Remember The Older Sister From Uncle Buck? Here's What She Looks Like Now
In case it's been a minute since you last saw "Uncle Buck," or, gasp, haven't seen it, here's a quick recap of the 1989 John Hughes comedy starring John Candy as the titular character: When Buck's brother and wife are called away on a family emergency, he's the last choice of babysitter to come stay with their three children. While the two younger siblings love Buck's unconventional child-minding, teenager Tia, played by Jean Louisa Kelly, proves to be an antagonist to her goofy uncle. But everyone ends up happy in the end. Speaking of outcomes, whatever happened to Jean Louisa Kelly? And what does she look like now? Well for starters, she's one of the child actors who grew up to be gorgeous.
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Although Kelly is a famous '80s actor who is practically unrecognizable now, you may remember her from parts in 1995's "Mr. Holland's Opus," the Y2K series "Yes, Dear," and 2022's "Top Gun" Maverick" as Iceman's wife. The actor, who turned 54 in 2026, is still stunning with her distinctive curly brown hair and beautiful cornflower blue eyes. She arrived at the ESPY Awards in L.A. in July 2026 wearing a colorful striped asymmetrical dress to support her husband, James Pitaro, who is the chairman of ESPN.
Jean Louisa Kelly still rocks her gorgeous curls from her teenage years
If you remember Tia in "Uncle Buck" you'll likely remember her hair -– it's even part of the story. In one of the arguments between the defiant teen and her uncle, he threatens to shave her head. The reason that would be such an intense threat is because Jean Louisa Kelly's hair was peak 1980s awesomeness with the volume and curled bangs.
But this fun '80s hair trend is one you can still wear today, with a few tweaks to make it feel modern. As Kelly shows, she's still embracing her volume and curls. She appeared at the "Freakier Friday" L.A. premiere in July 2025 rocking a style similar to her time as Tia. The thick curled bangs — which can feel a bit outdated — are much lighter now. She has also added subtle layering to give the cut a softer look, rather than the more blunt cut of the '80s, which can give hair more of a mushroom shape. Kelly is aging beautifully, and she's still recognizably Tia Russell.