25 Actors Who Starred On Iconic Teen TV Shows And Movies And Now Play Parents

1 year ago 6

Teen drama legends Leighton Meester and Adam Brody are married with two kids of their own IRL — and also played parents together on TV.

If there's one thing I'm good at, it's being a thirtysomething teenager — I'm currently watching three different teen dramas. And since I watch current teen television but also grew up on the teen television of my actual teen years, every once in a while, I really appreciate seeing former teen TV stars popping up in the parent roles.

Belly and Susannah hugging in the summer I turned pretty season 2

So here are some familiar faces from our past who are playing parents in a cute nod to their iconic roles, in reboots of their classic shows or just because they're now of parent age and that's how time works:

1. Rachel Blanchard played Cher in the 1996 Clueless TV series:

Closeup of Rachel Blanchard

Now, she plays Susannah Fisher on The Summer I Turned Pretty:

Susannah in "The Summer I Turned Pretty"

In 2020, she played Kristy's mom on The Baby-Sitters Club reboot:

Alicia Silverstone in "The Baby-Sitters Club"

3. Freddie Prinze Jr. played Zack Siler in She's All That (1999):

Screenshot from "She's All That"

In 2022, he played Miguel — a single dad — in Christmas with You:

Screenshots from "Christmas with You"

4. Raven-Symoné played Raven Baxter on That's So Raven starting in 2003:

Raven-Symoné

In 2017, she started playing the character again as an adult with kids on Raven's Home.

Screenshot from "Raven's Home"

5. Kate Bosworth played surfer Anne Marie in Blue Crush (2002):

Screenshot from "Blue Crush"

In 2022, she played Auden's stepmother Heidi in Along for the Ride:

Screenshot from "Along for the Ride"

6. Zac Efron played 17-year-old Troy Bolton in High School Musical in 2006:

Screenshot from "High School Musical"

In 2022, he played the telepathic father to a child with pyrokinesis in Firestarter:

Closeup of Zac Efron in "Firestarter"

In 2021, he voiced the role of Agustín Madrigal in Encanto:

Screenshot from "Encanto"

In 2022, they reprised their roles — their characters are now married with a son named Jay Kelso:

Screenshot from "That '90s Show"

9. Jason Segel played Nick Andopolis on Freaks and Geeks in 2000.

Jason Segel in "Freaks and Geeks"

In 2023, he starred as Jimmy Laird, a widowed father to a teenage girl on Shrinking:

Jason Segel in "Shrinking"

10. Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Tiffani Thiessen played Zack Morris and Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell in the '90s:

Kelly and Zack

In 2020, they reprised their roles on the Peacock reboot.

Grown-up Zack and Kelly

11. Riley Smith played Dean Talon in the Disney Channel Original Movie Motocrossed (2001):

Screenshot from "Motocrossed"

Starting in 2019, he's played Ryan Hudson on Nancy Drew (and IYKYK whose father he is):

Screenshot from "Nancy Drew"

12. Speaking of Nancy Drew, Scott Wolf played Bailey Salinger on Party of Five:

Closeup of Scott Wolf

And in 2019, he started playing the role of Nancy's dad Carson Drew.

Screenshot from "Nancy Drew"

13. Leighton Meester played THE Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl starting in 2007:

Leighton Meester as Blair

In 2018, she starred on ABC's Single Parents as Angie D'Amato:

Leighton Meester in "Single Parents"

14. Adam Brody played THE Seth Cohen on The O.C. from 2003–2007:

Screenshot from "The O.C."

He appeared opposite his now-wife Leighton on Single Parents as Derek, the father of her child:

The cast of "Single Parents"

15. Benjamin McKenzie played 16-year-old Ryan Atwood on The O.C. starting in 2003:

Ryan in "The O.C."

In 2022, he played the father of a 17-year-old in the rom-com I Want You Back:

Ben McKenzie in "I Want You Back"

16. Kristen Bell played Veronica Mars on Veronica Mars starting in 2004:

Screenshot from "Veronica Mars"

In 2021, she played Anna in The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window:

Kristen Bell as Anna

17. Barry Watson played Matt Camden on 7th Heaven starting in 1996:

Screenshot from "7th Heaven"

In 2022, he played Naomi's father Greg in Naomi:

Screenshot from "Naomi"

18. Chad Michael Murray played Lucas Scott on One Tree Hill starting in 2003:

Closeup of Chad Michael Murray

In 2019, he played the role of cult leader Edgar Evernever on Riverdale:

Chad Michael Murray in "Riverdale"

19. Mekhi Phifer played Odin "O" James in 2001's O:

Screenshot from "O"

In 2020, he played Mia's dad Harold on Love, Victor:

Screenshot from "Love, Victor"

20. Sophia Bush starred as Brooke Davis on One Tree Hill starting in 2003:

Screenshot from "One Tree Hill"

And she played Veronica, Mia's stepmom, opposite Mekhi on Love, Victor:

Screenshot from "Love, Victor"

21. Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel played childhood sweethearts Cory and Topanga on Boy Meets World:

Screenshot from "Boy Meets World"

In 2016, we saw them all grown up, raising a family, and still together on Girl Meets World.

Screenshot from "Girl Meets World"

22. Luke Perry played Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210 starting in 1990:

Dylan in "Beverly Hills, 90210"

23. Nia Peeples played Nicole Chapman on Fame starting in 1983...

Screenshot from "Fame"

In 2010, she started playing Emily's mom on Pretty Little Liars.

Screenshot from "Pretty Little Liars"

24. Skeet Ulrich played Billy Loomis in Scream in 1996:

Screenshot from "Scream"

In 2017, he started playing F.P. Jones on Riverdale:

Screenshot from "Riverdale"

25. And finally, Molly Ringwald is THE iconic '80s teen movie star who was in everything from Pretty in Pink to The Breakfast Club:

Molly Ringwald in "Pretty in Pink"

She pivoted to playing a mom in a ton of teen projects as well, including The Secret Life of the American Teenager, The Kissing Booth, and most recently, Riverdale.

Closeup of Molly Ringwald

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