These Famous '90s Actors Are Practically Unrecognizable Now

The '90s gave us plenty of amazing actors — from those who rose to fame in decades prior and peaked in the '90s, to those who had their big breakthrough right before the turn of the millennium. Courteney Cox, Nicole Kidman, and Demi Moore are only some of the ladies who have graced the big and small screens of the decade.

Of course, the '90s were a few decades ago, so change is inevitable. While all the women on today's list have talent, beauty, and strength, a side-by-side image also shows just how much they have changed. Some have embraced aging and gray hair as it comes, others have ditched makeup and redefined themselves, and some have opted to hop on the plastic surgery and injectables wagon in hopes of staying young for as long as possible. Either way, none of these ladies look like they used to, but they all still have one thing in common — they remain stunning, and their journeys in the spotlight serve as a reminder of just how beautiful change can be.

With films such as "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail", Hollywood star Meg Ryan established herself as a major romcom star in the 90s. And while her work will forever be frozen in time, Ryan's face is not. In fact, in an exclusive conversation, our plastic surgeon explained just how Meg Ryan's face changed over the years.

"I think she may have gotten a facelift, maybe even a mini facelift, and possibly a brow lift," Dr. Samuel Golpanian told us in 2025. "I think she looks really good. If you get a good facelift, it can last at least 10 years," he added. In 2023, Ryan opened up about aging to Glamour; however, she didn't address the rumors of getting work done to her face. "As an old person now, I love my age. I love where I'm at," the actor shared. "Aging is not that terrifying. We're all doing it. I wish someone had told me earlier, 'Just relax. It is what it is. Don't pay attention to the obstacles.'" While Ryan's face noticeably changed through the decades, her hair remained similar to the tousled blond waves she rocked in the '90s — just a tad longer.

When it comes to celebrities who proudly show off their gray hair, Andie MacDowell is undoubtedly at the forefront. The actor known for '90s projects like "Groundhog Day" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral" is all about embracing aging as it comes, and rocking her grays proudly is simply a part of that.

Speaking to Good Housekeeping in 2025, MacDowell revealed that her natural hair had caused some negative feedback. "The response has been wonderful. Mostly, it's so positive," she said. "Occasionally I'll see someone say something like, 'You look older.' And I just feel so sorry for them, that they feel the need to say that. I don't have a problem with it. I'm embracing being my age, so I'm not trying to look younger. That's not part of my needs." While MacDowell's appearance has changed since the '90s, the actor still looks stunning, and something tells us that a majority of her radiance comes from self-love and acceptance.

Hollywood star Nicole Kidman's career hasn't stalled since the '90s when she starred in blockbusters such as "Batman Forever" and "Practical Magic." In fact, today she's just as popular and busy as she was back then. One thing that has changed, however, is the star's appearance. In 2025, we delved into how Nicole Kidman's face has transformed over the years, and board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Brian Reagan told us exclusively that he believes Kidman "had a lower face and neck lift."

The changes over the past couple of decades were always subtle and almost unnoticeable, but a side-by-side image of her from the '90s and 2020s shows a noticeable difference in certain features, suggesting that some beauty procedures have been done. "Overall, she's done a wonderful job preserving her natural look. Again, a beautiful woman and her work looks natural," Dr. Reagan added.

With roles in '90s classics such as "A League of Their Own" and "Thelma & Louise," Geena Davis became easily one of the biggest stars of the '90s. Today, Davis is still acting, but she has revealed that aging and accepting a more mature look have had their impact on her work.

"Women peak in their 20s and 30s, and men peak in their 40s and 50s as far as actors go," she said on the Allison Interviews podcast (via Deadline). "So the male stars of the movies want to appear to be younger than they are, or they want to appeal to younger people, so they always want a co-star who is really young. That is why that happens and that is why women don't get cast very much after 40 and 50." While Davis has changed and aged over the decades, the actor still radiates a youthfulness that not many can emulate. Sure, her skin isn't as tight, and there are some wrinkles here and there, but Davis' smile remains just the same.

