The 90s helped bring some of the most iconic celebrities in the entertainment industry to screens, movie posters, and front covers of magazine issues everywhere.
Fast-forward to today and most of them are almost unrecognizable from their youthful, polished looks back in the heyday. The changes in some of the celebrities, from child stars who grew up in the limelight to actors who took on different lifestyles and careers, are often shocking.
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Whether it is due to ageing, personal challenges, or changing style for some, the surprise for the fans might arise from these differences from when they were popular during the 90s.
Some were favourites since childhood, such as Macaulay Culkin and Jonathan Lipnicki, while others, such as Brendan Fraser and Alicia Silverstone, were household names for blockbuster hits.
Here's a look at 20 stars from the 90s who have seen some of the most drastic physical transformations.
1) Macaulay Culkin
Not many would easily recognize Macaulay Culkin, who catapulted to fame as that adorable Kevin McCallister in Home Alone. After being away from the limelight for a few rather troubled years, today, he sports an unrecognizable lanky frame and a more bohemian laid-back style.
He's kept his life relatively private, sometimes popping up in some projects, including a recent run on American Horror Story. Half of his evolution has been self-discovery and estrangement away from origins to leave behind that baby-faced idol everyone used to adore in order to create a more eclectic identity.
2) Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt became the ultimate 90's teen icon with films such as I Know What You Did Last Summer and Party of Five. Today, she does not look like that same girl who was a teen sensation-thereby embracing motherhood and a much quieter, family-oriented life.
She has taken a much lower profile from her glamorous 90s life to a more natural look. Though still recognizable, she appears older, with a lessened style that reflects a transition from Hollywood limelight to mother of three.
Hewitt does make some television appearances from time to time, but her transformation suggests that her emphasis is once again on family and a more relatively reclusive private life.
3) Jonathan Lipnicki
Best known as the bespectacled, cute kid from Jerry Maguire, Jonathan Lipnicki has endured one of the most drastic transformations of any 90s star. Now an adult, he is a fitness enthusiast and mixed martial artist, sporting an excellent physique far from the perception many retain of a child star. Other than that, he has also battled anxiety and other mental health problems that he publicly shared with interviewers.
Even though he still goes out to perform at times, he is now much more identified with a commitment to fitness and personal well-being; hence, his change is both physical and psychological—a sign of growing maturity.
4) Brendan Fraser
Another heartthrob of the 90s was Brendan Fraser with films like George of the Jungle and The Mummy. A series of injuries while doing stunts for his movies, along with an especially rough divorce, left him to withdraw from acting for some years.
He recently gained much publicity with his comeback with a physical transformation, as he received much positive critical acclaim in the role that he performed in The Whale.
His whole transformation matches with emotions and career, making him such a resilient actor to have walked through Hollywood's high-scale and personal battles with dignity.
5) Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Household names in the 90s, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen starred in Full House and a string of teen movies. Today, they have abandoned acting altogether for careers in fashion design and a more minimalist, high-fashion aesthetic that could hardly be more starkly opposed to their bright, bubbly image from their youth. Though both still wear relatively low-key, monochromatic ensembles, Mary-Kate is especially elusive and reclusive.
They have kept themselves away from the prying eyes of stardom, subtly yet profoundly transforming them in such a way that they have built mystery around their brand and personal life while imbibing into themselves what they call "fashion icons".
6) Edward Furlong
Edward Furlong, best remembered for his role as the young John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, has undergone an equally radical transformation in the same manner as Daniel, from a fresh young boy again in the films.
Furlong had long suffered addiction as well as legal issues that gave him that rugged look and he weighed way more than he used to in the 90s. His problems are pretty well-known and have probably affected his career as much as his body.
Though he has tried various ways of getting back into acting, it hasn't been smooth sailing. His transformation goes to show how celebrity and personal troubles can change the life of a young actor. Still, hope prevails that he may continue his journey to recovery and redemption.
7) Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone became an overnight sensation while playing Cher Horowitz in Clueless in 1995. Today she is still a big name in Hollywood, but very far away from the glam and lifestyle that the industry portrays today.
She is now an environmental activist and a vegan, ready to live an organic, healthy lifestyle, far away from the colourful and garish teen star of the 90s she once was.
Though she does smaller roles on television and film, Silverstone has also written books on healthy living and continues to make public statements on her "green lifestyle."
The change has devoted herself to demonstrating allegiance towards personal beliefs and issues yet does not disassociate herself from an entertainment career.
8) Yasmine Bleeth
Yasmine Bleeth is a celebrity of the 1990s, who played one of the main casts of Baywatch. She was so beautiful and made her role iconic in the series, but after struggling with substance abuse, she disappeared from the public eye in 2001. Bleeth has since stopped looking like a pin-up girl and has now opted for a quieter life within her borders in Hollywood.
She is probably the most dramatic change on this list, as she is hardly that glamorous star many would remember from their Baywatch days. Despite everything she has survived, she remains a very beloved figure from the 90s, though she keeps quite a much lower profile today.
9) Tara Reid
After starring in American Pie, Tara Reid catapulted into stardom in the late 90s and early 2000s. Of late, however, her looks have drastically changed due to a myriad of plastic surgeries that have resulted in her resembling a completely different individual from the one that people remember back then. Reid has been in the media spotlight for her changed looks and personal life for quite a while now.
Even so, she continues acting in low-budget films and appears in reality TV programmes. Reid's transformation manifests pressures from fame and glares of the people, where personal choices might have a lasting impact on both - one's career as well as public image.
10) Freddie Prinze Jr.
