- 6 days ago
Think you remember all the awesome stars of the '90s? Think again! Join us as we count down our picks for the totally rad celebrities who helped define the decade - but don't always get the recognition they deserve. Which of these celebs was your absolute 90s favorite? Let us know!
Transcript
00:08Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the totally rad
00:12celebrities who helped define the 90s, but aren't always remembered as fondly as some of their
00:16contemporaries. We'll be leaving musical artists off this list, however, as they deserve a countdown
00:20of their own. You guys were the greatest. I mean, I'm never gonna forget the way we sat around all
00:26day, watched TV, and got really stoned. Number 20, Natasha Lyonne. Long before Russian Doll and
00:34Poker Face, Natasha Lyonne was one of the most memorable young actors of the 90s. She'd been
00:39acting since childhood, but the decades saw her bounce effortlessly between big studio movies
00:43and offbeat indie gems. She appeared in American Pie, but also earned attention in films like Slums
00:48at Beverly Hills and But I'm a Cheerleader, showing a knack for playing characters who were funny,
00:52awkward, and completely her own. Lyonne had a distinctive presence even then. You could put
01:07her in almost any scene, and she'd find a way to steal it. Number 19, Brian Austin Green.
01:12I think of you and only you, then I must confess. Without question, Brian Austin Green was one of
01:21the most recognizable faces on 90s television. As David Silver on Beverly Hills 90210, he started
01:26out as the awkward kid desperate to fit in, before growing into a confident DJ and full-fledged member
01:31of the West Beverly crowd. Well, believe it or not, one day they'll be begging me for autographs,
01:36and you can say you're the stepsister of a superstar. Green brought plenty of charm to the role,
01:40but David also got surprisingly serious storylines, as the show tackled everything from relationships
01:45to substance abuse. He stayed with 90210 for all 10 seasons, making him one of the few cast members
01:50to see the series through from its early days to its finale. For a generation of viewers, though,
01:55Brian Austin Green will always be David Silver, the ultimate 90s teen TV fixture.
02:00Except you, as my partner, and as my best friend.
02:06Number 18, Mara Wilson. She was tiny, but her impact was enormous. You see, Mara Wilson became
02:12one of the defining child stars of the decade, after making her film debut as Natalie in Mrs. Doubtfire.
02:17You can't go now.
02:19When you have to.
02:21We're in the middle of Charlotte's Web.
02:24Who's gonna finish it?
02:26She followed that with Miracle on 34th Street, before landing the role that cemented her 90s legacy,
02:31the title character in Matilda. As the brilliant telekinetic bookworm taking on the terrifying
02:35Miss Trunchbull, Wilson gave kids everywhere a hero who was smarter, kinder, and braver than the
02:41adults around her.
02:42Watch this.
02:50But after some other work, Wilson stepped away from the screen, making her 90s run feel like
02:55a wonderfully preserved time capsule.
02:57Number 17, Joey Lawrence.
02:58Whoa.
03:00As Joey Russo on Blossom, Joey Lawrence became known for his lovable, dim-witted charm,
03:04and unmistakable hair.
03:06Whoa, this is amazing.
03:08He wants to know what I think.
03:10Please, he probably wants to know if you think.
03:13The role made him a fixture of teen magazines, and he capitalized on that popularity with a music
03:17career, releasing his self-titled debut album in 1993.
03:21After Blossom ended, Lawrence starred alongside his real-life brothers, Matthew and Andrew,
03:25in Brotherly Love.
03:27What are you talking about? I can do hip.
03:28Joe, I've seen your David Hasselhoff albums.
03:34Hey, he's number one in Germany right now!
03:37He would eventually find renewed success in the 2000s, but there's no denying it.
03:41Few people embody the swagger of 90s teen television, quite like Joey Lawrence.
03:46Nobody does stuff for fat chicks, and since there's a lot of them, I figure it's like this big, fat,
03:51untapped market.
03:52Still saying, whoa, over all this 90s nostalgia?
