Famous Actors of the 1990s - How They Changed and What Are They Up To
The 90s was an influential decade in the movie industry, filled with numerous unforgettable acting debuts. Some of our all-time favorite actors are still delivering magnificent performances, and some of them have a hiatus in their careers. Let's find out how they have changed over the past few decades.
Julia Roberts
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Julia Roberts was probably the most famous actress in the 90s. As a matter of fact, she was the highest-paid actress and an icon of that time. Even though she has changed her signature curly hair and her career is not that adventurous anymore, Roberts is still acting and owns a production company called "Red Om".
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John Travolta
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John Travolta's immense success was the result of his role in "Pulp Fiction". Because of this movie, he received an Academy Award nomination and numerous offers to play in various films. After his wife passed away in 2020, Travolta decided to step away from his career for some time and focus on spending time with his children.
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Gwyneth Paltrow
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Gwyneth Paltrow reached the peak of her success in the second half of the 90s. She received an Academy Award for Best Actress for the movie 'Shakespeare in Love' in 1999. Now she's not acting that actively and is focused on "Goop". "Goop" is her beauty & wellness company.
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Bruce Willis
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The whole decade of the 90s was a rollercoaster for Bruce Willis's career. But we have to admit that movies such as 'Pulp fiction', 'The fifth element' and 'Armageddon' made him the star of the decade. Unfortunately, Willis has recently been diagnosed with aphasia.
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Tom Hanks
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Tom Hanks was a mega 90s star. He starred in many successful movies, but "Forrest Gump" deserves a special mention. Hanks is still acting and is far from ending his career anytime soon.
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Meryl Streep
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Meryl Streep is not only one of the greatest actresses of the 90s, but she is the GOAT. Ever since the beginning of her acting career, she's been developing as a professional and has never disappointed the audience.
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Sharon Stone
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Sharon Stone had a breakthrough in her career at the beginning of the 90s. She owned that decade and was brave enough to play roles that most actors were afraid of. She is still acting here and there, but Stone's career is not that eventful anymore.
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Johnny Depp
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By 1990 Johnny Depp was already a successful young actor. He played more serious roles during the 90s and established himself as an honorable actor. Amber Heard's false accusations caused numerous setbacks in his career. Unfortunately, he is not that active anymore.
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Demi Moore
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Demi Moore's unbelievable success started in 1990 with the film 'Ghost'. Soon due to rumors that claimed her to be "too demanding", her success faded away. Nowadays, she is playing Diana in the Amazon series 'Dirty Diana'.
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Jennifer Aniston
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Aniston's success is connected to 'Friends'. She kept playing even after becoming extremely well-known. Aniston is considered one of those actresses who does not age and looks almost the same.
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Winona Ryder
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Like Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder was somewhat famous at the beginning of the 90s. She played numerous memorable roles during that decade, but Ryder's career flopped because of her arrest in 2001. Now she's back on her feet and doing pretty well.
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Charlize Theron
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Charlize Theron was struggling with landing roles at the beginning of the 90s. But her career took a turn and she became one of the icons of that decade pretty quickly. Theron still is a crucial part of the movie industry. She not only plays but also produces.
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Helena Bonham Carter
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Helena Bonham Carter is one of those actresses who never loses relevance and always delivers high-class performances. Nowadays, she is playing so many diverse roles. Carter is still super successful and loved by her audience.
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Tom Cruise
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Tom Cruise started acting in the 80s, but his career leapt in the 90s. He played in numerous successful movies and started producing. Tom is still acting and producing. He is a critical part of Hollywood.
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Hugh Grant
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Hugh Grant was the charming man of romantic comedies for most of his career, especially during the 90s. Now he is a part of different projects, but his success is nothing compared to the past decades.
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Jared Leto
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Jared Leto tried acting for the first time in the 90s. Even though mostly he played in movies that received poor reviews, he also had several memorable roles. Leto achieved unbelievable success in the music industry too. Nowadays, he is still acting and is super successful.
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Leonardo DiCaprio
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Even though the 90s star Leonardo had quite a successful acting career before 'Titanic', this film had a huge effect on his success. The fact that he is an outstanding professional has been proven by numerous awards. DiCaprio keeps delivering amazing performances.
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Uma Thurman
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'Pulp Fiction' is the movie that still defines Uma Thurman as an actress. She not only became one of Tarantino's favorite actresses but also an icon of the decade. Her Broadway debut in 2017 was super successful too. However, lately, she has not participated in any major projects.
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Drew Barrymore
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Drew Barrymore was the actress who was dressing/acting against the rules, and it became her niche in the 90s. She has paused her acting career and has a talk show called "The Drew Barrymore show".
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Brad Pitt
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In the 90s Brad Pitt proved that he was more than just a handsome actor. His acting received a lot of praise over the years. And till this day Pitt is one of those actors who has millions of fans and is loved by many directors.
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Kate Winslet
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'Titanic' was a breakthrough in Winslet's career as well. The 90s is the decade when her super successful acting career started. Since then, she has played so many unforgettable roles. It feels like she has been THE ACTRESS of each decade since the start of her career.
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Keanu Reeves
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'The Matrix' had a huge influence on Keanu Reeves' success throughout his career. He is still acting and even started producing. But most importantly, he has become a real treasure of Hollywood.
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Sandra Bullock
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The breakthrough in Bullock's career was the movie 'Speed' where she played alongside Keanu Reeves. Her performances never disappoint Bullock's fans. And rightfully, she is considered one of the greatest actresses of the modern era.
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Eddie Murphy
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Eddie Murphy's movies were not achieving commercial success at the beginning of the 90s. But in the second half of the decade the tables turned, and he starred in many profitable movies. Murphy has tried producing as well, but his acting career is not that active anymore.
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Michelle Pfeiffer
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By 1990 Pfeiffer was already an extremely successful actress. She was even able to try producing. Michelle had a pause from acting at the beginning of the 2000s. But now she is back to the game, and hopefully, we will see her in many new productions.
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Angelina Jolie
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Jolie's debut on the screen, her first Golden Globe Award, and breakthrough in her career, all happened in the 90s. Nowadays, she is pursuing both - acting and producing careers.
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Meg Ryan
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Meg Ryan's success started in 1989 with "When Harry Met Sally…" and it expanded over the 90s. Ryan started directing in 2010. Her many projects didn't see the light of day, but eventually, Ryan had her directing debut in 2015.
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Sylvester Stallone
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Due to the success of "Rocky", Sylvester Stallone was an established actor by 1990. The 90s was the last decade of his premium success. Recently he has voiced several projects but has not been acting on the screen.
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Nicole Kidman
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Kidman achieved worldwide success in the 90s with movies "Batman Forever" and "To Die For". She is still playing various diverse roles and has been an icon of the movie industry for a couple of decades now.
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Robert De Niro
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At the beginning of the 90s, Robert De Niro was considered one of the all-time greatest actors. During that decade he had a directorial debut ("A Bronx Tale"). Also played in comedies, crime comedies, and continued working with Scorsese. De Niro is still very much an active member of the industry. He will play in David O. Russell's movie "Canterbury Glass" alongside Christian Bale and Margot Robbie.
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Continue reading, here are 30 Must-Watch Movies of the 1990s