What the Hell Happened to These 25 Teen Heartthrobs?

For as long as there have been hormonally-raging teenage girls, there have been wispy-haired male heartthrobs, some of them teenagers themselves, others much too old to be lusted after by the under-18 set. While some bubblegum stars have managed to transcend their teen idol status (we're looking at you, Justin Timberlake), many more have faded into obscurity—never again achieving the fame or attention of their youth. Here are 25 of the latter.

What the hell happened to these heartthrobs?

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Romell "RoRo" Chapman

Profession: Musician/Laborer
Height of Popularity: 1991

Then: Young ladies learned the names of the members of Another Bad Creation via verse in the song "Iesha." It went a little something like this: Chris, Mark, Red, Dave, Ro (repeat). The "Ro" in question was Romell "RoRo" Chapman, the edgy little tyke who stole the young girls' hearts when he wasn't coolin' at the playground.

Now: When he isn't collaborating with ABC co-conspirators Chris and Dave on their indie label Playground Legends, the Atlanta-based 30-year-old is a hardwood floor contractor. For years, rumors have swirled that the band is readying a Where Are They Now? DVD for release, but no date has been confirmed.

Brian Bloom

Profession: Actor/Writer
Height of Popularity: 1986-1987

Then: You may not remember him by name, you will remember his eyes. In 1985, at the age of 15, Brian Bloom become the youngest actor to win an Emmy for Outstanding Young Leading Man for his work on As the World Turns (though he never copped to the accolade on his resume, as he didn't want to be typecast as a "soap star"). He starred in dozens of television and film projects over the next decade-plus, including Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America and a six-episode stint on Melrose Place.

Now: In 2009, Brian Bloom reemerged in a series of commercials touting the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, which were directed by Joe Carnahan. It must have been kismet. In 2010, the duo reunited for the big-screen version of The A-Team, which Bloom co-wrote with Carnahan; he also starred as the villainous Pike. He continues to act, often lending his voice to animated series and video games.

Jamie Walters

Profession: Actor/Musician
Height of Popularity: 1992-1994

Then: How do you talk to an angel? Beats the hell out of us. But actor/musician Jamie Walters sure had women interested in finding the answer when he wrote the theme song and starred in the short-lived series The Heights, about an aspiring rock band. His bigger break came as Ray Pruitt, the rocker boyfriend of Donna Martin (Tori Spelling) on Beverly Hills, 90210, whom he pushed down a set of stairs and beat the shit out of on a few occasions. Abusive beau? Not a great move for a rising teen idol.

Now: Though he did toy with the idea of resurrecting his career on VH1's Confessions of a Teen Idol, Walters determined that he's much happier out of the spotlight; he began working for the city of Los Angeles as a firefighter and paramedic in 2004.

Ralph Macchio

Profession: Actor/Karate Kid
Height of Popularity: 1983-1984

Then: First came Johnny Cade in The Outsiders, then came Daniel Larusso in The Karate Kid franchise. It didn't take long for Ralph Macchio to rise to the top of the teen-idol food chain in the early 1980s. But by the time he was playing a high schooler in the first Karate Kid—and gracing the cover of teen mags of the time like Tiger Beat and 16—Macchio was already in his early 20s. By the end of the decade, his age had caught up with him.

Now: Still baby-faced at the age of 51, Macchio foxtrotted his way back into America's heart on the 12th season of Dancing With the Stars (though he was voted off right before the finals). He's a good sport when it comes to poking fun at the role that made him famous; in 2010 he appeared in the Funny or Die video Wax On, F*ck Offand he'll play himself this year in the Hollywood satire He's Way More Famous Than You.

Fred Savage

Profession: Actor/Producer
Height of Popularity: 1988-1990

Then: For five years, audiences everywhere watched Fred Savage grow up on television—literally transforming from a baby-faced 12-year-old to borderline adult as Kevin Arnold on The Wonder Years.

Now: All those years growing up on a TV set paid off for Fred Savage. Since The Wonder Years ended in 1993, he's built quite an impressive comedic resume, not just as an actor but as a producer and director, too. And his specialty seems to be raunchy comedies; Savage's credits as a producer include It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Party Down. He's aldo directed several episodes of each, plus 2 Broke Girls, Modern Family, and Whitney.

