Here are some of the hottest teen actors of the ’80s and ’90s are now residents on the list of ugliest former child actors, while others find themselves on among the child stars who grew up to look like muppets. But fear not: the vast majority of actresses who were hot in your childhood are as hot (or hotter) now. This list of before and after pictures of the hottest crushes from your childhood is a side-by-side comparison of what became of all the hottest actresses from your youth.
Kirsten Dunst (Judy from Jumanji)
Kirsten Dunst has worked nonstop since she was a child, starring in films such as ‘Interview with a Vampire’ and ‘Jumanji’ to more recently ‘Melancholia’ and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy.
A versatile beauty who proves she can play innocent to seductive, we expect Kirsten Dunst will have a long career as she refuses to run out of steam. You can next see her grace the screen in the science fiction drama, ‘Midnight Special.’
Kirsten has always been one of our favorite crushes once Spider-man became the big blockbuster we know it to be today. She played an awesome, if not exactly like in the comic, Mary Jane.
Tobey must have thought the same when he saw her walk into the auditions room. His mind got all puny and he thought about how he’d like to use his Peter to Parker.
Jennifer Love-Hewitt (Julie James from I Know What You Did Last Summer)
Jennifer Love-Hewitt may have started her career as a scream queen in ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ but she rose through the ranks of Hollywood to prove that she was here to stay.
From communicating with ghosts in ‘Ghost Whisperer’ to chasing down crooks in ‘Criminal Minds’, she has had quite the colorful career (we won’t get into her short-lived gig as a naughty masseuse). We look forward to seeing where she goes from here.
Psyche! “Career as a masseuse” and you believed us when we said that topic was off the table? Let’s get down to it, because we’d love it if Jennifer Love-Hewitt would put her hands on us, especially to relieve that… tension we’re feeling.
Yes, The Client List was only a movie… and not even a real movie, it was a movie on Lifetime. But the idea of Jennifer Love-Hewitt putting her hands on us, at a massage parlor KNOWN for providing happy endings… that just makes us happy.
Jennifer Aniston (Friends)
Everyone knows Jennifer Aniston for her infamous role as Rachel in the hit sitcom ‘Friends’ but fun fact she actually originally auditioned for the role Monica. After eleven years on the beloved show, Jennifer moved away from television and into film where she had a string of success in comedy and drama roles.
Her latest film ‘Cake’ became a huge contender this awards season, earning Aniston her first Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
Jennifer Aniston was always our favorite Friend. The guys were cool, but let’s be real… we’re straight, so they can’t be our favorites. Monica was cool, and Phoebe was hot (but have you seen her recently?) but Rachel! Yum yum!
Jennifer’s character was always the hot one, and it’s no wonder that Ross was so in love with her. We’re sure he was in love with her personality, the same was we are.
Kelly LeBrock (Lisa from Weird Science)
Kelly LeBrock became an obsession for teenage boys when the film ‘Weird Science’ was released. She was the sexy woman created by that science experiment. Unfortunately, her acting career did not take off as she thought it would and she has only been in a handful of D-list movies over the past decade.
Recently, she mentioned she would like to return to acting, however at this moment in time, she hasn’t booked anything. Thankfully, while her career has failed her looks have not as she has aged with grace.
Knowing that, and knowing that she’s been in D-list movies, we have to wonder if she disrobed in any of those movies the way we wish she would have in Weird Science. They were D-list movies, after all, and we know D-list movies share one thing in common… scantily clad babes.
It’s not that we want to see her scantily clad now… even though we still do… it’s just that these D-list movies were filmed between Weird Science and now, which leaves room for her still being all young and firm.
Taylor Swift
The pop sensation was always good-looking, but even Taylor went through a rough patch as a prepubescent teen.
Back on picture day some time in the early 2000s, Ms. Swift rocked an awkward braided hairdo unbefitting her squeaky clean image. She’s surely come a long way!
Some of these “then and now” pics obviously work in reverse. The first picture doesn’t do anything for anyone, while the Taylor Swift of today is so hot, she’s still on fire and making millions!
Besides being beautiful, being extremely rich and possessing an angelic voice, we can’t think of anything that we like about Taylor! Just kidding, this girl is the absolute bomb! Whoever scores her long-term is one lucky dude!
Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the Teenage Witch)
Melissa Joan Hart launched her career on ‘Clarissa Explains It All’ at Nickelodeon but is mainly known for her role as Sabrina on ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’ where she bewitched our hearts for seven years before moving on to ‘Melissa and Joey’ which was unfortunately recently canceled.