03:55Keep the good times going and watch Mojo's 24-7 livestream.
03:58Scan the QR code on screen, and join us live for even more pop culture celebrations.
04:03Blossom?
04:04What a floral name.
04:0716. Cindy Crawford
04:09Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford. Welcome to House of Style, coming to you this time from Paris.
04:14Before Instagram models and influencer culture, there were supermodels, and Cindy Crawford was royalty.
04:20Crawford had already become a major fashion figure in the 80s, but the 90s turned her into something even bigger,
04:25a full-fledged pop culture icon.
04:27She hosted MTV's House of Style, and became instantly recognizable through campaigns like Pepsi's famous 1992 Super Bowl commercial.
04:34How could it be?
04:39It's too late.
04:41Oh, and she was also a fixture on numerous magazine covers and runways, helping to find what celebrity fashion looked
04:46like during the decade.
04:48Crawford didn't need to sing or act to dominate 90s culture.
04:51She simply walked into a room.
04:53Number 15. Andrew Keegan
04:54Andrew Keegan's impressive 90s teen resume included Camp Nowhere, and television roles on the likes of Seven Heaven and Party
05:01of Five.
05:01But his real pop culture immortality arrived in 1999, with 10 Things I Hate About You, where he played the
05:06effortlessly smug Joey Donner.
05:09I think I like the white shirt better.
05:12Yeah, it's more...
05:14Depensive?
05:16Damn, I'm just going for thoughtful.
05:18The movie became a teen classic, and Keegan's obnoxious model-turned-actor character was basically engineered to be hated, which
05:25he pulled off beautifully.
05:27Andrew Keegan may not have become a permanent Hollywood fixture, but for a few years there, he was practically the
05:31patron saint of 90s teen movie arrogance.
05:34I assume everyone has found time to complete their poem, except for Mr. Donner, who has an excuse.
05:42Number 14. Charisma Carpenter
05:44Charisma Carpenter may not get mentioned as often as her Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-stars, but she absolutely deserves
05:49to be.
05:50If you want to fit in here, the first rule is, know your losers.
05:54Once you can identify them all by sight, they're a lot easier to avoid.
05:58Joining the series when it premiered in 1997, Carpenter played Cordelia Chase, the wealthy, fashion-conscious, and brutally honest Queen
06:06Bee,
06:06who initially seemed like the quintessential popular girl stereotype.
06:09But Carpenter gave Cordelia far more dimension, turning her into one of the show's funniest and most surprisingly layered characters.
06:16We have to find Buffy. She'll figure out a way to save us.
06:19She was supposed to be here, and as much as it kills me to admit it, things were better when
06:24she was around.
06:25She eventually carried the role into Angel, taking Cordelia far beyond her beginnings as Buffy's snarky classmate.
06:30Yep, Carpenter was a major part of what made Buffy such a 90s phenomenon.
06:36Number 13. Skeet Ulrich
06:39For one glorious stretch in the late 90s, Skeet Ulrich was everywhere.
06:43In 1996 alone, he appeared in The Craft and Scream, playing two very different flavors of Troubled Teen.
06:49In the one in the middle, she's got these burn scars all over her body.
06:54I haven't seen them, but friends of mine have.
06:57Anyway, they're...
06:58Nah, they're not.
07:00What?
07:01What?
07:03They're witches.
07:04As Chris Hooker in The Craft, he was part of the dangerous high school world surrounding the witches.
07:09As Billy Loomis in Scream, he became one of the most memorable faces in the slasher revival.
07:14Ulrich had the brooding looks, intense stare, and unmistakable late 90s leading man energy down cold.
07:20Well, two years ago, we started off hot and heavy.
07:24Nice solid R rating on our way to an NC-17.
07:29And how...
07:30things have changed and...
07:32While Scream ultimately became an ensemble classic,
07:35Ulrich's Billy remains one of the decade's most recognizable horror villains.
07:39Proving that sometimes, the nice guy in the flannel is exactly who you should be suspicious of.
07:43Is that motive enough for you?
