Actors From The '90s That Are Totally Unrecognizable Now

Things were very different back in the '90s. Social media was nonexistent, super matte foundations were in, and it was nearly impossible to turn on the radio without hearing a boy band (we're looking at you, Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC). But it wasn't just the guys having all the fun. Our TV and movie screens were also flooded with talented female actors, as "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Melrose Place" dominated the airwaves and the likes of "Single White Female" and "10 Things I Hate About You" ruled at the box office.

We can't ignore how far some stars have come since those halcyon days. Not only have big names including Pamela Anderson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Patricia Richardson seen their lives change dramatically since the decade of Beanie Babies and Tamagotchis, they're looking so different these days too. In fact, they're totally unrecognizable.

Pamela Anderson's most notable role was as C.J. Parker on "Baywatch," from 1992 until 1997. But she also starred in the likes of "V.I.P." and "Barb Wire", which cemented her '90s icon status. Not only has Anderson's style transformed since then, she's also adopted a refreshing new take on her appearance. 

In 2024, Anderson told Glamour she'd developed a less-is-more approach, despite bombshell glamour being her signature for decades. "I've nothing against makeup, but I felt like it just looked better on me in my 20s than it did now," she said. "You're going to hit a crossroads in your 50s, and you go, Am I going to chase youth? Am I going to be miserable? Or am I going to be self-accepting? And it's a practice. And it's hard to say that you're attempting all this if you're still doing the red carpets and the covers of magazines plastered in makeup," she noted.

In 1993, Anderson was all about long, bleach blond, extension-aided hair and full coverage foundation. She kept her then-trendy thin brows in 2025 – though we'd prefer that beauty trend to stay in the past – but looked completely different. The star happily posed without makeup on the red carpet, which underscored her updated beauty mantra. "I really feel powerful right now when everything's very pared down. I like to see my freckles. I like when my hair isn't done. I like just a really fresh face," she told WWD in 2023. She'd also changed her hair in favor of a much shorter, warm golden blond style with bangs.

Bridget Fonda was one of the most famous actors of the '90s thanks to her roles in "The Godfather Part III," "Single White Female," and "Lake Placid." But Peter Fonda's daughter stepped back from acting in 2002 and her life seriously changed. When Daily Mail spotted her on a rare outing in 2023 and asked if she had a desire to act again, she said, "I don't think so, it's too nice being a civilian."

The former star was also snapped by paparazzi in 2025, and she looked totally different compared to her days in the spotlight. Fonda had aged naturally and embraced her graying hair. She also appeared to be makeup-free, which matched her more casual streetwear style. Fans loved seeing her living her best life away from the spotlight. After paparazzi photos went viral in 2023, one X user tweeted, "Her attitude, interests and habits have definitely changed. And if she's what I've read, a full family mom, she's probably more happy about that then what the public eye sees her as. I say good for her! As long as she's happy and fulfilled, she did life right."

At the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards, Geena Davis had a bleach blond pixie cut and trendy '90s makeup, including light, frosty eyeshadow. Fast-forward to 2025, though, and she looked just as gorgeous, but very different. At the "Fairyland" premiere, she'd changed her short, light 'do for long, dark locks in glamorous curls. The star's makeup routine had also evolved. She wore a lighter, matte foundation and swapped out the frosty shades for a darker shadow and a sophisticated, glossy red lip.

The "Thelma & Louise" and "A League of Their Own" actor also shifted her life focus. She's repeatedly stood up to gender inequality in the workplace (Davis even started the Geena Davis Institute) and has opened up about how her life was overhauled when she became a mom. "I always felt lucky that I had my kids late, because I just feel like I changed so much," she told The Guardian.

Alyssa Milano has undergone a very public transformation since shooting "Melrose Place," "Charmed," and "Who's the Boss?" In 1992, she showed her quirky style at the MTV Video Music Awards with sleek, straight, black hair in a trendy updo with two tendrils to frame her face. At the time, she also had multiple ear piercings and rocked a youthful red lipstick and skinny eyebrows. 

In a 2024 no-makeup selfie posted to Instagram, though, Milano looked nearly unrecognizable. Of course, being bare-faced made her look different, but she'd made other big changes to her appearance, too. For one, her tresses were a lighter chocolate brown, but her cheeks also appeared fuller. Her eyebrows, meanwhile, were fluffier and more manicured.

In a 2021 TikTok video, the actor opened up to her followers about her changing face. "I'm not [20] anymore. I'm 48. I don't look this smooth without filters and Botox," she wrote. Milano's also been vocal about getting the non-surgical facial treatment TriLift. "I'm aware of my aging — and I'm also aware of how I talk about my aging body around my daughter," she wrote on Instagram in 2023. "It's becoming increasingly important to me — and I want her to learn this — that she can choose to age however she wants to, and that if she chooses to take some actions to fight it, cosmetic surgery or constant injections aren't her only options," she added.

