10 actors from the 90s that world has forgotten now

The 1990s lived up to the infectious movie magic and cult classic television as both TV shows and movies were loaded with emerging stars who felt larger than life. Although certain actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Winona Ryder or Christian Slater (who impressively would reemerge at a later stage), have become the 90s staples, there were dozens of great actors who previously enjoyed their moment in the spotlight and have since been long forgotten by the industry and audiences alike. Some of them decided to go into semi-retirement, others changed careers or had personal problems. Here is a list of 10 such actors from the 90s that the world no longer seems to remember.

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Lara Flynn Boyle

Lara Flynn Boyle was probably one of the most fascinating and iconic faces of the 1990s, but in recent times, people tend to have forgotten about her contribution. Dark beauty, mischievous charm, and gritty intrigue are only some of the reasons she became a recognizable figure at such a young age playing Donna Hayward in Twin Peaks. Then she switched back and forth between edgy indie roles and much more mainstream parts that allowed her to demonstrate her talent.

She appeared on television as ADA Helen Gamble in The Practice (1997-2003), which earned her an Emmy nomination. Her other notable appearances include in films such as The Temp, Red Rock West, Wayne’s World, and Men in Black II. However, even though her on screen presence has been limited since 2020’s Death in Texas, and 2023’s Mother, Couch, Lara insists that she never left Hollywood. She stands as a stoic voice in today's ageist, overly opinionated industry.

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Richard Grieco

Richard Grieco rose to stardom in the late 80s and early 90s, starting with modeling in advertising campaigns by Calvin Klein, Armani, and Chanel, before he became a household name in the role of Detective Dennis Booker on 21 Jump Street (1988-1991) and its spin-off Booker (1989-1990). He quickly moved to cinema with the cult film, If Looks Could Kill (1991) in which he starred as Michael Corben, and went on to portray Bugsy Siegel in the crime film, Mobsters (1991). Cameos in A Night at the Roxbury (1998) and a self-portrait in an episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-present) were some of the nostalgic reminders of his glory.

To put it in a modern way: Grieco has deliberately taken a break from the limelight so that he can redefine himself as a multi-disciplinary artist. Nowadays, he is equally praised for his acrylic and mixed-media paintings (what he calls: Abstract Emotionalism). He is also creative in the field of music. The evolution of Richard Grieco is a rare and continuing process, from one day being a heart throb of the 90s, to the next being a creator, musician, painter, and actor that deftly creates his own niche.

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Moira Kelly

Moira Kelly is a multi-faceted American actress whose deep, melodious voice and subtle screen attitude rendered her as a memorable name in both the big and small screen throughout the 90s and thereafter. She was born in Queens, New York in 1968 to Irish-immigrant parents, and she made her mark in The Cutting Edge (1992) as the stubborn, young figurative skater Kate Moseley. In the same year, she had the courage to play a double role in Chaplin (1992), as Hetty Kelly and Oona O'Neill opposite Robert Downey Jr.

Kelly contributed her sweet loving voice to adult Nala in Disney's The Lion King in the year 1994. She made further impact in With Honors, Little Odessa, and The Tie That Binds, demonstrating her capacity as an actress to address on-the-edge characters with emotional depth. Her artistry and altruism are an unusual, but motivational mix, one that she has left behind, inspiring people not just on the screen but also off the stage.

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Devon Sawa

Devon Sawa was the teen idol of the 90s: He entered with a big bang by playing the human Casper in Casper (1995), serving up a short but unforgettable dancing sequence with Christina Ricci that helped catapult him into the superstar echelon. He then came through with iconic works in Now and Then and Little Giants and made his mark in the youth-oriented pop culture. By the late 90s, Sawa was appearing as the slacker Anton in Idle Hands (1999), and subsequently starring in the original horror juggernaut Final Destination (2000) as Alex Browning, a role that earned him a Saturn Award and cemented his status as a cult prophet.

The career of the actor Devon Sawa is a typical example of how capricious fame can be. Between Casper and Idle hands, Final Destination, Stan, Nikita and Chucky, his career has been a twisty cocktail of teen iconography, genre savvy and indie credibility. Where, in earlier years, the world had once seen him as a shining star of family films, teen dramas, dark comedy, and horror, by the early 2000s he had drawn out of the international spotlight in large measure.

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Sarah Polley

Sarah Polley may now be enjoying a high profile career as an award-winning filmmaker, but back in the 90s she was an unassuming screen talent whose perfervid brilliance went largely unnoticed by the mass market. Polley made an acting career in her early days out of soulful, subtle roles, and was the stealthy highlight of films like The Sweet Hereafter (1997), where her ethereal portrayal as a grief-stricken teenager was critically acclaimed, and the high-energy cult sensation film, Go (1999), in which her rebellious side was on full show.

