Here at Comediva, we celebrate Mancandy on a regular basis. But the men of today were once the boys of yesteryear, populating Tiger Beat and BOP like no one’s business. We knew their favorite colors, their birthdays, and just what they were looking for in a girlfriend. Which we, of course, fit perfectly. But just which of these ’90s teen hotties were truly icons? And are they still hot today?
1. Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Before there was Bieber, RPattz and Zefron, there was JTT. You know a guy has hit the big time when he gets some kind of shortened moniker. JTT was all over the place in the ‘90s, on TV in Home Improvement, and in the movies with Man of the House, Tom and Huck, Wild America, etc. He’s since gone a bit incognito, acting-wise, but he’s still looking good, right? Let’s forget the fact that he’s somewhat of a midget. He’s still got those flowing locks and baby blues. JTT, you can still make our dreams come true.
2. Devon Sawa
Devon Sawa made a big name for himself pretty quickly in the teen girl world. Whether it was being a football jock in Little Giants, briefly romancing Christina Ricci in both Casper and Now and Then, or traveling the USA with the other teen sensation, JTT, in Wild America, we could not get enough of him. He fell off the map for a while after Final Destination, but has recently resurfaced in Nikita. Though, let’s admit, he’s looking a little rough around the edges. I don’t wanna say drugs, but, DRUGS?!
3. Brad Renfro
Whereas JTT and Devon were usually playing good boys, Brad Renfro liked to play the darker side in more dramatic roles, as he did in Apt Pupil and Sleepers. And, hey, a girl loves her some angsty hotties. It’s interesting to note that Brad also starred with JTT in Tom and Huck. Clearly any association with the teen king meant an instant status boost. Alas, Renfro died in 2008 at only 25 years old from a drug overdose. More drugs?!
4. Jonathan Brandis
Okay, whoa. Another downer here. Apologies for two in a row, but maybe something about being a ‘90s star made it hard for these guys to ever get past their teen idol status. Jonathan Brandis was a child star before he became a teen sensation. His turning point came around the time of Ladybugs, and from there he started making our hearts go pitter-pat in things like SeaQuest. His story ended in 2003, however, at age 27.
5. Andrew Keegan
Andrew Keegan’s name to fame was, to put it bluntly, playing smooth talking popular douches. Sometimes they’d have a secret heart of gold like in Camp Nowhere, but in 10 Things I Hate About You, he was straight up the villain of the story. That didn’t make him any less hot, however. Now he sort of looks like a more handsome version of Eric Balfour. Am I right or am I right? He’s still acting in some indie projects, but will he ever be able to make a mainstream comeback? Only time will tell.