Jennifer Love Hewitt has faced speculation over her changing looks since her days on "Kids Incorporated" and "Party of Five." In 2023, she publicly addressed it. "Aging in Hollywood is really hard because you can't do anything right," she said on "Inside of You With Michael Rosenbaum," admitting she'd seen some far-fetched stories about her using social media filters because she's not comfortable with her changing looks. "The picture ended up somewhere and a bunch of people were like, 'Jennifer Love Hewitt is unrecognizable!'" she added. 

With or without filters, it's hard to ignore Hewitt's obvious physical transformation. In 1997, she had glossy, brunette hair that finished just past her shoulders and a more prominent chin and nose. For comparison, when she walked the red carpet for the premiere of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" in 2025, her hair was a flattering strawberry blond and her face appeared fuller. 

Still, it's clear Hewitt is owning her physical evolution. "It's dangerous, I think, to say to women, 'You can't look like you're not 22 to me anymore because I don't know how to take that,'" she said. "Oh well, that's your problem because I'm 44, and this is what I look like," she added. And that's a positive mantra we should adopt.

In the '90s, Karyn Parsons was best known for playing Hilary Banks, the spoiled, label-loving cousin of Will Smith on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." But things have changed a lot for this star. At the 2021 Tribeca Festival, she showed off her gorgeous afro and wore minimal makeup that highlighted her healthy-looking skin — a style that was worlds away from her character's.

Aside from her evolving physical appearance, Parson's life is equally unrecognizable. On her website, she revealed she'd hoped to get more acting and producing gigs after "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" wrapped, but turned her attention to other passions instead. "The jobs were few and far between, but during those long breaks between jobs, I spent my time nurturing a new love: writing," she shared. "In 2005, I would start Sweet Blackberry, a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring little-known stories of Black achievement to children," the mom of two added. 

She also opened up to Metro about her new-look life. "I'm not acting so much these days and I'm certainly not making great efforts towards it when I do. Not because I don't love it or anything, though. It's because I have other things to tend to that are currently more important to me (my family, my organization Sweet Blackberry, writing)," she said.

Leelee Sobieski appeared in some of the biggest movies of the '90s, from "Deep Impact," to "Never Been Kissed" and "Eyes Wide Shut." When she stepped out in 2019 though, she was almost unrecognizable compared to the young actor we saw in those blockbusters. At the 1998 premiere of "Can't Hardly Wait," Sobieski was a fresh-faced youngster wearing minimal makeup with long brown-blond hair. She had an edgier vibe when she attended the amfAR Gala 21 years later. The star wore black with sophisticated red lipstick and her hair pulled back, which made her look so different.

The former actor's life has also changed far beyond her appearance. Despite being such a huge star, she purposefully stepped back from life in the spotlight and became a mom. "90 percent of acting roles involve so much sexual stuff with other people, and I don't want to do that," she told Vogue of why she turned her back on acting. "It's such a strange fire to play with, and our relationship is surely strong enough to handle it, but if you're going to walk through fire, there has to be something incredible on the other side," she added, referring to her romance with Adam Kimmel.

Tori Spelling has spent decades in the spotlight as a member of the Spelling family, but her changing looks have been almost as talked about as her family drama. That's hardly surprising, seeing as side by side photos highlight Spelling's plastic surgery transformation so drastically. Spelling spoke about her changing looks to People in 2019, sharing, "People have been talking about me having plastic surgery since I was 17. I remember my dad saying, 'Don't worry. It will go away next week.' But that one thing has stayed with me my entire career!" She added, "I literally had my nose done and my boobs done, and that's it. I'm constantly reading that I've done more."

In 2025, the former "Beverly Hills, 90210" star shared a series of Instagram selfies that were a world away from snaps of her when she found fame. The actor confirmed in the caption she'd had her light blond hair cut into a blunt bob, writing, "Change starts from within but sometimes a literal physical change can feed the soul." Fans couldn't believe how unlike her old self she looked. "What did she do to her face, she looks so different," one Instagram user commented. "Who is that in the pic," another asked.

Ashley Judd has repeatedly shot down speculation she's gone under the knife, despite her physical evolution. She penned a lengthy piece for Daily Beast in 2012 in which she addressed her changing looks. "Who makes the fantastic leap from being sick or gaining some weight over the winter to a conclusion of plastic surgery?" she wrote. "The insanity has to stop because, as focused on me as it appears to have been, it is about all girls and women ... It affects each and every one of us in multiple and nefarious ways," she added.

At the 1995 premiere of "Smoke," the "Sisters" actor had bombshell blond hair with wispy bangs and looked every inch the A-list star with her shiny red lipstick, blemish-free skin, and fluttery lashes. Almost two decades later, her mane had gone to the dark side. She wore her brunette tresses in a side part for a screening of "Lazareth" and wore a more muted tone lipstick. The star was also sporting fairer skin, suggesting she knows to use products with SPF (even in the winter) or has ditched fake tan.

