Your Favorite Teen Heartthrobs Then vs. NowOriginally published on Marie Claire USTue, October 24, 2023 at 1:00 AM UTC One glance at this photo, and I already have tears in my eyes. Before A Walk to Remember, Shane West had a bunch of small TV roles, but his role as the bad-boy-turned-good-guy Landon West captured our hearts. Archive Photos/Getty Images Saved by the Bell would be nothing without Mark-Paul Gosselaar as the ever-so-charming Zack Morris. The idea of someone else ending up with Kelly Kapowski sends shivers down my spine. NBC/Getty Images Don't worry, Gosselaar is still doing the TV thing in shows like Mixed-ish, Franklin & Bash, and even a Saved by the Bell reboot. Paras Griffin/Getty Images TBT to English class when your hardest dilemma was deciding who was the hottest out of the Greasers while watching The Outsiders. Matt Dillion's portrayal of Dallas Winston in the 1983 film was swoon-worthy. Sunset Boulevard/Getty Images Dillon went on to star in many more acclaimed films... just ones you didn't watch during school hours, such as the comedy There's Something About Mary and the horror flick The House That Jack Built. Barcroft Media/Getty Images Jess Mariano in Gilmore Girls! Peter Petrelli in Heroes! Chris Pierce in American Dreams! Milo Ventimiglia was everywhere in the '00s, and we have zero complaints. Vince Bucci/Getty Images Fast forward to today, and Ventimiglia is in hit shows like This Is Us to movies such as Second Act, Creed II, and The Art of Racing In the Rain. George Pimentel/Getty Images Sure, people were freaking out over Troy Bolton in High School Musical when it dropped, but those with refined taste (me!) knew the real deal was Mr. Chad Danforth. Jason LaVeris/Getty Images Post HSM, Bleu starred in other shows and movies you loved like Discovery Channel's Flight 29 Down and the Disney Channel original movie Jump In! Today, he's still acting in minor TV roles. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images The idea of a high school rising junior (senior?) who looks like Sean Faris circa 2004 having a crush on you when you were going to be a freshman in high school is next-level insane! But we ate it up in the movie Sleepover. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Faris later starred, and caused some major drama, in Pretty Little Liars as Gabriel Holbrook. He's also been in a ton of holiday Hallmark movies...if you were looking for a reason to watch one. Paul Archuleta/Getty Images Avid Nickelodeon watchers might remember Jordan Calloway as one of Emma Roberts' BFFs, Zach Carter-Schwartz, in Unfabulous. When you weren't singing the catchy theme song, you were definitely thinking about him. Toby Canham/Getty Images Calloway has been busy since his days on Nickelodeon. He played Chuck Clayton in Riverdale's early seasons and starred as Khalil Payne in Black Lightning. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images The British actor did star in some TV shows in the early parts of his career, but everyone came to know and love him as Robbie in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Taylor-Johnson is still acting! Since he played Robbie, he's been in big blockbusters like Tenet and Nowhere Boy. He even won a Golden Globe in 2017 for his role in Nocturnal Animals. Rich Fury/Getty Images You either know him as Superman in Smallville or as the second oldest Baker, Charlie, in the Cheaper By the Dozen franchise. I mean, him wearing that red cap in the majority of the first movie? How could we forget! Frank Trapper/Getty Images Welling may not be playing superheroes anymore, but you can watch him in shows like Lucifer or the action TV show Professionals. David Livingston/Getty Images Patrick Dancy first made his appearance on Saved by the Bell, but we got to really know him as Ted Curran on the '90s sitcom Family Matters. ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images Dancy hasn't acted in anything since 2004, unfortunately, but he does have an Instagram account! Paul Archuleta/Getty Images Unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple decades, then you know James Van Der Beek played Dawson on Dawson’s Creek—as in, like the teen drama series from the ’90s. Getty Images Van Der Beek and his great eyebrows are still making Hollywood moves. He had a role on the hit FX show Pose, and played DJ Diplo in the comedy series What Would Diplo Do? over on Viceland. Kevork Djansezian/NBC/Getty Images West has since starred in some of your favorite shows like ER, Gotham, and Salem. He and Mandy Moore still have a tight bond too. At Moore's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, he gave a cute speech to his former co-star saying, "Mandy, you are an absolute gem. Your smile is ridiculous, seriously it's ridiculous, it lights up a room when you walk in. Your energy is irresistible and your heart is second to none." By Bianca Rodriguez Jim Spellman/Getty ImagesThen: Shane West1 of 22 One glance at this photo, and I already have tears in my eyes. Before A Walk to Remember, Shane West had a bunch of small TV roles, but his role as the bad-boy-turned-good-guy Landon West captured our hearts. Archive Photos/Getty ImagesThen: Shane West1 of 22 One glance at this photo, and I already have tears in my eyes. Before A Walk to Remember, Shane West had a