Whatever happened to these 90s kids stars? For this list, we’ll be looking at what the young celebrities of the decade are up to in modern times.
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00:00 Where do you see yourself in five years?
00:01 Well, hopefully I'll still be working for GE.
00:04 It's a great company for working moms.
00:06 Welcome to MissMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 90s kid stars,
00:12 where are they now?
00:13 I was so obsessed with you.
00:14 I had posters of you all over my room.
00:16 There was one where you were going like this.
00:17 I had that on the ceiling right over my bed.
00:19 Wow.
00:20 For this list, we'll be looking at what the young celebrities of the decade are up
00:24 to in modern times.
00:25 Which of these stars do you remember watching?
00:28 Let us know in the comments.
00:31 Number 20.
00:32 Ariana Richards.
00:34 Like the stars of her most famous movie, Ariana Richards' acting career only exists in a bygone
00:40 era.
00:41 She made her debut as an actor in 1987.
00:43 However, it was only with her role as Lex Murphy in 1993's Jurassic Park that she became
00:50 a huge 90s child star.
00:51 Timmy, I bet I can climb over the top and be on the other side before you can even get
00:55 to the top.
00:56 What did you get me?
00:58 Respect.
00:59 Her talent in That Adventure Classic hinted at a very promising career, but Richards started
01:04 to appear in fewer and fewer roles as the years went on.
01:08 I'm gonna go now.
01:09 Just look how it eats.
01:10 Please.
01:11 I bet you'll never look at birds the same way again.
01:14 To date, her role in 2013's Battle Dogs marked her last movie appearance.
01:19 Instead of acting, Richards has largely spent most of her time working on her passion for
01:24 painting.
01:25 She has become a successful and respected artist.
01:27 I'm trying to frame it up like you do for a movie scene.
01:30 You look like you're doing the director scene.
01:32 Exactly.
01:33 Number 19.
01:34 Jonathan Taylor Thomas
01:36 Depending on your age, there's a good chance that at some point you had a poster of Jonathan
01:40 Taylor Thomas on your bedroom wall, or at least in your locker at school.
01:44 You know, it's not so bad in here.
01:45 It's kind of peaceful.
01:46 Yeah.
01:47 It's amazing how you get used to it after a while.
01:48 Hello?
01:49 Anybody home?
01:50 For eight years, he starred as one of Tim's sons on the very popular 90s sitcom Home Improvement.
02:02 Throw in voicing Simba in The Lion King and other film roles, and JTT was definitely a
02:08 90s teen idol.
02:09 Yeah.
02:10 So you have to do what I tell you.
02:11 Not yet, I do.
02:12 But growing up in the spotlight wasn't easy for Thomas.
02:16 In 2005, he took a big step away from Hollywood.
02:20 He ended up attending both Harvard and Columbia University.
02:24 With the exception of four episodes of Last Man Standing, Thomas has remained out of the
02:28 spotlight.
02:29 And you look familiar.
02:30 Well, you know, I used to work with Kristen.
02:40 That's not it.
02:41 Number 18.
02:42 Jenna Von Oy While Blossom was obviously the star of Blossom,
02:46 it was her best friend Six Lemur who often stole the show with her rambling, fast-talking
02:51 personality.
02:52 Susie heard it from Lisa, who's best friends with Nancy, who goes out with Dennis' friend
02:55 Robert with the bad skin, not handsome Robert.
02:56 And he told Nancy who told Lisa who told Susie who told me that Dennis told the boys in the
02:59 locker room that you and he had sex at the movies the other night.
03:02 Jenna Von Oy played her throughout the show's five-season run in the 90s.
03:06 A few years later, Von Oy played another best friend role on The Parkers.
03:10 She coincidentally also held that role for another five seasons.
03:13 Grape Chardonnay.
03:14 Yes, big sister, I wish I looked as good as you.
03:18 Why aren't you in grape wear?
03:23 I want it to be different from the bunch.
03:25 After The Parkers ended in 2004, Von Oy continued to work as an actor.
03:30 She even reunited with her co-stars in a fun episode of Call Me Kat.
03:34 Von Oy has also enjoyed success as a writer.