As for now Melissa continues being a spokesperson for the diet program Nutrisystem.
Yeah, that last statement caught us off guard, too, and WE WROTE IT! It looks like Nutrisystem is one successful weight-loss program… if you’re already as hot and skinny as Melissa Joan Hart!
Melissa probably didn’t even drink the Nutrisystem shakes and just took a short cut, using her magic skills to lose weight. Or, most likely, she was never fat to begin with and just likes the chocolate shake flavor they offer.
Christina Aguilera
When she first launched her career in the same year as Britney Spears, it was thought there was no way she would be able to compete. However, Christina proved that she had the voice and differentiation in style to break out of the pop mold and her powerhouse voice helped her dominate the music scene and win multiple Grammy Awards.
Currently, a main judge on NBC’s ‘The Voice’ Aguilera is giving back her talent to those hoping to break into the music scene while working on her eighth studio album.
Now that we’ve seen what they’re capable of (Christina, Britney, Jessica Simpson), we have to admit that Christina is the best of all of them and has the most style.
Christina might not look quite as good now as she did when she was a bit younger, but she still has that voice that will serenade you as you take a shower (if you’re her boyfriend) which makes all the difference. Jessica and Britney have nice voices, too, but Christina is something special.
Alicia Silverstone (Clueless)
Alicia Silverstone stole our hearts as the lovable Cher in the ’90s hit ‘Clueless’ before disappearing from the limelight for several years. While she has had a few films to add to her roster over the last few years, she now spends most of her time as an animal right’s activist.
A self-proclaimed vegan, Silverstone has taken part in many campaigns for PETA as she promotes her lifestyle changes and healthy living.
We can’t reiterate this enough, Alicia Silverstone had a special place in our hearts as a result of that movie. We, like, loved that movie.
We’re all for animal rights, but what about OUR rights? We’re animals, too! We have the right to look at Ms. Silverstone as much as we want (as long as we don’t touch) and no one has the right to take that away from us! Even Alicia, by not filming any new movies! Give us our rights back, Alicia!!
Danielle Fishel (Topanga from Boy Meets World)
Danielle Fishel broke into the business with her starring role on ‘Boy Meets World’ as Topanga Lawrence, the eclectic and hilarious girlfriend of Cory Matthews.
While her career became nonexistent after the show, she recently has returned to the role that made her famous by starring in the sequel spin-off ‘Girl Meets World’ which focuses on Cory and Topanga’s daughter.
We are seriously not sure why she had no roles in anything since Boy Meets World, there is no logical explanation. Danielle is hot and has lips that just won’t quit (hopefully)!
Maybe after Girl Meets World ends, Danielle will have more opportunities to tempt us with her striking physique and beautiful face. We’re definitely going to pay to see anything she does, so if any studio execs are paying attention, you have customers waiting to throw money at you!
Kylie Jenner
This cutie was often upstaged by her older half-sisters on their hit reality show Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
But my, how the tides have turned! Kylie is now an icon of her generation, and with a few tweaks to her appearance, she’s as confident and beautiful as ever.
By “tweaks” we mean she looks completely different than she did a few years ago. Yes, the 64 lbs. of make-up she’s wearing has changed her appearance a bit, but we think the quick-cuts she volunteered for have helped.
Only time will tell how long Kylie can maintain this cute appearance before more maintenance is needed. Let’s hope she got the warranty.
Neil Patrick Harris
As Doogie Howser M.D., child star Neil Patrick Harris was a gawky teenage physician known for his brain and not his brawn.
But as a good-looking adult, the How I Met Your Mother actor pulls off the role of a serial womanizer! Neil definitely went from nerdy to dapper.
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact time that Neil became a sex symbol, but it probably came right before this mustache pictured above. We’re not saying mustaches aren’t cool, they’re just not cool anymore, not since 1883… unless you’re Freddie Mercury.
Neil is not Freddie Mercury, but he is very cool. His roles in the Harold and Kumar movies were especially memorable because he played such a genuine version of himself.
Emma Watson
Hermione Granger was known for her brainy, know-it-all attitude, and not for her extraordinary appearance.
As actress Emma Watson grew up with the Harry Potter series, it became more and more difficult to mask her ridiculously distracting good looks! Today, the actress is a goddess to men of all ages.
She put a spell on me, and she ain’t even mine! Though, I wish she were… Emma is so far beyond hot, it’s an entire new category of temperature!