bunch of small TV roles, but his role as the bad-boy-turned-good-guy Landon West captured our hearts. Archive Photos/Getty ImagesThen: Mark-Paul Gosselaar2 of 22 Saved by the Bell would be nothing without Mark-Paul Gosselaar as the ever-so-charming Zack Morris. The idea of someone else ending up with Kelly Kapowski sends shivers down my spine. NBC/Getty ImagesNow: Mark-Paul Gosselaar3 of 22 Don't worry, Gosselaar is still doing the TV thing in shows like Mixed-ish, Franklin & Bash, and even a Saved by the Bell reboot. Paras Griffin/Getty ImagesThen: Matt Dillon4 of 22 TBT to English class when your hardest dilemma was deciding who was the hottest out of the Greasers while watching The Outsiders. Matt Dillion's portrayal of Dallas Winston in the 1983 film was swoon-worthy. Sunset Boulevard/Getty ImagesNow: Matt Dillon5 of 22 Dillon went on to star in many more acclaimed films... just ones you didn't watch during school hours, such as the comedy There's Something About Mary and the horror flick The House That Jack Built. Barcroft Media/Getty ImagesThen: Milo Ventimiglia6 of 22 Jess Mariano in Gilmore Girls! Peter Petrelli in Heroes! Chris Pierce in American Dreams! Milo Ventimiglia was everywhere in the '00s, and we have zero complaints. Vince Bucci/Getty ImagesNow: Milo Ventimiglia7 of 22 Fast forward to today, and Ventimiglia is in hit shows like This Is Us to movies such as Second Act, Creed II, and The Art of Racing In the Rain. George Pimentel/Getty ImagesThen: Corbin Bleu8 of 22 Sure, people were freaking out over Troy Bolton in High School Musical when it dropped, but those with refined taste (me!) knew the real deal was Mr. Chad Danforth. Jason LaVeris/Getty ImagesNow: Corbin Bleu9 of 22 Post HSM, Bleu starred in other shows and movies you loved like Discovery Channel's Flight 29 Down and the Disney Channel original movie Jump In! Today, he's still acting in minor TV roles. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty ImagesThen: Sean Faris10 of 22 The idea of a high school rising junior (senior?) who looks like Sean Faris circa 2004 having a crush on you when you were going to be a freshman in high school is next-level insane! But we ate it up in the movie Sleepover. Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesNow: Sean Faris11 of 22 Faris later starred, and caused some major drama, in Pretty Little Liars as Gabriel Holbrook. He's also been in a ton of holiday Hallmark movies...if you were looking for a reason to watch one. Paul Archuleta/Getty ImagesThen: Jordan Calloway12 of 22 Avid Nickelodeon watchers might remember Jordan Calloway as one of Emma Roberts' BFFs, Zach Carter-Schwartz, in Unfabulous. When you weren't singing the catchy theme song, you were definitely thinking about him. Toby Canham/Getty ImagesNow: Jordan Calloway13 of 22 Calloway has been busy since his days on Nickelodeon. He played Chuck Clayton in Riverdale's early seasons and starred as Khalil Payne in Black Lightning. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty ImagesThen: Aaron Taylor-Johnson14 of 22 The British actor did star in some TV shows in the early parts of his career, but everyone came to know and love him as Robbie in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesNow: Aaron Taylor-Johnson15 of 22 Taylor-Johnson is still acting! Since he played Robbie, he's been in big blockbusters like Tenet and Nowhere Boy. He even won a Golden Globe in 2017 for his role in Nocturnal Animals. Rich Fury/Getty ImagesThen: Tom Welling16 of 22 You either know him as Superman in Smallville or as the second oldest Baker, Charlie, in the Cheaper By the Dozen franchise. I mean, him wearing that red cap in the majority of the first movie? How could we forget! Frank Trapper/Getty ImagesNow: Tom Welling17 of 22 Welling may not be playing superheroes anymore, but you can watch him in shows like Lucifer or the action TV show Professionals. David Livingston/Getty ImagesThen: Patrick J. Dancy18 of 22 Patrick Dancy first made his appearance on Saved by the Bell, but we got to really know him as Ted Curran on the '90s sitcom Family Matters. ABC Photo Archives/Getty ImagesNow: Patrick J. Dancy19 of 22 Dancy hasn't acted in anything since 2004, unfortunately, but he does have an Instagram account! Paul Archuleta/Getty ImagesThen: James Van Der Beek20 of 22 Unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple decades, then you know James Van Der Beek played Dawson on Dawson’s Creek—as in, like the teen drama series from the ’90s. Getty ImagesNow: James Van Der Beek21 of 22 Van Der Beek and his great eyebrows are still making Hollywood moves. He had a role on the hit FX show Pose, and played DJ Diplo in the comedy series What Would Diplo Do? over on Viceland. Kevork Djansezian/NBC/Getty ImagesNow: Shane West22 of 22 West has since starred in some of your favorite shows like ER, Gotham, and Salem. He and Mandy Moore still have a tight bond too. At Moore's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, he gave a cute speech to his former co-star saying, "Mandy, you are an absolute gem. Your smile is ridiculous, seriously it's ridiculous, it lights up a room when you walk in. Your energy is irresistible and your heart is second to none." By Bianca Rodriguez Jim Spellman/Getty ImagesPretends to be shocked that they're still hot.About Our Ads