Teen dramas may be aimed at a younger demographic, but the best of them find a way to resonate with viewers of all ages. We all remember what it was like wading through the perilous waters of adolescence: the awkwardness, the unbridled emotion, the unnecessary cruelty. Those experiences shape us all, whether we like to admit it or not. That is why these shows connect with us on a deeper level, regardless of how long it’s been since we survived high school. For some of us, there are sentiments that seem to be best expressed by teenagers whose lives we’ve become hopelessly invested in.
There are many varieties of teen drama. Several of these shows have gone on to define their entire generation, but if we’re being honest, others are little more than guilty pleasures. Sometimes fairly unimpressive shows got too much attention, while some of the greats don’t seem to ever get the recognition that they deserve. Consider the groundbreaking series canceled in their prime, while certain shows lived on long past their expiration date.
Many actors have gotten their starts on teen dramas, both excellent and awful. For some performers, these shows have acted as a career launchpad, but others, not so much. In certain series, these stars were portraying ancillary characters, but their talent was undeniable. The stranger cases are the actors that the show was built around, who played iconic characters only to later fade into obscurity.
Here are 10 Teen Drama Actors Who Became Hollywood Stars (And 10 Who Disappeared From The Spotlight).
A-Lister: Chris Pratt - Everwood
Some of us fell for Chris Pratt long before he portrayed lovable loser Andy on Parks and Recreation. From 2002-2006, the actor played Bright Abbott on Everwood, one of television’s most underrated dramas. Everwood tackled subject matter rarely seen on TV and it did so with all of the heart and none of the melodrama of its contemporaries. Fellow MCU star Emily Van Camp also got her start on the series.
These days Pratt is a bona fide star, headlining not one, but two major franchises: Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World.
He was initially a shocking choice to play Star-Lord, as most fans knew him only from Parks and Rec, which seemed a strange pool from which to draw a superhero. Of course, now no one can imagine anyone else in the role.
Faded: Tom Welling - Smallville
For many, Tom Welling is the definitive version of Superman. Smallville was very much ahead of its time. It made the Man of Steel relatable, a feat that even the comics have scarcely managed to accomplish. Much of the success of the series hinged on Tom Welling.
Fans were disappointed that he wasn’t the one to suit up in Superman Returns.
Welling seemed poised to become a star, but since Smallville ended, he hasn’t been seen much.
The actor did recently play Marcus Pierce on Lucifer, but that was his first noteworthy role since 2011. He had precious few film parts in between and doesn’t seem to have anything on the horizon. It’s easy to get burned out after ten years of playing the same character, so perhaps Welling hasn’t put much effort into furthering his career.
A-Lister: Sebastian Stan - Gossip Girl
Sebastian Stan may have only appeared as Carter Baizen on Gossip Girl for eleven episodes, but the role definitely led him to bigger and better things.
Before landing the part of Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, in the MCU, Stan did his time on TV, with a stint as the Mad Hatter on Once Upon a Time, among other things. Stan’s work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps the actor incredibly busy - thus far, he has appeared in six films and is slated to return for Avengers 4, despite the fact that his character is currently deceased.
Although he’s spending a lot of his time in costume these days, Stan still had to time to costar alongside Margot Robbie in the excellent I,Tonya. He has several projects in the works, including The Last Full Measure and Destroyer.
Faded: Mischa Barton - The OC
Mischa Barton’s career skyrocketed thanks to her role as Marissa Cooper on The OC. Cooper was a beloved character and even after she met a tragic end, it seemed Barton could rise from those ashes. Unfortunately, the actress has since spent far more time in the tabloids than she has onscreen. Her first attempt at returning to television, The Beautiful Life, was canceled after airing a mere two episodes.
Aside from her never-ending onslaught of tabloid articles criticizing everything from her looks to her behavior, Barton has had a string of legal troubles, beginning with her 2007 DUI arrest. She has been hospitalized twice since 2009 and last year one of her exes was attempting to sell a revenge tape featuring her to the highest bidder. Barton may never find her way back to the spotlight.
A-Lister: Claire Danes - My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life winds up on just about every list of canceled-too-soon TV shows and with good reason. The series was incredibly groundbreaking, tackling serious issues without ever sounding like an after-school special. It also expertly captured both the heartbreak and humor of adolescence. Claire Danes is forever immortalized as Angela Chase, despite the show ending after a single incredible season.
Danes was just fifteen years old when she was cast in MSCL, but the show’s cancellation didn’t slow her down one bit. The actress went on to star in films such as Romeo + Juliet, Igby Goes Down and the film adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust. These days, however, she is best known as Carrie Mathison on Homeland, which recently wrapped its 7th season and was picked up for an 8th.
Faded: Taylor Kitsch - Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights was replete with lovable, relatable characters, but if FNL fans were asked to choose a single breakout star from the series, most of them would likely pick Taylor Kitsch’s Tim Riggins.
He seemed to be the one to watch after the show ended. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to see.
Kitsch is a good actor, but his projects never seem to pan out. From box office bombs like John Carter to the much maligned second season of True Detective to the poorly received Wolverine: Origins, the actor has yet to find a truly compelling role.