07:45Number 12.
07:46Jonathan Brandis.
07:47When it comes to a 90s teen heartthrob template,
07:50Jonathan Brandis checked all the boxes.
07:52Now listen.
07:54You guys don't have to do this.
07:56My dad says you have to know when to take a stand.
07:58He broke out with roles in The NeverEnding Story 2 and Stephen King's It,
08:02but it was as Lucas Wollensack on Sequest DSV that he became a full-blown teen idol.
08:07What do you want me to do with that?
08:08Open it.
08:11Captain, this is a level one UEO sealed file.
08:15Opening it would be illegal.
08:16Why do you think I came to you?
08:18With his movie star looks, charm, and genuine acting ability,
08:21Brandis was suddenly plastered across magazine covers
08:24and attracting a massive young fan base.
08:26But he wasn't just a pretty face.
08:28I wish to go home and tell my dad that I love him.
08:37He held his own in some pretty demanding roles.
08:39Sadly, Brandis died in 2003 at just 27.
08:42His career may have been brief, but for 90s kids who remember him,
08:45Jonathan Brandis was unforgettable.
08:53Number 11, Chyna.
08:55She didn't just break the mold.
08:57She clotheslined her way straight through it.
09:06Chyna arrived in the World Wrestling Federation in 1997,
09:09standing out in the male-dominated wrestling landscape.
09:12She wasn't simply there to accompany the men, though.
09:14She would become a legitimate competitor,
09:16helping redefine what a woman could do in the ring.
09:28In fact, she later became the first woman to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
09:33She also became a mainstream curiosity during wrestling's late 90s boom.
09:37Chyna was muscular, fearless,
09:39and completely unlike the traditional image of a female wrestling personality,
09:43which is exactly why she was unforgettable.
09:45Number 10, Kevin Conroy
09:47For an entire generation, Batman sounded like Kevin Conroy.
09:51As the voice of Bruce Wayne and his brooding alter-ego on Batman the Animated Series,
09:55Conroy brought a level of depth and humanity to the Dark Knight that helped make the show a 90's classic.
10:01Who is it?
10:03Bruce Wayne. I have an appointment. I called about a bat problem.
10:07What do you think we are, pest control?
10:09His genius was in the distinction. Bruce Wayne sounded warm and approachable,
10:13while Batman became deeper, darker, and more commanding.
10:16And Conroy didn't stop there. He continued voicing Batman across animated series, films, and video games,
10:22including the acclaimed Batman Arkham series.
10:24For fans, his performance became so definitive that hearing Batman without Conroy can feel strange even today.
10:31Magnificent.
10:32I suggest you save the flattery for the judge.
10:36Number 9, Devon Sawa
10:38Remember when Devon Sawa was basically the king of 90's kids?
10:41Sawa made his mark as a child actor in films like Casper,
10:44where he briefly appeared as the human version of the friendly ghost.
10:54He then moved into darker territory, with movies including the cult classic Idle Hands.
10:59That range made him more than just another child star.
11:02Sawa could do wholesome family adventures, teen comedy, and grimy counterculture weirdness.
11:07You guys were the greatest. I mean, I'm never gonna forget the way we sat around all day, watched TV,
11:14and got really stoned.
11:15And while Final Destination arrived in 2000, it helped carry that late 90's Sawa energy into the next decade.
11:21And for kids who grew up during that era, his face was everywhere.
11:24No, clear. Stay there. Okay? Stay away.
11:28Number 8, David Charvet
11:29With Baywatch having no shortage of 90's eye candy, David Charvet doesn't always get the flowers he deserves.
11:41As lifeguard Matt Brody, he spent three seasons running around Malibu in that famous red swimsuit,
11:46and became one of the show's biggest young stars.
11:49Matt, what are you doing?
11:52I'm complicating things.
11:54He then jumped to Melrose Place, playing Craig Field for two seasons.
11:57But then Charvet took his career in a very unexpected direction.
12:00He returned to his native France, and launched a pop career, releasing three albums between 1997 and 2004.
