Where Is Your Childhood Celebrity Crush Now? We Check in on Adam Brody, Erik Von Detten & More
Remember the days when you had to plan your week around catching your childhood crush on TV at 8 PM on Wednesday nights? Or when you spent all your allowance money on teen magazines, just so you could swoon over glossy pics of ’90s heartthrobs (and then plaster said pictures on the walls of your bedroom)? Either way, there’s no denying that the decade gave us plenty of dreamy celebrities, from Home Improvement's Jonathan Taylor Thomas to The O.C.'s Adam Brody. And fortunately, quite a few of them are still making small screen appearances today.
For instance, Brody and his co-star Kristen Bell recently dropped a binge-worthy series on Netflix called Nobody Wants This. And Dawson's Creek's Joshua Jackson currently stars in Ryan Murphy's medical drama, Doctor Odyssey. But what about other fan favorites, like Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Danielle Fishel? Read on to see what some of your favorite childhood celebrity crushes have been up to lately.
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1. Clayton Snyder
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Best Known For: Lizzie McGuire
Instagram Handle: @heyclaytron
Age: 37
Ethan only had the looks (OK, and the hair) on Lizzie McGuire. But Clayton Snyder, the actor behind the role, also has the brains. He took a break from the small screen to attend Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA. Then, after graduating in 2010, he returned to the world of acting to do a number of short films, but now works as a realtor in Los Angeles. Snyder is married to actress Allegra Rose Edwards, who stars as Ingrid Kannerman in the Amazon Prime original comedy, Upload.
2. Josh Hartnett
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Best Known For: Pearl Harbor, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, The Faculty
Instagram Handle: N/A
Age: 46
Josh Hartnett was well on his way to becoming one of the biggest heartthrobs of all time— especially after landing a starring role in a huge film like Pearl Harbor. But not long after that movie premiered in 2001, the actor suddenly vanished from the limelight.
Instead of using his newfound popularity to take on more big roles, Hartnett opted for lesser-known, independent films—all because he wanted to avoid fame. In his 2020 interview with Variety, he explained, “I took steps to make my life not as crazy after [Pearl Harbor] came out and was successful at it and have remained sort of outside of the fray. When I was younger, it was important to me to kind of figure out who I was, what I wanted for my life, how I wanted to create my life without so much scrutiny. I did that, and now I feel comfortable being who I am in the spotlight if I need to be.” Fortunately, the star made a few appearances in shows like Die Hart, Black Mirror and, most recently, The Bear. He also landed roles in Trap and the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer. Hartnett currently has three daughters with his wife, Tamsin Egerton, who occasionally shares pics of their family on her personal Instagram account.
3. Andrew Keegan
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Best Known For: Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Trinkets, Moesha, 7th Heaven
Instagram Handle: @andrewkeegn
Age: 45
You probably recognize Andrew Keegan as Wilson West from 7th Heaven, but he’s also popped up in shows like Moesha, Party of Five and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. While he hasn't been making headlines lately, the actor is still booking work. Most recently, he landed roles in movies like Adverse, High Tide and The Activated Man. He’s also quite active on social media, where you’ll notice a few cute pics of his daughter, Aiya Rose.
4. Erik Von Detten
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Best Known For: Brink!, Meego, The Princess Diaries, So Weird
Instagram Handle: N/A
Age: 42
For the record, I was crushing on Josh just as hard as Mia was in The Princess Diaries. But many fans of the Princess of Genovia may have noticed that Josh (aka actor Erik von Detten), hasn’t appeared in any films since 2010. That’s because von Detten left acting to become a sales manager at a commodities brokerage firm. Although, it's worth noting he made a short comeback in 2024 by appearing in the TV film Acting Coach Nightmare.
Now, he lives happily with his wife, Angela von Detten, and their three children (they share one daughter and two sons). You can keep up with the gorgeous family through Angela’s personal Instagram account.
5. Devon Sawa
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Best Known For: Little Giants, Casper, Now and Then
Instagram Handle: @d.sawa
Age: 46
This dreamboat Canadian actor, best known for his memorable roles in Little Giants and Casper, is still an active member of Hollywood to this day. In 2021, Devon Sawa landed a major role in Chucky, SyFy's TV adaptation of Child’s Play. Then, he went on to appear in shows like Magnum P.I. and Hacks. His latest film, Canadian sci-fi thriller All the Lost Ones, was released just last month, and he's currently working on a rom-com called Heart Eyes, starring Olivia Holt. As for his personal life, Sawa and his wife, Dawni Sahanovitch, share a son and a daughter.