After her breakout in the '80s, Demi Moore became a Hollywood staple in the '90s. Projects such as "Ghost" and "Striptease" showcased the star's acting capabilities even more, and since then, Moore has had numerous blockbuster hits. Over the years, Demi Moore's face has transformed, and in 2025, plastic surgeon Dr. Samuel Golpanian explained to us just which procedures he thinks she had done.

"Honestly, I don't think she's had much surgical work done," he told us exclusively. "She's really aged gracefully." The expert explained that it seems to him as if Moore opted for the Hollywood staple — some Botox and filler. "Maybe some Botox in the upper forehead, and possibly a bit of cheek filler," he suspects. While Moore looks different today, there's no denying that the beauty procedures she may have had have helped her maintain a very youthful appearance — even into her 60s.

British star Emma Thompson won over our hearts in the '90s with her work on the films "Howards End" and "Sense and Sensibility." Since then, she has been known as one of the most talented actors of her generation, and looking back at her appearance over the years, it's clear that Thompson has always remained true to herself. The actor has embraced her gray hair and subtle wrinkles, and today she rocks both proudly.

While speaking to TheWrap in 2022, Thompson clearly stated her stance on plastic surgery. "Why would you do that to yourself, I simply don't understand. I do honestly think the cutting of yourself off to put it in another place in order to avoid appearing to do what you're actually doing, which is aging, which is completely natural, is a form of collective psychosis," Thompson said. "I really do think it's a very strange thing to do."

By the '90s, Jessica Lange was already an established actor. Her '90s projects such as "Cape Fear" and "A Streetcar Named Desire" only solidified that, and today she is one of the rare stars who can say that they have had a successful career spanning over six different decades.

Similar to Geena Davis, Lange also called out the industry for its double standards, admitting that she hasn't noticed much of a change in the years she's been working. "That men continue to be fascinating and attractive and virile, and women age and are no longer sexual or beautiful — it's a fantasy that has nothing to do with reality," the Hollywood star said to TheWrap in 2015. In 2016, then 64-year-old Lange became an ambassador for Marc Jacobs Beauty. She may not look like she did in the '90s, but the actor is proof that there's always beauty in change.

Michelle Williams rose to fame in the late '90s thanks to the teen drama "Dawson's Creek". Since then, she has had success on both big and small screens, and while the actor has remained gorgeous, her look has changed since her breakthrough years.

The actor lost some facial volume, but her skin remained perfectly radiant. Some of that is thanks to the popular CACI facial, a treatment the rich and famous love as it's also dubbed "the non-surgical facelift" (via Yahoo!). "A single treatment will give you an instant and fabulous result," the owner of Glow Beauty shared, adding that "regular CACI treatments will give you a much more intensive result." Looking at images of Williams in the 90s and today, it's hard to believe that the actor is in her 40s.

In the '90s, Jamie Lee Curtis reigned supreme thanks to her roles in the films "True Lies" and "The Heidi Chronicles." The Hollywood star has been successful in the industry since the '70s, and over the decades, we've gotten to see her grow and mature. Compared to the '90s, Curtis has now embraced her gray hair and a much shorter haircut.

A single comment on a movie set led Jamie Lee Curtis to plastic surgery, and years later, the actor has opened up about her insecurities and self-acceptance. "When I look in the mirror, I am looking at the problem, I'm looking at the solution. You know, I can't filter the mirror," she said on the podcast Wild Card with Rachel Martin in 2025. "The deep, dark, truthful mirror is coming for all of us. And we can pretend it isn't...we can alter reality all we want...But my point is simply: You can't hide the truth," Curtis said, adding, "When I say I don't care, I don't care about hiding the truth anymore." The star's approach to beauty and self-acceptance is undeniably a breath of fresh air in an industry that is so highly focused on the youthful appearance of women.

