1980s Movie Stars: Then And Now

Aileen Quinn
Prone to breaking into song as little ‘Annie’, Quinn probably contributed to a brief drop in the public’s sympathy towards orphans, but she didn’t have a hard knock life – far from it. At age 18, Aileen got into political science, learned to speak Spanish and spent six months living in Chile as part of an exchange program. She hit the stage in the '90s and toured with productions including 'Fiddler On The Roof’ and 'Saturday Night Fever’. Now 43, Quinn completed the circle of life by playing the older role of Lily in a stage version of 'Annie’. Oh, and she is the lead singer of a Rockabilly band called The Leaping Lizards.

Annie Potts
Chances are you know Potts as Janine Melnitz, faithful and sarcastic receptionist of the 'Ghostbusters’. But did you know she also voices Bo Peep in the 'Toy Story’ movies? Bo went AWOL for 'Toy Story 3’ (and, presumably, will stay lost for 'Toy Story 4’ in 2017), but one-time Golden Globe-nominee Potts stuck around, forging a solid career in television ('Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’) and on stage ('Pippin’). Potts was reunited with 'Ghostbusters’ co-stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Sigourney Weaver for a 30th anniversary photoshoot but has remained tight-lipped about the possibility of a role in Paul Feig’s forthcoming female-led 'Ghostbusters’ reboot.

Andrew McCarthy
Boyish star of 'St Elmo’s Fire’ and probably the most attainable member of The Brat Pack, McCarthy never really needed to grow up – now 51, he’s retained his good looks, but we bet he wishes he had the kind of parts Rob Lowe is getting these days. TV work provides some sanctuary but McCarthy was recently bitten by the travel bug and is currently Editor at Large at National Geographic Traveler magazine. He does find time to direct, however, and helmed five episodes of Netflix prison drama 'Orange Is The New Black’.

David Moscow
Best known for playing a young Josh Baskin in 'Big’, we were dismayed to find that David Moscow looks nothing like Tom Hanks as an adult – and we were equally upset that he’s not followed in Hanks’ Hollywood footsteps. His most high profile post-'Big’ role was in TV sitcom 'Zoey, Duncan, Jack & Jane’ (he was Duncan, duh) and his most recent part was as a villain in 'Vacancy 2: The First Cut’, a DTV sequel to a Kate Beckinsale slasher flick nobody saw. How he must wish for a Zoltar machine of his own…

Henry Thomas
For a while it looked like Henry Thomas – the young star of Steven Spielberg’s 'E.T.’ - might be on the road to success in adulthood when he starred in Billy Bob Thornton’s 'All The Pretty Horses’ and alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s 'Gangs Of New York’. Alas, it didn’t stick, and so Thomas had to pay rent the old fashioned way – TV work (see: guest spots in 'CSI’, 'Without A Trace’, 'The Mentalist’ etc). He’s less fresh-faced these days and Thomas recently claimed E.T. almost ruined his life: “I was like a circus freak,” he said. “I became an 11-year-old hermit.”

Tami Erin
Tami was the lucky one in a crowd of over 8,000 kids who auditioned for the lead role in 1988’s 'The New Adventures Of Pippi Longstocking’, but she made the role her own with her winning smile and her long red hair. The smile would fade, however, as she failed to find more work in Hollywood (save for the part of 'Pasta Bear Wife’ in 'Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Chrimbus Special’). Even more upsetting was the recent news that a devious ex-boyfriend leaked her amateur sex tape, leaving Tami no choice but to take ownership of the video and sell it to a pornography company.

Cathy Moriarty
She won her role alongside Robert De Niro in 'Raging Bull’ after being spotted at a 'bathing beauty’ contest at a Bronx bar, but Moriarty found it hard to land parts in a more conventional fashion. She practically disappeared from Hollywood following the disappointing reception to her second film, 'Neighbors’, although 'Soapdish’ and 'Kindergarten Cop’ did see her fortunes take a turn for the better in the early '90s. She’s still working hard – maybe you saw her in Richard Ayoade’s 'The Double in 2013’. Bizarrely, Cathy lost her fiancé to Raquel Welch, whom her husband-to-be met in a restaurant owned by… Robert De Niro.

Jennifer Jason Leigh
Leigh was a mainstay of quality '80s fare like 'Fast Times At Ridgemont High’ and 'The Hitcher’, and she continued her fine work throughout the '90s with supporting roles in 'Single White Female’ and 'The Hudsucker Proxy’. In truth, she never really went away, quietly providing able character work in films like 'The Machinist’, 'Synecdoche, New York’ and 'Greenberg’, but she’s due a major comeback following the news that Quentin Tarantino has chosen her to be one of his 'Hateful Eight’ cast. Tarantino’s trademark career rejuvenation worked wonders for the likes of… er, John Travolta, and… give us a minute…

Kelly LeBrock
A model who went on to sexually awaken an entire generation of teenage boys in 'Weird Science,’ LeBrock has had a weird old time of it since. She was married to Steven Seagal for almost a decade and the pair had three children, but LeBrock’s phone stopped ringing. Her weight yo-yo’d, although she benefited from the gain by captaining the team 'Kelly’s Bellies’ on reality show 'Celebrity Fit Club’ (she also found time to appear in Gordon Ramsay’s 'Hell’s Kitchen’). She’s sworn off the celeb lifestyle now, however, and lives alone on her California ranch with her horse, Kiwi.

Kelly McGillis
Judging by the recent photo of her reunion with Tom Cruise, she’s been ageing at twice the speed of her 'Top Gun’ co-star, but McGillis stepped out of the Hollywood limelight shortly after she took flight. After a break from acting, McGillis played Mrs Robinson on stage in 2004 and joined the cast of 'The L Word’. In 2009 she came out as gay and entered into a civil union with partner Melanie Leis, although the pair have since split. Kelly now teaches acting at The New York Studio for Stage and Screen and no doubt has countless awesome Tom Cruise anecdotes at her disposal.

Mia Sara
As the lucky lady who found herself the object of Ferris Bueller’s affections, Mia Sara was the quintessential '80s leading lady… until '90s career obscurity beckoned. 'Timecop’ notwithstanding, it was a barren decade for Sara and her only iconic role since was as Harley Quinn in Gotham-lite Batman telly show 'Birds Of Prey’. Sara did rack up some impressive husbands, however; first she married Jason 'son of Sean’ Connery in the 90s, now she’s with Brian 'son of Jim’ Henson, heir to a Muppety fortune.

Paul Hogan
As Mick 'Crocodile’ Dundee, Hogan came to embody Australia in all the ways the Australian tourist board wished he wouldn’t – the machete-wielding, cork-hatted croc hunter returned to the role as recently as 2001 in forgettable threequel 'Crocodile Dundee In Los Angeles’. Sadly, Hogan’s time has been spent battling legal matters, including an epic eight-year struggle to keep his tax affairs private, still ongoing at time of press. It’s alleged he owes $37 million in back taxes, so Hogan sued the Australian government, claiming that his “earning potential has been decimated”. We’d wager Paul’s earning potential doesn’t quite cover the alleged shortfall, if we’re being honest.