30+ Childhood Girl Crushes, Then and Now

Written by: Abdullah
Last Update:
30 Childhood Girl Crushes

From ten-year-olds to our teenage years, childhood crushes are sure to brin a sense of nostalgia to anyone. We grow along with them and to see them grow also inspires us. This article reveals how our goddesses are now and the number of wrinkles you can count off their skin. See for yourself how they were then and are now!

Tiffani Thiessen

Tiffani would take part in multiple beauty pageants before landing her first big role as Kelly in Saved By The Bell and its many spinoffs. This gave her reputation a boost which led to her film debut in Son In Law.

(Left) Twitter // @FearlessWithHS | (Right) Twitter // @CristiMilla1

After the sequel to Saved By The Bell was announced, Tiffani would reprise her role as Kelly, guest-starring in three episodes. She has also been announced to be the host for MTVโ€™s spinoff comedy show RidiculousnessDeliciousness.

Keira Knightley

This legend has had many cult classic roles including playing the handmaiden of Padme inย Star Wars Episode 1.ย Her roles inย Pirates of the Caribbeanย andย Love Actuallyย have helped her to cement her role as a professional actor.

(Left) Twitter // @pandparchive | (Right) Twitter // @timetvrner

She is set to appear in two projects with one being a Christmas-based comedy and the other a book adaptation. Keira Knightley is a known philanthropist as she has hosted a live stream to help those dealing with the consequences of the pandemic.

Jennifer Connelly

Jennifer made way as a child model and had many commercial appearances before landing her big role inย Once Upon A Time In America. She also played Betty Ross, the love interest of Bruce Banner in earlier MCU movies.

(Left) Twitter // @Y2John84 | (Right) Twitter // @DailyGrindhouse

Conelly has been regarded as the face of a few fashion brands including Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton and has done a few adverts for Revlon. Right now, she is the wife of Paul Bettany and they have three children together.

Jennifer Grey

Her role inย Ferris Buellerโ€™s Day Offย is what launched her career into the spotlight. This led to her being able to show off more of her talents inย Dirty Dancing, for which she rightly earned a Golden Globe award.

(Left) Twitter // @landofthe80s | (Right) Twitter // @celebbdays1

She starred as Judy Meyers in Red Oaks and has also voiced characters in animated projects such as Phineas and Ferb and Duck Duck Goose. She had done a medical checkup for her neck problems but the culprit was cancer. Thankfully, it was treated before it became dangerous.

Britney Spears

The princess of pop needs no introduction as she was the one to influence a new generation of the โ€˜90s to 2000s kids with her music. She has made a few film appearances and her issues have put her under a peculiar spotlight.

(Left) Reddit // r/nostalgia | (Right) Twitter // @AhmadNorMaulana

Britney has come out and has spoken up about how her father and management abused her and is now in a legal battle over her conservatorship. This has led to many celebrities rising in support of the #FreeBritney movement.

Sarah Michelle Geller

This heartthrob of the 2000s won all of our hearts with her appearance as the titular character Buffy fromย Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Her appearances as Daphne in the live-actionย Scooby-Dooย movies made her even more of a fan favorite.

(Left) Reddit // u/annalblanchard | (Right) Twitter // @TheAVClub

She is now a proud married mother of two but has still found time to maintain her acting career. On the Netflix series, Masters Of The Universe, she voices Teela. She has an upcoming role in the comedy series, Hot Pink and has also released a cookbook.

Marley Shelton

This American actress starred as Wendy Peffercorn inย The Sandlot, which brought her into the limelight.ย Pleasantville,ย Sugar & Spice,ย Never Been Kissedย are the other teen films that make her career more remarkable.

(Left) Twitter // @hotsaucepodcast | (Right) Photo by Steve Granitz // FilmMagic // Getty Images

She is still working on the big screen and maintaining her appearance for her fans. Shelton is said to be working in the fifth sequel ofย Screamย and boy, are we screaming! On the more personal side, Shelton is finally married to Beau Flynn, a film producer whom she has been with for 22 years!

Drew Barrymore

Itโ€™s old news that this American sweetheart has gathered all the attention and love with her smile. Despite being a Hollywood royal family member, Drew Barrymore got her fame as a child actress inย E.T.