Jeremy Jackson

Profession: Actor/Singer
Height of Popularity: 1994-1996

Then: Before he became an Ed Hardy-wearing d-bag, Jeremy Jackson spent eight years playing second fiddle to David Hasselhoff and several pairs of jiggling lady-parts as wannabe lifeguard Hobie Buchannon on Baywatch. Jackson still loves to talk about how he beat out Leonardo DiCaprio for the role (a fact that Hasselhoff confirmed and one for which Leo must be eternally grateful).

Now: Like many teen stars before him, Jackson's celebrity came with a side of substance abuse. In 2009, he appeared on VH1's Confessions of a Teen Idol in a bid to get back in the spotlight. It didn't work. Two years later, he was back on VH1—this time as a patient on Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew, trying to rid himself of a steroid addiction. Jackson's now back behind the non-reality camera; his latest feature, Dreams, is scheduled for release this year.

Ralph Tresvant

Profession: Singer
Height of Popularity: 1983-1995

Then: OK, the above photo might be overkill. (Ralph, by the way, is the dude in blue on the far right.) But how five virile teen boys could allow themselves to be snapped in a photo like this, then let it be offered up for public consumption and still only grow in popularity can only be explained by one thing: It was the '80s. As one of the world's original boy bands, New Edition boasted all the stereotypical members, including the bad boy (Bobby Brown) and the lusted-after lead singer (that would be Ralph). The band first got together in the early '80s; and while they've broken up, reassembled and reconfigured over the years, they're still making music together.

Now: New Edition may be middle-aged, but the band is still going strong. After reuniting for New Orleans' Essence Music Festival in 2011, the group embarked on tour, with all six members in tow (including Johnny Gill, who didn't join up until after Bobby Brown had departed). Last year, they were given the Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award. And in honor of Candy Girl's 30th birthday, they're about to set forth on an anniversary tour. Though he has forged ahead with a solo career—Tresvant originally departed the band in 1989 and released a self-titled solo album in 1990—New Edition will always be his most enduring legacy. Well, that and this Mr. Telephone Man getup.

Joey Lawrence

Profession: Actor/Singer (Whoa!)
Height of Popularity: 1991-1993

Then: We can't help but say "Whoa!" anytime Joey Lawrence's name is mentioned. (Whoa!) Gainfully employed as an actor since the tender age of six (appearing on Diff'rent Strokes and Silver Spoons), Lawrence didn't ascend to teen idol status until the early 1990s, when he starred as everyone's favorite dumb-but-lovable brother on Blossom. Which, of course, led to a hit single, 1993's Nothing My Love Can't Fix.

Now: At the age of 36, Lawrence no longer boasts the luxurious locks that made him famous, but his career is still thriving. Going the Scott Baio route, Lawrence currently stars as a male nanny to politico Melissa Joan Hart's relatives in Melissa & Joey. Whoa?

Jesse McCartney

Profession: Singer
Height of Popularity: 2003-2005

Then: The path is a familiar one: Jesse McCartney first gained fame at the age of 11 during his two-year run on soap opera All My Children before turning his attention to music as part of the boy band Dream Street. In 2004 he branched out on his own, releasing his first solo album, Beautiful Soul.

Now: In the years since his solo album debut, Jesse McCartney has easily moved back and forth between his two loves: acting and music. He's had starring roles on TV shows such as Summerland, Greek, and Young Justice, plus a major role in last year's found footage horror film Chernobyl Diaries. McCartney is currently readying his fourth solo album, Have It All. Indeed.

Scott Baio

Profession: Actor/Producer
Height of Popularity: 1980-1982

Then: Scott Baio made his mark at the tender age of 16 playing Chachi Arcola, the tough-talking cousin of Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli, on Happy Days and its spinoff, Joanie Loves Chachi. Like most teen wonders, he fancied himself a singer, too; he recorded his first album in 1982. From 1984 through 1990, he starred as the titular (and sorta creepy) live-in babysitter on Charles in Charge.

Now: Scott Baio's second coming came in the form of reality TV—the last bastion of teen idols everywhere. In 2007 there was Scott Baio Is 45... And Single followed by Scott Baio Is 46... and Pregnant one year later (how convenient). In 2009, he gathered a gaggle of other where-are-they-now heartthrobs as host of Confessions of a Teen Idol, in which Baio, Jeremy Jackson, Jamie Walters and a half-dozen other former teen idols dealt with life in the modern world. (His many cheesy projects were half-forgiven when he played lawyer Bob Loblaw on Arrested Development.)

