Ever wondered where your fave '90s icons are now? Wonder no more – here's all your nostalgic leading ladies, and what they're up to now
We can all agree that the 1990s was an iconic time for fashion, movies and music. We had Brandy, TLC and Destiny's Child; we had Sabrina, Buffy and Rachel Greene; we had the ever-quotable Clueless, Pretty Woman and 10 Things I Hate About You. The '90s produced some of the most iconic pop culture heroes that have firmly stood the test of time.
Behind all of these cultural phenomenons are some pretty amazing women, who we still have girl crushes on to this day. We looked them up now, to see what they were all up to. From Drew to Gwen, Mariah to Kylie, Brandy to Cindy, here's a nostalgic look back at your favourite '90s heroes, then and now...
ShutterstockDrew Barrymore
Scream was the ultimate '90s horror film and Drew nailed the part of Casey, aka. terrified small town girl in possession of a cordless phone who eventually came to an untimely end.
Where is she now?
Drew went on to star in Noughties classics such as Charlie's Angels, Never Been Kissed and Donnie Darko, and now presents her own show,The Drew Barrymore Show, where she interviews a range of celebrity guests. She also has her own beauty line in the US called Flower.
Getty ImagesMissy Elliott
Aside from selling more records in the US than any other female rapper in the late 1990s, Missy Elliott also served up the coolest of looks. From an enviable Adidas collection to having her own face spray painted on her jeans, she was nothing short of legendary.
Where is she now?
Missy released her latest album Iconology in 2019, and has also recently collaborated with Ariana Grande and Skrillex. She also brought her fierce fashion tastes to a 2018 festival in New Orleans in a Gucci tracksuit, so safe to say she's still got it.
Getty ImagesAlicia Silverstone
We still love Cher from Clueless's plaid-heavy wardrobe, an icon forever.
Where is she now?
While Alicia still dabbles in acting, she spends a lot of her time campaigning for animal rights. She's now married to musician Christopher Jarecki and they have a son named Bear Blu.
Getty ImagesReese Witherspoon
Let's roll back to the glory days (circa 1999) when we thought nothing would break Reese and her Cruel Intentions co-star Ryan Philippe apart.
Where is she now?
Reese of course split from Ryan way back in 2007, and now she's happily married to Jim Toth. Still boasting major girl crush credentials, Reese went on to star in smash shows such as The Morning Show and Big Little Lies, as well as movie adaptation of Cheryl Strayed's Wild. She's also one half of production company Pacific Standard, working to bring more female-led stories to the big screen.
Getty ImagesMichelle Williams
Jen Lindley was the cool girl to Katie Holmes girl next door in Dawson's Creek.
Where is she now?
Michelle moved into indie territory with a lot of her movie choices after her big TV break, with films like Blue Valentine and My Week With Marilyn, The Greatest Showman and Venom. She's been nominated for an Oscar four times, and blew our minds with her iconic bleach blonde cropped do.
Getty ImagesChristina Aguilera
We were suckers for Christina's Genie In A Bottle, as well as her penchant for handkerchief top and flares – so much so that we diligently picked up lookalikes from the nearest Tammy.
Where is she now?
She released a track from the live-action remake of Mulan, named Loyal Brave True, and performed two dates at the Hollywood Bowl in July of this year with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Dreamy.
Plus, this summer it's been reported that a lot of Christina's iconic '90s fashion looks are coming back in style. Halter tops at the ready.
Getty ImagesGwen Stefani
As the blue hair-rocking, skort-wearing front woman of No Doubt, Gwen Stefani was one of the coolest music icons around in the '90s. Her edgy Noughties fashion line, L.A.M.B, was inspired by Guatemalan, Japanese, and Jamaican styles.
Where is she now?
These days Gwen is more Marilyn than pop-punk, her signature is her peroxide bob and a bright red lip, and we're obsessed with it. Still flexing her musical muscles, she's been a judge on The Voice US and has just married her co-host, Blake Shelton. Gwen also has three sons with ex Gavin Rossdale; Kingston, Zuma and Apollo.