His performance as David Koresh in the recent Waco miniseries was praised, although the show itself got tepid reviews. Hopefully, he’ll have better luck behind the camera with his upcoming directorial debut, Pieces, which he will also star in.
A-Lister: Tessa Thompson - Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars is another series that was canceled far too soon. The neo-noir drama was whip smart, funny and never underestimated the intelligence of the viewer, despite being ostensibly aimed at teens. Long before Tessa Thompson joined the MCU as Valkyrie, she portrayed a very different - although similarly surly - character on VMars. Thompson appeared in the show’s second season, as new student, Jackie Cook.
Following that, Thompson had a slew of other TV roles, which eventually led to parts in acclaimed films such as Dear White People, Selma, and Annihilation. She also starred in Creed with fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe alum, Michael B. Jordan, and is set to return for the sequel, which is dropping in November.
Her performance as Valkyrie was a highlight of Thor: Ragnarok, so hopefully her career in the MCU is just beginning.
Faded: Ed Westwick - Gossip Girl
There are many aspects of Gossip Girl that could be described as going too far. Even still, it’s difficult to get over the show’s treatment of Chuck Bass.
Ed Westwick’s charms made fans root for Chuck, completely overlooking the fact that he attempted to assault not one, but two different women in the pilot alone. The writers chose to make him a romantic lead anyway, with an arc that utterly failed to redeem him.
Had life not imitated art, Westwick might be in a different category on this list. The actor has been accused of assault himself, by three different women with very similar stories.
In light of the ongoing investigation, production was halted on the second season of Westwick’s current series, White Gold.
BBC also replaced him in the Agatha Christie special he was supposed to star in.
A-Lister: Dev Patel - Skins
Before Dev Patel’s breakthrough performance in Slumdog Millionaire, the actor was best known for his portrayal of Anwar Kharral in Skins. The series was nothing like its contemporaries. For one thing, the show let teens be teens, utterly refusing to censor bad behavior. Skins didn’t feature lavish backdrops or kids who spoke like adults. The median age in the writers’ room was twenty-two and the actors weren’t much older than the characters that they played.
Patel has come a long way since his time on Skins. After Slumdog Millionaire, the actor went on to star in HBO’s The Newsroom and has had several notable film roles as well, including his Oscar-nominated turn in Lion. He is currently working on The Personal History of David Copperfield.
Faded: Jason Behr - Roswell
There was a time when Jason Behr seemed like he was going to be a pretty big deal. If you didn’t grow up in the ‘90s, you can be excused for having no idea who he is, since his fame never actually materialized.
After guest spots on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dawson’s Creek, Behr starred in Roswell from 1999-2002. This series from Jason Katims, of Friday Night Lights and Parenthood fame, also served as a starting point for Shiri Appleby and Katherine Heigl.
The alien drama lasted for three seasons, but Behr has scarcely been seen since.
The actor has had a handful of film and television roles over the years, with 2004’s The Grudge being the most high profile. His last acting gig was a recurring part on Breakout Kings, a short-lived A&E series canceled in 2012.
A-Lister: Dylan O’Brien - Teen Wolf
It’s difficult to believe that Dylan O’Brien scored a starring role on Teen Wolf with a resume consisting of nothing beyond two links to his YouTube videos. Luckily, O’Brien’s line readings won over creator Jeff Davis enough to go home and actually check them out. Stiles became a fan favorite, stealing every scene that he was in, so it’s understandable that O’Brien became the show’s breakout star.
The actor shot to superstardom after being cast as Thomas in the film adaptations of James Dashner’s The Maze Runner trilogy. He has been steadily working ever since and is regularly fan cast as various superheroes, Nightwing in particular. Although Brenton Thwaites will be suiting up in DC’s Titans TV show, perhaps there is hope that O’Brien will be cast as Dick Grayson in Chris McKay’s upcoming film.
Faded: Chad Michael Murray - One Tree Hill
After recurring parts on Gilmore Girls and Dawson’s Creek, Chad Michael Murray landed the starring role of Lucas Scott on One Tree Hill. Over the course of his stint on the series, he was cast in films such as A Cinderella Story and House of Wax. However, he left OTH after its 6th season and hasn't made much of a return to film or television.
It would seem that Murray needed OTH just as much as the show needed him - there was really no reason to watch after he and onscreen love interest Hilarie Burton made their exit.
Murray has continued to work steadily ever since, but it’s likely that Agent Carter is the only show to recently feature him that you’ve heard of.
It’s not the career trajectory that most fans would’ve expected.
A-Lister: Kristen Bell - Veronica Mars
Although the snappy dialogue and compelling stories were key ingredients to the success of Veronica Mars, much of its brilliance can be traced back to Kristen Bell. Veronica was as resourceful as Buffy Summers and had better sleuthing skills than Nancy Drew, but she was no carbon copy of either.
Bell’s performance was undeniably authentic. She made Veronica instantly relatable and added her to the small but ever growing pantheon of unforgettable female TV characters.