12:07He eventually returned to acting, but for 90's kids, he'll always be fondly remembered for his presence on their TV
12:12screens.
12:13When is it my turn to drive?
12:15If and when you make it out of rookie school.
12:18Come on, I've been racing muscle boats since I was 12.
12:21Number 7, AJ Langer
12:22I'm lucky. My dad's had like eight different girlfriends since he left, so I'm used to it.
12:29AJ Langer was never afraid to make Ryan Graff weird, wild, and wonderfully unpredictable.
12:34As one of the breakout stars of My So-Called Life, Langer helped make the short-lived series feel refreshingly
12:39authentic to teenage life in the 90's.
12:41Oh no, it's cool. I have as much as you want.
12:46I'm drunk.
12:46She continued acting throughout the decade, appearing in projects like Escape from LA and The People vs. Larry Flint, but
12:52eventually stepped away from the spotlight.
12:54And the reason is pretty incredible.
12:56Langer married Charles Courtney, whose father was the 18th Earl of Devon, making her the Countess of Devon when he
13:01inherited the title.
13:02We just caught eyes, and smiled, and it was so cliche. But cliches happen, as I've learned.
13:09She subsequently moved with her family to Powderham Castle in England, where they live today.
13:13So what, is your house a castle too? And he's like, uh, sorta.
13:18Number 6, Ryder Strong
13:20If you had a best friend in the 90's, there was a pretty good chance you wanted one like Sean
13:24Hunter.
13:25Hey Bagman, rough life being an only child, huh?
13:28Yep, Ryder Strong spent seven seasons on Boy Meets World, playing Corey Matthews' best friend from adolescence into young adulthood.
13:35Sean could be funny, rebellious, and effortlessly cool.
13:38But the character was also given some of the show's most serious material.
13:41You guys have been together since before I even knew you. And if you're not, then I guess I feel
13:49like there's nothing I can depend on.
13:51Strong gave those moments real weight, without losing Sean's charm.
13:54Boy Meets World ran from 1993 to 2000, growing alongside its audience, and becoming one of ABC's defining Friday Night
14:01sitcoms.
14:01Ryder will always be the guy who made Corey Matthews' troubled, but loyal best friend look incredibly cool.
14:07Thoughtful, pouty, sexy lips? What sense does that make?
14:09I understand exactly. She means this.
14:12Number five, Brittany Murphy.
14:15Hang with us.
14:16Oh, thank you.
14:18How do you like California?
14:19Man, I'm freaking.
14:21I could really use some sort of an herbal refreshment.
14:25The late Brittany Murphy exploded onto the 90's pop culture scene as Ty in Clueless, giving the movie one of
14:30its most memorable transformations as Cher's sweet, awkward new friend.
14:34Now squeeze your buttocks when you come up.
14:37Squeeze?
14:37Yeah, I don't want to do this anymore.
14:40And my buns, they don't feel nothing like steel.
14:43But Murphy quickly proved there was way more to her than teenage comedy.
14:47She appeared in Drop Dead Gorgeous, Freeway, and Girl Interrupted, demonstrating a dramatic and comedic range that made her one
14:53of the decade's most exciting young performers.
14:55Her voice was also instantly recognizable, and her distinctive energy made even supporting roles pop.
15:00Uncle Hank, we're too late!
15:02And while Murphy's career would continue to blossom in the 2000's, that only makes her 90's work more striking in
15:08retrospect.
15:09Number four, Jaleel White.
15:10Did I do that?
15:13Jaleel White absolutely did.
15:15What began as a one-off appearance on Family Matters became one of the most recognizable characters in television history.
15:21Period.
15:21The suspenders, the glasses, the voice, the catchphrases.
15:25Urkel was impossible to miss, and White committed to every ridiculous bit of it.
15:30Now point your fingers up to the sky and talk through your nose way up high.
15:34Spin and dip and jump and cavort and finish it off with a laugh and snort.
15:38Hehehehe!
