Unforgettable movie stars '80s kids will remember – here's where they are now

Ralph Macchio stars in the mid-'80s hit The Karate Kid (1984) as Daniel LaRusso, the student of Mr. Miyagi who learns far more than how to "wax on, wax off". His character had children throughout the decade practising their martial arts skills in the playground, though they were likely less keen to copy his character in repainting the garden fence.

His other '80s hits include The Outsiders (1983) and the Karate Kid sequels, Part II (1986) and Part III (1989). He returned to the franchise for the Netflix series Cobra Kai (2018) and reprised his role in Karate Kid: Legends (2025). He has been married to his wife, Phyllis Fierro, since 1987 after first meeting her at just 15 years old. The couple share two children, Julia and Daniel.

Great Scott! Christopher Lloyd starred as the ever-memorable Doc in all three instalments of the Back to the Future franchise. This eccentric inventor takes Marty McFly, played by fellow '80s household name Michael J Fox, back in time. Dr Emmett Brown found himself a place in the hearts of '80s kids across the globe and had them hankering for a DeLorean of their own. 

Christopher is also well-known for his role in The Addams Family (1991) and its sequel as Uncle Fester Addams, who shares something of Doc's larger-than-life personality, as well as for the late '80s hit, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). The actor has been married five times, most recently to Lisa Loiacono with whom he tied the knot in 2016. 

In 1971, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory became more than a world confined to the imagination of Roald Dahl and readers across the world. Gene Wilder fronted the ambitious screen adaptation, titled Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, as Willy Wonka himself. 

The two-time Oscar nominee previously appeared in The Producers (1967) and followed up his Willy Wonka success with well-known features like Young Frankenstein (1974) and action comedy Silver Streak (1976). He was married four times, including to costume designer Karen Boyer at the time of his death. Gene Wilder passed away in August 2016 at the age of 83.

The Goonies (1985) has an impressive list of names behind it: directed by Richard Donner, the adventure comedy was first thought up by Steven Spielberg before Chris Columbus transformed his fellow director's story into a screenplay. Jeff Cohen stars alongside Sean Astin and Ke Huy Quan in this beloved '80s classic.

Following his time on The Goonies, Jeff appeared on Family Ties but stopped working on-screen in 1991. Instead, he's working as an attorney and even negotiated The Goonies co-star Ke Huy's contract for his Oscar-winning role in the genre-bending epic Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022). 

Daryl Hannah is one of the most beloved leading ladies from the '80s. The actress starred alongside Tom Hanks in Splash (1984), Harrison Ford in Blade Runner (1982) and Julia Roberts in ​Steel Magnolias​​​ (1989), counting the three hits in an even wider portfolio of roles. 

Since then, she's worked with Uma Thurman in Kill Bill: Volume I and its sequel and worked on acclaimed TV shows, like Sense8. Her most recent role was in 2023's Buckle Up. Daryl married singer Neil Young in 2018, four years after they started dating, and is stepmother to his three children.

Elizabeth Perkins, another Tom Hanks co-star, made it big in, appropriately enough, Big. The three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee has since continued to find success with her more recent roles in Sharp Objects (2018), Another Simple Favour (2025) and The Housemaid (2025), which was alongside Amanda Seyfreid and Sydney Sweeney.

She tied the knot with her second husband, cinematographer Julio Macat, in 2000. She has one daughter, Hannah, with the late director Maurice Phillips and is stepmother to Julio's three children, Max, Iris and Andy. 

Bugsy Malone (1976) star Scott Baio started out strong with his role as the titular gangster in the Oscar-nominated feature that starred an all-child cast. The next year he appeared as Chachi in Happy Days (1977) and in the 1982 spin-off, Joanie loves Chachi. 

Scott had major roles in later series, like Charles in Charge (1984-1990) and See Dad Run (2012-15). Most recently, he appeared in the action feature A Line of Fire (2025). He has been married to actress and former stuntwoman Renee Baio for almost 20 years. The two share a daughter, Bailey. 

Oscar-winning actor Robin Williams made a name for himself as a lovable, endlessly funny comedic actor. His '80s roles included Popeye (1980), The World According to Garp (1982), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988). This impressive run continued into the '90s, introducing Robin to a new generation in Hook (1991), Aladdin (1992) and Mrs Doubtfire (1993). 

Perhaps best known now for his roles in Dead Poets Society (1989), Good Will Hunting (1997), and Flubber (1997), Robin Williams' acting legacy lives on. The actor and comedian passed away in 2014 at the age of 63. He was married three times and remained married to wife Susan Schneider from 2011 until his death. He has three children: Zak, Zelda and Cody.