Beloved ’90s Sitcom Stars Then and Now: 19 Photos of the Funny Actors You Have to See to Believe

From ‘Home Improvement’ to ‘The Nanny,’ these are some of our favorite sitcom stars!

By Tiffany White, Raquel Lekic, Julianne MacNeill Updated: September 13, 2024

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The ‘90s were the golden age of sitcoms, but when the 2000s hit, some of our favorite comedies came to an end, taking our favorite stars along with them. Tuning into these shows weekly — like Step by Step, Family Matters and Seinfeld — became an integral part of our Friday nights, and for the last 30 years, the performances from these stars have stuck with us.

Actresses like Julia Louis-Dreyfus went on to win multiple Emmys for her work in the HBO hit, Veep after her run in Seinfeld, while others have flown under the radar. So where are they all now? Well, we decided to find out and catch up with 19 of our favorite ‘90s sitcom stars — you’ll be surprised to see what they look like today!

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Delta Burke

1995 / 2017 Mitchell Gerber/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images ; Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

The 68-year-old star known for Designing Women hasn't acted much in recent years, aside from a role in 2019's Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, but we will always love her as Suzanne Sugarbaker!
Mayim Bialik

1990 / 2022 Harry Langdon/Getty Images ; Steve Granitz/Getty Images

The 48-year-old is remembered by many for her role in Blossom, but most today recognize her as Amy in The Big Bang Theory. After her success on the series, she continued to act in projects like Call Me Kat and was even the host of Jeopardy.
Kathy Kinney

1997 / 2022 Getty Images/Handout ; David Livingston/Getty Images

Best known for her iconic character Mimi on The Drew Carey Show, the 69-year-old most recently appeared in Stumptown in 2020.
Paul Reiser

1997 / 2023 Victor Malafronte/Hulton Archive/Getty Images ; Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association

Now 68, Paul Reiser's role in Mad About You is still beloved. He still appears frequently in movies and TV shows, his most notable being 2014's Whiplash and a recurring role in Netflix's Stranger Things.
Tim Daly

1995 / 2023 Getty Images/Bob Riha Jr. ; Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Since leaving the popular sitcom, Wings, the 68-year-old has starred in Private Practice and Madam Secretary, and more recently, The Game and Unprisoned.
Mark Curry

1999 / 2021 Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc/Getty Images ; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Now 63 years old, actor and comedian Mark Curry, known for Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, has recently appeared in Blindspotting, Dreams from the Edge and Family Reunion.
Patrick Duffy

1990 / 2023 Harry Langdon/Getty Images ; Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Although ‘90s kids might remember him as the dad from Step by Step, we also remember him for his iconic character, Bobby, in Dallas. Patrick Duffy is now 75 and has most recently appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful as Stephen Logan.
Candice Bergen

1994 / 2018 CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images ; Jason Mendez/Getty Images

Now 78, Candice Bergen, known for Murphy Brown, has appeared in small roles in TV movies throughout the past decade, most recently in And Just Like That...
Jaleel White

1990 / 2023 Fotos International/Archive Photos/Getty Images ; Jesse Grant/Getty Images

We loved him as Steve Urkel on Family Matters, where he popularized the phrase, “Did I do that?” Now 47, Jaleel White frequently appears in small TV roles, his most recent being The Afterparty and American Dad!
Katey Sagal

1989 / 2019 Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc/Getty Images ; Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

After leaving the popular sitcom, Married...with Children, Katey Sagal, now 70, went on to star in Sons of Anarchy, followed by roles in Superior Donuts, Shameless, Rebel, The Conners and Futurama.
Jenna Elfman

1997 / 2023 Victor Malafronte/Hulton Archive/Getty Images ; Phillip Faraone/Getty Images

The 52-year-old actress, known for her role as the free-spirited Dharma on Dharma & Greg, still acts and appears frequently in small roles on TV, most recently on Fear the Walking Dead.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus

1997 / 2023 SGranitz/WireImage/Getty Images ; LEONARDO MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images

We loved Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the hilarious and witty Elaine Benes on Seinfeld, and the comedienne has gone on to enjoy a continuously successful career that included roles in the HBO hit Veep, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Watching Ellie and many more.
Ray Romano

2000 / 2023 SGranitz/WireImage/Getty Images ; Dominik Bindl/Getty Images

You can't flip through the channels without coming across an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, and even after the continued success of the show, Ray Romano can still be seen acting in shows like Bupkis, Made for Love, Get Shorty and more.
Patricia Richardson

1996 / 2019 Derek Storm/FilmMagic/Getty Images ; Michael Tullberg/Getty Images

As Jill in Home Improvement, Patricia Richardson acted alongside Tim Allen in the ‘90s hit sitcom. Today, you can watch her in Chantilly Bridge, Grey's Anatomy and County Line: No Fear, to name a few.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar

1993 / 2023 NBC/Getty Images ; Michael Bezjian/Getty Images for The Art of Elysium

Mark-Paul Gosselaar is known for his role as Zack Morris on Saved by the Bell, but recently, he's shown his stuff on series like Mixed-ish, The Passage, Pitch and Truth Be Told.
Fran Drescher

1995/2024 Jeff Kravitz / Contributor // Amy Sussman / Staff

She rose to fame in the early ‘90s while starring on her hit series, The Nanny, as Fran Fine, on which she was also a writer and producer. More recently, you might’ve caught the 66-year-old actress in Hotel Transylvania 4, Mr. Mayor or Gravesend. Drescher is also currently the president of the Screen Actors Guild!
Danielle Fishel

1999/2022 Steve Granitz / Contributor // Alberto E. Rodriguez / Stringer

We met this star in 1993 as Topanga Lawrence on Boy Meets World and she is still one of our favorite sitcom stars! The actress reprised her role in 2014 on Girl Meets World alongside former costar, Ben Savage.
Alfonso Ribeiro

1999/2024 Steve Granitz / Contributor // Steven Ferdman / Contributor

He became famous for his role as Carlton Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and for his now popular dance move, The Carlton. Today, you can catch the 52-year-old actor and comedian as the host of America’s Funniest Home Videos and Dancing With the Stars.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas

1990/2013 Jeff Kravitz / Contributor // GT/Star Max / Contributor

He was just a young kid when he started portraying Randy Taylor on Home Improvement, but he quickly became one of our favorite heartthrobs. However, this teen idol seemed to leave acting behind, but he did appear on a few episodes of Last Man Standing with his Home Improvement dad, Tim Allen!

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