Whatever Happened To Our Fave 2000s Hunks?
We’re checking up on some our favorite teen heartthrobs of the early 2000s to see what they’ve been up to since their roles on some of the most iconically nostalgic rom-com classics of our generation!
Some have gone on to live in the spotlight while others have taken up ventures off-screen. Either way, these guys have aged like a hefty hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano, and we’re here to tell you all about it!
Erik von Detten (Then)
Where you know him: The Princess Diaries, Brink
Erik von Detten was a Disney star through and through, with notable works being Anne Hathaway’s love interest The Princess Diaries, main character Andy in the made-for-TV movie Brink, as well as Clu Bell in So Weird. Since stepping away from our screens, von Detton settled down, had kids, and does amateur theatre in Santa Monica, California.
Erik von Detten (Now)
Tom Welling (Then)
Where you know him: Smallville
Smallville was one of the most popular shows to come out of The WB/The CW, and its star, Tom Welling, was everything we needed from our Superman. While he’s never landed another role quite like it, he’s still acting, including credits on Lucifer and The Winchesters.
Tom Welling (Now)
Milo Ventimiglia (Then)
Where you know him: Gilmore Girls, Heroes
Milo Ventimiglia played arguably the best-possible boyfriend for Rory Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, then took on the role of Peter Petrelli in NBC’s hit series, Heroes. This heartthrob has managed to stay on our screens, and one of his most notable and acclaimed roles is Jack Pearson on This is Us.
Milo Ventimiglia (Now)
Jonathan Bennett (Then)
Where you know him: Mean Girls
Jonathan Bennett was so dreamy in his role as the iconic Aaron Samuels that Ariana Grande had to have him in the epic music video for her #1 single "thank u, next." Bennett recently co-hosted the aftershow for Mean Girls co-star Lindsay Lohan’s new reality TV series, and he even wrote his own parody cook book of the show’s infamous "burn book." Most importantly, our gay prayers were answered when he came out in 2017.
Jonathan Bennett (Now)
Taylor Lautner (Then)
Where you know him: The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, the Twilight saga
With a bit of a shaky acting career since his role as the the scruffy and sexy Jacob Black in Twilight, Lautner has gone on to star in movies with limited success. Despite the setbacks, his Twilight prestige lives on with the franchise’s 15th anniversary last year putting him back on everyone’s radar. More importantly, Lautner is still grade-A eye candy!
Taylor Lautner (Now)
Chad Michael Murray (Then)
Where you know him: A Cinderella Story, One Tree Hill
Chad Michael Murray won us over as heartthrob Austin Ames in A Cinderella Story, and since then he’s enjoyed a pretty steady acting career. As we know from his most recent role as Xander on FOX's Star, his jawline is still rigidly intact and he’s been sporting a golden brown beard He's come a long way from the baby-faced (but still chiseled) mug we all fell for in the early '00s!
Chad Michael Murray (Now)
Sean Faris (Then)
Where you know him: Sleepover
Aside from still being fine as hell, Sean Faris (who played the dreamy Steve Phillips in 2004's Sleepover) has spent his recent years doing all sorts of stuff. The stud recently got married to his wife Cherie, starred in a Hallmark Christmas movie, and went to Burning Man. He’s super into meditation now, and on Instagram, the heartthrob shares his newfound spiritual journey with his followers. Not too shabby for one of our most underrated crushes!
Sean Faris (Now)
Corbin Bleu (Then)
Where you know him: Jump In!, High School Musical
Corbin Bleu as Chad Danforth in High School Musical had all of us swooning all throughout our drama club days. Ironically, the "I Don’t Dance" singer has gone on to enjoy quite a successful career on Broadway. Although he’s a theater nerd now, we’ll always remember him as the jock of our dreams.
Corbin Bleu (Now)
Zac Efron (Then)
Where you know him: 17 Again, Hairspray, High School Musical
We couldn’t choose between Corbin and Zac, so we didn’t! We’ve had the pleasure of seeing Efron star in many popular movies since his breakout role as Troy Bolton, and like most things, he’s gotten better with time. He went from twink, to twunk, to full-blown daddy over the years, and we’re psyched about it!
Zac Efron (Now)
Oliver James Hutson (Then)
Where you know him: What a Girl Wants, Raise Your Voice
One of the more iconic heartthrobs of the early '00s was undoubtedly What a Girl Wants star Oliver James Hutson! Unfortunately, fans of his might be disappointed to hear that Hutson has stepped out of the spotlight for what seems to be the foreseeable future. (But he's on Twitter, though!) After a few movie roles, he pursued a music career and has gone on to study psychotherapy. Spotlight or no spotlight, he can serenade me whenever he wants.
Oliver James Hutson (Now)
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