Top Iconic 90s Moments From Your Celebrities’ Lives You’ve Never Seen

Upsetting Times For Robert Downey, Jr.

As crazy as it may sound, Robert Downey Jr. had a troubling past. The actor who starred in Iron Man and earned fans all over the world for his role as Tony Stark had several problems at the beginning of his career. In 1996, the police stopped him for speeding and found small doses of cocaine and heroin and a gun in his car.

Due to this, Downey Jr. was arrested on drug and weapon charges. In 1999, he failed to comply with the terms of his probation and was imprisoned for three years. After spending a year in a treatment facility, the judge released him for good conduct.

Adele ft. The Spice Girls

When Adele was a little kid, she couldn’t imagine what the future would hold for her. Nowadays, she has fans all over the world. Back in her childhood, she used to be a huge fan of the Spice Girls, to the point that she became obsessed with the band.

Twenty-one years later, in 2019, Adele was already a famous and successful singer when she saw the performance of the Spice Girls at Wembley. She admitted that the performance brought back the best of her childhood memories. As some may say: a fan never forgets.

Ryan Reynolds’ First Appearance

Ryan Reynolds has earned millions after starring in many blockbuster movies. However, his first steps in the 90s film industry weren’t impressive. Ryan was a teen who was just getting started. He first appeared on Fifteen, a Nickelodeon show. It didn’t make him rich, but he enjoyed the experience.

In an interview, Ryan claimed that the pay wasn’t good, since each actor received only $150 per episode. At that time, he didn’t mind if he wasn’t making millions. He was just glad that he was living his dream of being an actor.

Kim Kardashian’s Middle School Graduation

Kim Kardashian had a normal life before her family ended up in the spotlight and became millionaires. Robert, her dad, was a lawyer. After he passed away, her mother married an Olympic champion. It was Kim’s wish to become famous since she was a teen.

Even at that age, the model and businesswoman was ambitious and knew exactly what she wanted. In 1994, Kim gave a speech at her middle school graduation, saying that she wanted people to remember her because someday she would be famous. Those present will now realize how persistent and confident Kim is.

The Teen Kardashians

The Kardashians have enjoyed fame since the early 90s —and they still do. Kim and Kourtney have always followed the fashion trend of that time, while Rob wore large collars and spiky hair. Their dad, Robert, is remembered for being the lawyer and friend of O.J. Simpson. Robert defended O.J. when he was accused of murder.

Robert had cancer and passed away in 2003. Kim has expressed how similar her father and her son are. For example, Psalm West and her late father are both left-handed. The whole family agrees that Psalm and his grandfather look alike. Especially Kim, who believes that her dad is still present.

Bill & Ted’s Adventures

Keanu Reeves jumped into fame after starring in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Two years later, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey came out. Even though the second movie didn’t cause quite the sensation as the first one did, a third movie is on its way.

The actor and his co-star, Patrick Swayze, starred in Point Break, a movie that made a significant change in Keanu Reeves’ career, as well as other major movies, such as The Matrix and John Wick.

The One Where They Went To Vegas

Friends is definitely the most famous show of all time. The actors and actresses weren’t celebrities until the series premiered. Back in 1994, the director had a fantastic idea for the cast. He planned a trip to Las Vegas just before the show aired.

The purpose of the trip was for the cast to connect with each other and strengthen their relationship. Jennifer Aniston remembers what the director told them: the trip would be the last time for them to walk into a casino without being recognized. And he wasn’t wrong.

Brad Pitt? More Like Brad Fit

The movie Fight Club demanded Brad Pitt to be in excellent shape to interpret the role of Tyler Durden. PPitt went on a strict diet and endured intense workouts to meet the producers’ expectations. It seems like his handsome face wasn’t enough for the producers.

The actor’s diet was quite monotonous, as he could only eat pasta, green veggies, chicken, fish, and rice. After all, the diet’s main goal was for the actor to have as much protein intake as possible, so he could tolerate the everyday exercise. Such workouts included weightlifting and cardio.

Blake Lively, Baby Spice

Just like any other 90s kid, Blake Lively was a great admirer of the Spice Girls. In 2018, a girl on Twitter shared a funny memory of hers when she found an old childhood picture. The Twitter user, who was only five years old at the time of the pic, was standing next to another smiley girl.

The funny story was that, at that time, the five-year-old girl was told she was posing next to Emma Bunton, but it was actually Blake Lively. The actress saw the tweet and immediately confirmed it was her, pretending she was Baby Spice. Who would have thought that the girl in the picture would become an actress years later?

Cameron Diaz Wasn’t The First Choice

Chuck Russell, director of The Mask, first chose Anna Nicole Smith to play the role of Tina, Jim Carrey’s love interest. But the model had other plans in mind and never answered the call. Russell didn’t know who would perfectly fit in the role until he met Cameron Diaz.