The complete transformation of Jennifer Love Hewitt has been remarkable. The actor rose to become a scream queen thanks to the '90s hit "I Know What You Did Last Summer," after which she proceeded to star in numerous successful projects. In 2010, the actor shared just how important self-acceptance is to her. "When I meet young girls, I'm always like, 'Just do me one favor,'" Hewitt shared with People. "Love what you look like right now — and remember I said it 10 years from now because it's the greatest gift I can give."

In the early 2020s, the actor was at the center of speculation thanks to her changed appearance. Many believed the actor got an eyebrow lift, which she quickly denied. "I don't usually do this, but I've had a lot of people say that I've had a brow-lifting procedure...I didn't even know you could lift your brows like that," she said on her Instagram Stories (via Allure). "The only thing that I've done is microblading."

Courteney Cox is definitely one of the celebs who look totally different without fillers. The actor is best known for her work on the '90s cult sitcom "Friends." However, there is no denying that Cox looks a tad different today, and some of that seems to be due to the beauty procedures she has had over the years.

In 2017, Cox opened up to New Beauty about going too far with injectables. "You go to a doctor who would say, 'You look great, but what would help is a little injection here or filler there.' So you walk out and you don't look so bad and you think, no one noticed — it's good," the star said. "Then somebody tells you about another doctor...The next thing you know, you're layered and layered and layered. You have no idea because it's gradual until you go, 'Oh s***, this doesn't look right.'" Cox added that the procedures she had done were particularly visible in pictures, and that she hadn't visited her doctors in six months when a friend told her to stop. However, it has been years since she opened up about injections, and her face has slightly transformed since.

In the '90s, no one could get enough of Pamela Anderson on the hit series "Baywatch." She instantly became a major pop culture icon, and while Pamela Anderson's iconic '90s makeup was a major part of her look, the actor has since ditched it. While years have passed since her breakthrough, Anderson kept a lot of her signature style — including her platinum blond hair and ultra-thin eyebrows. However, makeup is something she rarely wears anymore.

In 2023, Anderson opened up to People about her decision to defy industry expectations. "I'm makeup free at home, so why not for Paris Fashion Week?" the actor said. "I really didn't know anyone would notice it, but I'm glad it became a positive message." She also revealed that she has embraced aging and everything that comes with it. "I call it Life-ing, not aging. Chasing youth is futile. All we can do is embrace who we are at the moment we are in, and be okay with where our feet stand right now." While makeup is a powerful and beloved tool, we love seeing a celebrity rocking it only when they feel like it, not when they think it's expected of them. And yes, Pamela Anderson has gone makeup-free and looked flawless on numerous occasions.

Tara Reid rose to fame thanks to the popular '90s and early aughts film series "American Pie." Reid also appeared in numerous pop culture classics of the time, but looking at photos of the actor today, she's nearly unrecognizable compared to her '90s throwback photos. Some of that was due to natural aging, but it certainly seems as if some of it is also thanks to beauty procedures.

In 2006, the actor opened up about her breast enhancement and liposuction. "My stomach became the most ripply, bulgy thing. I had a hernia, this huge bump next to my bellybutton. As a result, I couldn't wear a bikini. I lost a lot of work," Reid said (via CBS). Today, the actor is still holding on to numerous elements of her '90s look. Heavy makeup and blond hair are staples for her, and even though Reid doesn't look the same anymore, her charisma is still the first feature everyone notices.

In the '90s, films such as "Wild Things" and "The World Is Not Enough" put Denise Richards in the spotlight. Today, she's more known for her reality television career than her acting. And while Richards still has the same bright blue eyes and beautiful smile, the star has transformed over the years. There has been speculation on what beauty procedures the star has had done in recent years, and Richards has opened up about the topic in 2019.

"It is funny to me on social media people are saying I have had so much plastic surgery. I have only done my boobs and I am very open and honest about that," the "Real Housewives" star admitted to The Daily Telegraph. "I have had the same nose if people look it up, and the lips. I don't do Botox or fillers...My face moves, so much that it is distracting actually."

Now, be sure to also check out these famous '80s actors who are practically unrecognizable now.