Getty ImagesCindy Crawford
One of the original supermodels, Cindy featured on that famous 1990 Vogue cover alongside Naomi, Christy, Linda and Tatjana. Fast forward to 1995 and Forbes named her the highest earning model on the planet. Her and her famous beauty spot were synonymous with '90s fashion.
Where is she now?
Still rocking the catwalk, Cindy closed Versace's spring/summer 2018 fashion show alongside Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer in homage to the late Gianni Versace. She's still got it. Cindy also has a son and a daughter, Presley and Kaia, who have both gone into modelling. Kaia has already scored gigs with Alexander Wang and Versace.
Getty ImagesBrandy Norwood
We were already big Brandy fans so watching Moesha was a no-brainer, plus it had great guest appearances from the likes of TLC and Usher.
Where is she now?
Still acting and recording music, she has performed on stage starring in Broadway classic Chicago and starred in rom-com series Zoe Ever After. And last year – an unstoppable force – she released her seventh studio album, B7.
Getty ImagesElizabeth Hurley
Liz burst onto the celeb scene in 1994 when she attended the Four Weddings And A Funeral premiere as Hugh Grant's date wearing a Versace dress held together by gold safety pins.
Where is she now?
Liz has starred as the queen, no less, in E! series The Royals. Only she's nothing like the real Queen, she's a tough-talking, back-stabbing version of HRH. Oh, and she still counts Hugh Grant as one of her closest friends. She also designs her own line of beachwear, called Elizabeth Hurley Beach, and her Insta pics of her modelling her own bikinis are INCREDIBLE.
Getty ImagesJennifer Aniston
Back in the '90s, we wanted Rachel's Friends, her love interests, her slip dress collection and most of all THAT haircut.
Where is she now?
Jennifer's hair styles are still as iconic in 2021 as they were back then, no question. She's gone from strength to strength since Friends ended, starring in a slew of successful films, but made her return to a major television role with The Morning Show. Jennifer produced and played a TV presenter on the show, which looked at the #MeToo movement, primarily. The second season is due out this month.
Getty ImagesJulia Stiles
Julia Stiles' Kat Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You was the black sheep of her school, but to us she was always the coolest member of the cast.
Where is she now?
Julia went on to star in the Bourne franchise in the Noughties and you might remember her as Jennifer Lawrence's uptight sister in Silver Linings Playbook and the journalist in the Jennifer Lopez-led smash hit Hustlers.
In real life, Julia is married to cameraman assistant Preston J.Cook and they have a son named Strummer Newcomb Cook.
Shutterstock / Getty ImagesKatie Holmes
Tomboy Joey Potter from Dawson's Creekwas the original girl-next-door, and made a strong case for dungarees and baggy tees along the way.
Where is she now?
In the last few years, Katie has talked more about her timeless bra and cashmere cardigan look from the '90s, and we're still so obsessed with it that many high street brands have mimicked it. These days, she's a mum to daughter (co-parenting with Tom Cruise) Suri, had a cameo in all-female Oceans' 8 and starred in indie film Coda with Patrick Stewart.
Getty ImagesMariah Carey
We played Butterfly and Daydream on repeat through the mid '90s – no mean feat on a tape recorder. The Noughties music scene wouldn't have been the same without We Belong Together and Touch My Body.
Where is she now?
Our ultimate diva's memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, was released in September 2020, giving us the chance to delve into her rollercoaster life and relive her truly iconic '90s fashion looks.
Everett Collection / Getty ImagesMary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
After finding fame as cheeky child stars on Full House, Mary-Kate and Ashley made an impressive amount of to-video movies set all around the world which, lets face it, we all binged in childhood.
Where are they now?
After continuing a lucrative acting career based on their twin-dom, Mary-Kate and Ashley side-stepped into fashion with their joint label, The Row. Lauded for their granny chic style and sleek designs for their label, they've let younger sister Elizabeth Olsen take the reins on the acting front.
Getty ImagesJulia Roberts
The sass Julia Roberts' character Vivian Ward gave in Pretty Woman when she hollered "Big mistake. Big. Huge" was iconic. Plus, we wanted ALL of her wardrobe.
Where is she now?
