Actors Every 90s Teen Had A Crush On

Before the internet became “a thing,” teenagers relied on film and television to get their entertainment fix. The 90s were especially influential as cheap movie tickets and cable TV made pop culture accessible to a wider audience. America was introduced to a new generation of talent, but teenagers largely dictated who rose to the top to achieve stardom. With that said, here are five actors who made teenage hearts throb during the 90s.

Ryan Phillippe started acting in the early 90s, mostly playing guest roles in several TV series. The tide turned for him in 1997 when he was cast in “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” one of the top-earning movies of the year. The extra publicity helped Phillippe pivot into a career in movies, and it also secured his status as a teen idol. By 1999, he’d appeared in five films when “Cruel Intentions” was released to an audience of his adoring fans. His portrayal of Sebastian Valmont, a selfish rich kid who is redeemed by love, cemented his position in the hearts of every 90s teen.

Every Friday night for seven years, families all over the country gathered in their living rooms to watch “Boy Meets World.” The child actors on the show grew up in the public eye and became stars in their own right. As the characters matured into their teenage years, Shawn Hunter, played by Rider Strong, quickly became a fan favorite. With his signature hair flip and leather jacket, Strong played the role of the lovable bad boy very well. Today, Strong is mostly retired from acting, spending more of his time behind the camera as a producer or director. However, America will always remember him as the quintessential best friend on their favorite TV show.

Audiences were first introduced to Matthew McConaughey in 1993’s “Dazed and Confused.” Although he had a smaller role compared to the rest of the star-studded cast, his performance contributed to one of the most memorable scenes in the film. This officially launched his career as an actor in Hollywood, but he wasn’t considered leading man material until his appearance in the legal thriller “A Time to Kill.” The film won McConaughey an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, legitimizing his position in American youth culture.

He may be known today for playing a drunken pirate, but Johnny Depp began his acting career in the 80s as an undercover cop on “21 Jump Street.” The show was popular among teenagers, making Depp an official teen heartthrob. By 1990, he wanted to shed his teen idol image and pursue more serious roles. He achieved this goal with his breakthrough performance in “Edward Scissorhands.” His dynamic acting skill combined with his classic good looks made him an unstoppable force, and he went on to become one of the most prolific movie stars of the 90s.

In 1991, Leonardo DiCaprio’s first acting job was playing Luke in “Growing Pains,” a role that was specifically created to draw in young female viewers. His pretty-boy looks and precocious charm won over the show’s audience. However, he still wasn’t considered a serious actor until his critically acclaimed work on “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” A few years later, he won his first leading role in “Romeo+Juliet” opposite another teen idol, Claire Danes. But the best was yet to come. Already a rising star, DiCaprio was offered two different movie roles in 1997. He rejected the first project in favor of the second, which turned out to be James Cameron’s epic romance “Titanic.” The film became the highest-grossing movie of all time and inspired “Leo-mania,” turning DiCaprio into an overnight superstar.