiring from acting, Yasmine Bleeth accepted a starring role in the series Titans. Simultaneously, the talented and multifaceted actress accepted swimwear and lingerie modeling gigs, and even went on to launch her own swimwear line, which she named Yaz Wear. Since 2003, she now no longer appears on any shows or films.

Sarah Michelle Gellar began acting at a young age, earning notice for her role on All My Children when she was only 16 years old. By 1997, Gellar was cast as the title character in the Joss Whedon show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which proved to be immensely popular among teens and young adults. The show lasted until 2003, and spawned the spinoff, Angel, in which Gellar made several appearances. Even a decade after it wrapped, Gellar is still known as Buffy.

During her run on Buffy, Sarah Michelle Gellar was landing movie roles left and right, and appeared in films like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream 2. She also played Daphne in the live action Scooby Doo movies, released in 2002 and 2004. From 2005 up until 2014, Gellar voiced several characters on the animated series, Robot Chicken. She also voiced a character in Star Wars Rebels from 2015 to 2016. This year, she was seen in the TV pilot sequel Cruel Intentions.