2000s Heartthrobs You Wouldn't Recognize Today

For some, the early 2000s felt like they just happened yesterday. Those were the days of early internet and the beginnings of reality TV. Movies and television shows aimed at teens flooded the market. The CW, then known as the WB, thrived on shows specifically geared toward younger audiences. Nickelodeon and Disney also added more content to keep kids tuned to their networks as they aged. Of course, one of the easiest ways to get teens hooked is through drama and cute stars.

Although the heartthrobs of the 1990s still had a place in pop culture as we rang in the new millennium, a fresh-faced group of guys emerged ready to make everyone fall in love with them. Fashions at the time for males in their teens and twenties focused on seeming fun and effortless. Emo-inspired outfits were as hip as can be, and a shaggy bowl cut with sweeping bangs was the hairstyle to have. While some heartthrobs from generations long ago may have dropped into obscurity, many of the guys audiences fawned over in the early aughts are still well-known today; they've just changed so much that it's easy to forget how they looked when they first rose to fame. Let's go down memory lane and see just how far some of the most famous Hollywood hunks have come over the years.

Nick Cannon's career started at a very early age. When he was 18, Cannon got a role on Nickelodeon's "All That" comedy sketch show, both writing and acting. Almost overnight, Cannon became a huge star. Nickelodeon went all in on Cannon, making him the face of their teen programming and giving him his stand-alone series, "The Nick Cannon Show." His talent and charm kept him in the spotlight. Not to limit himself, Cannon also starred in several movies, including "Drumline" (2002) and "Love Don't Cost a Thing" (2003). In 2005, he developed a sketch comedy show with MTV, "Wild 'N Out," which he also hosted for several seasons.

Unlike other young celebrities who tend to take breaks, Cannon has kept himself busy over the years with multiple shows and hosting gigs. Cannon's personal life has also kept him in the news. From his marriage to pop diva Mariah Carey to his controversial statements to his fathering of twelve children, Cannon never strays far from the headlines. "I've lived my life in the public eye in a way where it's very authentic," he told Men's Health in 2022. "I kind of put it all out there. All my emotions, all my understanding or the lack thereof, as vulnerable as I could be—I'm just like, look, I'm trying to figure it out."

If there's one thing he's definitely figured out, it's his personal style. In recent years, he's made great fashion moves in both vibrant suits and chic hoodies. As the host of Fox's hit show "The Masked Singer," he always looks impeccable.

You may recognize Chace Crawford from Amazon's hit series "The Boys." Crawford plays The Deep/Kevin Moskowitz, who is part of the elite group of supes called The Seven. His short hair and appealing perpetual five-o'clock shadow make him a wonderful superhero poster boy in the world of "The Boys." Alas, there's quite a bit of darkness that lurks below his attractive surface.

Fans of early 2000s CW shows may remember Crawford from another hit series. From 2007 to 2012, Crawford starred as Nate Archibald on "Gossip Girl." During that era, he was a fixture of the Teen Choice Awards, where he rocked slim-cut button-down shirts, skinny jeans, and shaggy hairdos. Oh, and every now and again, he would throw on a vest. 

Crawford's style isn't the only thing that has changed drastically over the years. Once upon a time, he might've embraced the young Hollywood party scene, but he is all about keeping things mellow now. As he said in Interview magazine in 2024, "I'm definitely a lot quieter these days. It really is about the boring things, the friendships, those relationships. ... It's about enjoying the small stuff and not being so precious about your career."

Chris Evans had his first starring role in 2001's "Not Another Teen Movie." He looked like the classic all-American heartthrob with dark hair and bright blue eyes. Most of Evans' early roles were comedic and showed off his hunky goofball side. (If there's any doubt about Evans's heartthrob status during the '00s, look no further than the shirtless photoshoot he did for Flaunt magazine in 2004.) After that, he continued to nab roles, landing parts in movies like the original "Fantastic Four" (2005), "The Losers," and "What's Your Number?" Evans became known for playing men who use their sense of humor and good looks to charm everyone around them.

Nowadays, most associate Evans with the iconic superhero Captain America, whom Evans brought to life in the Marvel movies from 2011 to 2019. But this level of superstardom wasn't handed to him right out the gate. "Ninety-five percent of the work is rejection," he told Backstage in 2020. "Those first 10 years, you've got to put the gloves on for every job and you've got to get in the ring."

