Life goes by faster than we realize. Before we know it, we’ve aged, and the music, movies, and pop culture we grew up with become “retro” (at least according to kids these days)!
It’s even easier to notice how swiftly time can fly when we catch a glimpse of our favorite child stars as adults. Those actors are safe from the ravages of time and perfectly preserved in our memories… or so we thought. It can be shocking once we see them with wrinkles or carrying a few extra pounds!
The following stars have changed so drastically over the years, they’re darn near unrecognizable. In fact, most people would probably have a tough time picking them out in a lineup.
From America’s sweethearts to ’80s icons, find out who has aged, um, interestingly over the years.
#1 James Spader
In the ’80s, James Spader starred on The Family Tree for one year before getting a role in Pretty in Pink. In the latter role, he had gorgeous hair and was able to play a smug villain well. Now, he’s older but has proven he’s still able to play a conniving character on The Blacklist.
#2 Claudia Wells
She played the original Jennifer Parker in the 1985 sci-fi adventure classic Back to the Future.
And Claudia Wells, 53, celebrated the 35th anniversary of the film in style on 3d of July this year, by dining with a friend at a Studio City sushi restaurant.The veteran actress looked effortlessly chic in a floral blouse tucked into blue jeans.
#3 Justine Bateman
The eldest daughter of a British Pan Am flight attendant and a film director, Justine was born on February 19, 1966 in Rye, New York. With her mother constantly traveling and ensuring Justine and her younger brother were both exposed to diverse cultures with frequent trips to Europe, Mexico, Australia and abroad, the family eventually moved from the Big Apple to Boston and then to Salt Lake City before finally settling down in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. By then, Justine and Jason were old enough to know they wanted to pursue acting and, as teens, found acting gigs in minor television series to help their parents pay the bills.
#4 Val Kilmer
Growing up amid the glitz and glamor of Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, Val Kilmer knew at an early age that he was destined to perform and, even as a child, worked his hardest to see his dreams come true. After attending the Hollywood Professional School, he became the youngest student accepted into the Julliard School’s Drama Division where he was a standout in his class after co-writing and starring in How It All Began at the New York Shakespeare Festival in 1981.
#5 Jerry Hall
She kicked off the new year in style as she’s been soaking up the sun on the golden shores of the Caribbean with her loved ones.
And Jerry Hall, 62, continued to lap up the scenic atmosphere as she joined her husband and media mogul Rupert Murdoch, 87, for an idyllic swim in Barbados on Saturday.
The iconic model commanded attention as she exhibited her youthful-looking appearance in a blue striped swimsuit, whilst soaking up the rays on the beach, and on a boat.
#6 Josh Brolin
Josh Brolin made his film debut in ‘The Goonies’ in 1985 and has since gone on to appear in ‘W.,’ ‘No Country for Old Men’ and ‘Milk,’ among many others.
Josh Brolin was born on February 12, 1968, in Los Angeles. He made his film debut in The Goonies (1985), and in 1987 he made his foray into series TV in Private Eye. He starred in another series, The Young Riders, which premiered in 1989, but Brolin didn’t find his career breakthrough until 1996, with his turn in the film Flirting With Disaster. He has since made a real name for himself on the big screen through roles in films like W., No Country for Old Men and Milk, for which the actor received his first Oscar nomination.
#7 Rick Astley
After becoming a global star in 1987 with his debut single Never Gonna Give You Up (number one in 25 countries), he gave it all up to become a family man at the age of 28.
#8 Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John was already a huge singer in her native Australia before ‘Grease’, but the classic musical film propelled her to new levels of fame. Since then, hits like ‘Xanadu’ and ‘Physical’ have helped her sell over 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the most successful artists of all time.
#9 Bo Derek
Bo Derek wasn’t always Bo Derek — she came into this world as Mary Collins, and as a teenager she wasn’t exactly driven. In fact, the future 10 star and poster girl seemed content doing almost nothing when she was 16. It was California in the early ’70s, and like a stereotypical blonde beach bunny she would rather spend the day at the beach, catching rays with her friends, than attend school. She was slacking — or was she doing research? After all, consider that breakthrough movie role and the poster that also made Bo Derek a household name: She was a blonde girl, in a swimsuit, on a beach. So maybe all that truancy was good for something.
#10 Mickey Rourke
Being a Hollywood celebrity comes with its fair share of challenges, one of them being the struggle to keep up appearances. Mickey Rourke is a celebrity who is familiar with this struggle. He has had his highs and lows in the entertainment industry. He has experienced love and support from his fans and has also been castigated and condemned by others.
Philip Andre Rourke Jr., commonly known as Mickey Rourke, is a 66-year-old actor and former boxer. He was born in Schenectady, New York, on the 16th of September 1952. His Star sign is Virgo and his nationality is American. He has a brother and sister. His father, Philip, worked as an amateur bodybuilder. In 1958, Philip left the family, and their mother, Annette, relocated with the three children. The family relocated to Miami, where Annette remarried.
#11 Lisa Bonet
Lisa Michelle Bonet (born November 16, 1967) is an American actress and activist. Bonet played Denise Huxtable on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show, which originally aired from 1984 to 1992, and starred in its spinoff comedy A Different World for its first season.
After being in beauty competitions and appearing in guest spots on television series as a child, Bonet landed the role of Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show, the second oldest child of the parents played by Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad.
#12 Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Grey now looks a lot different. If you take a look at Jennifer Grey then and now, you’ll notice she’s had plastic surgery and almost completely disappeared from Hollywood – but that doesn’t mean the Dirty Dancing and Red Dawn actor is gone for good?
Jennifer Grey is 60 years old. She was born on Mar 26, 1960
Daughter of the Oscar-winning actor and dancer Joel Grey (star of Bob Fosse’s 1972 musical Cabaret), Jennifer Grey will of course always be remembered for her role as Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman in Dirty Dancing.
Grey’s life and career since the 1987 romantic drama, however, has been far less-documented, with her beginnings remaining similarly little-known to most.
#13 Matthew Perry
Even though Jennifer Anniston is the F.R.I.E.N.D.S. star who has enjoyed the most success, many of that show’s fans love Matthew Perry’s character Chandler the most. Never known for his dashing good looks, Perry still was a pretty handsome dude at the time but when he appears in public these days he doesn’t seem to care about how he looks more often than not.
#14 Dolly Parton
Very open about the surgery she has gotten throughout her life, Dolly Parton first went under the knife many years ago. However, her face still looked mostly natural up until relatively recently but these days the only way to tell you are looking at the same lady is her fashion choices, body type, and large hair.
#15 Kim Kardashian
You didn’t really think that you would see Kim’s name on this list, huh? Well… take a good look at pictures of her when she was younger and compare to her pictures today. The incredibly famous reality TV star didn’t always look so spectacular. She once was a mere mortal like the rest of us.
One could even say that she had ordinary features, nice wavy hair, bushy eyebrows, and a pretty normal look. Back when Kim was a teenager, she didn’t really take her looks to the next level. Back then, she was just a normal looking woman from a rich family, living in Los Angeles.
