What Our Favourite 80s Heartthrobs Are Up To Now!

 Jason Bateman THEN

(Image Source/ Celebwikia)Jason Bateman started out in his first ever television role which was James Cooper Ingalls Little House on the Prairie. After his TV debut he then went on the star in the NBC sitcom called Silver Spoons where he played the character of Derek, and after this David Hogan in The Hogan Family.

Jason Bateman NOW

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Jason Bateman now of course is a regular to appear on our screens, he's made it in Hollywood and he's well known for Arrested Development, Horrible Bosses and The Gift, to name just a few. Plus, if you watch Ozark on Netflix you'll also recognise him as the character Marty.

Philip Michael Thomas THEN

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We probably best know Philip Michael Thomas back then for playing part of the Detective Ricardo Team in the very popular 80s show Miami Vice. He quickly became one of the heart throbs of 80s TV and one of our favourite small screen characters on television.

Philip Michael Thomas NOW

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Philip Michael Thomas has continued his career on TV. And, more recently, he has appeared in a few made for television films. If you are a Grand Theft Auto player you will know that he also voices the character of Lance on the popular game series. He's now looking very different with his beard grown out.

Don Johnson THEN

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Don Johnson became known to us for playing James "Sonny" Crockett on Miami Vice. As well as being a fantastic crime, he also undoubtedly provided the eye candy for many fans. As well as this he earned a Golden Globe award for his TV performance. Of course this was a great set up for his career to come.

Don Johnson NOW

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Well as we can see, Don Johnson may be 70 but he has aged like a fine wine. Don Johnson is an actor, producer, director, singer, and songwriter... there's really no limits to what this man can do and after Miami Vice he turned his hand to pretty much everything with great success.

Blair Underwood THEN

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Balir Underwood first appeared on his debut role The Cosby Show and then he had a recurring role on One Life to Live. Yet, his best known role back then was probably playing the character of Jonathan Rollins on L.A. Law, which he did from the year 1987 to 1994.

Blair Underwood NOW

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If you thought Blair Underwood was handsome back then... he's possibly even more handsome now. Underwood certainly didn't take a back seat in his career, his success has gone from strength to strength. Very recently he's started playing Owen Hall on ABC's Quantico.

John Cusack THEN

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John Cusack is definitely a name of the 80s, he was so popular that he starred in 1 4 films during the decade. Some of the most recognisable were Stand By Me, Sixteen Candles, Better Off Dead and Say Anything. He was definitely popular with the movie directors at the time as well as the fans.

John Cusack NOW

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Cusack still looks the same to us. His career definitely did not peak and then fall... he is one of those stars who has had a consistently successful career and he's always been a popular actor that movie directors love to cast. More recently he starred in the movies 2012 and High Fidelity.

Tony Danza THEN

Tony Danza's peak and pinnacle decade of his career was in the 80s. Until 1983 he co-starred in Taxi. He then appeared in several movies and also started starring in the well loves sitcom Who's the Boss which ran for a number of years and was hugely popular.

Tony Danza NOW

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Tony Danza's career has definitely slowed down now and he has taken a back seat when it comes to acting and taking on big roles. But, he's still the well respected and loved actor of the 80s. And, he'll continously be remembered for being a heartthrob, and time has aged him well.

Denzel Washington THEN

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Denzel Washington has been popular (no wonder why) since back in the 80s, as well as a major heartthrob. He used to play Dr. Philip Chandler in the series St. Elsewhere. And, who wouldn't love to have the hunky Denzel Washington as your very own doctor.

Denzel Washington NOW

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Denzel Washington has not only remained popular but he has become an acting icon and he now one of the most accoladed actors of his generation. Awell as starring in some of the biggest roles and films ever, he also has Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, and a Tony to his name.

Judd Nelson THEN

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Judd Nelson, the brooding heartthrob of the 80s. He became known for being the 'bad boy' John Bender in The Breakfast Club. Which, of course added to his already reputation as one of the hottest celebs of the time. After this, he co-starred in St. Elmost Fire.

Judd Nelson NOW

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After the decade of what was known as the 'Brat Pack' was finished, Judd Nelson went on to star in many popular TV shows, including the very well know Two and a Half Men, aswell as Psych. And, more recently he also starred in Fox's popular show which is named Empire.

Matthew Broderick THEN

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Who doesn't love Matthew Broderick from the iconic classic movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off

. It really is no wonder that he was nominated for a golden globe award for his performance. It certainly was not his only movie at the time but definitely one of the films he'll forever be remembered for.

