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The Best 90s Actors and Actresses

By Scotty Hall

The Best 90s Actors and Actresses

The 90s was that era that was trying to figure out what it was after the powerful cultural impact of the 80s. But the 90s set itself apart with an increase in sitcoms and many popular television stars transitioning into movies. While I grew up in the 80s, the 90s was my ultimate entertainment era. Video game and movie rentals were at an all-time high and at a reasonable price. While I was busy beating the latest Genesis games (I couldn’t afford a Super Nintendo too) I was also taking any chance I could to rent a movie or two. Some of which had the best 90s actors and actresses in them.

My dad and I would always get some when we would go shopping at my first job Breens IGA. That grocery store jumped on the rental bandwagon and we got to watch about two movies a day. I didn’t get out much, but now I have lovely wrinkle-free skin and a wealth of movie knowledge.

Anyways, I couldn’t wait for rentals so I also hit up all the local theaters whenever I could. Do you remember the theater in the Novi Mall? My favorite was the Twin Cinemas on Telegraph Rd. They had a theater on both sides of the road and one had an arcade. Many ‘R’ rated movies were watched with “parental approval” during those times.

But the 90s was strong with great movies and with that, great actors and actresses. The 90s produced great movies like Leon, Bug’s Life, My Cousin Vinny, Shawshank Redemption (my favorite movie), and Tombstone to name a few. Here are some of the great actors and actresses of the 90s. There are some more on this list on Movieweb.com here and here.

If you like this list check out our lists on the 70s and 80s of Actors and Actresses.

 

  • Leonardo DiCaprio

    People were swooning over Leo then and they swoon over him now and they’ll be swooning over him when he’s 70. He is perpetually good-looking. And he’s not bad at acting either. While I am not a fan of the Titanic (1997), I cannot ignore its incredible success with some people watching it multiple times. Leonardo also starred in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), and Romeo + Juliet (1996) during the 90s.

  • Nicholas Cage

    The 90s was the age of Cage. Nicholas Cage was all over the place and very prolific in movies. He starred mostly in romantic comedies like Honeymoon in Vegas and It Could Happen to You, but then in the mid-90s, we all decided we needed Nic as an ACTION STAR! Nicholas Cage then got fit and starred in classics like Con Air(1997), The Rock(1996), and Face Off(1997). Now Nic stars in five to six or more movies a year. But nothing will match that brief 90s action.

  • Brad Pitt

    Argghh! Another forever sexy beefcake. And he is such a great actor too! Brad Pitt ripped his shirt off in so many movies that it’s all a blur of abs and pecs. He started with his shirtless adventures in Thelma Louise (1991) and then when on to star in the sexy-packed Interview with a Vampire (1994) and the less sexy, but scary Se7en (1995-WHAT’S IN THE BOX???). My favorite role of the 90s is his brief cameo in True Romance (1993).

    Heads up! Some bad language in this scene

  • Tom Hanks

    Tom Hanks was also in my 80s list of The Best 80s Actors and Actresses but most of those were comedies. In the 90s, Tom Hanks really showed the world that he is also an amazing dramatic actor. He blew the Academy Awards and audiences away with his performances in Philadelphia (1993) and the next year with Forest Gump (1994). He won awards for both. Pixar snagged Tom to voice Woody in Toy Story (1995) and Toy Story 2 (1999), reminding us again of how funny Hanks is.

  • Robin Williams

    Robin Williams did well in the 80s but he did AWESOME in the 90s. And much like Tom Hanks, Robin really showed both his amazing comedy skills and drama skills. While they were not commercial successes, I really enjoyed him in Fisher King (1991) and Hook (1991). But his next two movies, Disney’s Aladdin (1992) and Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) made big money and catapulted Robin to a must-have actor.

  • Winona Ryder

    With Beetlejuice 2 confirmed and Stranger Things Season 5 coming soon, Winona Ryder is trending across the web. In the 90s Winona starred in several legendary roles. She was the love interest of Edward Scissorhands (1990). She was the love interest of Dracula (1992). And she was also in Little Women (1994).

  • Demi Moore

    Demi Moore became a household name in the 90s. She took some very serious roles with Ghost (1990), A Few Good Men (1992), Indecent Proposal (1993), and The Scarlet Letter (1995).

  • Meg Ryan

    Everyone’s favorite girl next door! She’s the girl that you didn’t know you loved till you do. Meg is super memorable in her numerous Rom-Coms like Joe Vs the Volcano (1990 – with Tom Hanks), Sleepless in Seatle ( 1993 – again with Tom Hanks), and When a Man Loves a Woman (1994).

  • Julia Roberts

    We all fell in love with Julia after Pretty Woman (1990). She became one of the go-to actresses during the 90s. She’s tall, funny, and has a huge smile that is unforgettable. She also starred in Hook (1992) (one of my favorite movies) as Tinkerbell and then later starred with Richard Gere again in Runaway Bride (1999). The following year, in 2000, she would star in one of her most recognized roles as Erin Brockovich (2000).

  • Drew Barrymore

    Drew Barrymore, who we first saw as the sweetest little kid in ET, went on to do a ton of movies during the 90s. Drew found her niche in comedy and sometimes starred side by side with comedy legend, Adam Sandler. She started with more action/serious roles in Poison Ivy (1992), Scream (1996), and Batman Forever (1995). She then starred in some good comedies like Wedding Singer (1998) and Never Been Kissed (1999).

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