They Were Huge. Then They Weren't.
For a few years in the 80s, these actors were everywhere. They starred in hit movies, dominated television, and looked destined to stay famous forever. Then the 90s arrived...and they didn't (stay famous forever). How many of these once-huge stars do you still remember?
Steve Guttenberg
For a while, Steve Guttenberg seemed to be in every comedy America produced. Police Academy, Three Men and a Baby, Short Circuit—the guy couldn't miss. Then the 90s rolled around, Hollywood found a new crop of comedy stars, and Guttenberg quietly slipped out of the spotlight. If you grew up in the 80s, though, you definitely remember him.
Phoebe Cates
Some actors spend decades trying to create one iconic movie moment. Phoebe Cates somehow collected several before the 80s were over. Between Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins, she became one of the decade's most recognizable stars. Then she did something Hollywood rarely sees: she walked away and barely looked back.
Mr. T
Before there were influencers, there was Mr. T. He had the mohawk, the gold chains, the action figures, the cartoon, and enough catchphrases to fill a dictionary. For a few years, he wasn't just famous—he was practically his own industry. Then the 90s arrived and the Mr. T phenomenon finally cooled off.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Molly Ringwald
For a few years, Molly Ringwald basically owned teenage movie screens. Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink—if you were a teenager in the 80s, you probably saw at least one of them a dozen times. The challenge wasn't becoming famous. It was figuring out what came after being the face of an entire generation.
Jan-Michael Vincent
If you were a kid who thought helicopters were the coolest thing on Earth, chances are you watched Airwolf. The show made Jan-Michael Vincent a huge star and helped turn him into one of television's biggest action heroes. Unfortunately, personal struggles eventually overshadowed a career that once looked almost unstoppable.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
Michael Paré
If you were around in the 80s, chances are you remember Eddie and the Cruisers. For a while, Hollywood seemed convinced Michael Paré was its next big leading man. The stardom never quite arrived. Today he's one of those actors who instantly triggers a 'Whatever happened to that guy?' conversation.
Debra Winger
For a while, it felt like every serious movie worth watching had Debra Winger in it. Urban Cowboy, An Officer and a Gentleman, Terms of Endearment—she couldn't miss. Then, unlike most stars, she didn't spend the next decade chasing fame. She seemed perfectly happy letting somebody else do that.
Alice Attie, Wikimedia Commons
Judge Reinhold
If you rented comedies in the 80s, Judge Reinhold was probably in them. Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Beverly Hills Cop, Ruthless People—the guy was everywhere. There was a stretch where it felt like every third movie had Judge Reinhold wandering into a scene. Then Hollywood moved on and the leading roles became harder to find.
Gil Gerard
Before Captain Picard, before Baby Yoda, and long before every streaming service needed a sci-fi franchise, there was Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. The show made Gil Gerard a star and turned him into one of television's most recognizable faces. Then the next TV craze arrived and Buck Rogers slowly blasted off into nostalgia.
Donaldson Collection, Getty Images
Ally Sheedy
The Brat Pack produced a lot of stars, but for a while Ally Sheedy felt like the coolest one. The Breakfast Club made her an icon, and suddenly she seemed to be everywhere. Then the 90s arrived, and the spotlight gradually drifted elsewhere.
Richard Chamberlain
Before prestige television became a buzzword, Richard Chamberlain was already doing it. Shōgun and The Thorn Birds pulled in audiences that modern streaming shows can only dream about. For a while, he was one of the biggest stars on television. Today, he's one of those names that instantly takes Boomers back to another era of TV.
Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images
Linda Kozlowski
Most actors would love to have one hit movie. Linda Kozlowski had Crocodile Dundee. The film made her famous all over the world almost overnight and looked like the start of a huge Hollywood career. Somehow, it never really happened, making her one of the more surprising names on this list.
Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce Boxleitner was one of those actors who somehow always seemed to be on TV no matter when you turned it on. Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Tron, TV movies, guest appearances—the guy was everywhere. For a while it felt like Hollywood was building toward something even bigger. It just never quite happened.
Tawny Kitaen
You didn't have to know Tawny Kitaen's name to know who Tawny Kitaen was. Between movies, television appearances, magazine covers, and those unforgettable Whitesnake videos, she became one of the most recognizable faces of the decade. If you were around in the 80s, those videos probably just started playing in your head.
Erik Estrada
For a few years, half of America wanted to be Ponch and the other half wanted to date him. CHiPs turned Erik Estrada into one of television's biggest stars and one of the most recognizable faces of the decade. Then the motorcycles were parked and television moved on.
Screenshot from CHiPs, Warner Bros. Discovery (1977-1983)
Kelly McGillis
Long before Tom Cruise was hanging off airplanes and riding motorcycles off cliffs, Kelly McGillis was the person many viewers walked out of Top Gun talking about. Add Witness to the mix and it looked like Hollywood had found its next long-term leading lady. Somehow, things didn't turn out that way.
John Schneider
Long before Smallville, John Schneider was Bo Duke. And for a lot of viewers, that was more than enough. The Dukes of Hazzard made him one of television's biggest stars and teen heartthrobs. There was a time when his posters were hanging on bedroom walls all over America.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Rick Moranis
Unlike many people on this list, Rick Moranis didn't really get forgotten. He left. After becoming one of the biggest comedy stars in America with Ghostbusters, Spaceballs, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, he stepped away from Hollywood to focus on his family. Fans spent years wondering where he went.
Screenshot from Ghostbusters, Sony Pictures Entertainment (1984)
Michael Beck
If you were around when The Warriors came out, Michael Beck looked like the next big thing. Then Xanadu happened. The movie eventually became a cult favorite, but it never turned Beck into the superstar Hollywood expected. For a brief moment, though, it looked like he might be everywhere.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Kathleen Turner
There was a time in the 80s when Kathleen Turner was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. She starred in hits like Romancing the Stone, Peggy Sue Got Married, and The Jewel of the Nile, all while also launching a million cartoon crushes as the voice of Jessica Rabbit.
For an older generation, it was a blast seeing her show up as Chandler Bing's dad on Friends. Younger viewers probably had no idea they were watching one of the biggest movie stars of the previous decade.
20th Century Fox, Getty Images
Shelley Long
Walking away from Cheers at the height of its popularity was a little like voluntarily leaving a winning lottery ticket on the table. Shelley Long was already one of television's biggest stars, but she wanted to pursue other opportunities. While she continued acting, she never quite reached the same level of fame she enjoyed sitting at that famous Boston bar.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
John James
If you weren't watching Dynasty in the 80s, somebody in your house probably was. At its peak, the show was one of the biggest things on television, and John James became a familiar face to millions of viewers. Then the prime-time soap craze faded, and so did much of the fame that came with it.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Parker Stevenson
If you watched The Hardy Boys, you probably just smiled when you saw Parker Stevenson on this list. For a few years he was one of television's biggest teen idols and seemed to be everywhere young viewers looked. Then time did what time always does, and one of television's biggest heartthrobs slowly slipped into nostalgia.
Donaldson Collection, Getty Images
Lorenzo Lamas
Lorenzo Lamas looked like somebody designed an actor specifically for 80s television. Good-looking, charismatic, and perfectly suited for action roles, he was everywhere for a while. Even Renegade couldn't quite keep him at the level of fame he enjoyed during his peak years.
Delta Burke
If you watched Designing Women, you know exactly why Delta Burke became a star. As Suzanne Sugarbaker, she could steal a scene with a single look. For a while she was one of the biggest names on television. Then the sitcom ended and the spotlight slowly moved on.
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