(Left) Twitter // @thearchival | (Right) Twitter // @CitizenScreen

She has been always in the spotlight since she was a little girl. Drew is a person who can literally do anything now that sheโ€™s being back in action after ages. Currently, with her new talk show, she is trying to bring inspiration, information, and entertainment to this generation.

Danica McKellar

Danica McKellar is an American actress, an education advocate, and a mathematics writer. She played the most adorable Winnie Cooper role inย The Wonder Yearsย from 1988 to 1993 and was and still is a crush of every teen and tween watching the show.

(Left) Twitter // @peterkidder | (Right) Twitter // @Kevin10919728

Mckellar is indeed a mathematician and inspires young girls with fun math books. This stunning lady has been the voice of Judy Jetson since 2017. She has published a paper and starred in the Netflix original seriesย Project Mc2.

Christine Lakin

This American actress is popularly known for the role Al on the seriesย Step by Step. Moreover, in Showtimeโ€™sย Reefer Madness, she performed as Joan of Arc. Speaking of history, guess who was the sidekick in Craig Kilbornโ€™s talk showย The Kilborn File.

(Left) Twitter // @officialracc | (Right) Twitter // @SpacewomanR

Christine Helen Lakin mentions that she is happy with her husband Bradon Breault and two kids. Other than acting and offering voice-overs in series such as sitcom Family Guy, she may be found doing blogs being a mom.

Michelle Trachtenberg

A teen favourite, Trachtenberg is known for her role inย EuroTripย andย Buffy the Vampire Slayerย among others. In a nutshell, she did some pretty good films and a score of commercials, a fun actress indeed.

(Left) Twitter // @BuffyAngelShow | (Right) Twitter // @InStyle

Not being able to go further as an actress, Miss Georgina Sparks decided to focus on writing. She was inspired to be a writer when she performed inย Harriet The Spy. After closing the Hollywood door, she is focusing on her new hobby and has quite a fan following.

Kirsten Dunst

In the early โ€˜80s, beauty queen Kirsten Caroline Dunst gained recognition for her role as Claudia the child Vampire, thus winning a Golden Globe nomination. This little victory led to successes such as hit moviesย Little Women, Jumanji, andย Spiderman.

(Left)Twitter // @MovieEndorser | (Right) Twitter // @badpostkirsten

Kirsten was supposed to appear in the Showtime series On Becoming a God in Central Florida although canceled due to the pandemic. The 39-year old diva has welcomed her second child to the world and is now hopeful about a small wedding.

Alyssa Milano

This American actress started her career at the age of seven. Over the years, Alyssa has been a heartthrob for many and a multitasker. Alyssa got her fame inย Whoโ€™s the Bossย by playing the Samantha Micelli character.

(Left) Twitter // @horrormuseum | (Right) Twitter // @meilleurescenes

Being a political activist for organizations such as UNICEF and PETA, she took part in the Me Too movement in 2017 to support suppressed women. She is now a happily married woman with two children. Although she tested positive for the virus that is causing the ongoing pandemic, she is healthy now.

Tami Stronach

An inspiring actress, Tami Stronach is half-Israeli and half-Scottish. It was when she was studying that she got the proposal as a child actress inย The Never Ending Story.

(Left) Twitter // @80sThen80sNow | (Right) Twitter // @AmirAlhaj_ph

Aside from working in films and dancing, she is an esteemed professor. Recently she has returned to her acting career. Stronach was involved in the Neta Dance Troop. Now, the 49-year-old professor is a proud mother of a 3-year-old.

Diane Franklin

Initially, she would appear in commercials for Coca-Cola and Trident before moving to the big screen. Her first major role was inย The Last American Virginย and she would later appear inย Amityville 2.

(Left) Twitter // @EugWSerra | (Right) Twitter // @Kevin10919728

Afterward, she would play roles in a few comedy films includingย Better Off Dead. She reprised her role in the 2018ย Amityvilleย drama playing the role of Louise Defeo. Franklin is married to Rey De Laurentis and they have two children, one daughter, and one son.

