The ’90s were a decade full of iconic movies and television shows. Even more importantly, this decade brought forth some of the most crush-worthy male celebrities ever. Whether their faces were plastered on your bedroom walls or were listed when you played M.A.S.H. with your friends, these ’90s heartthrobs had us swooning. Check out how your favorite ’90s crushes look today.
Ryan Phillippe
While the storyline of the film Cruel Intentions was pretty jaw-dropping, the real focus of the movie was on the actor Ryan Phillippe.
Though he had starred in the teen horror movie, I Know What You Did Last Summer, his role as Sebastian in the twisted drama Cruel Intentions really helped establish him as one of the biggest heartthrobs of the ’90s. Phillippe has continued acting and was most recently seen in the USA Network drama Shooter and ABC’s Big Sky.
Brendan Fraser
No discussion about ’90s heartthrobs would be complete without the mention of actor Brendan Fraser. Blessed with both comedic timing and good looks, Fraser appeared in almost every cinema genre. From powerful dramas like School Ties to family films like George of the Jungle and The Mummy.
After a long hiatus, Fraser returned to acting in Doom Patrol and most recently, the crime film No Sudden Move. His return to Hollywood has been dubbed the “Brenaissance.”
Nick Carter
During the late 1990s, the Backstreet Boys were one of the biggest music groups in the world. While fans typically had a favorite band member, Nick Carter was one of the most popular choices when it came to boy-bander crushes. Aside from being a member of the Backstreet Boys, Carter also released three solo albums including an album with a fellow ’90s heartthrob, Jordan Knight.
In recent years, Carter has made various appearances on reality televisions. Most recently, he appeared on the fourth season of The Masked Singer.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar
While the ’90s brought us many sitcoms, one of the most memorable shows was the teen series Saved by the Bell. One of the show’s stars, Mark-Paul Gosselaar shot to stardom as high schooler Zack Morris. After the show ended in 1993, Gosselaar appeared in a variety of film and television roles.
He recently appeared in the ABC comedy Mixed-ish and Black-ish. In 2020, he reunited with his Saved by the Bell costars for a revival of the classic sitcom.
Devon Sawa
Devon Sawa quickly became a household name during the ’90s thanks to films like Casper, Wild America, and Idle Hands. Not only did Sawa become one of the biggest actors in that decade, but his fame extended well into the early 2000s where he starred in memorable films such as the horror movie Final Destination.
Sawa has continued to work steadily in television and film. In 2021, Sawa returned to his horror movie roots with a starring role in the television series Chucky.
Skeet Ulrich
The 1990s may have offered a variety of different types of heartthrobs for every taste but when it came to the quintessential bad boy of the ’90s, the first name that comes to mind is Skeet Ulrich. After appearing in several films as an extra, Ulrich became a bonafide bad boy crush in the 1990s cult horror film, The Craft.
Ulrich then appeared in the classic horror slasher film Scream. Ulrich has continued to act and most recently appeared in The CW’s teen drama Riverdale as well as voicing a character on Robot Chicken.