Matthew Broderick NOW

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Matthew Broderick is still well and truly in the public eye and of course  he is now married to A lister Sarah Jessica Parker. He's also the voice of Simba in Disney's The Lion King which he has done for three movies, as well as doing the voice over for few other movies.

Ricky Schroeder THEN

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Back then Ricky Schroeder was playing Ricky Stratton (very close to his real name) in the TV series Silver Spoons as a young actor starting out his career. The role ended up being his break through role. And, of course he was considered by many as the heart throb of the 80s.

Ricky Schroeder NOW

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Ricky Schroeder is still going strong in his career. You may be more familiar with him today as Detective Danny Sorenson from NYPD Blue

which he did from 1998 to 2001. He now is a father of four and spends a lot of time with his family as well as spending time on his career.

Rob Lowe THEN

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Rob Lowe was extremely popular (especially with the ladies) when he was acting back in the 80s. He played Sodapop Curtis in 1983 in the movie The Outsiders and

he was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his acting portrayal of Rory in the 1987 movie Square Dance

.

Rob Lowe NOW

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Rob Lowe has continued to be a Hollywood icon since the 80s, and he definitely still looks as good as ever. He's done roles in The West Wing aswell as the popular comedy series Parks and Recreation. He's also starred in the the animation movie Moonbeam City.

Harrison Ford THEN

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Harrison Ford was a huge name in the 80s. He filmed of course for Indiana Jones and is now thought of as the Indiana Jones himself. He's also starred in Star Wars. Within just 3 years he filmed two Star Wars and three Indiana Jones movies, now that is an impressive feat.

Harrison Ford NOW

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Harrison Ford may have been a name of the 8os, but he's still active today. He's starred in The Secret Life of Pets as well as Bladerunner. He's made cameos in the latest Star Wars movies. Infact, this year he was filming for the latest new Indiana Jones movie, which sadly will be his last.

Richard Gere THEN

Richard Gere first made a name for himself back in the 80s. Many fans will know him for being in Pretty Woman but that is not to say that he did not star in many, many other roles. For example, he also did American Gigolo, An Officer and a Gentleman. For this particular role he won two awards.

Richard Gere NOW

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Richard Gere starred in his last ever movie in 2017, in the film Three Christs. After that, he decided to retire from acting and take a more relaxed approach to life. Before this however, he has starred in many films and he has had a total of four Golden Globe nominations. 

Tom Cruise THEN

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Tom Cruise was an 80s star, despite still being a star today. In 1981 he starred in his breakthrough role which was called Endless Love. After this, his career took off and since then he has been one of the biggest names of Hollywood.

Tom Cruise NOW

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Tom Cruise is as big as ever (or perhaps bigger). And we are pretty sure that this guy never seems to age.What people possibly associate with him the most is his impressive eight Mission Impossible films. He started the franchise back in 1996 and his last movie was in 2018.

Matt Dilon THEN

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Matt Dilon became a teen heartthrob back in the 80s with his new set of films, Tex, Little Darlings, The Outsiders and more. He quickly became a hit with the world and his acting career took off since his debut. We are pretty sure that as well as his undeniable flare for acting his looks definitely played a part.

Matt Dilon NOW

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Matt Dilon does not just star in movies he has also done roles in TV. In 2015 he starred in Wayward Pines and then in 2018 he had the lead role in the TV show named The House That Jack Built. For this he was nominated for a best actor in a leading role award.

Johnny Depp THEN

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A young Johnny Depp, we can see why he is and always has been a heartthrob who stole the hearts of many people (and continues to now). Back in 1984, he starred in the famous Nightmare on Elm Street. He also starred in the iconic 21 Jump Street, in 1987.

Johnny Depp NOW

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Johnny Depp is still one of the most popular and successful Hollywood stars ever. And, many of us also know Johnny Depp as the one and only Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. As well as this more recently he has starred in the Harry Potter movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Robert Downey Jr. THEN

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Robert Downey Jr. started out his successful Hollywood career by starring in Back to School, Weird Science, Less than Zero and Johnny Be Hall. His career was also made successful by being a fairly regular member of the cast on Saturday Night Live. From the 80s his fame continued to rocket.

Robert Downey Jr. NOW

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Robert Downey Jr. is a big Hollywood star to date. He is often, and for good reason, connected with the Marvel movies. He was the lead role in the Iron Man movie in 2008. And, he also played Sherlock Holmes which won his a Golden Globe for his performance.

Emilio Estavez THEN

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Emilio Estavez was known as the original member of what was often referred to as the 'Brat Pack'. He starred in many movies of the 80s including the well loved movie The Breakfast Club in 1985, St. Elmo's Fire (also in 1985) and in 1983 he starred in the movie The Outsiders.