6. Raviv “Ricky” Ullman
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Best Known For: Phil of the Future
Instagram Handle: @ravivullman
Age: 38
After stealing our hearts as the quirky Phil Diffy in Phil of the Future, Ricky Ullman went on to star in the Lifetime sitcom, Rita Rocks. He also got into music (he helped form the band Lolawolf with actress Zo? Kravitz) and made small appearances in TV shows like Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior. He also starred in Off-Broadway plays like Russian Transport, The Bad Guys and Sticks and Bones.
Now, it appears the actor, director and musician has shifted his focus to podcasting. Ullman and Rabbi Adam Greenwald currently co-host The Study, which, according to the description, follows the pair as they study, question and apply the Torah to better understand the world. Also, he tied the knot with British animator Julia Pott in 2023.
7. Mark-Paul Gosselaar
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Best Known For: Saved by the Bell
Instagram Handle: @mpgosselaar
Age: 50
Don’t worry, Saved by the Bell's ultimate heartthrob is still acting to this day. Not only did he reprise his role as Zack Morris with a number of his original co-stars in the Peacock reboot but Gosselaar played Paul Johnson (Rainbow's father) in ABC’s Mixed-ish, the prequel sitcom to Black-ish. Currently, he stars in the NBC drama, Found, and he made a guest appearance in the series Will Trent. Gosselaar is now married to advertising executive Catriona McGinn, and they share a son and daughter.
8. Johnathan Taylor Thomas
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Best Known For: Home Improvement
Instagram Handle: N/A
Age: 43
Um, who didn't have a crush on Jonathan Taylor Thomas back in the '90s? After playing the swoon-worthy Randy Taylor on Home Improvement, he took on several more roles until 2005, when he took a lengthy hiatus from Hollywood. Then he briefly returned to the spotlight for a few guest appearances on Tim Allen's Last Man Standing, but aside from that, Thomas has kept a very low profile.
I do know that he studied history and philosophy at Harvard, spent a year abroad at St Andrews University in Scotland and graduated from Columbia University School of General Studies in 2010. Also, per Fox News, the former child star made a rare public appearance in 2023—the first time in two years—near his home in California.
9. Larisa Oleynik
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Best Known For: The Secret World of Alex Mack, 10 Things I Hate About You
Instagram Handle: @larisoleynik
Age: 43
Larisa Oleynik, "the proverbial girl next door," has been on a roll since her childhood acting days when she appeared in The Secret World of Alex Mack. She went on to score guest appearances in countless popular shows from Pretty Little Liars to Mad Men. In 2020, she starred in the Netflix comedy series, The Healing Powers of Dude, and in the 2021 film, We Broke Up, she plays Tia. Her other recent projects include Trinket and Nickelodeon's Erin & Aaron.
10. Freddie Prinze Jr.
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Best Known For: I Know What You Did Last Summer, She's All That, Down to You
Instagram Handle: N/A
Age: 48
Did anyone else totally swoon when they first laid eyes on the dashing Zack Siler in She's All That? The actor, Freddie Prinze Jr., went on to appear in a handful of shows and movies, including Summer Catch, Friends, 24 and Bones. The heartthrob even dropped in on WWE Raw as a guest host at one point. More recently, the star has been acting and doing some behind-the-scenes work as a writer and producer. He starred as Thomas in the 2024 film, The Girl in the Pool, and he's now working on the fourth sequel to I Know What You Did Last Summer. Prinze Jr. and actress Sarah Michelle Gellar have been happily married since 2002, and they have two children.
11. Will Friedle
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Best Known For: Boy Meets World
Instagram Handle: N/A
Age: 48
With his brown floppy hair and amazing sense of humor, Eric Matthews was the definition of irresistible. And lucky for teen fans, he did voice work for a laundry-list of other shows and appeared in a few movies after Boy Meets World, like My Date with the President's Daughter and H-E Double Hockey Sticks. (He even reprised his role in Girl Meets World!) But lately, you can find Will Friedle hosting a web series called Mini Primetime with Will Friedle, a show about miniature painting, and cohosting Pod Meets World. Unfortunately, the actor doesn’t appear to have an Instagram account, so not much is known about his personal life. What I do know, however, is that he married his girlfriend Susan Martens in 2016.