In addition to joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Evans ventured into villainous roles in "Knives Out" and "The Gray Man," proving that he isn't only good at playing funny guys with a pretty face. The more high-profile parts also pushed Evans to up his sartorial choices. On the red carpet, he stands out with his stylish and flattering outfits that include tailored suits with bright shirts and a trimmed beard. The look is a far cry from the hoodies, skinny ties, and shiny collared shirts that he favored in the '00s.

In the 2000s, the Jonas Brothers seemed unstoppable. Backed by Disney, brothers Nick, Joe, and Kevin were only in their teens when they became household names. Their debut album, "It's About Time," came out in 2006. They turned out three more albums in the same number of years. Somehow, they found time between recording, touring, and winning Grammys to do a few other projects. In addition to their music career, they also starred in several Disney movies, including the "Camp Rock" movies and their own Disney Channel series, "Jonas." Fans, especially teenage girls, couldn't get enough, but eventually, the brothers were ready to hang up their mouse ears. "We were having to censor ourselves, I think any artist could relate," Joe said in a 2019 interview with Paper. "That's not fun. We were at a standstill with our TV show and the movies. We were young adults, having to pretend like we're young teenagers."

In 2013, the Jonas Brothers decided to take a break from the band and pursue their own paths. Nick and Joe both released solo albums and had more acting roles. Kevin, meanwhile, took the reality television route and even had his own show, "Married to Jonas" (2012-2013). And then, in 2019, the Jonas Brothers reunited and released a single, "Sucker." The video showed off their glow-ups from boys to men, underscored by their real-life wives appearing alongside them. Their grown-up fashion sense had shifted from their days at Disney, but the Jonas Brothers still give the fans what they want.

During a special time of the early 2000s, Robert Pattinson's face was everywhere. When "Twilight" fever took hold after the release of the first movie in 2008, Pattinson as Edward was on almost every kind of merchandise available. Even though he had starred in the fourth Harry Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," three years earlier, "Twilight" is what catapulted Pattinson's career and cemented his heartthrob status.

Instead of staying with projects similar to what made him famous, Pattinson branched out with a filmography full of off-the-wall characters. From an unhinged lighthouse keeper alongside William Dafoe in "The Lighthouse" to wild voice work in the English language version of "The Boy and the Heron" to a young version of DC's Batman, Pattinson has made his career in more independent, character-driven roles. With that, he hasn't shied away from changing his physical appearance to match any part he takes on, with vast hair changes over the years. On the red carpet, his overall look has also evolved with his professional choices. His style is more rugged and unique rather than the more clean-cut vibe he favored during his early heartthrob days. 

Though his days of being a late '00s heartthrob are in the rearview, Pattinson has joked that he'd be happy to play Edward Cullen again if there was a "Twilight" reboot. "I like taking jobs of younger actors," he deadpanned during a Vanity Fair lie detector test in 2025.

Many millennials' first exposure to the DC superhero Superman was the CW's series "Smallville." The hit show chronicled Clark Kent/Superman's younger days in Smallville and his path to becoming the hero of Metropolis. With his natural similarities to the fictional character, Tom Welling played the young alien with heart and charm. From 2001 to 2011, he was Superman to audiences all over the country. During that period, he also starred in a few movies, such as "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "The Fog," which endeared him to an even wider audience.

However, after "Smallville" ended, fans were left wondering what happened to Welling. He ultimately took a break from acting, but in 2017, he returned to the small screen. During his time away from the camera, Welling grew out of his small-town boy type of appearance, and he shifted into someone who is more filled out and mature-looking. His physical changes were reflected in his work as he no longer stuck to nice guy roles. On "Lucifer," he played antagonist Marcus Pierce/Cain. However, in 2019, Welling did reprise his role as Superman on the series "Batwoman," proving that the superhero will always be a part of him. Unfortunately, he was arrested for a DUI in early 2025, but hopefully, he can make a comeback with a rumored animated series with "Smallville" co-star Michael Rosenbaum.

Orlando Bloom's first big project was "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy (2001-2003). Starring as Legolas, the pretty elf with long blond hair who knows his way around a bow, Bloom quickly became a Hollywood heartthrob. Directly on the heels of that success, Bloom went on to also star in three of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies and the star-studded epic "Troy." During the early 2000s, Bloom seemed to always be on red carpets wearing laid-back fashions that made him look cool and relaxed. At one point, he even sported a short mohawk before growing his hair into long curls. 