03:37 It's something that I've always loved in whatever capacity, be it music or scripts.
03:42 She's written books, authored blogs, and works as an associate editor and lead Nashville
03:47 writer at Style Blueprint.
03:49 Number 17.
03:50 Thora Birch.
03:52 After earning accolades in the late 80s with a role in Purple People Eater, Birch made
03:57 her mark in the 90s with roles in movies like the always classic Hocus Pocus.
04:02 I thought thou'd never come, sisters.
04:05 Greetings, little one.
04:06 'Twas I who brought you back.
04:09 Imagine.
04:10 She would go on to appear in the Oscar-winning American Beauty, and while she hasn't appeared
04:14 in a ton of major blockbusters since, the actress still worked consistently over the
04:19 last couple of decades.
04:21 One of Birch's most notable roles in recent years was on The Walking Dead.
04:37 She played Gamma, a character that struggled on whether to side with her sinister family
04:41 or the more heroic survivors.
04:43 Since her stint on the hit show, Birch has stepped into the director's chair and continued
04:48 to act.
05:05 Number 16.
05:06 Edward Furlong.
05:08 Edward Furlong got his big break at 13 years old when he starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger
05:13 and Linda Hamilton in 1991's Terminator 2 Judgment Day.
05:24 Following that film, Furlong appeared in films like Pecker, American History X, and Detroit
05:30 Rock City, but the actor's career was put into jeopardy due to his struggles with substance
05:35 use disorder.
05:41 Over the years, Furlong has also been arrested multiple times for charges related to domestic
05:46 violence and violating probation.
05:49 After being sentenced to prison in 2013, the actor worked to maintain his sobriety.
05:54 Furlong has since made a handful of small film appearances.
06:07 Number 15.
06:09 Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
06:11 For the generation that grew up in the 90s, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen will always be
06:16 Michelle Tanner on Full House.
06:21 The twin sisters became stars by sharing the role of the precocious and scene-stealing
06:26 youngest member of the Tanner clan.
06:28 From there, they solidified their careers with a ton of appearances in various TV and
06:32 film projects.
06:35 In the 2000s, the sisters stepped back from acting and focused more on fashion.
06:40 They created the first collection for a brand that would be later known as The Row in 2006.
06:46 Since the company was reported to make around $100 million in sales in 2021, it's safe
06:52 to say the fashion pivot was a great move for the Olsens.
07:05 Number 14.
07:06 Jonathan Lipnicki.
07:08 Making his acting debut in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire, Jonathan Lipnicki became instantly
07:14 memorable as the adorable kid with the impressive trivia knowledge.
07:20 Not only did he win the heart of Jerry Maguire, but pretty much everyone who saw the movie
07:25 loved his performance.
07:27 Lipnicki parlayed his newfound stardom into a rather successful string of roles.
07:42 After he took a break from the industry, he found it hard to secure the high-profile gigs
07:46 he once had.
07:47 However, Lipnicki persevered and kept working in the industry over the years.
07:51 He's also gotten out there on reality shows like Celebs Go Dating.
08:05 Number 13.
08:06 Jake Lloyd.
08:10 On the outside, it looked like Jake Lloyd had it all in the 90s.
08:14 He had a memorable role playing Arnold Schwarzenegger's son in the comedy Jingle All the Way.
08:19 A few years later, he got a big opportunity when he was cast as young Anakin Skywalker
08:25 in The Phantom Menace.
08:29 Unfortunately, the negative reception to his role in the film led him to being heavily
08:34 tormented by peers.
08:36 Lloyd's mistreatment at the hands of peers and professionals eventually pushed him to
08:40 quit acting altogether.
08:42 In the 2010s, Lloyd ran into several legal troubles.
08:45 He was also diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
08:49 Recent reports indicate that Lloyd now spends most of his time away from Hollywood with
08:53 his family.
09:04 Number 12.
09:05 Jennifer Love Hewitt.
09:06 While some may remember a young Jennifer Love Hewitt in Kids Incorporated, most of us probably
09:12 first got to know Hewitt as a teenager on Fox's hit show, Party of Five.
09:17 And let's not forget about the I Know What You Did Last Summer movie either.