Freddie Prinze Jr. is probably one of the most well-known heartthrobs of the late 90s, appearing in She's All That and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Today, Freddie Prinze can be seen behind the scenes, focusing on family with fellow star from the 90s, Sarah Michelle Gellar. On top of that, he's the author of several cookbooks and has hosted food-based television shows.
Freddie Prinze Jr. also aged well, but changed much more so during the metamorphosis from a leading man to a devoted father and culinary enthusiast. Though he still acts at times, his major work has been usually away from Hollywood.
11) Lara Flynn Boyle
Lara Flynn Boyle is the actress known for the cases of association with Twin Peaks and The Practice. She was once known for her beauty, but there is a lot of talk about plastic surgeries that made her look drastically different. Somehow, she changed her whole appearance altogether, and in many ways, she stopped showing her face to the world.
She is an institution on the red carpet and in Hollywood, yet she leads a very private life, rarely stepping out for events these days. Boyle makes one remember the pressures of Hollywood to look like a thousand bucks every time one appears and how that can make a celebrity's public image overnight.
12) Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer was an action hero of the 90s and has been a part of Top Gun and Batman Forever. However, Kilmer's life changed dramatically when he fought throat cancer, which necessitated surgery that altered his voice and caused him to lose a great deal of weight.
In this sense, Kilmer had largely retired from acting, but recently came out of retirement to act in Top Gun: Maverick. He is also seen to have undergone both body and soul transformation from being isolated and aloof to being concerned about his health and artistic expression.
While his appearance is largely altered, resistance to illness and a silent return to acting itself prove him to be an embodiment of strength.
13) Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Dunst attained the epitome of fame in the 90s with films like Interview with the Vampire and Jumanji. She has continued to act in notable films including Spider-Man and The Power of the Dog, although her appearance has changed gradually with time.
Now-a-days, Dunst is a mother and wife to actor Jesse Plemons. She looks more down-to-earth than ever, filled with the grounded maturity of an experienced actress.
Gone are the days of "Wide-Eyed Wonder Girl," replaced by a feminine and sophisticated look that speaks well for this seasoned actress's refined style. Dunst easily transitions from being a child star to an accomplished actress, retaining all her charm while maturing into the roles she plays on and off screen.
14) Jared Leto
Jared Leto is dramatic enough in his own right, from the brooding heartthrob on My So-Called Life to Oscar-winning actor and thirty-first-frontman of Thirty Seconds to Mars - but it's rivalled by his transformation for film. He's gained and lost a significant amount of weight for most of his roles.
The transformation with Leto makes one realise just how committed he is to his work and how well he has been able to reinvent himself time and again, musically as well as in his acting career.
15) Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson was probably the most visible face in the 90s. She was hot; her look on Baywatch had given her that panache. Blonde bombshell, indeed, had made Pamela very much a pop culture icon. However, over the years, Anderson's style has transformed into a natural, soft look. She is now an animal rights and environmental activist, pulling her away from Hollywood glamour.
Anderson's transformation is not only personal, but physical in a way, taking her on a journey from when she was the epitome of a sex symbol to an activist. Although she still sometimes emerges into public view, Anderson now appears and bears little resemblance to her 90s fame.
16) Rider Strong
Rider Strong will forever be known for his role as Shawn Hunter, the troubled best friend on Boy Meets World. While he is now much different from his floppy-haired teen image--and his new rugged, bearded look is quite far from his past, Strong has not only put together a sparse filmography with rare acting work, but has also taken to putting together writing and directing gigs.
He seems to be distancing himself from teen movie stardom and alluring himself to creative ventures in filmmaking. More than a 90s icon, the growth and change he had professionally and personally makes him more down-to-earth and mature.
17) Danica McKellar
Danica McKellar is known because of her leading role in the 90s hit The Wonder Years' Winnie Cooper. That is a child star Danica McKellar of yesterday; however, today she is a mathematician and an education activist. Though she is still performing in all sorts of TV movies, including many of the Hallmark films, her passion for mathematics marked her identity.
She has authored several books on mathematics and how it can be enjoyed by children, a far cry from her Hollywood career of being a teen idol. What could be observed in this aspect is the trend to move from teen icon status to professional achievement, a context that combines wisdom with amusement.
18) Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes was a popular child star in the 90s and early 2000s and entertained the audience with her comedy roles on shows like All That and The Amanda Show.
However, things became worse as she fought mental health issues and lawsuits that severely affected her physical state. Post-retirement from acting, Bynes went through various transformations, including tattooing her face and changing fashion trends.
It is a physical as well as an emotional transformation, and Bynes is still going through her recovery. Although she looks like a completely different person from how she appears in her 90s' pictures, she might just get back on track.
19) Melissa Joan Hart
Melissa Joan Hart has been a household name since the days of Clarissa Explains It All and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. These days, Hart's looks have changed organically as she has donned motherhood and a much less glamorous lifestyle.
Although she still acts on occasions, she has become a producer and director and avoids the spotlight for the most part. Hart's reinvention is characteristic of what many former child stars aspire to carry in an acting career, but keeping their lives quieter and more centred around family.
Although she's not the little Sabrina that fans adore, Hart has grown up gradually and kept her good reputation, both in front of the camera and behind it.
20) Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Saved by the Bell marked Mark-Paul Gosselaar as the epitome of all the most iconic features of 90s teenage culture, Zack Morris. He has now donned a much harder, darker look from the bleach-blonde, clean-cut image that made him a heartthrob back in the day.
The young actor has stayed busy in front of the small screen, having had a stint in some shows such as NYPD Blue and Pitch, though his appearance has changed dramatically over the years.
Gosselaar's transformation isn't so much physically dramatic, as it is organic as he navigated his career from a teen heartthrob to a mature actor. Even though he might no longer look like the old Zack Morris of the 90s, his acting career has only moved upward with time.
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