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Where Is Your Childhood Celebrity Crush Now? We Check in on Devon Sawa, Erik Von Detten & More

Remember the days when you had to plan your week around catching your childhood crush on TV at 8 PM on Wednesday nights? Or when you spent all your allowance money on teen magazines, just so you could swoon over glossy pics of ’90s heartthrobs (and then plaster said pictures on the walls of your bedroom)? Either way, there’s no denying that the decade gave us plenty of dreamy celebrities, from Dawson Creek's Joshua Jackson to Home Improvement’s Johnathan Taylor Thomas. But where are those stars now? Read on to see what some of your favorite childhood celebrity crushes have been up to lately.

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celebrity crushes then now clayton snyder
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1. Clayton Snyder

Instagram: @heyclaytron

Ethan only had the looks (OK, and the hair) on Lizzie McGuire. But Clayton Snyder, the actor behind the role, also has the brains. He took a break from the small screen to attend Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA. Then, after graduating in 2010, he returned to the world of acting to do a number of short films, but now works as a realtor in Los Angeles. Snyder is now married to actress Allegra Rose Edwards, who stars as Ingrid Kannerman in the Amazon Prime original comedy, Upload.

celebrity crushes then now josh hartnett
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2. Josh Hartnett

Josh Hartnett was well on his way to becoming one of the biggest heartthrobs of all time— especially after landing a starring role in a huge film like Pearl Harbor. But not long after that movie premiered in 2001, the actor suddenly vanished from the limelight.

Instead of using his newfound popularity to take on more big roles, Hartnett actually opted for lesser-known, independent films—all because he wanted to avoid fame. In his 2020 interview with Variety, he explained, “I took steps to make my life not as crazy after [Pearl Harbor] came out and was successful at it and have remained sort of outside of the fray. When I was younger, it was important to me to kind of figure out who I was, what I wanted for my life, how I wanted to create my life without so much scrutiny. I did that, and now I feel comfortable being who I am in the spotlight if I need to be.” The actor currently has three daughters with his wife, Tamsin Egerton, who occasionally shares pics of their family on her personal Instagram account.

celebrity crushes then now andrew
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3. Andrew Keegan

Instagram: @andrewkeegn

You probably recognize Andrew Keegan as Wilson West from 7th Heaven, but he’s also popped up in shows like Moesha, Party of Five and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. While he hasn't been making headlines lately, the actor is still booking work (his most recent role was in the 2020 flick, Adverse). He’s also quite active on social media, where you’ll notice a few cute pics of his daughter, Aiya Rose.

celebrity crushes then now erik von detten
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4. Erik Von Detten

For the record, we were crushing on Josh just as hard as Mia was in The Princess Diaries. But many fans of the Princess of Genovia may have noticed Josh (aka actor Erik von Detten), hasn’t appeared in any films since 2010. That’s because von Detten left acting to become a sales manager at a commodities brokerage firm. And now, he lives happily with his wife, Angela von Detten and their daughter, whom they welcomed in 2019. (And it looks like the couple has another baby on the way!) You can keep up with the gorgeous family through Angela’s personal Instagram account.

celebrity crushes then now devon sawa
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5. Devon Sawa

Instagram: @d.sawa

This dreamboat Canadian actor, best known for his memorable roles in Little Giants and Casper, is still an active member of Hollywood to this day. In fact, news recently got out that Devon Sawa landed a major role in Chucky, SyFy's TV adaptation of Child’s Play. He and his wife, Dawni Sahanovitch, share a son and a daughter.

celebrity crushes then now ricky ullman
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6. Raviv “ricky” Ullman

Instagram: @ravivullman

After stealing our hearts as the quirky Phil Diffy in Phil of the Future, Ricky Ullman went on to star in the Lifetime sitcom, Rita Rocks. He also got into music (he helped form the band Lolawolf with actress Zoë Kravitz) and made small appearances in TV shows like Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior. But now, it appears that the actor, director and musician has shifted his focus to podcasting. Ullman and Rabbi Adam Greenwald currently co-host The Study, which, according to the description, follows the pair as they study, question, and apply the Torah to better understand the world.

celebrity crushes then now mark paul gosselaar
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7. Mark-paul Gosselaar

Instagram: @mpgosselaar

Don’t worry, Saved by the Bell's ultimate heartthrob is still acting to this day. Not only did he reprise his role as Zack Morris with a number of his original co-stars in the Peacock reboot but Gosselaar currently plays Paul Johnson (Rainbow's father) in ABC’s Mixed-ish, the prequel sitcom to Black-ish. Gosselaar is currently married to advertising executive Catriona McGinn, and they share a son and daughter.

celebrity crushes then now jtt
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8. Johnathan Taylor Thomas

Um, who didn't have a crush on Jonathan Taylor Thomas back in the '90s? After playing the swoon-worthy Randy Taylor on Home Improvement, he took on several more roles until 2005, when he took a lengthy hiatus from Hollywood. Then he briefly returned to the spotlight for a few guest appearances on Tim Allen's Last Man Standing, but aside from that, Thomas has kept a very low profile. What we do know, however, is that he studied history and philosophy at Harvard, spent a year abroad at St Andrews University in Scotland and graduated from Columbia University School of General Studies in 2010. Impressive.

celebrity crushes then now larisa oleynik
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9. Larisa Oleynik

Instagram: @larisoleynik

Larisa Oleynik , "the proverbial girl next door," has been on a roll since her childhood acting days when she appeared in The Secret World of Alex Mack. She went on to score guest appearances in countless popular shows from Pretty Little Liars to Mad Men. In 2020, she starred in the Netflix's comedy series, The Healing Powers of Dude, and in the 2021 film, We Broke Up, she plays Tia.

celebrity crushes then now freddie prinze jr
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10. Freddie Prinze Jr.

