The Greatest ’80s Teen Stars and Where They Are Now

Just like today, the ’80s boasted its own cast of teen idols. From chiseled cheekbones and leather jackets to puffy shoulder pads and blue eyeshadow, this decade certainly had its own signature style. Some don’t realize that many celebs that we know and love today were actually heartthrobs in their youths. Let’s take a look at the greatest teen stars from the ’80s, and see what they’re up to now!

Rob Lowe

We kick things off with ’80s heartthrob Rob Lowe. The star started acting at just 15 years old, putting him at the ideal age to become a teen idol in the ‘80s.

In fact, Rob was a member of the Brat Pack — a group of young actors who appeared together often in coming-of-age movies. Like many others on this list, Rob Lowe was a huge star in the ‘80s and then made a comeback later in his career. Not only has he appeared on several TV shows but he even hosts his own podcast!

Elisabeth Shue

Next up is American actress Elisabeth Shue, who starred in all sorts of huge ‘80s hits. At the beginning of the decade, she starred in The Karate Kid, and then later in Adventures in Babysitting and Back to the Future. Those are some serious ’80s credentials!

In the ’90s, Elisabeth Shue was nominated for an Oscar for her work. Nowadays, she stars in various streaming hits, including The Boys on Amazon, and the Karate Kid-inspired Cobra Kai on Netflix.

Judd Nelson

Without a doubt, one of the most iconic and memorable movies from the ‘80s is The Breakfast Club. The John Hughes directed flick starred various teen actors as high schoolers spending the afternoon in detention. Judd Nelson played John Bender, otherwise known as “the criminal.”

As well as starring in some other hits from the ’80s, Jude Nelson went on to work in both TV and film. He played Billy in Empire and voice acts for the Transformers franchise.

John Cusack

Interestingly, before Judd Nelson was cast as “the criminal,” actor John Cusack was up for the role. In fact, Cusack won the role but was replaced with Nelson when he didn’t look threatening enough. However, he did star in John Hughes’ first hit movie, Sixteen Candles.

John Cusack is a pretty prolific actor, and has starred in over ’80 movies. Most recently, he played Dr. Kevin Christie in sci-fi drama Utopia. The star has never married or had kids.