Celebs Then And Now
One of the common phrases around fame is that celebrities are frozen at the age they became famous. From their iconic roles on the screen, to their number one songs, it’s easy to think that time will never catch up to these famous faces. Aging is inevitable even if you are a celebrity. While time did most of our favorite stars well, there are others who haven’t aged as gracefully. Here are some famous faces that are almost unrecognizable to us now.
Brigitte Bardot
In 1952, Bridgitte Bardot made her film debut in the film Crazy for Love. Her success came when she was just a teenager after staring in the film. The blonde beauty received international attention and quickly made her way to Hollywood. It seems that life in the limelight was not how Bardot wanted to live the rest of her life. The sex symbol of the 50s and 60s had a passion for animals. She has spent most of her time being an animal welfare activist. In 2019, she released a memoir titled Tears of Battle: An Animal Rights Memoir to document her work.
Matthew Perry
When you think of iconic roles, it doesn’t get any more iconic than the comedy series Friends. The hit show gave birth to many iconic characters. Matthew Perry played the sarcastic funny guy, Chandler Bing. The Hollywood lifestyle wasn’t all sunshine for the young actor, as he struggled with an alcohol and drug addiction. Since the ending of Friends, Matthew has gone on to star in a few short-lived shows as well as some big-screen films, such as 17 Again. He is now engaged and seems to be in a good place.
Madonna
The Queen of Pop rose into stardom after releasing her self-titled debut album in 1984. She also set her ambitions on acting, starring alongside Warren Beatty in the film Dick Tracy. Success continued to follow the powerhouse, earning awards for her music and her acting roles. She is remembered as a fashion icon and music extraordinaire. Madonna is now in her 60’s, but that isn’t stopping her from still doing what she loves. Her most recent album was released in 2019, titled Madame X.
Val Kilmer
The young actor had dreams of making it big on Hollywood. Kilmer attended Juilliard’s drama school. In 1984, his hard work started to pay off when he starred in Top Secret. Kilmer’s rise to fame increased when he worked alongside Tom Cruise in the film Top Gun. He continued his success, starring in other major films, such as The Doors and Tombstone. The former Hollywood golden boy’s last film was in 2010. His break from acting was due to health-related issues. The actor seems to be doing better now as he is involved in a few projects on the silver screen.
Pamela Anderson
The blonde bombshell got her first taste of fame after debuting on the cover of Playboy magazine in October 1989. She became a Playmate in 1990 and worked for Playboy for a total of 22 years. Her iconic role in the series Baywatch certified her as one of the most recognizable women in the entertainment industry. Fame came at a cost for the actress and model. Anderson’s personal life also made headlines after multiple plastic surgery procedures and her high profile divorce from Tommy Lee. Now the 53-year-old is almost unrecognizable.
Joan Van Ark
The actress is best known for her role in Dallas, playing the role of Valene Ewing in 1978. After starring in two highly successful series, Joan was a familiar face on the small screen. It seems the pressures of perfection in Hollywood got the best of the young actress. The obsession with her beauty and looks caused the actress to get multiple cosmetic surgeries. In an effort to maintain her youthful looks, her once recognizable face is nothing like how she looked when she was younger.
John Travolta
The aspiring young actor got his big break in the 1970s, starring in the popular television series, Welcome Back, Kotter. His acting success hit new heights in 1997 when he landed a role in Saturday Night Fever. Travolta is best known for his character, Danny Zuko, in the hit musical movie, Grease. After his massive success, the years to follow were not always easy for Travolta. He tragically lost his son in 2009, and his wife, Kelly Preston, passed away in 2020. Travolta is still remembered as an A-list actor in Hollywood.
Barbra Streisand
The icon made her debut on Broadway, which led her to sign a recording deal. She has since gone on to make a number of gold records. In 1965 she made her television debut with My Name is Barbra. Some iconic movies that she has starred in include Funny Girl and A Star Is Born. Streisand has had decades of success in the art of both music and television. The test of time has proved that the Streisand star still shines bright in Hollywood.
Janice Dickinson
After winning the Miss High Fashion Model, Dickinson launched her modeling career. Dickinson’s looks at the time were against the standard blonde-haired beauties with her dark brown hair and brown eyes. This, however, did not stop her from taking the title as the world’s first supermodel. She became one of the biggest names on the runway during the 1980s. Dickinson wasn’t satisfied with just being a pretty face. She opened her own modeling agency and dabbled in photography. The former model has spoken openly about having plastic surgery to try and preserve her model looks over the years.
Haley Joel Osment
The 11-year-old actor delivered the iconic line “I see dead people” in the 1999 horror film Sixth Sense. The movie made the young actor an Academy award-nominated star. The child actor’s success didn’t seem to last long after taking a break to finish high school. He found himself in the headlines for crashing his car while drinking and driving. The former actor was sentenced to three years of probation. Osment went on to star in small roles throughout the years.
Donatella Versace
Versace is one of the biggest brands in the fashion industry. Donatella ran a highly successful fashion company with her brother, Gianni Versace. Unfortunately, her brother tragically passed away in 1997, leaving Donatella to run the family fashion empire. The Versace brand is still extremely popular 30 years later. Unlike her brand, Donatella has not remained the same over the years. Although she denies it, it is quite clear that the fashion mogul has had a few cosmetics surgeries that have not done her well.
Al Pacino
The actor is best known for portraying gangsters in his movie roles. After studying in his teen years, Pacino began his acting career, starring in high profile movies. In 1972 he played the iconic gangster role of Michael Corleone in the film, The Godfather. His success continued, and he became even more popular after starring in the 1983 film Scarface. The actor has received multiple awards throughout his acting career and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute in 2007. The actor tried to maintain the look of his glory days by having a few cosmetic surgeries.
Christina Aguilera
The Grammy-winning singer is known as one of the most powerful voices in the music industry. Her career started in the early 90s at a young age on The Mickey Mouse Club. Since then, Christina has gone on to record multiple best-selling albums and even expanded into acting, playing the role of Cher in Burlesque. Christina has transformed over the years of her music career. Time started to take its toll on her after a failed marriage, weight problems, and multiple cosmetic surgeries.
Jack Nicholson
Nicholson is considered to be one of Hollywood’s legends, with his career spanning over 60 years. After making his film debut in The Cry Baby Killer, the actor sustained his career by guest-starring in television series and a number of B-movies. He has won multiple awards over his career. The last time we saw the actor on screen was in 2010. In an interview, when asked about why the actor is no longer working, he simply said that he is not driven enough to continue his long-standing career.
Carrie Fisher
The actress will forever be remembered for playing the iconic role of Princess Leia in the 1977’s Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. She was on the Hollywood scene throughout her teenage years before landing her big break.Fisher continued her success in the Star Wars films, as well as doing small-screen projects. Decades later, her daughter took on the acting family business. After a long career in Hollywood, the actress suffered a heart attack on a flight and passed away in 2016.