It also helps that she has that British accent and sounds all proper. Not that she needs any help to seem hot, Emma has that down to a science… or is that magic, too?
Bonnie Wright
We loved her as Harry Potter’s love interest in the wildly popular films, but it would be a disservice to actress Bonnie Wright not to mention her incredible metamorphosis!
In a couple of short years, the cute teen went from plain and simple to absolutely breathtaking. Tell the wizarding world to watch out!
Never underestimate the magical powers of make-up. It’s amazing the difference it can make between looking normal, and looking like a Victoria’s Secret model. Bonne looks fabulous nowadays, and whatever she did to get to this look, we like!
We can’t wait to see where Bonnie goes from here. We hope her career will be lucrative and allow us to see her in new roles both fully dressed and skimpily clad.
Taylor Lautner
The Twilight hottie got his start playing a kid turned fish in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, which didn’t say much for his interesting look. But after a few years, Taylor Lautner really came into his own.
As Jacob Black, the tween heartthrob was voted among the sexiest men alive.
Taylor has been in the spotlight for a while now, ever since he was little. Luckily for him, he developed quite nicely and has even kept fit to entice the ladies even more.
While we’re not exactly dying for another Twilight movie, EVER, we’re sure there are some people who would love to see him reprise his Jacob role. Hey, to each his own.
Alexa Vega
After seeing her as Carmen on the Spy Kids series, audiences never thought twice about the cute little actress.
But look out world, she’s turned into one hot chick! Sporting bondage-inspired outfits in the Machete movies, Alexa Vega is getting tons of attention for her provocative look.
And wow, how provocative she really is. This is probably one of the biggest about-faces I have ever seen. Cute as a kid is one thing, but Alexa has decided to break all previous standards and leave the other competitors in the dust.
We’re okay with that because we like to stick to one supermodel at a time. We’re not sure if Alexa is considered a supermodel, but she definitely fits the criteria for us! Can’t wait to see the newest Machete, Alexa!
Alyssa Milano
On Who’s the Boss?, Alyssa Milano played lovable tomboy Samantha alongside Tony Danza.
The character ditched her baseball caps for more girly looks in later seasons, and Alyssa transformed right along with her! Today, the Charmed star is an absolute bombshell.
Alyssa is really a dream come true. No, seriously, I once dreamed of her becoming really hot (while I was watching Who’s the Boss?) and only a few years later, my dream came true… in the best possible way.
What’s really awesome is that Alyssa was not too shy showing off more than clothes cover. She’s not the first of our teenage loves to grow up to be super beautiful, but she’s definitely our favorite!
Justin Timberlake
The NSYNC front man was never really “awkward,” but when you see the before and after, there’s no denying Justin’s incredible transformation.
Mr. Timberlake was a teen idol before, but his sexy, sophisticated look puts him in another galaxy of cool.
Either Justin just knows what’s up, or he’s got an awesome publicist whom every actor/singer should seek out! His transition from teen to adult was smoother than butter.
Justin is well on his way to even more success than he’s had in the past, which is hard to believe and true at the same time. Some people just have it, and Justin is one of them.
Nicholas Hoult
Little Nicholas Hoult impressed fans with his poignant portrayal of Marcus in the 2002 film About a Boy. The British pipsqueak was taunted by his peers in the film, and in real life, Nick wasn’t turning any heads.
That is, until time’s natural progression took hold! Hoult is now a hot face in the X-Men film series, and he’s famously dated Jennifer Lawrence.
We’d say that’s a pretty successful life already… but Nicholas is just getting started! The young actor is poised to be a familiar face in film for years to come.
He’s got the looks, he’s got the personality, and he’s got the acting skill. We’re very excited to see what Nicholas’ new roles will be, but we also really hope he’ll be back in the X-Men movies, because he makes an awesome Beast!
Michelle Trachtenberg
With appearances on Nickelodeon and in Harriet the Spy, audiences knew Michelle Trachtenberg as the well-spoken, brainy kid with the squeaky clean reputation.
But now in her late twenties, Michelle’s killer good looks and slamming body had us all talking after seeing her on Gossip Girl. She’s a certified vixen!
It’s almost as if Michelle pulled an “Alyssa Milano.” Her before and after pics say it all. Let’s just say the word “naughty” does not adequately describe her look today… although it does come close.
As far as her career goes, we hope to see Michelle in character-driven roles where she can exhibit her acting prowess, but the teenager in us would rather we see her in movies such as Piranha 36DD and the latest Grindhouse movies.