09:32 Hewitt ended the 90s as a teen icon and hasn't looked back.
09:36 While she's made plenty of movies since the turn of the century, her most popular roles
09:40 have mostly come on the small screen.
09:55 Since 2018, she's been going strong as 911 operator Maddie Buckley.
10:00 The role has given Hewitt plenty of opportunities to show off her considerable range.
10:05 And let's not forget Ghost Whisperer either.
10:16 Number 11.
10:17 Anna Klumski Anna Klumski found stardom early when she
10:21 starred across from 90s mega child star Macaulay Culkin in 1991's My Girl.
10:27 She followed that up with the sequel a few years later.
10:41 At the end of the decade, Klumski treated the lights of Hollywood for textbooks and
10:46 final exams in Chicago.
10:48 She also worked as an editorial assistant at a publishing company before deciding to
10:52 return to film and television in 2005.
11:01 Fortunately for Klumski, she was able to pick up right where she left off.
11:05 She's had roles in everything from the critically acclaimed Veep to Inventing Anna.
11:09 At this rate, Klumski shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
11:17 Number 10.
11:18 Melissa Joan Hart Melissa Joan Hart became a household name
11:22 with her title role on Clarissa Explains It All.
11:36 The Nickelodeon sitcom aired for five seasons, with her at the forefront.
11:40 From there, she went to the highly celebrated Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
11:58 Hart went on to make more TV appearances, until she landed herself yet another five-season
12:03 sitcom with Melissa and Joey.
12:05 Since then, Hart found herself in a specific Christmas movie niche.
12:10 She starred in five holiday films between 2018 and 2022 alone.
12:15 While those aren't the only projects Hart works on, she clearly has a lot of Christmas
12:20 spirit behind her career.
12:28 Number 9.
12:29 Hailey Joel Osment With those words, Hailey Joel Osment's life
12:36 changed forever.
12:37 His role in The Sixth Sense rocketed him to child superstardom in 1999.
12:42 Osment became a rather in-demand actor and landed big roles in major films like AI Artificial
12:48 Intelligence.
12:49 Along the way, it became clear that he had a distinct talent for voice acting.
13:02 His most famous role to date is that of Sora in the Kingdom Hearts franchise.
13:06 Osment has been heard as the English voice of that lead character in 13 games and counting.
13:12 In live action, he's landed numerous cameos in recurring roles like Dr. Stu Camillo in
13:17 Future Man.
13:26 Number 8.
13:27 Tia and Tamara Mowry Tia and Tamara Mowry became kid stars together
13:42 playing another set of twins for six TGIF seasons on ABC's Sister, Sister.
13:48 The Mowry sisters continued to work together on projects like Twitches.
13:57 At one point, they had their own reality show for a couple years at the beginning of the
14:01 2010s called Tia and Tamara.
14:03 But outside of that series, the sisters have mostly worked on separate projects.
14:07 Both have found work on various TV ventures and films.
14:11 Tia Mowry enjoyed a long stint on the drama The Game, and you may have also seen Tamara
14:16 Mowry recently hosting the Dr. Seuss Baking Challenge.
14:27 Number 7.
14:28 Amanda Bynes After standing out on All That, this child
14:33 actress became the lead of the hilarious The Amanda Show.
14:44 Bynes carried that small screen success onto the big screen of the movies and had quite
14:49 a nice run in the 2000s with films like What a Girl Wants and She's the Man.
14:54 The 2010s looked to be starting off well with her part in teen comedy Easy A.
15:07 Unfortunately, Bynes has had trouble returning to acting since.
15:11 She spent significant time dealing with issues related to substance use disorder and mental
15:16 health.
15:17 Bynes was also placed in a conservatorship from 2013 to 2022.
15:22 Since the end of the conservatorship, the actress has still struggled to return to the
15:26 industry.
15:27 We're rooting for you, Amanda.
15:32 Number 6.
15:33 Kenan Thompson It was virtually impossible to watch Nickelodeon
15:37 in the 90s without seeing Kenan Thompson.
15:44 The funny actor appeared on All That before taking his comedy stylings to a sitcom on
15:48 the network called Kenan & Kel that ran from 1996 till 2000.