Did anyone else totally swoon when they first laid eyes on the dashing Zack Siler in She's All That? The actor, Freddie Prinze Jr., went on to appear in a handful of shows and movies, including Summer Catch, Friends, 24 and Bones. The heartthrob even dropped in on WWE Raw as guest host at one point. More recently, the star has been acting and doing some behind-the-scenes work as a writer and producer. And you can watch the actor in his newest series, Punky Brewster, now streaming on Peacock. Prinze Jr. and actress Sarah Michelle Gellar have been happily married since 2002, and they have two children.

celebrity crushes then now will friedle
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11. Will Friedle

With his brown floppy hair and amazing sense of humor, Eric Matthews was the definition of irresistible. And lucky for drooling teen fans, he appeared in a laundry-list of other shows and movies after Boy Meets World. (He even reprised his role in Girl Meets World!) But lately, you can find Will Friedle hosting a web series called Mini Primetime with Will Friedle, a show about miniature painting. Unfortunately, the actor doesn’t appear to have an Instagram account, so not much is known about his personal life. What we do know, however, is that he did marry his girlfriend Susan Martens in 2016.

celebrity crushes then now joshua jackson
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12. Joshua Jackson

Instagram: @vancityjax

From The Mighty Ducks to Dawson's Creek, we were fortunate enough to see the gorgeous Joshua Jackson land roles in plenty of iconic shows and movies of our childhood. And it looks like the actor is still on a roll. You may have spotted the star in Netflix’s gripping crime drama, When They See Us, and the Hulu miniseries Little Fires Everywhere. And, fortunately for fans, he's got even more in the works. He's slated to play Dr. Christopher Duntsch in Peacock’s upcoming limited series, Dr. Death.

celebrity crushes then now danielle fishel
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13. Danielle Fishel

Instagram: @daniellefishel

It's no wonder Cory Matthews was head over heels for Topanga Lawrence, who had beauty, brains and confidence. And great hair! Lucky for fans, Danielle Fishel went on to reprise her signature role in Disney Channel’s spin-off series, Girl Meets World, more than a decade later, where she and Cory are married with children. Right now, Fishel runs a company called Be Free, which offers all-natural hair products and accessories. She's also currently married to comedian and producer Jensen Karp, with whom she has a son.

celebrity crushes then now danica mckellar
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14. Danica Mckellar

Instagram: @danicamckellar

After stealing Kevin’s heart in The Wonder Years, Danica McKellar went on to study mathematics at the University of California, where she authored academic papers and earned a Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude. But while she totally crushed it in the education department, it didn’t stop her from continuing her acting career. She's also starred in a string of Hallmark television films, including her most recent releases, Matchmaker Mysteries: A Fatal Romance and Christmas She Wrote. McKellar is now married to Los Angeles-based attorney, Scott Sveslosky.

celebrity crushes then now leo dicaprio
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15. Leonardo Dicaprio

Instagram: @leonardodicaprio

With films like Romeo + Juliet and Titanic, it’s totally understandable why young Leo made teens (and adults) weak in the knees in the ‘90s. Now, at 48 years old, the actor shows no signs of loosening his grip on Hollywood, snagging an Academy Award, a BAFTA and three Golden Globe Awards along the way.

More recently, fans can expect to see him in Netflix’s upcoming comedy film, Don't Look Up. Acting aside, DiCaprio is also well-known for his environmental activism. He founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to raise environmental awareness, and he’s produced a number of documentaries about the environment.

16. Matthew Underwood

Instagram: @mattunderwood

Sure, he was a bit of a jerk (and a spoiled one, at that), but man, was Matthew Underwood dreamy as Logan Reese in Zoey 101! The actor has since transitioned into filmmaking and he’s is quite active on Instagram. Most recently, he appeared in the fun musical remake of the Zoey 101 theme song, Jamie Lynn Spears & Chantel Jeffries: Follow Me. And as for his directing credits, he's worked on short films like The Unicorn Sisters, The Alien and Time Hoppers.

17. Mike Vitar

Better known as Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez, the former actor has left Hollywood to become a firefighter in Los Angeles. Since Mike Vitar keeps such a low profile, not much is known about his new career or personal life. However, we do have this amazing snap of Vitar and his former co-star, Marguerite Moreau, during their Mighty Ducks reunion in 2014.



nakeisha campbell bio

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Nakeisha has been interviewing celebrities and covering all things entertainment for over 8 years, but she has also written on a wide range of topics, like career...