How 19+ Actors From Iconic Movies Have Changed

The number of TV series produced per year is growing. Today, there are so many different projects that it’s impossible to keep track of everything. But during the 1990s and the 2000s, new sitcoms were a big deal and the main characters would become idols for many people to look up to.

We at Bright Side got a little bit nostalgic and decided to reminisce about the popular series of the past and see how much our favorite actors have changed.

1. Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox — Friends

The TV series, Friends, was released in 1994. During its 10 years on air, 10 seasons were released. The series was broadcast in different countries around the world and millions of fans watched the lives of the 6 main characters.

It’s hard to believe, but the actresses of the iconic sitcom are now over 50 years old: Jennifer Aniston is 51, Lisa Kudrow is 57, and Courteney Cox is 56. Not too long ago, fans could see these 3 “friends” together at the online ceremony for the Emmys.

2. Kyle MacLachlan — Twin Peaks

In 1990, the first episode of Twin Peaks was shown and since then, the question “Who Killed Laura Palmer?” became one of the symbols of the movie industry in the ’90s. In this story, everything was gripping: from the music to the amazing cast.

Today, Kyle MacLachlan, the actor that portrayed one of the main characters, is 61 years old and he continues to act in movies. By the way, in 2017, season 3 was released where the actor portrayed the legendary Agent Cooper.

3. Melissa Joan Hart — Sabrina the Teenage Witch

The story of a cute witch named Sabrina aired from 1996 to 2003. Of course, actress Melissa Joan Hart in the main role was amazing, but her cat Salem was also loved by many fans. By the way, the show was so popular that in 2018, the remake Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was released.

The actress that portrayed the classic Sabrina is 44 years old now and you might have also seen her in a project called The Goldbergs.

4. Hélène Rollès — Helen and the Boys

This French series aired for quite a short time from 1992 to 1994, but it had lots of fans that were fascinated by the story of the young characters. Of course, the main star of the project was actress Hélène Rollès: the script was actually written especially for her.

Now, Hélène is 53 years old and she’s more interested in music than movies.

5. Jennie Garth — Beverly Hills, 90210

This was one of the longest-running shows of the ’90s. The show aired for 10 years: from 1990 to 2000. The story of twins that moved to the richest neighborhood of Los Angeles gripped viewers from the first episode and the actors became the idols of many young people in the ’90s and 2000s.

One of the main stars of the show, Jennie Garth, who played the role of Kelly Taylor, turned 48 years old last spring. But she doesn’t appear onscreen very often now.

6. Lucy Lawless — Xena: Warrior Princess

In 1995, the scriptwriters of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys had an idea to make a spin-off where the main character was Xena, played by actress Lucy Lawless. The idea turned out to be great and the project aired until 2001.

At the moment, Lucy is 52 years old and she regularly appears on different shows, but mostly she just loves spending time with her family.

7. Evan Handler — Californication

The story of writer and playboy Hank Moody, played by David Duchovny, was so popular that the show aired for 7 years: from 2007 to 2014. Of course, everyone remembers Hank, but we decided to pay attention to a different character — Charlie Runkle. Now, the actor is 59 years old and he’s actively doing different popular shows.

8. Blake Lively — Gossip Girl

This teenage drama, based on the novels written by Cecily Brooke von Ziegesar, premiered in 2007. It is interesting that the main part was supposed to be played by Lindsay Lohan, but in the end, Blake Lively got the role. Since then, her career has been steadily developing. Now, the 33-year-old actress is working on several different projects at the same time.

9. Zach Braff — Scrubs

The sitcom about young doctors that often find themselves in different funny situations in the hospital started in 2001. The fans loved the character so much that the show aired until 2010. By the way, Zach Braff and Donald Faison, who played the main parts in the series, are good friends in real life. Braff is now 45 years old and Faison is 46.

10. Pamela Anderson — Baywatch

The first episode of the show about a rescue team on the beaches of California was released in 1989. The series was on the air for more than 10 years and was included in the Guinness World Records as the most-watched show by over 1.1 billion people. Of course, the main star of the show was the 22-year-old Pamela Anderson. And Uggs, a shoe brand, became incredibly popular after Baywatch.

This might sound unbelievable, but the actress is 53 years old now.

11. Jorge Garcia — Lost

The first episode of this amazing story was released 16 years ago. But this show is still one of the most popular and iconic shows ever. It’s an actual cultural phenomenon. There are comic books and games based on Lost. One of the brightest characters of the show was the charming Hugo Reyes, played by Jorge Garcia. Now, he is 47 years old, he lives in Hawaii, and he plans to appear in new projects.

12. Kim Cattrall — Sex and the City

From 1998 to 2004 this show made women happy all around the world. It’s probably the most popular show of the early 2000s. We loved the story of the 4 friends, we loved asking ourselves the same uncomfortable questions about relationships, and we enjoyed the clothes of the main characters.

One of the most interesting characters was Samantha played by Kim Cattrall, who is now 64 years old.

13. Lisa Edelstein — House, M.D.

The first season of the show about genius doctor Gregory House and his team was released in 2004 and became incredibly popular around the world. The show ended in 2012 and it was in the Guinness World Records 3 times.

The actress that played Lisa Cuddy, Lisa Edelstein, is now 54 years old. You can see her in many popular shows from The Good Doctor to The Kominsky Method.

14. Jim Parsons — The Big Bang Theory

This series about nerdish physicists started in 2007 and the final season was released in 2019. There are 12 seasons, with 279 episodes in total, and The Big Bang Theory is the longest sitcom in the history of television. The star of the show is Sheldon Cooper, who is played by Jim Parsons. The actor got 4 Emmys for this role. So, today, the 47-year-old Parsons is often called Sheldon by his many fans.

15. Alyssa Milano — Charmed

When the first episode of Charmed was released in 1998, the 3 sisters instantly became famous. It’s not surprising that the show aired until 2006. More than that, not very long ago, a remake of the show was released, but with other actresses in the main roles.

Alyssa Milano, who played one of the charming sisters, is now 47 years old and she regularly appears on different American TV shows.

16. Sarah Michelle Gellar — Buffy the Vampire Slayer

This popular teenage show about a cute girl that fought vampires was based on a movie. The story was so captivating that the show aired from 1997 until 2003. By the way, it made the 21-year-old actress Sarah Michelle Gellar a big star. Now, she is 43 years old and, unfortunately, she doesn’t appear onscreen very often.

17. Josh Radnor — How I Met Your Mother

The comedy show about an architect named Ted that tries to find the love of his life made the fans happy for 9 seasons. During this time, all the characters almost became parts of the families of their fans and when the show ended in 2014, it was really hard to say goodbye to the characters.

Now, actor Josh Radnor is 46 years old, but in our hearts, he is still the same romantic Ted.

18. Gillian Anderson — The X-Files

Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny kept us on the edge of our seats for 11 seasons. The show aired from 1993 to 2018 and in the ’90s, it became the main sci-fi TV project. And Gillian Anderson was just amazing in the series. Now, she is 52 years old, she looks different, but she continues to appear in big popular projects.

19. Noah Wyle — ER

This project was one of the longest-running TV series about medicine in the history of the US. It started in 1994 and ended in 2009. Maybe, it was so successful because of the script — all the medical cases shown were based on true events.

The star of ER, Noah Wyle, who portrayed Dr. Carter, is 49 years old now and he continues to make his fans happy with his new roles in other TV series.

What series did you watch in the ’90s and the 2000s? Who was your favorite character? Tell us in the comment section below!