Christine Taylor

Taylorโ€™s most prominent roles include Marcia Brady inย The Brady Bunchย and its sequel but her first screen appearance was as a lifeguard on the Nickelodeons childrenโ€™s show,ย Hey Dude. In 2001, she would go on to star inย Zoolanderย along with her husband.

(Left) Twitter // @theseanmdonovan | (Right) Twitter // @ShutNow

She reprised her role on Arrested Development after its revival and has also guest-starred in the Cult Classic Disney series, Hannah Montana. She has a recurring role as Gail on Search Party and has so far appeared in 10 episodes.

Christina Applegate

Her chance to shine in the spotlight came after she played the role of Kelly Bundy onย Married With Children. People may also remember her guest-starring inย Friendsย as the sister of Rachel.

(Left) Twitter // @_daveyH | (Right) Twitter // @back21980s

This earned her a primetime Emmy award for her appearance. She had a role on the critically acclaimed Netflix show,ย Dead To Me, which she also produced. This earned her another Emmy along with a nomination for a Golden Globe. She has founded Right Action For Women, which assists women with breast cancer.

Gillian Anderson

We have known this charming one previously as a fox and now, well, a cougar. Back in 1993 after her time as a computer analyst, she was a star in every home that owned a TV due to her role as Dana Scully inย The X Files.

(Left) Twitter // @Lucygllm | (Right) Twitter // @RueMorgue

Itโ€™s delightful to see this woman still playing her role in movies and series with the same charisma. She is a fan favorite as Jean the therapist in the funny series Sex Education.

Elisabeth Shue

This star started her career inย The Karate Kidย as the love interest of Ralph Macchio. Before that, she made appearances in a few Burger King commercials. She also had a few roles inย Back To The Futureย but she had only been chosen to do smaller roles.

(Left) Twitter // @BetamaxPod | (Right) Twitter // @Kevin10919728

She is currently married to David Guggenheim and they have three kids together. One of her newest leading roles features her on the highly-rated superhero show,ย The Boys. She has also reprised her role inย The Karate Kidย spin-off series,ย Cobra Kai.

Kelly Lebrock

This beauty from the โ€˜80s started her career as a model at the age of 16 and her talents paved the way for a contract with Christian Dior. She later transitioned to film roles where she was cast as the perfect woman in many movies.

(Left) Twitter // @Kevin10919728 | (Right) Twitter // @TheEightiesRule

Kelly currently resides on a ranch in California and has given birth to three children. She is a loyal spokesperson of a club that aids children who have cancer. After the passing of her brother in 2008, she spent her time helping the sick.

Claire Danes

Claire Danes started showing off her talents when she turned six and became interested in acting by nine. She started as Angela Chase inย My Sweet lifeย and despite being canceled, it still managed to gain some ground as a cult classic.

(Left) Twitter // @cinespia | (Right) Twitter // @InStyle

Danes also played a CIA agent onย Homelandย which has grown to be her biggest role yet. She is currently one of the most influential people alive and sits proudly at the top with two Golden Globes and Emmys.

Kristy Swanson

Swanson has been known for many โ€˜90s movies, which have grown to gather a large cult following. She had roles in the comedicย Hot Shot!ย Starring alongside Charlie Sheen, Swanson is also known for playing Buffy in theย Buffy The Vampire Slayerย movie.

(Left) Twitter // @mark_ensign | (Right) Twitter // @JuanC_Rdgz

The 58-year-old now co-stars with her friend Dean Cain in the new 2021 project, Just Another Dream. She had a cameo in an episode of One Tree Hill. In 2009, she got married to Lloyd Eisler with whom she shares a child.

Melissa Joan Hart

Before she was a big star, Hart had been in multiple commercials. She starred inย Clarissa Explains It All, a Nickelodeon comedy that had a successful run. Hart also played the originalย Sabrina The Teenage Witchย in the movie and its series.

(Left) Twitter // @celebbdays1 | (Right) Twitter // @MirNajib1

She is currently most known for starring inย Melissa and Joeyย alongside Joey Lawrence and has transitioned to the role of director after the second season. She alongside her husband has their fashion line called, King Of Harts.

Soleil Moon Frye

Frye originally began her career as a child actor onย Punky Brewster. The show wasnโ€™t greeted very well but the character was a hit. She later joined theย Sabrina The Teenage Witchย cast as Sabrinaโ€™s close friend, Roxie.

