As much as it's been celebrated that television is currently experiencing a golden age and is in the middle of a Renaissance, it's fascinating to observe just how much the medium has changed and evolved every decade. The tastes and viewing habits of the public continue to grow in different ways, but it's always exciting when a TV show introduces an amazing new talent to the world.
It's usually a huge break to be one of the stars of a television show, but it's such a fickle landscape. Sometimes television actors never leave the spotlight and other times household names struggle to remain relevant. The 1990s were a decade where there were some very influential television series and even though many of those shows are still in the public consciousness, that doesn’t always mean that the actors from these series are as fortunate.
15 Rider Strong Was The Bad Boy Poster Child For The '90s
Rider Strong got to grow up before audience's eyes as the "bad boy" on Boy Meets World, Cory Matthews' best friend, Shawn Hunter. Strong excelled on the series and arguably got to handle more complex storylines than Ben Savage did. Strong entertained some roles in film, but he's largely dropped off the map.
14 Cybill Shepherd Was Class And Style For The '90s
Cybill Shepherd was one of the biggest female stars on TV during both the '80s and '90s. Moonlighting was a formative program that truly pushed the medium to its limit, but after that Cybill Shepherd starred in the Chuck Lorre sitcom, Cybill. For someone that was so popular for so long, it's a little startling to see how Shepherd no longer carries much sway in the industry.
13 Michael Richards Got Too Wild For His Own Good
During the '90s there weren't many sitcom characters that were more popular than Michael Richards' Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld. Kramer is one of television's greatest oddballs and even though Richards was incredible in the role, he struggled to keep that momentum going after Seinfeld finished. Now he's struggling to find big roles.
12 Dennis Franz Left The NYPD For Early Retirement
There have been dozens of popular cop shows to crop up over the years, but for a while NBC's NYPD Blue marked a series upgrade in the genre. Franz's performance as Detective Andy Sipowicz helped put him on the map and even though Franz earned tons of acclaim on the show, he would never really be able to reclaim that level of success.
11 Nicholas Brendon Became The Zeppo In Real Life
Nicholas Brendon played Buffy's lovable friend Xander Harris and on a show full of vampires, witches, and the supernatural, Xander was one of the more normal and grounded characters on the spooky show. Brendon was great in the role, but as most of his co-stars went on to find success post-Buffy, Brendon wasn't so fortunate and has also had problems with addiction and the law.
10 David Faustino Turned Into The Bundy Black Sheep
Married…With Children pushed its crudeness in its audience's faces, but the comedy not only helped put the FOX network on the map, but made stars out of the show's talented cast. Married…With Children ran for over a decade and was a staple of the 1990s, but David Faustino is the one member of the Bundy family who struggled to hang onto fame after the series wrapped.
9 Jonathan Taylor Thomas Was Home Improvement's Golden Boy Until He Wasn't
Before there was a wealth of up and coming child stars from the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon, Jonathan Taylor Thomas was one of the biggest young heartthrobs from the '90s. Jonathan Taylor Thomas served a vital role on the show as Randy Taylor and turned that into an enviable film career, but eventually these roles dried up, Thomas grew up, and fell out of the spotlight.
8 Peri Gilpin Couldn't Re-Capture That Frasier Magic
Some audiences were initially skeptical when a Cheers spin-off was announced that would center around the character, Frasier Crane. Frasier would manage to run for even longer than Cheers and turn into one of the most successful spin-offs of all time. Peri Gilpin's Roz worked alongside Kelsey Grammer's Frasier and they had glorious chemistry. This makes it so much sadder that Gilpin doesn't appear in nearly as many projects as she should.
7 Alfonso Ribeiro Danced His Way Out Of The Spotlight
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was a vanity project for budding rapper and star, Will Smith. However, Alfonso Ribeiro’s turn as cousin Carlton instantly won over fans. Carlton's uptight nature was always entertaining, but a problematic attitude has kept the actor from finding more success. Repeatedly suing individuals and companies for doing the "Carlton" dance is also a surefire way to burn bridges and annoy others.
6 Dustin Diamond Didn't Shine Brightly Enough
Saved By the Bell is emblematic of the '90s in many ways and the school-based series experienced a number of continuations and spin-offs to keep the show alive. Dustin Diamond's incorrigible Screech was one of the franchise's most beloved characters, but he struggled to find that level of appreciation outside of Saved By the Bell. An increasingly reckless attitude has turned Diamond into an even more risky commodity