Not only did Bell reprise her role for the Veronica Mars movie, but she has had plenty of other notable film parts as well, such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Bad Moms. She voiced Anna in Frozen and is set to return for the sequel. Bell also managed to find her way onto another excellent show, The Good Place, which was renewed for a 3rd season.
Faded: Shenae Grimes - 90210
90210 had a difficult job to do and it didn’t exactly do it well. Rebooting a series more beloved for its nostalgia factor than anything else was always a risky move. Let’s be honest, Beverly Hills, 90210 was always a guilty pleasure. The 2008 series failed to capture the zeitgeist of the aughts the way that the original did with the ‘90s, which would’ve been fine had it been a better show.
Shenae Grimes portrayed Annie Wilson, the Brenda Walsh of the bunch. As the series wore on, the writers gave her one ridiculous plot point after another and it became difficult to remain invested in her fate at all.
The actress didn’t find any more success after the show ended, appearing in one TV movie after another.
She recently starred in Canadian drama, The Detail.
A-Lister: Nicholas Hoult - Skins
Yes, Nicholas Hoult’s breakthrough performance was actually Marcus Brewer in About a Boy, but his next major part was Tony Stonem on Skins. Some child actors find a way to make the transition into adult roles, but others never really do. Hoult definitely falls into the former category.
Of course, Hoult has been portraying Hank McCoy, aka Beast, in Fox’s X-Men universe since 2011. He will be featured as the character yet again when Dark Phoenix drops next year. Hoult has appeared in many other films as well, including Warm Bodies, Dark Places, and Mad Max: Fury Road.
He will be portraying J.R.R. Tolkien in the author’s upcoming biopic, as well as voicing Fiver in the Netflix adaptation of Watership Down.
Faded: James Van Der Beek - Dawson's Creek
James Van Der Beek was one of the biggest stars of the late ‘90s-early 2000s, portraying Dawson Leery on Dawson’s Creek from 1998-2003.
These days, the actor is better known for a host of funny memes than for any current projects.
Van Der Beek has worked steadily since his series ended, appearing on shows such as One Tree Hill, How I Met Your Mother, and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 - in which he played a rather hilarious parody of himself. However, he has never come close to attaining the same level of fame that he once enjoyed.
To be fair, Van Der Beek does not seem overly concerned with his acting career and hasn’t for quite some time. He seems to understand that for better or worse, he will always be Dawson Leery.
A-Lister: Jared Leto - My So-Called Life
It’s possible that there was no character crushed on quite as hard in the ‘90s as the dreamy, but taciturn object of Angela Chase’s affections, Jordan Catalano. Jared Leto could convey so much with a single glance, allowing Angela - and the viewers - to read into his every expression.
Leto’s post-MSCL career took off rather slowly. He began with minor roles in films such as Fight Club, but his real breakthrough came with Requiem for a Dream in 2000. Since then, the actor has been very discerning in his choice of roles and has become known for transforming himself for his work.
He won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club and played the DCEU’s Joker in Suicide Squad, a role he is rumored to be reprising in the sequel.
Faded: Vivien Cardone - Everwood
Of all the actors on this list who failed to find success after moving on from their shows, Vivien Cardone has worked the least. She was a true child actor, beginning her career at three months old in national commercials and continuing on to a breakout role in the Oscar-award winning film, A Beautiful Mind.
Cardone landed the part on Everwood when she was eleven and remained on the series for its entire run. Fans loved her as the precocious Delia Brown, but like many who begin their careers so young, Cardone never found a way to transition into a proper acting career.
Since her series ended, Cardone has appeared in a couple episodes of the Law & Order franchise, as well as a recurring role on One Life to Live. Other than that, she has been scarcely seen.
A-lister: James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segel - Freaks & Geeks
Freaks and Geeks not only understood the painful awkwardness of adolescence, but also the undeniable humor. Considering the talent involved, it seems crazy that the series only aired twelve of eighteen episodes before getting the axe. Judd Apatow and Paul Feig have both gone onto great careers behind the scenes and James Franco, Jason Segel, and Seth Rogen are now household names.
Segel gained acclaim for Forgetting Sarah Marshall, as well as his tenure on How I Met Your Mother. Franco and Rogen have worked on several films together, including This is the End and Pineapple Express, but both have also become very successful actors in their own right as well.
Rogen will soon voice Pumbaa in Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Lion King and Franco is set to play Jamie Madrox in the upcoming Multiple Man film.
Faded: Sarah Michele Geller - Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains as groundbreaking and influential as it was when the pilot aired more than twenty years ago. Although the series is rightfully praised for everything from witty dialogue to brilliant storytelling, much of the show’s success rested on the small shoulders of Sarah Michelle Gellar, who brought to life one of the greatest fictional feminist icons ever created. Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans may be loathe to admit it, but Gellar’s career tanked after the series ended.
Gellar is undeniably a great actress, but she simply never found another vehicle for her talents after BtVS took its final bow.
Ringer wasn’t very good and although The Crazy Ones actually was, no one was watching. Luckily, these days Gellar seems more focused on other pursuits anyway, having written a successful cookbook called Stirring Up Fun with Food.
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Can you think of any other teen dramas stars who hit it big? Let us know in the comments!