(Left) Twitter // @hotsaucepodcast | (Right) Twitter // @killer1980s

Frye is the owner of a childrenโ€™s boutique, which is known to be environmentally friendly. She has released books focused on raising a child and the issues a woman may face. She is also the co-founder of P.S.XO, which sells party kits.

Lea Thompson

Back To The Futureย fans will recognize this actress as Lorraine Baines. She also had a role inย Howard The Duckย for which she also sang for the soundtracks but her first impactful role was inย Jaws-3D.

(Left) Twitter // @80sThen80sNow | (Right) Twitter // @celebbdays1

She later went on a break to play some roles on Broadway. In 2014, she was a contestant onย Dancing With The Stars. She was also cast in the seventh adaptation ofย Little Women. Thompson is still married to Howard Deutch with whom she had two daughters.

Alicia Silverstone

In 1995, the classic filmย Cluelessย introduced us to Alicia Silverstone. It seemed that she was everybodyโ€™s girl crush at that time, and from there, she moved on to so much more. From her success with this movie, she earned many other amazing film opportunities.

(Left) Twitter // @HuffPostCeleb | (Right) Twitter // @CutSchumacher

In 2001, though, she would strike pay dirt when she landed the role of Sharon Spitz on the television series, Braceface. Over the past few years, she returned to television on series like The Baby-Sitters Club.

Anna Paquin

A New Zealand-Canadian actress, Anna Paquin stole hearts all over the globe when she made her acting debut in romantic-dramaย The Piano. For this performance, she won an Academy Award at the age of 11, making her the second-youngest winner in Oscar history.

(Left) Twitter // @awards_watch | (Right) Twitter // @celebbdays1

So, it goes without saying that her career really took off from there, as Paquin continued to perform prominent roles into adulthood. Throughout the 2000s, she starred in several films including theย X-Menย franchise. Sheโ€™s also featured inย American Underdog, which is set to be released this coming month in December 2021.

Natalie Portman

From the first time that Natalie Portman graced the screen in 1994โ€™sย Lรฉon: The Professional, people were crushing on her left and right. Not only was she talented, but also beautiful to boot.

(Left) Twitter // @moviemenfes | (Right) Twitter // Kevin10919728

She has been working since the moment she set foot in front of the camera. Most recently, she starred in several big-time movies, including a few in the MCU. She has several movies in post and pre-production, including a new addition to the MCU with Thor: Love and Thunder.

Lacey Chabert

Lacey, like many young stars, started her career out in the daytime world of soap operas. However, it wasnโ€™t until she landed the role of Claudia onย Party of Fiveย that she began to capture hearts across the globe.

(Left) Twitter // @FlamingNoseTV | (Right) Twitter // @mnralphie

Over the following few decades, she has continued to work in film and television โ€” and even did a little voice work. Most recently, she can be seen in the series,ย The Crossword Mysteries. Plus, she gave birth to her first child in December 2020.

Katie Holmes

Katie Holmes was another star that found her fame on the hit television series,ย Dawsonโ€™s Creek. In the role of Joey Potter, she became the feature of many peopleโ€™s dreams. She would take the fame earned from the show and find roles in several big-time Hollywood films as well.

(Left) Twitter // @MoviePolls4U | (Right) Twitter // @oxley264

Over the past few years, she not only starred as Jackie Kennedy in mini-series The Kennedys After Camelot โ€” but she has continued landing film work left and right. Sheโ€™s currently working on a film entitled Rare Objects.

Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis got her start in the entertainment industry as Jackie Burkhart on Foxโ€™sย That โ€™70s Showย โ€” and itโ€™s no secret that she lied about her age in order to land the role. There, she would play alongside Ashton Kutcherโ€™s Michael Kelso (little did these two know that theyโ€™d end up together in real life!).

(Left) Twitter // @7Osprincess | (Right) Twitter // @that7Osdaily

Milaโ€™s breakout film role came in 2008 when she portrayed Rachel inย Forgetting Sarah Marshall. From then on, her career has only continued to thrive. Sheโ€™s starring in an upcoming mystery film calledย Luckiest Girl Alive, currently in post-production.