Remember all of your childhood T.V. crushes? Since there’s a good chance that you remember watching Disney Channel favorites like “Lizzie McGuire” and ABC’s “Full House” like it was only yesterday, you may be shocked to know that Ethan Craft is now 27 and DJ’s wrestling boyfriend Steve is 39. In honor of these T.V. heartthrobs, we decided to do a little research and see where these charmers ended up after their respective shows came to an end.
Ben Savage a.k.a. Cory Matthews from “Boy Meets World”Age: 34
Then: Was anyone not obsessed with Cory Matthews? His quirky charm captured all of our hearts. He was not only the best boyfriend ever, but also an A+ brother and friend. As we watched him transition from middle school, to high school, and all the way to college (having Mr. Feeny as a teacher the entire time, of course) our fondness only continued to grow exponentially over the years.
Now: Let’s start with the most important fact: Ben Savage did not marry Topanga in real life and is still very much single! After “Boy Meets World” (“BMW”) ended, Savage graduated from Stanford University with a political science degree and interned for U.S. Senator Arlen Specter in 2003 with his program. He has continued to act, and most notably is now a lead in Disney’s new sitcom “Girl Meets World,” which, as you probably guessed, is a follow-up series to BMW where Cory and Topanga are the parents (time flies, huh?!). Ladies, Cory Matthews is back in action.
Clayton Synder aka Ethan Craft from “Lizzie McGuire”Age: 27
Then: Everyone knew Ethan Craft as the heartthrob on “Lizzie McGuire.” In short, he was the stupid jock with great hair and a smile to swoon for.
Now: After the “Lizzie McGuire” series unfortunately ended, Clayton went on to attend Pepperdine University with a water polo scholarship. Clayton started all four years and served as captain his junior and senior year. Upon graduating in 2010 with a degree in Film Studies, he pursued making the USA National Water Polo Team, training with them during the summer, and went on to play professionally in Europe. Clayton has continued to pursue acting, landing minor roles in a handful of TV series and a variety of short films.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar aka Zack Morris from “Saved By the Bell”Age: 40
Then: Everyone remembers the incredibly charming schemer Zack Morris from “Saved By the Bell.” When he wasn’t getting in trouble in Mr. Belding’s office, he was most likely hanging out with friends at the diner, The Max. Not to mention, weren’t we all just a little bit jealous of Kelly Kapowski? Zack’s charm inevitably worked on both Kelly and us!
Now: As of 2014, Gosselaar started his fourth season starring as attorney Peter Bash on TNT’s “Franklin & Bash.” In 2012, he married advertising executive Catriona McGinn. In September 2013, they had a son named Dekker Edward. Gosselaar also has two other children from his previous marriage to former model Lisa Ann Russell.
Adam Brody aka Seth Cohen from “The O.C.”Age: 34
Then: Hands down the most likeable nerd on T.V., Seth Cohen was the dorky kid who ultimately got the girl. His wit and charm brought humor to any awkward situation and although some may be confused by his choice of sidekick being a plastic horse named Captain Oats, we found it all the more endearing. Seth is a guy who isn’t afraid of romance and taking risks, as most dramatically demonstrated at the end of Season 1 when he stands up on the coffee cart professing his love for Summer. Another reason why we loved Seth so much? His holiday spirit was out of this world. Any guy that creates his own holiday combining Christmas and Hanukkah is definitely a keeper.
Now: In “The O.C.’s” final season, Brody obtained minor movie roles in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Thank You For Smoking,” and “In The Land of Women.” When the show officially announced its cancellation in 2007, Brody continued to act in a series of independent films and movies such as “Jennifer’s Body,” “The Romantics,” and “Cop Out.” Relationship wise, Adam Brody is unfortunately off the market. In February 2010 he married the real life Blair Waldorf of T.V., Leighton Meester.
Scott Weinger aka Steve Hale from “Full House”Age: 39
Then: Steve was DJ’s athletic, witty, and cute boyfriend we were all happy to see hanging out at the Tanner house (even if he was emptying their refrigerator as shown in the theme song.) He was the captain of the wrestling team, adored DJ, got along with the whole family and even flew to Disney World once because he missed DJ so much. Does he go down in history as one of the best TV boyfriends? We say yes.
Now: Scott Weinger, who many may not know is the voice of Aladdin in the classic Disney film, went on to attend Harvard after the last episode of “Full House.” During his college years, he served as an on camera youth correspondent for “Good Morning America.” After graduating with a degree in English, Weinger emerged as a prolific television writer and producer. His most recent work was his role as a writer-producer for the show “90210.” He is currently married fellow TV writer/producer Rina Mimoun.
Milo Ventimiglia aka Jess Mariano from “Gilmore Girls”Age: 37
Then: Who could forget Luke’s bad-boy nephew? Jess swiftly peaked Rory’s love interest upon moving to Stars Hollow even though she was still in a relationship with Dean. Rory and Jess were kindred spirits with a lot in common, but Jess had a way of bringing good-girl Rory to the dark side. Not only did Rory skip class and her mother’s graduation, she cheated on Dean with Jess at Sookie’s wedding. Bad boy, bad boy, whatcha gonna do? Sometimes we can’t help falling for them.
Now: Actually in real life, Milo Ventimiglia is quite the opposite of the bad boy he portrays in Gilmore Girls. He is a lacto-vegetarian (vegetarian that eats some dairy products) and was named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ Sexiest Vegetarian in 2009 (works for us!). He also does not smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol. However, he does have three known tattoos, so we still think there is a little bad boy in him. He dated Rory (Alexis Bledel) in real life from 2002-2006, but currently appears to be unattached!
Rider Strong aka Shawn Hunter from “Boy Meets World”Age: 34
Then: Who didn’t love that mischievous and charming grin on Shawn Hunter? He was beloved by all viewers as Cory’s best friend with a laid-back, yet rebellious attitude. He was always a good friend to Cory, and the duo made up one of the most popular “bromances” on television. Shawn was a bit of a troublemaker, but for that, the ladies loved him. He would push back his luscious brown locks and make the ladies swoon. You could always find Shawn snoozing in the back row, showing up at the Matthews’ house unannounced, or on a date at Chubbie’s.
Now: After Boy Meets World ended, Rider Strong graduated in 2004 from Columbia University with a degree in English. He certainly put his talents and English degree to use when he and his brother, Shiloh Strong, wrote and directed the short film called “Irish Twins,” which premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. In 2006, he began dating actress Alexandra Barreto while filming the television series “Pepper Dennis.” Strong married Barreto in October 2013. In March 2014, Strong reprised his role as Shawn Hunter in two episodes of “Girl Meets World. “