Chad Allen

Profession: Actor
Height of Popularity: 1986-1988

Then: A professional actor since the age of seven, Chad Allen's image was plastered all over every teen magazine during the '80s, first as little brother to Shannen Doherty on the wholesome hit Our House, running 1986 to 1988, then as wannabe boyfriend to Staci Keanan on My Two Dads from 1989 to 1990. He graduated to more adult roles in 1993, when he was cast in Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, which ran for six seasons.

Now: In 1996, when he was just 21, Allen's personal life was thrust into the spotlight when The Globe published intimate photos of him with a man. Outed as a result of the tabloid attention, Allen has since become a well-known advocate for same-sex rights. He's kept up the pace as an actor, and has stepped behind the camera, too. In 2007, he starred in and produced the feature film Save Me, about a young man's attempts to be cured of his homosexuality. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Nick Carter

Profession: Singer
Height of Popularity: 1998-2000

Then: The baby of the Backstreet Boys (he was just 12 when the band was founded) was also one of its most beloved members. When the band went on hiatus, Carter decided to start a solo career—a decision that he's gone back and forth with over the years. In 2004 he made his debut as an actor and has popped up in small guest appearances in the years since. But celebrity did not come without its problems for Carter; for years, he was abusing drugs and alcohol until a diagnosed heart condition got him sober.

Now: After a series of starts and stops, Backstreet Boys regrouped in 2003. They're presently putting the final touches on their newest effort, set to be released this year. After a very public relationship and breakup with Paris Hilton, Carter's personal life is back on track, too; last month, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend. She said yes. Backstreet's back!

The Two Coreys

Profession: Actors
Height of Popularity: 1987-1989

Then: If you were a rising star in the '80s named Corey, it was better to join forces than to compete. The floppy-haired version of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, teen actors Corey Feldman and Corey Haim rose to fame together in movies like The Lost Boys and License to Drive, partied together and—ultimately—fell on hard times simultaneously.

Now: In 2007, A&E premiered a new reality show, The Two Coreys, which marked a low point in both actors' (nonexistent) careers: Haim because of the ruinous toll longtime drug abuse had visibly taken on him, both physically and mentally; Feldman because of the delusions that he was somehow still a celebrity. The most cringe-worthy moment? When Feldman set up an elaborate Valentine's Day serenade for his wife and crooned such thought-provoking lyrics as "I wrote this song for you!" (No, seriously, watch it HERE and be the judge of whether his wife is crying from sheer happiness or embarrassment.) Predictably, the end of The Two Coreys came prematurely, when Haim passed away in 2010. Feldman continues to act and—oh, help us—pass himself off as a musician.

Luke Perry

Profession: Actor
Height of Popularity: 1990-1993

Then: Every teen soap opera needs a bad boy, and that's exactly who Dylan McKay—the surf-loving, vintage-Porsche-driving, son-of-a-murdered-millionaire—was on Beverly Hills, 90210. And Luke Perry played him to perfection. Even if he was a 24-year-old guy playing a teenager.

Now: Though Perry has conceded that "I'm going to be linked with [Dylan McKay] until I die, but that's actually just fine," it certainly hasn't been for lack of trying. His IMDb resume has exactly 468 entries—mostly as an actor, but there are credits as a writer, director, and producer, too. He's popped up for short spells and many uncredited appearances on the small screen, including a guest spot on Community last month.

Tevin Campbell

Profession: Musician
Height of Popularity: 1989-1990

Then: Tevin Campbell was only 13 when super-music-mogul Quincy Jones introduced him to the world as part of his Grammy Award-winning Back on the Block compilation. His debut single, Tomorrow (A Better You Better Me), hit the top spot on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles chart a year later. In 1991 he released his debut album, T.E.V.I.N.; it was followed by I'm Ready in 1993, Back to the World in 1996, and Tevin Campbell in 1999. Things could only get better... right?

Now: Teenage girls don't like it when their idols are arrested for soliciting sex from undercover cops. Which is particularly unfortunate for Campbell, as he's one of the few music-making youngsters who had real talent. He pleaded no contest. That was September of 1999. He's rarely been seen nor heard from since.