Emilio Estavez NOW

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If anyone is a fan of The Might Ducks then you'll know and love Estavez from the TV show playing the coach, which he continued to do throughout the 200s. More recently he had a slight change of course and went on to do some producing and he's worked on some very popular TV shows.

Charlie Sheen THEN

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Charlie Sheen is not just a big name now, he also was back in the 80s and he dived right in to the world of Hollywood. He starred in the likes of Wall Street and Young Guns and is also known for his role in Red Dawn alongside Patrick Swayze. He also had a small role in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Charlie Sheen NOW

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Charlie Sheen is probably best known now for his role on Two and a Half Men. Which, until very recently he was still starring in the leading role. Until, a fight with one of the producers which resulted in him being axed from the show. He has also struggled with drug and alcohol abuse on and off.

George Clooney THEN

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George Clooney was as popular back in the day as he is now. George Clooney landed his first role as Mark Kolmar on the show ER, he did this for a year before moving on to other projects. He also starred in The Facts of Life for a couple of seasons before some of his more major roles.

George Clooney NOW

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George Cloooney is undoubtedly what they call a silver fox. He has of course starred in a number of big blockbuster films like Ocean's Eleven in 2001.He also starred in Batman and Robin and Descendants. In 2014 he married his now wife, Amal Alamuddin who is a successful lawyer and activist.

Bruce Willis THEN

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Bruce Willis made a name for himself back in the 80s when he starred in the TV series Moonlighting. What many people forget is the fact that he made it to number 5 in the charts back in 1987 with his debut single called Good Lovin. He then went on to release another two singles.

Bruce Willis NOW

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Sadly as of this year his acting career is over, he announced in 2022 that he would retire due to the diagnosis of his brain condition, Aphasia. Nevertheless his acting career has been outstandingly impressive and he's starred in some of the biggest roles and movies to date.

Rick Astley THEN

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Rick Astley gained popularity and fame with his singing career back in the 1980s. His singles 'Never Gonna Give You Up', 'Together Forever' and more, became top hit singles and they were not only just popular back then, but they remain song icons even now.

Rick Astley NOW

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Rick Astley has world renowned status now within the music world due to his career spanning decades. He took a 6 year break from the music industry but decided to return again in the 2000s. Since then he's taken to music again. As of 2001 he married his wife Lene Bausager.

Christian Slater THEN

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Christian Slater played the bad boy role with a troubled and turbulent past, the character named J.D in Heathers. Despite being not very nice at all, he still managed to win the hearts of women all over. His good looks and charm must be something to do with it...Christian Slater NOW(Image Source/ WTOP)

Christian Slater has worked on many TV productions and films, namely lower budget. While he hasn't starred in any major big name roles and films he's been very successful and has had a busy career doing a large variety of different roles and short series and films.

David Hasselhoff THEN

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David Hasselhoff, or should we call him 'The Hoff'. He kickstarted his career doing a few different TV series but the thing we all remember him for back in the 80s has to be Baywatch. The Hoff will forever be remembered for being a lifeguard and then producing the popular series.

David Hasselhoff NOW

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David Hasselhoff has remained and gained popularity. He's set the Guiness World Record for the most watched guy on TV (an impressive feat). He's taken part in many reality TV shows too as well as hosted shows and he also goes around the country from time to time to deliver talks.

Keanu Reeves THEN

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Keanu Reeves had a series of small roles before landing his first bigger role Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, which is the film that launched his career. He also went on to do the sequel, as well as Point Break and Speed which further increased his popularity and fame.

Keanu Reeves NOW

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Keanu Reeves's career wasn't always smooth sailing and he did suffer a series of box office failures. But, of course he also had his major successes. Including, The Matrix and The Day the Earth Stood Still. He's not only acted in films he has also produced some big movies too.

Matt Goss

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Matt Goss's career started in the 80s when he became famous for being the lead singer of the band called Bros. The English band hit the charts with their debut album Push and it even went platinum four times. It remained on the charts for weeks and weeks and then in 1995 he left the band and decided to go solo.

Matt Goss NOW

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Matt Goss started his solo career and released many songs but he struggled to reach the charts. But, after his debut show in Vegas his American career kicked off. His show has run for 10 years and he is now known as the king of Vegas. He remains single and is still focusing on the career which he loves.

Luke Goss THEN

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Luke Goss is the brother of Matt Goss. The two brothers discovered their passion for music and then the two of them came to fame together. They were extremely close as kids (and still are) and each life stage was in sync with one another. The band was originally a trio with their friend Craig Logan.

