The ‘90s were full of bucket hats, boy bands, and television stars. But many of the TV icons
of the era have disappeared in the years since. You've probably thought about your '90s favorites
from time to time, so we've checked in on a few to see what they're up to now.
Arguably the coolest teen on ‘90s TV, Marla Sokoloff rose to fame as Stephanie Tanner's best
friend Gia on Full House. She wore crop tops, went to make-out parties, and even smoked--in
short, her character had attitude to spare. Marla went on to star in Whatever It Takes where she met
James Franco, who she ended up dating for four years. Her sitcom and film career was on fire.
So where did Marla Sokoloff go? The short answer is that she's been as busy as ever,
even if it's been in projects that may not put her in the limelight. Marla has had consistent work,
including six seasons as Lucy Hatcher on The Practice, an assortment of television
guest-starring roles, and a slew of made-for-TV movies. Between 2016 and 2020, Sokoloff has also
reprised her role as Gia on the Full House sequel series Fuller House, making our '90s hearts swell.
At the age of 11, Tatyana Ali lit up the small screen as Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of
Bel-Air. We watched her have her first kiss, belt out a song for a record label, and grow
out her bangs. After Fresh Prince, Ali expanded her talents to the music industry and film,
putting out the album Kiss the Sky in 1998 and appearing in the film Jawbreaker
with Rose McGowan and Judy Greer. In the years following, Ali made education her top priority,
and she graduated from Harvard with a Bachelor's Degree in African-American studies and Government.
Tatyana later married Stanford professor Dr. Vaughn Rasberry and is a proud mother of two.
Still, she hasn't completely abandoned the industry; in recent years,
she's branched out into producing, and her later acting credits include the
2018 holiday film Jingle Belle. Plus, get ready to break out your best Carlton dance:
Tatyana and her castmates got together for a Fresh Prince reunion special on HBO Max.
Before Hermione Granger, there was another big-haired overachiever
named Topanga Lawrence on Boy Meets World.
“Topanga”
“Topanga!”
Danielle Fishel was the envy of every '90s kid until the sitcom ended in 2000. While Fishel
had small roles on Yes, Dear and Longshot after the series ended, she ultimately found that good
roles just weren't coming her way. She took some time off from acting to earn a psychology degree,
worked at Bloomingdales, got married, divorced, and even received a DUI.
In 2008, she began to host The Dish, which showcased her bubbly personality. More recently,
Danielle reunited with her old castmates on the Boy Meets World sequel series Girl Meets World,
remarried, had a baby, and has her eyes set on the director's chair.
Sadly, she didn't end up with Ben Savage in real life, but it's nice to see her happy.
Before Wikipedia, pre-teens had one go-to source of information: Clarissa. Melissa Joan
Hart explained it all and we loved every second of it. Just when it didn't seem like she could be any
cooler, Hart took on the lead role in Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Living with her two awesome aunts
and the best talking cat on TV, Sabrina used her magical powers to get through high school.
Even though those characters were magical, Hart says she was only seen as her iconic roles,
and getting parts after Sabrina was a struggle. During this frustrating time, she met her husband,
Course of Nature lead singer Mark Wilkerson. The couple have been going strong ever since,
and have three boys together. In 2010, Hart's acting career took off again with a co-lead
role in Melissa and Joey alongside fellow '90s heartthrob Joey Lawrence. Hart has also been
busy in the holiday movie game as the lead in The Santa Con, Broadcasting Christmas, A Very Merry
Toy Store, A Very Nutty Christmas, Christmas Reservation, and Dear Christmas. So for now,
you can get your holiday cheer on with Melissa Joan Hart while you hold your breath for that
rumored Clarissa Explains It All reboot. And speaking of classic Nickelodeon...
“Welcome to GoodBurger home of the GoodBurger can I take your order?”
In the ‘90s, you couldn't imagine a better sketch duo than Kenan and Kel.
We all know Kenan Thompson went on to make us laugh every week on SNL,
but if you're wondering what happened to the other half of the duo, you're not alone.
Kel Mitchell has actually had a fascinating career since his time on Good Burger. He's now
a voice actor, with his most famous role being "T-Bone" on Clifford the Big Red Dog. In 2019,
Mitchell also appeared on Dancing with the Stars, and ended in second place. Another surprising
career turn came later in the year, when he announced he'd become a licensed youth pastor.
The father of three rediscovered his faith after a struggle with drugs and alcohol. He told People,
"I was trying to figure it all out on my own. But what I needed to do was
turn to Him. Once I found that clarity with Christ, I knew everything would work out."
Lark Voorhies came into our lives as the extraordinary Lisa Turtle on Saved by the Bell.
Afterwards, Voorhies made appearances on shows like The Bold and the Beautiful,
In the House, and The Parkers. Unfortunately, she also became part of a National Enquirer scandal
when the publication claimed that Voorhies was hospitalized due to a cocaine addiction.
Lark filed a lawsuit suggesting that she lost work because of their false claims.
She remained out of the limelight even after the case concluded.
“And now, for all the dirt the National Enquirer hasn’t found out yet,
here’s Lisa our galloping gossip.”
Voorhies publicly said she'd like to be involved with the Saved By The Bell
reboot — and those pleas have paid off, as she popped up on an episode
of the show. We wish her the same amount of happiness she brought all of us in the '90s.
Shane West burst into the TV scene on the ABC family drama Once and Again,
later leaving the small screen to take roles in the films Whatever It Takes and
Get Over It and falling in love with Mandy Moore in A Walk to Remember.
He became an undeniable heartthrob — and then he was gone -- but not really.
West actually went back to his roots, working regularly on television, although the roles were
a little different than his fans were used to. After years of teen romance,
West decided to leave that world behind and take on grittier parts, including roles on ER,
Salem, Gotham, and Nikita. West has also continued to work regularly on the film side of things,
with a list of credits that includes the thriller Escape the Field.
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