21 Celebrities Who Were A Different Level Of Popular In The 2000s And 2010s Vs. What They’re All Up To Now
Though it’s not been too long since the 2000s and 2010s ended, it’s safe to say that it felt like a completely different time. Reddit user SoRunAwayNow recently asked, “Which celebrities were popular during the 2010s but couldn’t translate their popularity to this decade?” — prompting a huge discussion around some of the biggest celebs of the last couple decades who are viewed pretty differently today. So, here’s a roundup of some of the responses:
First things first, Iggy’s debut album, The New Classic, had so many people in a chokehold when it dropped in 2014. These days, the rapper still makes music, though she also oversees a company called “Dream Bold” and shares creative content on the subscription-based platform OnlyFans.
Ruby was everywhere after starring in Orange Is The New Black in 2015. They have kept a low profile since the controversy around her leaving the 2018 Batwoman series, but the actor and DJ is still starring in and writing projects — like The Collective and Dirty Angels.
Cara had the Tumblr girls obsessed after starring in the 2015 flick Paper Towns alongside Nat Wolff. She was also, of course, everywhere in the modeling scene and besties with the likes of Kendall Jenner and Taylor Swift. Last year, Cara addressed her decline in mainstream popularity, telling The Guardian: “When you’re young and you’re first famous, people recognise you all the time. Once you get older and you’re not the fucking new hot young thing any more, it’s a lot easier. I can just walk down the street no problem.”
Nina’s leading role in The Vampire Diaries bagged her a heap of acclaimed awards and critical praise. While she still takes on acting projects, Nina now co-owns a wine brand called Fresh Vine Wine with Julianne Hough, and recently served as a host committee member of the New York City Ballet Spring Gala.
Noah was the internet’s favorite “It Boy” after starring as Peter Kavinsky in Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which came out in 2018. He also gained popularity after replacing Jake T. Austin in ABC’s The Fosters a few years prior. While Noah is involved in several film projects, the grip he had on the internet when To All the Boys dropped is undoubtedly unmatched; one Reddit user said, “He was the it boy for a minute and then just fell off the face of the earth.”
There’s no doubt that Katy Perry is still incredibly famous, but her career has certainly shifted in recent years. In the 2010s, Katy dominated the charts with her albums Teenage Dream and Prism. These days, between her recent space trip and controversial collaboration with Dr. Luke, she’s received a little differently online.
While Ellie is still touring and making music, her hits like “Burn” and “Love Me Like You Do” were EVERYWHERE in the 2010s.
Model and actor Kate appeared in fan-favorite films like The Other Woman and The Layover across the 2010s — and she was also on the cover of several Sports Illustrated issues. Today, she co-owns cocktail brand Vosa Spirits and hosts the Hulu reality series Dress My Tour.
Of course, Hilary shot to fame after playing the titular character in Lizzie McGuire; she also starred in a bunch of movies and had a fair few songs that charted across the 2010s. She’s currently prepping her big music comeback, so watch this space.
Taylor famously played Jacob Black in the Twilight franchise. He has led a few movies since — including 2011’s Abduction and 2015’s Tracers — though both were sadly deemed critical failures. He currently runs a podcast with his wife, Tay Lautner, and hasn’t stepped away from acting entirely.
English model Agyness had a hugely successful career in the 2000s, having been described as one of the top models of the decade. In 2012, she took an unofficial hiatus from modeling to focus on acting and her family — though she’s since made occasional appearances on the runway here and there.
Between Elf, (500) Days of Summer, and — of course — New Girl, Zooey was incredibly popular across the 2000s and 2010s. The star took a two-year break from filming to spend time with her kids after New Girl wrapped in 2018, but has since returned to screens.
Shailene starred in The Secret Life of The American Teenager, The Fault In Our Stars, Divergent, and more across the late 2000s and 2010s. She has certainly appeared in a ton of projects since, but none quite as widely-talked about as some of her older films; in fact, these days, she seems to attract more attention for her political takes.
Elle’s 2015 single, “Ex’s and Oh’s,” was a HUGE success; it was played on every radio station, peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, and was nominated for two Grammys. She has continued to release a ton of successful music, though nothing that has yet achieved the worldwide acclaim that “Ex’s and Oh’s” did.
Jessie’s hit songs like “Price Tag,” “Bang Bang,” “Flashlight,” and “Domino” peaked in the Billboard charts across the ‘10s. She has just returned to music with the release of her album Living My Best Life.
Chloë starred in movies like If I Stay, Greta, Carrie, and more last decade. She now co-founds the brand GODMODE, which, she says, is where “gaming meets beauty,” as well as “fashion, music, and culture.”
Of course, Ellen and her show were the talk of the 2000s and 2010s. Alex from Target? Sophia Grace and Rosie? So many memorable moments. However, the series was canceled in 2022, roughly two years after BuzzFeed News published an investigative piece about the alleged toxic environment on set — and these days, Ellen lives a much quieter life in the UK with her wife, Portia de Rossi.
Hayden starred in a ton of popular films across the 2010s. After her final season of Nashville ended in 2018, she took a four-year break from acting, though ultimately returned to screens when she reprised her role in the Scream franchise.
Rita had a ton of hit songs in the 2010s, including “Hot Right Now,” which peaked at the top spot of the UK singles chart, and her collaboration with Iggy Azalea, “Black Widow,” which landed third on the US Billboard chart. She still makes music, though has more recently served as a judge on various talent shows, including The Voice Australia and The Masked Singer.
Alex starred in films like Storm Rider, Wild Child, and Magic Mike last decade. While there was a lot of hype around his acting, he was reportedly “sidelined” after allegedly being deemed “a nightmare” to work with, per The Hollywood Reporter. That said, he has starred in numerous other projects in the years since.
After starring in the iconic 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You, Julia appeared in many more popular projects, including Save The Last Dance, the Bourne franchise, and Dexter. While she still acts, Julia recently made her directorial debut with the film Wish You Were Here, which was released earlier this year.