Jordan Knight

Profession: Musician/TV Personality
Height of Popularity: 1988-1990

Then: His voice was high, his hair was high, and so was the waistline to his jeans (though you wouldn't know it from the picture above). As the lead singer of boy band New Kids on the Block, Jordan Knight proved he had the Right Stuff and the kind of 1990s falsetto swagger that drove the young girls crazy. He set the bar high for *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and all the boy bands who followed.

Now: Like many former teen heartthrobs before him, Jordan Knight has frequently appeared on reality television; he was housemate to Charo, Brigitte Nielsen, and Flavor Flav in the third season of VH1's The Surreal Life and a judge on American Juniors. Believe it or not, Knight is still on the music scene—and not just popping up on reunion tours. Since NKOTB disbanded, Knight has been fashioning himself as a solo artist, and he's done pretty well at it, selling more than 1.5 million records worldwide. He released his first solo album and his most recent—Unfinished—in 2011. Consider yourself warned.

Rider Strong

Profession: Actor
Height of Popularity: 1993-1995

Then: Boy Meets World was to kids of the 1990s what Saved by the Bell was to '80s youths. And Rider Strong—who played trouble-making Shawn Hunter for the series' seven seasons—was that generation's Mark-Paul Gosselaar.

Now: With the exception of a couple of short-lived series and a starring role in Eli Roth's 2002 horror throwback Cabin Fever, Strong has remained relatively off the radar since Boy Meets World concluded in 2000. Instead, he's enjoying a newfound place behind the camera; his script Blood Merchant, a vampire crime thriller, is currently in production. Though Strong has stated that he has no official involvement with the recently announced Boy Meets World spinoff, Girl Meets World, we say give it some time and see if that changes.

David Cassidy

Profession: Singer/Actor
Height of Popularity: 1970-1973

Then: If sex appeal were measured by the feathered-ness of one's hair, David Cassidy would be the world's sexiest man—forever. He rose to fame while melding his acting and singing talents as part of the early '70s sitcom The Partridge Family (yes, the same show that made Danny Bonaduce a household name), belting out made-for-TV classics like "I Think I Love You."

Now: Cassidy has worked hard to keep himself in the spotlight, even if that does entail having to break into I Think I Love You more than 40 years after the fact. He's also been regular figure on Broadway and on stages in Vegas; he's been a television host and actor on the small screen and big; he attempted to become Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice in 2011; and—in true teen idol fashion—was arrested in 2010 (on DUI charges in Florida).

Mark-Paul Gosselaar

Profession: Actor
Height of Popularity: 1989-1991

Then: A fan of colorblocking before it was cool, Zack Morris, Bayside High's big man on campus, was a stud off the set, too. In 2009, Mark-Paul Gosselaar confessed to People Magazine that he dated all three of his female Saved by the Bell co-stars—Tiffani Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley, and Lark Voorhies (each at different times, of course).

Now: After a series of false starts in an attempt to resurrect his career, the former Mr. Morris landed a coveted role on NYPD Blue in 2001 and bounced around to a few other dramatic programs after its run. In 2011, Gosselaar found his way back to the fast-talking kind of comedy that brought him fame in the first place with Franklin & Bash; the TNT series will make its third season debut later this year.

Leif Garrett

Profession: Actor/Singer/Tabloid Staple
Height of Popularity: 1977-1979

Then: If you were born before 1990, you probably know Leif Garrett as the feather-haired pretty boy who found fame in movies like Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and The Outsiders; as Willie Aames' replacement on the small-screen version of The Odd Couple; and as the star of CBS drama Three for the Road. In the mid-1970s, he showed off his singing pipes, first with a self-titled album featuring a handful of oldies covers like "Runaround Sue," then with 1978's Feel the Need, which contained the globally popular "I Was Made for Dancin'."

Now: Those born after 1990 know Leif Garrett best as a staple of reality television. When he's not busy trying to get help with his 30-plus-year battle with drugs on shows like Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew (his first arrest for bad behavior came in 1979, just days before his 18th birthday; his most recent was in 2010), he can often be found poking fun at his addictions as a commentator on The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest...

Freddie Prinze, Jr.