Kristen Stewart
When she nabbed the role of Bella in the Twilight series, tweens made Kristen Stewart their instant idol, admiring her beautiful girl-next-door look.
But things weren’t always this way! Stewart has been working in the industry for awhile, and she definitely endured an awkward phase. What a turnaround!
We don’t exactly want to call her fat, because she wasn’t exactly fat, but she wasn’t exactly skinny as a kid, either. It was her baby weight, yeah, that’s it!
Well that’s gone now. Kristen is gorgeous today! Robert Pattinson knew it and made sure to put his foot in the door before it shut in his face. In the end, it did shut in his face, but he got a nice glimpse inside before it did.
Freddie Highmore
We loved him as the adorable but gawky Charlie Bucket alongside Johnny Depp, even if he still had some growing up to do.
Freddie Highmore has since went from cute to completely sexy as the brooding Norman on Bates Motel. Who would have saw this coming?
We agree that Freddie Highmore looked a little awkward as a kid, but we begin to disagree a bit (with others, it seems) that he’s become hot recently. Maybe it’s just our taste, but he seems to rank a little lower than the rest of the celebs in this article.
But others think Freddie is hot, and they’re not alone.
Dakota Fanning
Dakota’s incredible talent and charisma are undeniable. But as a budding young actress, the world got to see all of her awkward phases!
Despite sporting stringy hair, braces, and even headgear at one point in her career, little Dakota came out hotter than most could ever hope for!
Dakota comes from a long line of aristocrats who have dragon’s blood in their lineage, the Targaryens. In her youth, she could be seen playing “fetch the peasant” with her pet baby dragon, “Killer.”
Just kidding, the pet’s name was “Spot.” Dakota has grown into quite the beautiful young lady.
Joseph Gordon Levitt
As Tommy Solomon on 3rd Rock From the Sun, little Joseph Gordon Levitt stole viewers’ hearts.
But in real life, girls weren’t necessarily swooning over the mousy-haired teen! A decade later, the talented actor has transformed into one of Hollywood’s sexiest leading men.
Joseph Gordon Levitt’s career has been very successful lately. The actor has the skill and the looks to make any role happen, even when he has to be digitally altered to look like a younger Bruce Willis (that was very eerie, by the way).
Joseph is one of the best actors out there and has great charisma. We want him to tackle all sorts of roles so that we can see if there is any limit to what he can play.
Shia LaBeouf
On Disney channel’s Even Stevens, Shia’s acting talent made us forget about his gawky appearance. But now, these details hardly matter.
The eccentric actor worked out, grew a beard, and is now breaking hearts as one of the sexiest guys in Hollywood. What an amazing journey!
Shia is part of that group of actors who has not only taken their Hollywood careers by the reins, but is controlling it with his eyes closed and drunk as a skunk.
Let’s just say, he’s making decisions and living with them, but not all the decisions are of equal quality. Actually, most of them have recently been pretty bad. It’s good that the guy looks good, maybe that can salvage something from the train wreck he’s leaving behind.
Jonathan Lipnicki
Jonathan Lipnicki became a household name as the big-brained child star in Jerry McGuire. With his spiky hair, thick glasses, and goofy voice, Jonathan’s future with the ladies seemed a little shaky.
Boy, was the world wrong! Lipnicki reemerged in his twenties looking hot and chiseled.
We’ll see if Jonathan can bring back his career with his new buff look. It’s a definite possibility, this is Hollywood we’re talking about… it’s not exactly known for rewarding brains, but it does love the brawn.
Jonathan looks like he’s been hitting the gym quite often. We’re not sure if he wore glasses regularly or whether that was just a prop for Jerry Maguire, but if he ever did, the new Jonathan-with-contacts is a much better version!
Lee Norris
With his appearance on Boy Meets World as brainiac Stuart Minkus, Lee Norris has been typecast as the nerdy sidekick in most of his Hollywood roles.
Although his character was often friendzoned on One Tree Hill, fans couldn’t help but notice his evolving good looks. Without the glasses, Lee is pretty hot!
Yeah, those tucked-in pants did not do the kid any favors. Nothing says “I like playing video games in my mom’s basement” as much as tucked-in pants (or no-pants as is the case with us).
Lee has those crazy blue eyes which seem almost unreal. We would say the ladies love those, but we don’t know too much about ladies seeing as how we’re stuck playing video games in our moms’ basements!
Nicole Richie
The reality star was typically described as “average” or “cute” as the sidekick of Paris Hilton, but years later, Nicole Richie has overcome her awkward phase.
