5 Teen Heartthrobs That Charmed Their Way to the Silver Screen

Some teenage stars never shake off that one defining role – that wasn’t the curse of these talented men though! Time to walk down memory lane ☺️

1. James Franco

Teenagers loved him in Freaks and Geeks

He grew up and shined in 127 Hours, The Disaster Artist, Forever Love (now available to watch for free on Filmzie)

James Franco, a freak, a geek, a sex symbol, a comedian, an actor, an academic, a director, a writer, a painter, Seth Rogen’s other half :), a “Stoner of the Year”… And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! A short-lived sitcom Freaks and Geeks was his first big break, and while it lasted for only 18 episodes, it is still considered one of the best TV shows of all time. The show marks the beginning of an epic bromance with Seth Rogen, which resulted in many mostly hilarious collaborations. It’s not all just fun and games with James though – he has taught film classes in prestigious universities, he’s got an Oscar nom under his belt for 127 Hours, and just two years ago, he was widely celebrated for his film The Disaster Artist. There’s nothing this man can’t do, including going through BRUTAL roasting just for fun ?

2. Joshua Jackson

Teenagers loved him in Dawson’s Creek

He grew up and shined in The Skulls, Cursed, Inescapable (now available to watch for free on Filmzie)

Joshua only has good memories of his Dawson’s Creek times – not surprising, as he got to live his teenage years on the screen with Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, and James Van Der Beek! The legendary cast has even reunited after 20 years, graced the cover of Entertainment Weekly, and reminisced about the good times. What was Joshua the most excited about back then? Apparently, “being employed.” ? Since then, he has appeared in many films, although his most high profile roles are in TV shows – he excelled in the terrifying Fringe, as well as in The Affair. Inescapable, one of his most notable films, a thrilling ride taking place in Syria, is currently streaming on Filmzie.

Joshua just became a dad a couple of days ago – he welcomed a daughter with wife Jodie Turner-Smith.

3. Will Smith

Teenagers loved him in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

He grew up and shined in Hitch, Seven Pounds, Men in Black

Long gone are the days when young Will Smith portrayed a fictional street-smart version of his teenage self on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Back then, he didn’t exactly fit into the luxurious lifestyle of his sitcom relatives. Now, the superstar is a regular in the lists of wealthiest actors. He showed off his acting chops in light-hearted romantic comedies (Hitch) as well as notorious sci-fi classics (Men in Black; I Am Legend; I, Robot). On top of that, he managed to deliver Oscar-nominated performances in The Pursuit of Happyness and Ali. Interestingly, Will chooses awful films pretty regularly as well ?, and he’s no stranger to Razzies for the worst actor of the year (After Earth, Wild Wild West). He also seems to be the coolest dad and husband ever, and it’s always fun to follow what he’s up to on social media.

4. Adam Brody

Teenagers loved him in The O.C.

He grew up and shined in Jennifer’s Body, Ready or Not, Some Girls (now available to watch for free on Filmzie)

Californiaaa, here we come! Everyone who grew up in the 90s must have this song from The O.C. stuck in their head. Adam’s doe-eyed Seth Cohen won everyone’s hearts, and the actor continues this conquest quite successfully. A bit of evilness and emo devil-worshipping ? suit him in a cult film Jennifer’s Body. He was great in the dramedy Some Girls, which explored a series of failed relationships, and recently he starred in a sinister black satire Ready or Not. He’s married to another teenage idol – Leighton Meester of Gossip Girl fame, and they have one child together. 

View this post on Instagram

Me and my hero #readyornotmovie

A post shared by Leighton Meester (@itsmeleighton) on

5. Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Teenagers loved him in 3rd Rock from the Sun

He grew up and shined in 500 Days of Summer, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises

As Joseph said himself when he hosted SNL – he used to be “such a cute little girl” when he sported long locks playing an alien Tommy Solomon in 3rd Rock from the Sun. Fast forward to now, and he is a major superstar who was a source of collective “aaaawwwws” as hopelessly romantic Tom refusing to give up on an indifferent girl in 500 Days of Summer. Not that Joseph can only play the cute adorable boy characters. Besides action roles (Looper, Inception, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For), he also caught attention as a ripped porn-addicted playboy in Don Jon, a film he directed and wrote. Speaking of ripped – just watch this performance from SNL, no words needed ?

Feeling nostalgic and want to see what your teenage idols are up to? ? Check them out in movies streaming on Filmzie, completely for free ?

? James Franco in Forever Love https://filmzie.com/content/forever-love

? Joshua Jackson in Inescapable https://filmzie.com/content/inescapable

? Adam Brody in Some Girls https://filmzie.com/content/some-girls

Site Footer