80s Teen Movie Stars – Then And Now


There was nothing quite like the teen movies of the 1980s. From The Breakfast Club to 16 Candles to Valley Girl and beyond. These teen movies made stars of the actors that starred in them. So much so, these 80s teen stars were household names and the hottest stars in Hollywood. Here is a look at what your favorite 80s teen movie stars are up to now.

Mary Stuart Masterson

Mary Stuart Masterson - What Your Favorite 80s Teen Movie Stars Are Up To Now
Photo courtesy of Youtube, Some Kind of Wonderful Movie Clip.

Best known for her role as Watts in 1987’s Some Kind of Wonderful, a tomboy who develops feelings for her best friend Keith, played by Eric Stoltz.

Photo courtesy of Youtube, Great Connector

Today, Masterson continues to act, appearing in television series such as For Life, NCIS, Blindspot and more. She has also appeared in movies, most recently in Daniel Isn’t Real and Skin.

Judd Nelson

Judd Nelson - What Your Favorite 80s Teen Movie Stars Are Up To Now
Photo courtesy of Youtube, Whatever Happened To This Breakfast Club Star?

Nelson played the tormented rebel, John Bender in the 1985 classic, The Breakfast Club. However, while he may be best remembered for that role, he also appeared during the 80s in St. Elmo’s Fire, Fandango, Making the Grade, Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel and many more.

Judd Nelson
Photo courtesy of Youtube, Whatever Happened To This Breakfast Club Star?

Today, Nelson is still very active making movies, appearing in television shows as well as voice-overs. His most recent work includes Empire, Billionaire Boys Club, Dead Water and more.

Molly Ringwald – 80s Teen Movie Stars – Then And Now

Molly Ringwald - 80s Teen Movie Stars - Then And Now
Photo courtesy of Movieclips.com.

In the 80s, Molly Ringwald was one of the most active stars, headlining Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty In Pink. It seemed like if there was a teen movie, Ringwald was in it.

Photo courtesy of Youtube, The Bear | FX

Today, Ringwald is still very active in both television and movies, including Riverdale, Tales of the City, Siberia, The Kissing Booth and more.

Andrew McCarthy

Andrew McCarthy - What Your Favorite 80s Teen Movie Stars Are Up To Now
Photo courtesy of Movieclips.com.

Although most people will remember McCarthy as Blane in Pretty In Pink, he was very active in the 80s, starring in St. Elmo’s Fire, Mannequin, Less Than Zero, Fresh Horses and cult favorite, Weekend at Bernie’s.

Andrew McCarthy
Photo courtesy of Youtube, Where Are They Now? ‘Pretty In Pink’ Star Andrew McCarthy

Today, you’ll find Andrew behind the camera, having directed a number of episodes of Orange Is The New Black, The Sinner, Good Girls, The Blacklist and more.

Deborah Foreman

Deborah Foreman - What Your Favorite 80s Teen Movie Stars Are Up To Now
Photo courtesy of Movieclips.com.

The original valley girl, Deborah Foreman  is best known in the 80s  for her work as Julie Richman in the movie Valley Girl, the girl from the valley who meets Randy (Nicolas Cage), a punk from the city, who fall in love despite pressure from their group of friends. Foreman followed that up with roles in Real Genius, My Chauffeur.

Deborah Foreman
Phorto courtesy Screencap/Deborah Foreman’s Facebook

Today, Foreman is pursuing her passion as a designer and photographer, although she does make a cameo appearance in the 2020 musical remake of the Valley Girl.

Nicolas Cage – 80s Teen Movie Stars – Then And Now

Nicolas Cage - What Your Favorite 80s Teen Movie Stars Are Up To Now
Photo courtesy of Movieclips.com.

Keeping with the valley girl cast, Nicolas Cage broke onto the scene in a big way as Randy in the Valley Girl. Prior to that, he was in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. You’ll remember him as Brad’s bud. However, Cage went on to make some really great movies in the 80s such as Rumble Fish, Racing with the Moon, The Cotton Club, Birdy, Peggy Sue Got Married, Raising Airzona, Moonstruck, Vampire’s Kiss and Time to Kill.

Nicolas Cage
Photo courtesy of Youtube, Army of One Official Trailer 1

Since Valley Girl, Cage has over 100 film credits to his name and won an Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas in 1995.  

Ally Sheedy

Ally Sheedy - What Your Favorite 80s Teen Movie Stars Are Up To Now
Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures.

Sheedy started the 80s in numerous televisions shows and movies, including Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere. That led to her role opposite Matthew Broderick in War Games; however, it was her role as Allison Reynolds, the “Basket Case” in The Breakfast Club that made her a household name. She followed up The Breakfast Club with St. Elmo’s Fire and Short Circuit.

Ally Sheedy
Photo courtesy of Youtube, The Breakfast Club 30th Anniversary Behind The Scenes

Today, Ally continues to act, appearing in X-Men: Apocalypse and most recently in the television series, SMILF.

Anthony Michael Hall – 80s Teen Movie Stars – Then And Now

Anthony Michael Hall - What Your Favorite 80s Teen Movie Stars Are Up To Now
Photo courtesy of Movieclips.com.

If you don’t remember Anthony Michael Hall, then you probably didn’t watch movies in the 80s. He first popped onto the scene as Rusty Griswold in 1983’s National Lampoon’s Vacation. For my money, Hall was the best Rusty of all the ones that appeared in the Vacation movies. He followed up Vacation with classic 80s movies, including Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Out of Bounds and Johnny Be Good.

Anthony Michael Hall
Photo courtesy of Youtube, ‘Sixteen Candles’ Anniversary

Hall has stayed active in Hollywood with TV guest roles on The Blacklist, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Riverdale, CSI: Miami and Z Nation with parts in films such as The Dark Knight and Foxcatcher.

Elizabeth Shue

Elizabeth Shue - What Your Favorite 80s Teen Movie Stars Are Up To Now
Photo courtesy of Youtube, Adventures in Babysitting (1987) Wildside Trailer

Elizabeth Shue had several role defining movies in the 80s, starting with Ali, Daniel’s (Ralph Macchio) love interest, in 1984’s The Karate Kid. She followed that up as babysitter Chris in 1987’s Adventures in Babysitting. After that, she played Tom Cruise’s love interest in 1988’s Cocktail. She ended the 80s with her role as Jennifer, the girlfriend of Marty McFly in 1989’s Back to the Future Part II.

Elizabeth Shue
Photo courtesy of Youtube, Getting to Know Elisabeth Shue

Shue has been a steady presence in Hollywood since the 80s. She starred opposite Nicolas Cage in 1995s Leaving Las Vegas and most recently has starred with Bruce Willis in the 2018 remake of Deathwish and as Madelyn Stillwell in the Amazon Prime series, The Boys.

Emilio Estevez

Emilio Estevez - What Your Favorite 80s Teen Movie Stars Are Up To Now
Photo courtesy of Movieclips.com.

To say that Emilio Eztevez was just big during the 80s would be an understatement. Estevez made hit after hit. He started the 80s as Two-Bit Matthews in 1982s The Outsiders. He then starred in 1984s Repo Man. He then starred in The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, That Was Then… This Is Now, Maximum Overdrive, Wisdom, Stakeout, Young Guns and Young Guns II. Quite a lineup.

Emilio Estevez
Photo courtesy of Youtube, Emilio Estevez Interview at Sundance

Today, Estevez has stayed mostly behind the scenes as a writer and director, with his most recent work being The Public in 2018; however, Estevez will reprise his role as coach, Gordon Bombay, in the upcoming television series, The Mighty Ducks.