18 celebrities from the 2000s we never see now — how many do you remember?

Star of Home Improvement, 2000s teen heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas chose to focus on his education after a taste of the spotlight, attending both Harvard and Columbia.

Jonathan's best remembered roles include Randy Taylor in Home Improvement, Marshall Stouffer in Wild America and Ben Archer opposite Chevy Chase in Man of the House.  

Amanda Bynes made '00s cinema what it was. She led the way on Shakespeare adaptation She's the Man, Colin Firth comedy What a Girl Wants and modern fairytale Sydney White.

The former actress stepped back from the spotlight in 2010 to focus on her education and personal wellbeing. In 2023, she appeared as co-host on an episode of Amanda Bynes & Paul Sieminski: The Podcast but soon stepped back to reportedly get her manicurist license.

Freddie Prinze Jr. was one of the decade's definitive leading men, his best-loved credits including She's All That, Head Over Heels and Scooby-Doo as the buttoned-up Fred.

Freddie married his regular co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar, from I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scooby-Doo to name a few, in 2002. He later transitioned into scriptwriting and production roles for WWE. 

Bridget Fonda packed a punch of star power throughout the '90s and her on-screen success carried over into the early 2000s. The actress decided to step back in 2003 following a car accident and later decided to retire for good. 

Bridget starred in '90s hits like Single White Female and A Simple Plan, moving into the 2000s with South of Heaven, West of Hell and Kiss of the Dragon. She's now enjoying life as a mother to son Oliver with husband Danny Elfman. 

Teddy Dunn's career grew alongside the 2000s, appearing in episodes of Gilmore Girls and Grey's Anatomy as well as his best-known role in Veronica Mars as Duncan Kane through the first two seasons.

The former actor headed back to school after his final role as Brent in 2009 horror Kill Theory. He graduated with a law doctorate from Boston College Law School in 2013. 

Leelee Sobieski became a famous name as a teen star during the late '90s with roles in Drew Barrymore rom-com Never Been Kissed and Stanley Kubrick thriller Eyes Wide Shut.

Moving into the 2000s, the actress worked with Stellan Skarsgård and Diane Lane on The Glass House (2001), as well as Paul Walker thriller Joy Ride (2001). She retired from acting to focus on being a mother and later described showbiz as a "gross industry". 

Jennifer Stone starred as Harper Finkle on Disney Channel favourite Wizards of Waverly Place which ran between 2007 and 2012. She's had several smaller roles since and returned to her magical role for the show's reboot.

The actress chose to major in psychology before receiving a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis which prompted a shift to a career in nursing. It seems she's heading for a return onscreen with several upcoming roles according to her IMDb.

Seann William Scott brought the loud, brash Steve Stifler to life alongside American Pie's core four for the 1999 original and franchise sequels in 2001, 2003 and 2012. While the typecasting won him comedy roles in Dude, Where's My Car? and Role Models alongside Paul Rudd, it seems Seann is keen to escape.

The actor is slowly making a comeback, starring in serious 2018 thriller Bloodline and is currently working on Tim Allen sitcom Shifting Gears. 

After a run of uncredited roles in the early 2000s on big hits like Tru Calling and The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Evangeline Lilly starred in all six seasons of psychological drama Lost as Kate Austen. 

Into the 2010s, she worked on Peter Jackson's iconic fantasy series The Hobbit as warrior elf Tauriel and has a recurring role as Hope van Dyne in Marvel's Ant-Man. In 2024, she announced that she was stepping away from acting for the foreseeable future to focus on her humanitarian work and writing.

Eliza Dushku became a staple on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, joining the show in its third season as Faith, the edgier foil to Buffy Summers' girl-next-door persona. The actress returned to the role in spin-off Angel and continues to be a fan-favourite today.

Through the 2000s, Eliza starred in teen classic Bring It On and sci-fi series Dollhouse, which she also produced. Eliza has since left acting behind, graduating with a master's degree in 2025 and becoming a certified therapist.

Craig Kilborn took over hosting duties on The Late Late Show from Tom Snyder between 1999–2004. The comedian and TV host originally worked in sports reporting but has also given Hollywood a spin with romps like Old School (2003) and Full of It (2007). 

He currently runs a podcast called The Life Gorgeous with Craig Kilborn which invites listeners to join the host on "a journey to improve your life", focussing on pro sport, music and movies. 

Jay Mohr was comedy royalty through the '90s and '00s, appearing in crime flick Go (1999), Tom Cruise romance Jerry Maguire (1996) and, past the millennium, Pay It Forward (2000). 

The comedian is still performing on stage with live sets and hosts podcast Mohr Stories on YouTube, currently sitting at almost 600 episodes. 

Bridgit Mendler was soaring into the A-list through the '00s and into the 2010s. With roles on Wizards of Waverly Place, The Clique and Good Luck Charlie, the actress defined Disney Channel fame, alongside a successful music career. 

She continues to impress fans today in a different sector entirely: this time Bridgit is shooting for the stars rather than working to become one. The former actress is now CEO and co-founder of satellite data company Northwood Space.

Chris Kattan co-starred with Jennifer Coolidge and Will Ferrell in 1998 comedy A Night at the Roxbury and crime romp Corky Romano (2001). One of his most iconic '00s role cast Chris as Frankie Heck's pitiable co-worker Bob in The Middle.

Nowadays, Chris Kattan is active as a comedian and co-host of the What's Up Peeps?! podcast with his wife, journalist and actress Maria Libri. 

The 2000s had a penchant for a good spoof and in 2007 that meant a satirical role for Lauren Conrad alongside fellow reality star Carmen Electra. Lauren's onscreen fame in the 2000s included coming of age reality show The Hills and in the first two seasons of Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County.

She's keeping busy away from the screen as a mother of two shared with husband William Tell and focusing her energy on building her fashion brand LC Lauren Conrad and Little Co. by Lauren Conrad. 

Star of Good Luck Chuck, Employee of the Month and My Best Friend's Girl, Dane Cook took the world of 2000s rom-coms by storm. He has also worked in the music sector, releasing several comedy albums, the second of which debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200.

 Dane has continued working in comedy and still performs onstage as well as regularly keeping his fans updated via his Instagram page.

If you were growing up in the 2000s and had access to a radio or a particularly whimsical bus driver, then you're almost guaranteed to have come across Jason Mraz's best known tracks 'I'm Yours' and 'I Won't Give Up'. 

The first song has over 2 billion streams on Spotify while the latter currently sits at just over 1 billion. Today, Jason is still singing and touring, continuing to bring his music to fans around the world.

Andrew 'Andy' Milonakis is a rapper, comedian and actor famous for 2000s MTV comedy The Andy Milonakis Show. He's still easily accessible for fans today, though in shorter, vertical format on his Instagram page which he regularly posts to. 

 He's still acting occasionally today with roles in 2022 superhero satire The Guardians of Justice and 2023 coming-of-age drama The Sweet East.

Before there were TikTok celebs or a new crush-worthy megastar every month, cinema fans in the 2000s had an enduring relationship with their teen heartthrob of choice. 

Oliver James is surely one of the celebs that many will remember pining over as he played opposite Amanda Bynes in What a Girl Wants (2003). His last acting role was in 2012 and Oliver now works as a psychotherapist in Guildford.