Julia might not have matched the commercial success of Pretty Woman with future roles, but she's clocked up an impressive filmography which includes playing vigilante lawyer Erin Brockovich and globe-trotter Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat Pray Love that's kept her firmly in A-list status. Most recently, she starred in her first TV series in 2018 called Homecoming, where she played a caseworker at a secret government facility.
Getty ImagesKylie Minogue
We were kinda envious of her great perm and girl next door credentials, but mainly it was the fact that Kylie's character on Neighbours Charlene married Jason Donovan that made us green with envy.
Where is she now?
Kylie's fifteenth studio album, Disco, was released in November 2020, making Kylie the first female solo artist to achieve a number one album in five consecutive decades from the 1980s to the 2020s. Over the years, she has been viewed as something of a style chameleon, due to her ability to reinvent with every changing phase of her career. We can only hope to emulate her skills.
Getty ImagesSarah Michelle Gellar
SMG played Buffy Summers, who slayed vampires and demons for goodness sake! Was there a cooler '90s heroine? Not on our watch.
Where is she now?
After marrying the ultimate '90s heartthrob, Freddie Prinze Jr, Sarah became a mum and launched a cooking and lifestyle company Food Stirs, which sells baking kits. Cute.
Shutterstock / Getty ImagesRachael Leigh Cook
Rachel Leigh Cook' won our hearts as artsy, socially awkward Laney Boggs in She's All That.
Where is she now?
Check Rachael out in the new Netflix remake of She's All That – it's a gender swapped version, called He's All Thatand she plays a single mum to main character Padgett, played by Addison Rae. Rachael also recently starred in (and produced) Netflix film Love, Guaranteed with Damon Wayans Jr, where she plays a lawyer that sues a dating app.
Getty ImagesLauryn Hill
Winning our hearts with her vocals on Killing Me Softly, Lauryn pretty much smashed it in the 1990s, going on to release her own legendary solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which became one of the bestselling albums of all time. She also made cargo pants chic, and for that we are eternally in her debt.
Where is she now?
Lauryn's music is still hard-hitting and awesome, the latest of which – a track named Guarding the Gates – was used in smash movie Queen & Slim, starring Jodie Turner-Smith and Daniel Kaluuya. Her style still has no less impact either, with Solange naming her as one of her fashion icons.
Shutterstock / Getty ImagesSarah Jessica Parker
In hindsight, self-obsessed Carrie Bradshaw was actually a pretty crap friend in SATC, but she also had the ultimate walk-in wardrobe (so many Manolos).
Where is she now?
SJP unsurprisingly went from actress to designer, launching her own range of shoes and bags at Bloomingdales. She is currently working on the SATC reboot, And Just Like That... and we couldn't be more excited for a return to the iconic series.
Getty ImagesThe Spice Girls
Thanks to these girls crash landing into our lives in 1994 it's hard to find a photo not obscured by peace signs and featuring our pre-teen girl gang in Adidas three-stripe tracksuits, Buffalo boots and crop tops. Girl power!
Where are they now?
While they went their separate ways for a while – Posh with her fashion empire, Baby with her radio show, Scary and Ginger appearing as reality TV show judges and Sporty bringing out some bangers, four of the girls went on a reunion tour in 2019 and another is planned for this year.
Getty ImagesMýa
Mýa became the queen of our hearts since her angelic voice on Pras' Ghetto Superstar (That Is What You Are) topped charts.
Where is she now?
A huge advocate for a vegan lifestyle, Mýa made headlines in recent years for her 19-page guide on transitioning into a non-meat and non-dairy-eating lifestyle. This included promoting wearing vegan fur, a sustainable look that she totally smashed.
Shutterstock / Getty ImagesWinona Ryder
Winona Ryder was one of the most iconic actors of the '90s and our girl crush on her peaked in Edward Scissorhands. In the pre-straighteners era, she gave us hair goals with her flicky, strawberry-blonde blowdry.
Where is she now?
Hawkins, that's where. Winona has brought her late '80s to '90s-era grunge look back to her screens as Joyce, the mum figure that everyone needs in Netflix's smash hit Stranger Things. We can't wait for season four.