The Mask was Cameron’s first role in the filming industry. The beautiful actress caught Russell’s attention for the role. Being her first experience as an actress, Cameron worked really hard to deliver an excellent performance as Tina, and it certainly shows.

Tom Hardy’s Obscure Past

Tom Hardy is one of the most favorite Hollywood celebrities of the last decade. However, it hasn’t always been this way for the actor. Hardy was a drug and alcohol addict when he was a teenager. He spent 28 days in rehabilitation, and he has been sober ever since.

Hardy had a troubling past. Only after waking up on his own vomit and blood, he realized how serious his addiction was. Such a shocking experience made him go to rehab to finally end his struggle with addiction.

J-Lo, The Actress

One of the most influential celebrities of the 90s is Jennifer Lopez. She is not only a singer but also an actress and dancer. Not to mention how splendid she is. As a matter of fact, everybody loves J-Lo.

Jennifer appeared in many films before Out of Sight, a 1998 movie. At the beginning of her acting career, she had to fight for a higher salary, as she was earning considerably less than her co-star, George Clooney. Fortunately, she worked out a much better deal than the one initially offered.

Angelina Jolie’s Favorite Role

Angelina Jolie has built a successful career and has earned fans worldwide. Most of her roles are highly memorable, but millennials won’t forget when she played Lisa in Girl, Interrupted, a role for which she won an Oscar. Another memorable role is Kate Libby in Hackers.

In an interview, Jolie admitted that she very much enjoyed playing Lisa, a character that looked quite sane from her point of view. However, most people agree that Lisa was an insane character and that Angelina did an excellent performance portraying her.

The Pretty Boy From Baywatch

Jason Momoa is well-known for starring in Aquaman and playing Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, two famous roles that led the actor to fame. However, his role as a lifeguard in Baywatch Hawaii didn’t have the same impact. Let’s say that his career started off on the wrong foot.

Jason’s career was just beginning when directors tagged him as the handsome boy who’s always shirtless and surrounded by women. After Baywatch came to an end, Jason took a long vacation with the money he had earned, and finally returned to Hollywood ready to embark on his acting career again.

An Undeniable Chemistry

Rumor has it that when Penélope Cruz first arrived in the United States, she only knew two phrases in English, one of which was “I want to work with Johnny Depp.” Luckily her, her wish came true but not quite as she envisioned it, as she soon would find it difficult to work with Depp due to his distinct sense of humor.

In 2001, they starred as a hot couple in the biographical film Blow about cocaine smuggler George Jung. She revealed one time where they couldn’t finish the scene, and the crew was stuck for almost two hours just because they couldn’t stop laughing.

Ryan Gosling’s Religious Past

Ever since he was a kid, Ryan Gosling has been in the spotlight. Remember The Mickey Mouse Club, Goosebumps, and even Young Hercules. However, a lot of people are unaware that he was brought up in a strict Mormon community. His own mother even admitted that he was raised by a zealot. However, he reckons things are different now.

At 16, he set off to L.A., leaving his religious past behind to be closer to reality. Instead of Hollywood or Beverly Hills, he settled in a place on Skid Row. ‘You can't filter yourself from reality there,' he said.

Tara Reid In The Spotlight

Before Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, there was Tara Reid, the original party girl. After the American Pie success, she let her hair down and went a little crazy. The paparazzi didn’t go easy on her either, showing her dark side during that phase.

This negatively affected her future roles in the industry. Later on, she reckoned how her actions had harmed her career. Moreover, she used that opportunity to make clear that she wasn’t that girl anymore, but that, nonetheless, she was living her life to the fullest.

Elon Musk’s First Steps In Tech

Entrepreneur Elon Musk emigrated from his native Pretoria, South Africa, to Canada shortly after attending the University of Pretoria. He transferred to Queen’s University, where he sold computer parts and helped his classmates fix their computers to make an extra money.

I could build something to suit their needs like a tricked-out gaming machine or a simple word processor that cost less than what they could get in a store,” he explained. You could say that this was the beginning of his prosperous business.

Winona Ryder, The Lawbreaker

Actress Winona Ryder was caught stealing designer clothes and accessories in Beverly Hills. These items were valued at $5,000. In the end, Winona was found guilty of grand theft and vandalism and sentenced to almost 500 hours of community service, three years on probation, and a $10,000 fine.

A bulky sentence wasn’t the only consequence of the crime. Winona found herself in a difficult situation which she was able to overcome after starting therapy. In an interview, she admitted that she committed the crime because she wanted a “stop,” and the consequences of the crime enabled her to free her mind from the filming industry.

Julia Roberts’ Infamous Armpits

Julia Roberts caught everybody’s attention at the premiere of Notting Hill. The pretty woman raised her hand to wave to fans and exposed her hairy armpit. Back in 1999, the media didn’t make a big fuss about the hair, but they did speculate about why she didn’t shave.

Rumor has it that Julia didn’t shave because Benjamin Bratt, her boyfriend at that time, was into that trend. Others believe that she wanted to express some feminist power. After all, Julia admitted that there was no particular reason for not having shaved, and that she thought her outfit would cover the hair.