15:53 At the same time, Thompson was appearing in cult favorite movies like Good Burger.
16:02 If you don't know what Thompson is up to these days, we can only assume you stopped watching
16:06 Saturday Night Live in 2002.
16:09 That was the year Thompson made his debut on the show.
16:12 While he has pursued other projects, he's been on SNL so long that he stands as the
16:17 longest tenured SNL cast member of all time.
16:32 Number 5.
16:34 Mara Wilson Before she was Matilda, she was Susan in Miracle
16:47 on 34th Street.
16:48 And before that, she was the ridiculously adorable youngest daughter in Mrs. Doubtfire.
17:02 Mara Wilson's string of strong successes made her a big child star of the 90s.
17:07 By the early 2000s and her teen years, Wilson took a step back from movie acting.
17:12 She's since been very outspoken about the difficulties that child stars face in Hollywood
17:16 throughout their careers.
17:18 Wilson has written about that subject and created her own original work.
17:22 And from 2012 onwards, she's often seen in online projects and has been heard on shows
17:27 like BoJack Horseman.
17:28 She's also been featured in a number of movies and TV shows.
17:34 She's also been featured in a number of TV shows.
17:40 Number 4.
17:41 Jaleel White If we're talking to Jaleel White and the
17:46 question is whether or not he became a big star as a kid in the 90s, the answer is yes,
17:51 Jaleel.
17:52 Yes, you did do that.
17:54 White turned 13 in 1989.
17:57 It just so happened to be the same year a little show called Family Matters premiered
18:01 on ABC.
18:02 By the time it was done with its nine TGIF season run, Jaleel White's Steve Urkel had
18:07 become one of the most beloved nerds of the decade.
18:23 While he hasn't landed another role quite as iconic as that one since, he's been working
18:28 consistently since the show ended.
18:30 White recently appeared in Adam Sandler's Hustle in 2022.
18:41 Number 3.
18:42 Michelle Trachtenberg Michelle Trachtenberg was born in 1985.
18:47 Before she'd even celebrated her 15th birthday, she'd already done more in Hollywood than
18:52 many actors twice her age.
18:54 Along with plenty of national commercials, Trachtenberg had roles in multiple TV shows.
19:10 She had recurring and main parts in both The Adventures of Pete and Pete and Miko.
19:14 And let's not forget that she was the eponymous Harriet in 1996's Harriet the Spy.
19:29 Trachtenberg also began the 2000's strong with her role as Buffy's sister on Buffy
19:34 the Vampire Slayer.
19:35 And while she hasn't made a movie since 2014, Trachtenberg has worked on the small
19:39 screen.
19:40 She recently reprised her role as Georgina Sparks in a couple episodes of the Gossip
19:45 Girl sequel.
19:59 Number 2.
20:00 Macaulay Culkin When it comes to child stars in the 90's,
20:05 few were bigger than Macaulay Culkin.
20:10 He became a megastar in 1990 after Home Alone hit theaters and achieved massive success.
20:16 Fortunately, that movie wasn't a one-off.
20:24 Culkin followed that up with eight movies in the next four years, including a Home Alone
20:29 sequel, The Good Son, The Nutcracker, and Richie Rich.
20:33 Including the latter, he stepped away from acting for almost a decade before returning
20:37 in 2003.
20:56 Since then, Culkin started a satirical pop culture website, appeared in several web series,
21:02 and even did a Home Alone commercial.
21:04 His most notable work in recent years arguably came with his role on the tenth season of
21:09 American Horror Story.
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21:38 Before Christina Ricci celebrated her 20th birthday, she was celebrating Hollywood stardom
21:43 with a string of popular films and high-profile roles throughout the decade.
21:52 From Mermaids to The Addams Family and The Ice Storm, Ricci showed off her versatility
21:57 at a young age.
21:58 And where is she now?
22:00 She's thankfully doing what she's always done, being an amazing actress.
22:14 In a big full circle moment, Ricci had a major role in the Netflix hit Wednesday as one of
22:20 the title character's teachers.
22:22 And for those who have yet to see her on the acclaimed Yellow Jackets, now's an excellent
22:27 time to catch up with the show and her great career.
22:48 [music]