She’s nothing short of stunning! Despite some trouble with an eating disorder and substance abuse, Nicole is as healthy and beautiful as ever.
Nicole comes from a family that can be classified somewhere between “filthy rich” and “obscenely rich.” Having that much money can buy you a lot of things, including roles and friends. We’re not saying that’s what Nicole did, we’re just saying she has enough money to do that if she wanted to.
Nicole is not exactly our favorite celeb in this article, but she deserves to be here. She has grown up a lot since her childhood days and looks much better than she did.
Anna Chlumsky
As the lovable Vada in My Girl, child star Anna Chlumsky stole our hearts before disappearing from the spotlight for over fifteen years.
When she resurfaced, audiences were stunned. The Veep star is drop dead gorgeous, and her awkward tomboy features are now absolutely stunning!
Anna is one of those girls that you just fall in love with in the movies, most likely because of the well-written script and her amazing acting, but you still can’t help but feel you know her (which you don’t).
Now especially, Anna is very easy to fall in love with. She is extremely good looking, and funny as anything on her show, Veep.
Candace Cameron Bure
On the beloved sitcom Full House, Candace played eldest daughter D.J. Tanner, the spunky kid who went toe to toe with her TV dad and uncles. But Cameron also went through a mighty rough patch during her younger years.
She’s shed some considerable baby weight, tamed her wild tresses, and is now one hot mama! Candace gained so much attention, she’s even working on a Full House revival.
We can’t help but think how much she looks today like Lori Laughlin did during the Full House years. They could definitely play relatives convincingly and no one would know any better.
Candace is gorgeous and devout. She has taken Jesus as her savior and hasn’t looked back, just like her cousin, Kirk Cameron. That girl loves God.
Jerry O’Connell
The actor’s endearing performance in Stand By Me was incredibly memorable, but Jerry O’Connell gained little attention for his physique.
He overcame his awkward phase, dropped some pounds, and returned to Hollywood as a total hunk! He’s even married to supermodel Rebecca Romijn.
We still can’t believe the fat kid in Stand By Me was Jerry O’Connell. Yes, we know it was him, and many people have reiterated that fact, but it’s still pretty impossible to believe.
The difference is astounding! Jerry has always been one of our favorite actors and we love to catch any flick he’s in. Piranha 3D? Yup. Sliders? Yup. Stand By Me 2? Psyche!
Jaleel White
Steve Urkel’s ridiculously nerdy persona was fictional thanks to Hollywood costuming and child star Jaleel White’s hilarious acting.
But it’s impossible to ignore the child star’s shockingly hot look these days! As the sexy host of Total Blackout, Jaleel surprised us all.
Jaleel’s Urkel character was so far removed from his real life, it’s like you’re looking at two different people altogether. We really wonder what he thought of his role when he came up with the iconic voice for Steve Urkel?
His thought process probably went something like this, “Wow, this is going to make me a lot of money,” quickly followed by “and I’m never going to get any chicks ever again.” He was probably 90% correct, but it’s the 10% that won out in the end.
Abigail Breslin
As the lead character in Little Miss Sunshine, Abigail won our hearts as the offbeat, goofy girl with a heart of gold. Her “cute” status has since been eradicated.
As she nears her twenties, Abigail’s beauty and wit have evolved beyond measure. Consider her a late bloomer!
And better late than never! Abigail made sure she would leave her mark in your memory, and there’s no way you’re going to forget her now!
Abigail looks good as a grown-up and we like it! We already knew she was a good actress and that it wasn’t just her being cute. We look forward to seeing much more of Abigail in the future.
Kelly Osbourne
As a loud-mouthed, back-talking teen on her rock family’s hit reality show, Kelly Osbourne was known for her terrible fashion and over-the-top punk attitude.
But time has been kind to the Fashion Police cohost. Kelly still has her unique style, but she’s definitely gone from gawky to gorgeous.
That’s a huge understatement, actually, time has been MORE than kind to her. No offense, Kelly, but you looked hideous as a teen. We can’t even say that your terrible fashion and horrible look were endearing… it was just awful!
The difference today is like she’s a new person. No, really, we think she switched bodies because there is no way in hell she’s the same girl she was back in the day, looking like a reject from The Addams Family.
Keke Palmer
When the world was introduced to Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee, they were stunned by her incredible acting chops.
The singer-performer has since undergone her own modern day Cinderella story, growing from an awkward teen into an attractive young twenty-something.
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