Drew Barrymore’s Lost Childhood

Drew Barrymore had a rough childhood back in the 90s. Barrymore almost dropped out of school, went to parties with her mom, and abused not only alcohol, but also drugs. She was 14 years old when she became emancipated from her parents.

The actress rented an apartment and started working at a coffee shop, cleaning restrooms. Fortunately, a few years later, she got some roles and finally succeeded in the filming industry. Barrymore wrote a book about her life, Wildflower, where she admits that the coffee shop helped her to step out into the world.

Spotting Pamela Anderson

Pamela Anderson was discovered at a BC Lions game when the scoreboard camera spotted her. She was just a spectator at the Canadian Football League match, wearing a Labatts beer t-shirt. Lucky for her, Labatts later employed her as a model.

A few years later, Anderson moved to LA to become an actress and model, which she certainly did. Anderson got the role of Tool Time girl on Home Improvement and starred in Baywatch. Five seasons on Baywatch turned Pamela into a worldwide star.

Anna Nicole Smith’s Unpaired Marriage

The world watched the marriage of Anna Nicole Smith and J. Howard Marshall back in 1994. It was a controversial union, as Anna Nicole was 26 and Marshall was 89. The couple met in Houston in 1991, while Anna Nicole was working at a strip club. Marshall was a generous man who would give Anna extravagant and generous presents valued at 6 million euros in an attempt to ask the beautiful lady for her hand in marriage.

They dated for two years before finally getting married, but a year after the marriage, the man died. Marshall told Anna Nicole that she would secure half of his estate, valued at $1.6 billion. The problem was that the late man’s wish wasn’t expressed in the will, so Anna Nicole didn’t receive a single penny from the billionaire's estate.

The Revolution Of Rap

Becoming a celebrity was definitely the best thing that happened to Eminem. The singer had a hard childhood, as he grew up in poverty. But everything changed in 1999 when his first single, “My Name Is,” hit Total Request Live. It was a music revolution.

When paying close attention to Eminem’s lyrics, one can hear how upset and angry he was. As violent as his music may sound, it appealed to people in the same conditions he described in his songs. Suddenly, he became the best rapper of the decade.

Cher’s Iconic Attire

When Cher and Sonny Bono went separate ways in 1962, everybody thought that the beautiful and talented singer wouldn’t thrive without her partner. Contrary to what people believed, Cher had a successful solo career.

Love Hurts” peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Top 200. Cher is well-known for wearing astonishing costumes at her performances. Bob Mackie was the designer who created the dominatrix outfit. The designer has also worked for Elton John and Tina Turner.

Mariah & Will

Mariah Carey and Will Smith have built a successful career for themselves. Back in 1988, it was a different story. When the singer and the actor attended the radio station KIIS-FM’s “Endless Summer Jam,” they were in their 20s, and they weren’t even friends or celebrities.

Parents Just Don’t Understand” and “Nightmare on My Street” were some of the songs Will Smith performed at the event. At that time, they never thought that their lives would change so much only two years later. Smith starred in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, whereas Carey released her first album.

The Cast Of Clueless Then

Before landing in Paramount Pictures, Clueless arrived at several studios, but none of them took the movie in. Sherry Lansing, head of Paramount Pictures, seemed to be the only human being to strongly believe that the movie had actual potential.

Actor Paul Rudd said in an interview that he and his co-star Alicia Silverstone could anticipate how successful the movie would be even before they finished filming. Rudd shared that they were excited to play roles of people their age.

For Tim, It Was Always Johnny

Johnny Depp’s career didn’t start in the filming industry. In fact, Depp wanted to be a musician; that’s the reason he moved to Los Angeles in the first place. Finally, he switched to acting because he found it easier than playing music.

Tim Burton had a reason for choosing Depp to play the role of Edward Scissorhands. Burton explained that the actor and the character were pretty much alike, as they both shared pain and darkness. Depp admitted loneliness was one of the many attractive features of the character.

David & Victoria Forever

David and Victoria Beckham are one of the most beloved celebrity couples. They first met in Manchester when they both attended a charitable event. Since then, everything went on very smoothly. In July 1999, just after one year of dating, the famous couple got married at a beautiful Dublin castle.

They welcomed their first child shortly after the marriage. Even though David and Victoria try to keep their lives as private as possible, they are considered one of the most famous couples. People love to see how they match their outfits and the luxurious life they have.

Salma Hayek Said No To Selena

Back in the 90s, every director wanted Salma Hayek in their film. In 1998, Hayek attended the Lethal Weapon 4 premiere, even though she had taken no part in the movie. The actress was offered the lead role in Selena, but she refused it.

The producers of Selena were really interested in Hayek, but she turned them down for a very good reason. The actress later confessed that she was given the role only one week after Selena died, and she thought it was offensive considering that they were profiting so soon from a recent death.