She also added depth to her role in Exotica (1994) and was solid throughout the TV version of Avonlea most of the decade. Polley slowly left her acting career behind in the 2000s in order to work as a director, with most casual movie-goers unaware that she was at one point one of the most appealing faces of the indie movies of the 90s.

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Tia Carrere

Tia Carrere exploded onto the screens in the early to mid 90s as one of the most vivid and arresting figures of Hollywood: sometimes a singer, sometimes an action-heroine, but above all charismatic. Having made her splash as Cassandra Wong in Wayne’s World (1992) and working through high budget thrillers and an internationalised television series, she was the “cool Asian‑American leading lady” long before that was even a thing.

However, in the long run, the fever of high profile movies petered out from her career. Although she had filmed almost 3 movies per year since '92 to '99, including True Lies, Rising Sun, Scar City, Carrere lost her fame from the mainstream spotlight upon the arrival of a new millennium. She might not lead films carrying the blockbuster status any more, but her imprint is certainly felt: as a purveyor of the coolness of the professional pop-culture of the 1990s.

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Sinbad

Born David Adkins, Sinbad came into the limelight in the late 1980s and early 1990s with guest appearances including that of Coach Walter Oakes on A Different World before delivering his breakout HBO specials: Sinbad: Brain Damaged (1990). His most memorable roles in feature films were seen in Necessary Roughness (1991), Coneheads (1993), Houseguest (1995), Jingle All the Way (1996), First Kid (1996), Good Burger (1997) and even voice-over in Homeward Bound II (1996). After 2000, he started doing more voice work in animated series and did some stand up too, but eventually disappeared from the mainstream spotlight.

In the year 2020, he had a severe ischemic stroke. Almost five years later, in June 2025, Sinbad returned to the screen in a heartbreaking role in a Tyler Perry’s thriller available on Netflix, titled Straw, playing Benny. His revival has been a testament to his indomitable spirit. Even though his star power languishes in comparison to what it once was in the 90s, Sinbad remains a beloved entertainer reminding everyone that, ultimately a name fades, but talent and sincerity lasts forever.

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Andrew Keegan

Andrew Keegan was once a recognizable character in teen movies and television shows in the 1990s, where he established his own niche as the young stud with a bit of an edge that all other young actors attempted to compete with. Whether with his early performances in his Camp Nowhere, or through frequent appearances on 7th Heaven and Party of Five, Keegan exuded the personality of the time, an ever so boyishly cute kid but with a bit of a rebel streak.

He has made a short but prominent appearance as Joey Donner in 10 Things I Hate About You. His name slowly fell off of pop-culture radar even though he maintained constant work throughout the 2000s and is even seen in early movies like The Broken Hearts Club and O. He is a talented actor till date but only occasionally does he appear in both indie films and in TV guest roles, his luster of the 90s however, is gone.

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Jonathan Taylor Thomas

Jonathan Taylor Thomas was a certified teen phenomenon in his time in the 90s. Today, however, he is practically gone in terms of the cultural discourse. Also lovingly referred to as JTT, he starred on Home Improvement as Randy Taylor, the sharp-tongued middle child, in more than 175 episodes, and lent his voice to Young Simba in Disney's 1994 masterpiece, The Lion King. His acting in Man of the House, Tom and Huck, Wild America, and I'll Be Home for Christmas demonstrated a more mature performance as he transitioned from playing kid roles to coming-of-age characters.

But then when fame came, he resigned himself to pursue academics. He studied at Harvard and for a year at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and then graduated by the year 2010 from Columbia University. He has been staying fairly off-screen and out of view since his final screen appearance in Last Man Standing (2013-15), in which he also directed a few episodes.

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Bridget Fonda

Bridget Fonda was one of the most intriguing and dynamic leading ladies in the Hollywood of the 1990s. The granddaughter of Henry Fonda and niece of Jane Fonda, she made her own unique imprint, and brought depth and charm to an impressive series of movies she starred in. You may remember her as the mysterious roommate in Single White Female (1992), a Sundance-style romantic in Singles (1992), the deadly assassin in Point of No Return (1993), and as Melanie in Tarantino’s wickedly unpredictable chunk of gold Jackie Brown (1997).

Later on, she gave an ominous performance in A Simple Plan (1998) directed by Sam Raimi. She has also acted opposite Jet Li in Kiss of the Dragon (2001). Her filmography was diverse, intelligent and thrilling and it appeared that there were many more chapters in her story. Later on, in the beginning of the 2000s, she left her acting career when it was only just climbing to new heights. Her last film appearances were in the indie-spirited The Whole Shebang (2001) and a TV adaptation Snow Queen (2002).