Bloom's hat collection also grew after his career took off. "I had a bunch of baseball hats I wore everywhere [to hide my face]... So many hats," he told L'Officiel. "I learned how to ride a motorcycle so I could leave the house [without getting recognized]. It was a different time."

In recent years, Bloom's style has gone from playful to more refined while still staying true to his own sense of fashion. His clothes are well-suited to him, and his hair is usually cropped short. And yes, he always looks dapper as can be.

In many ways, Freddie Prinze Jr. was the rom-com king of the early 2000s. With movies such as "She's All That" (1999), "Down to You" (2000), and "Boys and Girls" (2000), Prinze was constantly falling in love and getting audiences to fall in love with him. He also starred in the live-action "Scooby-Doo" movies. People loved him with his natural dark hair or the bleached blonde hair he had to have to play Fred, the leader and resident himbo of the mystery-solving Scooby-Doo gang. No matter what movie he was in, his face would appear in magazines geared to teenage girls.

When asked about what it was like being a heartthrob in the late '90s and early '00s, Prinze admitted it took a lot of getting used to. "It was weird for me most of the time because I was a shy kid. I wasn't popular in high school," he said on "Sam Roberts' Show" in 2025. "For the most part, it made me pretty uncomfortable."

Prinze shifted from movie and television appearances in the early 2000s to more voice acting. He voiced iconic video game character The Iron Bull in the "Dragon Age: Inquisition." Star Wars fans will know him better as the voice of Kanan Jarrus in the "Star Wars: Rebels" series. In 2025, Prinze and his wife, Sarah Michelle Gellar, returned to the "I Know What You Did Last Summer" franchise, reprising their roles in the horror series. Prinze's now fully gray hair may be a different look, but he's just as charming as a silver fox.

Since the late 1990s, Milo Ventimiglia has had a pretty steady career in television and movies, but his biggest projects to date are arguably very different. In the early 2000s, he played Jess, a rebellious book-smart guy, on the cozy sitcom "Gilmore Girls." Right after his stint on that popular show, Ventimiglia got a leading role on the realistic superhero show "Heroes" as Peter Petrelli. Peter was the heart of the series, underscored by his superpower of empathy. Ventimiglia's crooked smile brought charm to both characters and had everyone swooning over him. Even Fergie fell for him in her "Big Girls Don't Cry" music video.

And then, Ventimiglia went on to make audiences cry yet again. From 2016 to 2022, Ventimiglia played the fan-favorite patriarch Jack Pearson on NBC's hit show "This Is Us." On the series, he rocked facial hair and long hair, and he embraced this style in his real life before shaving his head in 2025. The new look was for the Netflix series "I Will Find You." 

That same year, Ventimigilia went through a lot in his personal life. The beloved celebrity lost his Malibu home in the California wildfires just weeks before he welcomed his first child.

Alongside the success of the Jonas Brothers, Disney scored another huge hit with "High School Musical" (2006). The modern musical retelling of Romeo and Juliet starred a young Zac Efron and catapulted his career. At 19, Efron was suddenly everywhere, including plastered all over the walls of teen girls' bedrooms. Efron was one of many popular actors who had the shaggy, side-swept, emo-inspired haircut that everyone loved. He went on to star in two sequels to "High School Musical" as well as the remake of "Hairspray" and the comedy "17 Again" in the span of only a few years.

Though he wasted no time in becoming a true heartthrob of the 2000s, he wasn't exactly looking to become one. On a 2012 episode of "CBS Sunday Morning With Charles Osgood," Efron stated that he not only didn't see himself as a heartthrob, but he resented the label. "I hate it," he said. "It follows you around, but you don't deserve it. It's like, "Why?" 

As Efron's career continued on, he took on arguably unexpected roles, like serial killer Ted Bundy in "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" and professional wrestler Kevin Von Erich in the acclaimed film "The Iron Claw." He also has gone through physical transformations, like when he bulked up for the "Baywatch" movie. Efron's appearance also noticeably changed after he broke his jaw in 2013. Once it healed, his jaw was squarer and more pronounced than before.