Before there was Bieber there was Bros and before there was Hanson, there was Henry Winkler.
And although the decades and generations may differ and the doe eyed dreamy idol himself may have changed, one thing remains the same… All our teenage years can be defined by the dreamboat who adorned our bedroom walls.
But what happens when the fans move on and the applause dies down for our idols? History shows us that it can go a number of ways.
Some will stay in the industry and constantly reinvent themselves (Robert Downey Jnr for example). Others will quietly bow out of the spotlight for a quiet, unassuming life. And an unfortunate few will turn to the dark side. Whether it’s because they can’t handle being dropped from the limelight or because they simply couldn’t cope with their immense popularity in the first place.
Prepare yourselves, here are the men who adorned your bedroom walls (or ceilings) as they were then, and…. where they are now.
1. Leif Garrett (53)
Leif Garrett was the Justin Bieber of the ’70s. He had enormous talent and success as a pop singer in the later ’70s and early ’80s. Decades of drug abuse and arrests however, derailed his career. The former Teen Beat pinup is apparently in a better headspace these days, occasionally tours and has released a punk rock single.
2. Henry Winkler (69)
Winkler was best known for his role as Arthur (The Fonz) Fonzarelli in the sitcom, Happy Days. He has continued to lead a successful career as an actor, author and director and recently starred in the TV show 'Arrested Development'.
3. David Cassidy (64)
Shooting to fame in his role as 'Keith Partridge' in the hugely successful 1970s sitcom, The Partridge Family, David has gone on to have a somewhat successful career, both acting and singing. Sadly, despite selling tens of millions of albums, David has recently filed for bankruptcy.
Related: Things only women born in the '60s and '70s will understand
4. Erik Estrada (66)
There wasn't a woman alive who didn't want to be pulled over for speeding by Frank (Ponch) Poncharello from the TV series Chips. Erik didn't simply fade off into the sunset when the show was cancelled in 1983. In fact he's been in a bunch of TV shows, (even the Bold and the Beautiful) since. He has also been seen in music videos from Eminem and written a moderately acclaimed autobiography.
5. Harrison Ford (72)
Harrison Ford first came to the world's attention for his role as Han Solo in the original Star Wars. Harrison has continued to enjoy huge success as both an film actor and producer. Ford married actress Calista Flockhart, who is half his own age, in 2010 and they have an adopted son. Unfortunately, Ford was involved in a plane crash earlier on this year and is still recovering from injuries sustained.
