The Biggest, Brightest Stars Of The 1980s: Then And Now

When people think about the 1980s, they may well picture big hair, outsized shoulder pads, and world-dominating celebrities. This was the era that had everyone dirty dancing along with Jennifer Grey and falling in love with Molly Ringwald in, well, pretty much every teen movie. But where are these stars now? Let’s take a look at the decade’s most memorable icons today — and see how much they’ve changed over the years.

1. Kelly LeBrock (1984)

Kelly LeBrock became a major sex symbol in the ’80s thanks to the double whammy of The Woman in Red and Weird Science. But at the height of her fame, LeBrock made the shocking decision to take five years off to focus on her family. She returned with 1990's Hard to Kill opposite her second husband, Steven Seagal. And while the actor took another break from Hollywood shortly afterward, she still has the ability to turn heads.

Kelly LeBrock (2022)

The Daily Mail certainly couldn't resist running a story about her after she appeared on the red carpet at the Brent Shapiro Foundation 2022 Summer Spectacular in Beverly Hills. The year before, LeBrock told ET why she stepped away from the movies. "Hollywood wasn’t a place where I wanted to raise my children," she said. "I never really liked the attention. I wanted to have dirt in my nails and be in the outdoors."

2. Judd Nelson (1985)

Who could forget Judd Nelson’s star turn as John Bender in The Breakfast Club? And after another "Brat Pack" role in St. Elmo’s Fire, his role in the popular imagination was confirmed. His movie career arguably never reached this high point again, but Nelson has been a regular fixture on our screens ever since.

Judd Nelson (2020)

Nelson's most prominent roles in the 1990s came in the film New Jack City and in the TV show Suddenly Susan. More recently, though, he had a recurring gig in Empire and in Nikita. He has also appeared in numerous TV movies and lent his voice to the Transformers franchise.