15:39Hehehehe!
15:40Hehehehe!
15:41Hehehehe!
15:41Oh!
15:42Urkel even escaped the TV screen through merchandise and cereal.
15:46And while White did other work during the decade, you really only need one image to understand his 90's legacy.
15:51Jaleel White didn't just appear on 90's TV, he helped define it.
15:55Number three, Sinbad.
15:57Remember Sinbad?
15:58More importantly, remember just how big Sinbad was?
16:00The comedian was a fixture of 90's television, bringing his clean, conversational stand-up style into millions of living rooms.
16:06And I hate standing behind people at McDonald's.
16:10People act like they ain't never been at McDonald's.
16:12Got the same menu!
16:14Then there were the movies like House Guest, Jingle All The Way, and even Good Burger.
16:18Oh no!
16:20Oh!
16:21Oh!
16:21Oh McGrill!
16:22Oh, Black Beauty!
16:23Oh!
16:24Oh!
16:25Oh!
16:26See, when I left school today, I didn't think I was gonna run into you this summer.
16:29Or I didn't think you was gonna run into me!
16:31I mean, just run into me like this!
16:33You in trouble with me, young man.
16:34The guy could go from an HBO comedy special, to a family movie, to a sitcom without missing a beat.
16:39That was the secret sauce of 90's comedy.
16:41Performers weren't confined to one lane.
16:44Sinbad was a comedian, actor, host, and recognizable TV personality all at once.
16:49Racism!
16:49That's what Jesse Jackson was talking about!
16:51For a stretch of that decade, if you turn on the television, there was a very good chance Sinbad was
16:55already on it.
16:56Number two, Arsenio Hall.
16:58For a few glorious years, Late Night belonged to Arsenio.
17:01Yep, the Arsenio Hall show turned the traditional talk show on its head.
17:05Bringing a younger, more diverse, and decidedly cooler energy to the format.
17:09I understand where you're coming from.
17:10Yeah, but you know what the judge say.
17:12Mama said, lock you up.
17:15Now wrap that!
17:16The audience didn't politely applaud.
17:18They howled, barked, and threw up that now iconic fist pump.
17:21And Hall knew exactly how to meet their energy.
17:23His couch welcomed everyone from Eddie Murphy and music legends to athletes and political figures.
17:28While his 1992 interview with then presidential candidate Bill Clinton, complete with Clinton playing saxophone, became one of the defining
17:34TV moments of the campaign.
17:36The show ended in 1994, but his influence on 90's pop culture is hard to overstate.
17:41Incredible musicians, I mean...
17:43Oh, Nat Adley Jr., Marcus Miller's back there.
17:45I mean, it's, it's, all that stuff you see when you read the back of the album, they all here.
17:49They're right there.
17:50They all.
17:51Before we continue, be sure to check out WatchMojo's 24-hour livestream.
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17:58Always on, always live.
18:00Are you not entertained?
18:03Number one, Chris Kattan.
18:05Sorry, I'm late.
18:06Wow!
18:06Maybe McDonald's is there.
18:08You can sit out.
18:11What?
18:12Maybe McDonald's is there too, right?
18:14You can sit out.
18:15He was weird, he was fearless, and he was very 90's, and we all loved it so much.
18:20Chris Kattan joined Saturday Night Live in 1996, and almost immediately started creating characters that were impossible to forget.
18:26Mr. Peepers, Mango, the Roxbury guys with Will Ferrell.
18:33Kattan threw his entire body into every joke, whether that meant an absurd voice, a ridiculous dance, or simply making
18:39himself look completely unhinged.
18:41Kattan may not be remembered today with the same frequency as some of his fellow 90's SNL alumni, but that's
18:46exactly what makes him such a perfect pick for the top spot on our list.
18:59Which other 90 stars do you think deserve more love today?
19:02Let us know in the comments down below.
19:03We will see you next time!
19:03Let us know in the comments below!
19:04See you!
19:04He pasted someнов sono sono, and then wait to watch my paliates as well.