12. Joshua Jackson
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Best Known For: Dawson's Creek, Fringe
Instagram Handle: @vancityjax
Age: 46
From The Mighty Ducks to Dawson's Creek, we were fortunate enough to see the gorgeous Joshua Jackson land roles in plenty of iconic shows and movies of our childhood. And it looks like the actor is still on a roll. You may have spotted the star in Netflix’s gripping crime drama, When They See Us, the Hulu miniseries Little Fires Everywhere and Paramount+'s Fatal Attraction. Fortunately for fans, he's got even more in the works. He now stars as Dr. Max Bankman in Doctor Odyssey, and he's slated to play Victor in the film Karate Kid: Legends.
13. Danielle Fishel
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Best Known For: Boy Meets World, Girl Meets World
Instagram Handle: @daniellefishel
Age: 43
It's no wonder Cory Matthews was head over heels for Topanga Lawrence, who had beauty, brains and confidence. And great hair! Lucky for fans, Danielle Fishel went on to reprise her signature role in Disney Channel’s spin-off series, Girl Meets World, more than a decade later, where she and Cory are married with children. Right now, Fishel runs a company called Be Free, which offers all-natural hair products and accessories. She also co-hosts the podcast Pod Meets World, and she's currently married to comedian and producer Jensen Karp, with whom she has two sons.
14. Danica Mckellar
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Best Known For: The Wonder Years
Instagram Handle: @danicamckellar
Age: 49
After stealing Kevin’s heart in The Wonder Years, Danica McKellar went on to study mathematics at the University of California, where she authored academic papers and earned a Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude. But while she totally crushed it in the education department, it didn’t stop her from continuing her acting career. She's also starred in a string of romantic television films, including her most recent releases, Christmas at the Drive-In and Swing into Romance. McKellar has authored seven non-fiction books about mathematics, and she is now married to Los Angeles-based attorney, Scott Sveslosky.
15. Leonardo DiCaprio
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Best Known For: Parenthood, This Boy's Life, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Romeo + Juliet
Instagram Handle: @leonardodicaprio
Age: 49
With films like Romeo + Juliet and Titanic, it’s totally understandable why young Leo made teens (and adults) weak in the knees in the ‘90s. Now, the actor shows no signs of loosening his grip on Hollywood, snagging an Academy Award, a BAFTA and three Golden Globe Awards along the way.
More recently, the star made headlines with his powerful film, Killers of the Flower Moon, and fans can expect to see him in Paul Thomas Anderson's The Battle of Baktan Cross. Acting aside, DiCaprio is also well-known for his environmental activism. He founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to raise environmental awareness, and he produced several documentaries about the environment.
16. Matthew Underwood
Best Known For: Zoey 101
Instagram Handle: @mattunderwood
Age: 34
Sure, he was a bit of a jerk (and a spoiled one, at that), but man, was Matthew Underwood dreamy as Logan Reese in Zoey 101! The actor has since transitioned into filmmaking and he’s quite active on Instagram. He appeared in the fun musical remake of the Zoey 101 theme song, Jamie Lynn Spears & Chantel Jeffries: Follow Me. And in 2023, he reprised his role as Logan in Nickelodeon's Zoey 102, the sequel film to the series. As for his directing credits, he's worked on short films like The Unicorn Sisters, The Alien and Time Hoppers.
17. Adam Brody
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Best Known For: The O.C., Jennifer's Body, Ready or Not
Instagram Handle: N/A
Age: 44
We all knew him as Seth Cohen on FOX's teen soap, The O.C. And while Seth was a tad self-obsessed, it was impossible to ignore his dreamy eyes, unique style and quick wit. The actor went on to appear in several films, including Mr. & Mrs. Smith, In the Land of Women, Jennifer's Body, Shazam! and Promising Young Woman. Most recently though, he made headlines with his rom-com series, Nobody Wants This. In her rave review, Rachel Bowie, PureWow's Senior Director of Special Projects and Royals, called it the "rare rom-com unicorn that nails the job."
18. Mike Vitar
Best Known For: The Sandlot, D2: The Mighty Ducks
Instagram Handle: N/A
Age: 45
Better known as Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez, the former actor has left Hollywood to become a firefighter in Los Angeles. Since Mike Vitar keeps such a low profile, not much is known about his new career or personal life. However, we do have this amazing snap of Vitar and his former co-star, Marguerite Moreau, during their Mighty Ducks reunion in 2014.
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