Remember the time when you used to gaze at the movie posters on your bedroom walls or flip through magazine after magazine? These were the guys who made your heart flutter. But what happened when the bootcut jeans were put away, and the CW lineup changed? Here is the list of 15 biggest 2000s heartthrobs down memory lane and what they are doing these days.
15. Jesse McCartney
Before a hit like Beautiful Soul made Jesse McCartney a name everyone knows, Jesse was already acting on All My Children and starring in series like Summerland and Greek. Besides this, he was the voice behind memorable animated characters, like Theodore in Alvin and the Chipmunks and Roxas in Kingdom Hearts. Presently, Jesse is still into music and voice acting, a combo that celebrates his teen-idol legacy.
14. Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu won the audience’s affection with his role of Chad Danforth in High School Musical and was the lead of Disney’s Jump In! Afterward, he settled on the Broadway stage, featuring in, among others, In the Heights and Kiss Me, Kate. Corbin Bleu is still in the acting game with recent works in Camp Hideout and To Write Love on Her Arms.
13. Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom was the fantasy world dream of the 2000s, playing Legolas in The Lord of the Rings and Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean. After a subdued phase, he came back to the small screen with Carnival Row, where he is also an executive producer. He is married to Katy Perry, and they have a baby girl named Daisy.
12. Taylor Lautner
Taylor Lautner achieved worldwide popularity as Jacob Black in Twilight, after he played Sharkboy in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, a role. After Twilight, he was in Adam Sandler movies, and in a TV series called Scream Queens, and in 2022, he got married to Taylor Dome. In addition, he was featured in Taylor Swift’s “I Can See You” music video.
11. Ryan Phillippe
The dark hero of Cruel Intentions and I Know What You Did Last Summer, Ryan Phillippe, was also in Crash and Flags of Our Fathers. Lately, he has been a part of Big Sky, though his personal life has been like a roller coaster with the ups and downs, and among them are legal disputes.
10. Patrick Dempsey
“McDreamy” from Grey’s Anatomy, Patrick Dempsey, was also the leading character in romantic comedies like Sweet Home Alabama and Made of Honor. After the show, he went on to professional auto racing, and in 2023, he was People’s Sexiest Man Alive. Dempsey still takes part in acting with some of the recent works being Bridget Jones’s Baby and Ferrari.
9. Zac Efron
Disney heartthrob Zac Efron got his fame through the movies High School Musical and Hairspray. Afterward, he had a varied career in which he took part in both comedies and dramas, and his latest role is that of Kevin Von Erich in The Iron Claw. Efron has been candid about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse, and he has totally recovered from a health scare in Ibiza in 2024.
8. Chad Michael Murray
The lead of One Tree Hill, Dawson’s Creek, and Gilmore Girls, Chad Michael Murray, was also featured in A Cinderella Story and Freaky Friday. He has been coming back to the reruns and Netflix originals and is also going to play the role of the character from Freaky Friday that he will have in Freakier Friday with the return of his character.
7. Josh Hartnett
During the 2000s, Josh Hartnett was the man behind the success of many projects, such as Pearl Harbor and 40 Days and 40 Nights. After he took a hiatus from Hollywood, he made a comeback with Oppenheimer and Trap. Hartnett also participates in charitable works, like the drought awareness he does in the eastern part of Africa.
6. Robert Pattinson
Before he was the Dark Knight, Robert Pattinson was Edward Cullen in Twilight and Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He has since become a very talented actor in The Lighthouse and The Batman, while at the same time, he is involved with music through movie soundtracks.
5. Channing Tatum
Channing Tatum became popular through Step Up, and he was then the go-to star for rom-coms and action films. Thanks to Magic Mike and 21 Jump Street, he still has the love of the fans, and that’s how he keeps his talent as well as his moves alive with the rest of us.
4. Chris Pine
Chris Pine was able to get the love of the audience by playing the role of the prince in The Princess Diaries 2, and later Captain Kirk in Star Trek. Besides bulking up for the big-budget films, he is also doing small projects and hence proving that he is not just good-looking but also has the talent and can stay power.
3. Freddie Prinze Jr.
The romantic comedy lead in She’s All That and the Scooby-Doo movies, Freddie Prinze Jr., is now mostly behind the camera as a producer, and his voice is heard in animation. He is the husband of the fellow teen idol Sarah Michelle Gellar, and they sometimes work together off-stage.
2. The Jonas Brothers
Nick, Joe, and Kevin Jonas were the perfect boy band heartthrobs, acting in Camp Rock and their own Disney Channel show. As a band, they have come together again and are still going to different places for concerts, which is a clear indication that they still have the same appeal as pop stars.
1. Tom Welling
It was with the role of Clark Kent in Smallville that Tom Welling became absolutely memorable. His unassuming charisma and heroic charm made him the Superman of a generation. Welling did not stop there; he acted in series such as Lucifer and is still a popular person among the superhero community.
Though the 2000s teen heartthrob era is gone, these stars are still making waves, be it on the screen, the theater, or the pop culture news. If you want a dose of nostalgia, just play a classic teen drama or a Disney Channel favorite and let the good times come back.