Luke Goss NOW

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Recently you may have seen Goss on the screen for his roles in Death Race 2, Tekken and the TV show Witchville. Just three years ago Luke Goss split from his wife Shirley Lewis after 33 years of marriage together. He remains single and he is currently focusing on his career.

Patrick Swayze THEN

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Patrick Swayze...there's no doubt that he was an 80s heartthrob. In fact in 1991 he was voted the sexiest man alive. Most of know and love him from Dirty Dancing, despite the fact he has done many other films. His first step into his on-screen career was actually as a dancer.

Patrick Swayze NOW

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In 2009, the icon that is Patrick Swayze tragically passed away due to a battle with cancer. During his illness, he did what he could to raise money for cancer. Up until 2007 he was still starring in films. He remained with Lisa Niemi, the love of his life, until the moment he passed.

John Stamos THEN

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John Stamos has become a household name. He is an American actor as well as a musician. He first came to the limelight for starring in the TV soap General Hospital. He was nominated for a daytime Emmy award. Since then, his career took off and he took part in a number of TV shows including Full House.

John Stamos NOW

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In recent years Stamos has starred in roles such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and Fuller House. After his divorce to model and actress Rebecca Romijn he went on to marry Caitlin McHugh in 2017. They now have a son together. It hasn't always been easy for Stamos and he's suffered with addiction which he has now learned to manage.

Corey Haim THEN

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Corey Haim had huge success as a child actor. He starred in multiple films including the likes of Lucas, Silver Bullet, Murphy's Romance, License to Drive and Dream a Little Dream. He became a household name and was one of the most successful child actors of the time.

Corey Haim NOW

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All of his success as a child actor led him to fame and lots of money. He struggled with the trauma of his experiences as a child actor and could never get over them. He turned to drugs and struggled with addiction throughout the whole of his adult life. Sadly, he contracted pneumonia in 2010 and tragically passed away.

Charlie Sheen THEN

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Charlie Sheen started out as a young actor who had pretty much immediate success. Some of his first films included He has appeared in films Platoon (1986), Wall Street (1987), Young Guns (1988). He loved the attention that fame brought him and his talent and good looks made him extremely popular.

Charlie Sheen NOW

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The popularity of his youth did not dwindle as he aged. And he's now best known for his starring role in Two and a Half Men the series. However, recently he had a disagreement with a producer and lost his role. In recent years he has also been in the press for relationship failures and addiction. He has found it hard to step aside from the party lifestyle of his youth.

River Phoenix THEN

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Phoenix grew up in a very talented family. He was the elder brother of Rain Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, Liberty Phoenix, and Summer Phoenix. He started out in TV commercials at the age of 10 and from there went on to star in multiple films, including Explorers the science fiction movie.

River Phoenix NOW

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River has a tragic story, he died at Sunset Boulevard at the age of just 23 due to drugs. Even by the age of 23 he was creating a legacy. He was a young man who shunned fame but took the opportunity to talk about serious topics and promote climate awareness. His talent and nature have never been forgotten.

Kirk Cameron THEN

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Kirk Cameron rose to fame as a child actor. Cameron starred in many TV roles as well as films, including the films Like Father Like Son (1987) and Listen to Me. After starting his career at such a young age, his fame and success thankfully never dwindled.

Kirk Cameron NOW

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Kirk Cameron has continued his success in the acting field. But as well as starring in films he also prizes his other hobbies and side-line focuses. For example, he's a devout Christian and he's very passionate about sport. He is married to Chelsea Noble and the two of them have six children together, four of whom were adopted by the couple.

Richard Grieco THEN

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Richard Grieco was a fashion model and an actor who started out playing Rick Gardner on One Life to Live

from 1985 to 1987. A year after this he starred in 21 Jump Street. He was very much viewed as one of the heartthrobs of the 80s and his talent couple with his good looks meant his career took off very successfully.

Richard Grieco NOW

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His acting career in later years came to halt for a while and we now know him mostly for his singing career. As well as this, something not many people know is that he is a keen painter. in fact, in 2009 he sold his first piece for $10,900. We have recently seen him in the show It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

Lionel Ritchie THEN

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Lionel Richie Jr

is an American singer, and ever since the start of his career this is what he has been known for. He rose to fame in the 70s/80s with his hit singles. He released the singles "Easy", "Sail On", "Three Times a Lady" and "Still" each of which became hits, and are still popular now.

Lionel Ritchie NOW

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Lionel Ritchie, after the massive success and longevity of his career, has been deemed as one of the most successful balladeers of all time. After marrying his first wife Harvey he had an affair with his current wife Diane Alexander. When she found them at the apartment together, she was arrested for multiple things including battery.