You remember them, those larger-than-life faces that lived in your TV, danced across your vinyls, or stared at you from teen magazine posters taped to your bedroom wall. Then, bam! They vanished. Gone like rotary phones and Tab soda. But guess what? They’re back, baby. And not just back, they’re thriving, flipping the script, and showing the world how to age like fine wine in a world obsessed with oat milk.
This isn’t your average “Where Are They Now?” snoozefest. Nope. This is a joyride through the lives of legends who hit the brakes, took a pit stop, and are now speeding back onto the scene with turbo-charged flair. Some are reinventing themselves. Some never stopped hustling. And all of them? Crushing it in ways that’ll make you cheer, laugh, and maybe even rethink that dream you shelved in ’82.
Ready for the glow-up of the century? Slide on.
1
Steve Martin
Steve Martin owned the ’80s with Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Now he’s back in full force co-creating, writing, and starring in Only Murders in the Building, winning new fans and topping it off with a two-part Apple TV+ documentary and a thriving music career.
2
Brendan Fraser
In the ’90s, he swung through George of the Jungle and ruled with The Mummy. After years away, he roared back with The Whale, an emotional powerhouse that made Hollywood fall in love with him all over again.
3
Martin Short
From SCTV and Saturday Night Live to Three Amigos, Martin Short was comedy gold in the ’80s. Now he’s shining again beside Steve Martin in Only Murders in the Building, fresh off a new tour (The Dukes of Funnytown) and a first-ever SAG Award.
4
Dolly Parton
She conquered the charts and our hearts in the ’70s and ’80s. Today, Dolly is an unstoppable brand, from Dollywood to literacy charities, still dropping hits and rhinestones like confetti. She even has a song with Sabrina Carpenter!
5
Jennifer Coolidge
She stole scenes in Legally Blonde and American Pie, then went quiet, until The White Lotus turned her into TV royalty. Now she’s the comeback queen with the best one-liners in the business.
6
Cher
From ’60s pop to Oscar-winning powerhouse, Cher’s done it all. Decades later, she’s still touring, recording, and tweeting like a legend who refuses to leave the stage, and we’re grateful for it.
7
Stevie Nicks
The bewitching voice of Fleetwood Mac in the ’70s still casts a spell today. Stevie keeps touring, collaborating, and inspiring new generations who dress like her without even realizing it.
8
Meryl Streep
She defined acting excellence in Sophie’s Choice and Kramer vs. Kramer. Now she still reigns supreme, adding Only Murders in the Building to her résumé and filming the new movie for The Devil Wears Prada, proving she’s everyone’s eternal favorite scene-stealer.
9
Demi Moore
Once one of the biggest stars of the ’90s with Ghost and A Few Good Men, Demi Moore now thrives on reinvention: acting in The Substance (which almost gave her the Oscar), writing, and sharing her story in documentaries, social media, and beyond.
10
Robert Downey Jr.
From ’80s prodigy to ’90s tabloid trouble, RDJ turned it all around: becoming Iron Man and the face of redemption itself. Today he’s a Hollywood titan, producer, and the guy who made comebacks cool.
11
Winona Ryder
The ’90s darling of Heathers and Edward Scissorhands vanished for a while. Then Stranger Things made her the queen of nostalgia and a pop-culture icon all over again.
12
Shania Twain
She made the ’90s country-pop era sparkle with Come On Over. Now she’s touring, releasing new music, and still proving that “let’s go, girls” never gets old.
13
Keanu Reeves
He surfed through Point Break, dodged bullets in The Matrix, and just kept going. Now with John Wick, he’s both action hero and internet saint, a humble icon for every generation.
14
Nicolas Cage
Once Hollywood’s wildest leading man, Nic Cage drifted into meme territory and came back cooler than ever. With Pig and Longlegs, he’s turned eccentric into art and weird into wonderful.
15
Jason Bateman
From ’80s teen TV to grown-up gravitas, Jason Bateman reinvented himself as the brains and face of Ozark. Now he’s actor, director, and one of Hollywood’s quiet power players.