Profession: Actor/WWE Dude
Height of Popularity: 1997-1999

Then: He could brood with the best of them back in the 1990s, contorting his face in ways that looked equal parts thoughtful and constipated. And the ladies loved it! His dad—actor/comedian Freddie Prinze—may have been Chico. But in movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer and She's All That, Freddie Prinze, Jr. was The Man.

Now: Freddie Prinze, Jr.'s most enviable role may be that of husband to Sarah Michelle Gellar, with whom he has two young children. Though his movie career has all but dried up in recent years, Prinze—a lifelong wrestling fan—keeps busy kicking ass as a writer/producer for WWE.

Kirk Cameron

Profession: Actor/Evangelist/Proselytizing Asshole
Height of Popularity: 1985-1987

Then: Mike Seaver—the eldest child to Dr. Jason and Mrs. Maggie Malone on Growing Pains—had a best friend named Boner and a penchant for making trouble. In other words, he's just the kind of guy that born-again Christian Kirk Cameron rails against as a modern-day evangelist. Even if the character did ascend him to teen idol status.

Now: Married to Growing Pains co-star Chelsea Noble since 1991, the former atheist found God at the height of his popularity. And as such, insisted that his character change, too; Mike Seaver wasn't an outright Christian, but Kirk Cameron refused to portray him in any storyline that was anathema to his personal religious beliefs. While he has appeared in many a reunion show, Kirk's also got a busy life as a Christian media personality, starring in the post-Rapture Left Behind series and partnering with fellow evangelist Ray Comfort on The Way of the Master, a ministry, television show, and radio program which Cameron co-hosts. But Kirk hasn't lost that troublemaker gene; for the past year, he has angered plenty worldwide with his vehement stance (and call to action against) gay marriage.

Hanson

Profession: Musicians
Height of Popularity: 1997-1998

Then: They were the '90s version of The Jonas Brothers: three wholesome music-making brothers whose hair defined them. But Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson's tunes had a twist: They actually played their own instruments! Of course, they used that talent to create "MMMBop," so we're not sure if the tradeoff is a fair one. Still, you couldn't go anywhere in 1997 without hearing their bubblegum anthem, and young girls everywhere swooned. When the guys released their third album—Middle of Nowhere—in 1997, it quickly sold 10 million copies.

Now: Today, all three Hanson brothers are married with children. And they're still making music together. In 2007, they recorded an acoustic version of their first hit album in honor of its 10-year anniversary. In 2011, they performed "MMMBop" live on an episode of Dancing With the Stars and appeared in Katy Perry's video for "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)." They're readying their newest album for release later this year. And they're still celebrating Hanson Day, an unofficial holiday declared back on May 6, 1997 by then-Oklahoma governor Frank Keating. (We're pretty sure he meant it as a one-time thing.)

Michael Schoeffling

Profession: Actor-Turned-Furniture Maker
Height of Popularity: 1984-1985

Then: If you were a teenaged girl in the '80s, you wanted to be Molly Ringwald. And not just because she was young, rich, and fabulous. But because she was able to land Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling), the young, rich, fabulous, and gorgeous school jock in Sixteen Candles. No man has rocked a sweater vest as well since, nor has any boyfriend ever measured up.

Now: Hot and handy? Whereas most 20-somethings might use their newfound fame to experiment with debauchery, Schoeffling—much like Jake Ryan might—exited the Hollywood scene just five years after his rise to superstardom. Following roles in Vision Quest, Mermaids, and Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, Schoeffling—a husband and father of two—departed for his home sate of Pennsylvania, where he makes handcrafted furniture.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

Profession: Actor
Height of Popularity: 1992-1994

Then: Better known as JTT to the millions of young girls who tuned in to watch him crack wise as middle child Randy Taylor on Home Improvement throughout the '90s, Jonathan Taylor Thomas—he of blonde bowl cut fame—only upped the ante on his cuteness when he lent his scratchy voice talents to Disney, as young Simba in The Lion King (1994).

Now: Interest in Home Improvement waned after JTT left the show in 1998 to focus on his education (after stints at Harvard and St. Andrews University in Scotland, he graduated from Columbia University in 2010). And Jonathan has kept pretty much out of the spotlight ever since. But just last month, Entertainment Weekly reported that the now-31-year-old will reunite with former TV dad Tim Allen for a guest starring spot on the not-so-funnyman's floundering sitcom, Last Man Standing, this spring.