You may remember Patricia Richardson best from her '90s role as Jill Taylor in "Home Improvement" alongside Tim Allen. But you probably wouldn't recognize her decades later. In 2023, she'd ditched her staple bob in favor of a gray ponytail with bangs that complimented her bone structure. She wasn't afraid to get glam during her rare public appearance either. Her fair skin was complemented by light blush, shiny lipstick, and dark mascara. The star had previously revealed on Instagram that she started embracing her grays during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Ok here we have covid hair grow out. Just don't want to cut it! So.... new covid fashion raccoon hair?" she wrote.

The star opened up to Modern Mom about how her changing appearance didn't always work for her acting gigs, though, since she sometimes needed to look older and other times needed to look younger. "I'm in a weird in-between age where I don't look right," she said. But that clearly didn't stop her getting gigs. Richardson shared her plan was always to get back into theater after "Home Improvement" ended in 1999 — and she did. "I did sitcoms because they're like live theater," she said.

In the '90s, Larisa Oleynik was everywhere. She had roles in "The Secret World of Alex Mack," "The Baby-Sitters Club," and "10 Things I Hate About You." Oleynik was the ultimate girl next door with blond locks, a bright smile, and a fresh-faced complexion. Later, she enjoyed steady work with roles in "Pretty Little Liars," "Mad Men," and "3rd Rock from the Sun," 

In 2023, though, she looked unrecognizable compared to her on-screen appearances as a young actor. Oleynik appeared at the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards, still sporting floral clothing like she had decades before, but also with balayage brown hair that skimmed her shoulders and a little more makeup than she wore when she was younger.

While Oleynik's appearance may have evolved since her acting heyday, she hasn't changed that much on the inside. "[The '90s] resonates with me pretty heavily. Everything in my life is like a throwback to the '90s, including all my musical preferences and wardrobe," she told E! News. "It's like I've pretty much been living there ever since, so I'm glad it's popular again," she added, referring to the various '90s trends that have made major comebacks.

Gabby Hoffman is another former '90s star who's drastically changed her look, largely thanks to a new 'do. The star appeared in "The Man Without a Face" and "Sleepless in Seattle" in the '90s, later landing roles in the likes of "Girls" and "Transparent." But she was barely recognizable in those 2010s appearances.

The youngster had deep brown hair and bangs in the '90s. She also rocked some of the biggest fashion trends of the time, including a denim jacket. In 2025, though, almost everything about her appearance was different. In addition to aging naturally, she proudly sported multi-tonal gray hair in a middle part and had a slightly tanner complexion. Her youthful style had also evolved. She embraced the co-ord trend via a matching shirt and skirt combo, and had swapped classic red lipstick for a slightly pinker tone that worked for her mature skin.

Remember Lara Flynn Boyle? The actor made a name for herself via "Twin Peaks" and "Wayne's World" and her style had a vintage flair, which she showed off at the 1994 Independent Spirit Awards. The star wore a classic, dark red lip with a round bob and light foundation. In 2017 though, she'd changed her makeup routine. The actor over-lined her fuller lips with pink lipstick and applied purple shadow under her eyes, which contributed to her radical new look. Her eyebrows also appeared more raised.

Though Boyle has never confirmed getting any plastic surgery, she told The Mail On Sunday in 2014 (via The Sydney Morning Herald), "On a vanity level, I am not looking forward to aging at all — I think I look pretty good now." And the cosmetic procedure rumors have been flying ever since.

The Olsen twins were two of the biggest stars of the '90s. Mary-Kate and Ashley popped up in countless movies and TV shows and lent their faces to dolls, cosmetics, and almost everything in between. But they've totally transformed since their childhood star days.

The sisters eventually left acting behind to focus on their fashion line The Row, telling Elle in 2012 (via Yahoo!), "We don't have time to think about [acting]. We are entirely devoted to fashion." That also included a dramatic step back from fame, as they rarely give interviews and don't share their lives on social media. "We've spent our whole lives trying to not let people have that accessibility, so it would go against everything we've done in our lives to not be in the public," Mary-Kate told Vogue.

With the two becoming so much less visible publicly, it's no surprise the Olsens are nearly unrecognizable since leaving Hollywood. The pair made a rare public appearance for the CFDA Awards in 2019, and gone were the adorable young faces we saw decades ago, in favor of more sophisticated looks and defined bone structures. Though the two hadn't totally moved away from all-matching everything (both wore black ensembles with long, golden blond hair and similar makeup), they let their personalities show. Mary-Kate's fashion was more flowing, while Ashley opted for a structured blazer and a fun, brightly colored clutch.