Let's face it: You've got some weird selections in your history of crushes. We're talking how you had feelings for Jesse Metcalfe. But, not the version of Metcalfe we know today. We mean when he was Miguel on Passions. And Leo DiCaprio? The Pumpkin Spiced Latte of 90s's crushes... come on.
It's not totally your fault. The '90s were a sexually confusing time. Everyone was wearing ill-fitting clothes and had questionable hairdos. Still, there's something to be said about the celebrities your teen self pined over. In fact, your first celebrity crush pretty much defines your entire personality. Ahead, we take a closer look.
Will Smith
Rapper. Actor. Fashionista. Jazzy Jeff apologist. Young Will Smith was a man of infinite talents, a modern-day Da Vinci — if Da Vinci could flawlessly wear nine patterns at once while simultaneously chilling out, maxing, relaxing, and acting all cool. Your crush on the prince from Philly shows a passion for the truly gifted. And, ears. You’ve got a weird thing for ears.
Photo: Moviestore Collection/REX USA.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Nobody was better than SMG at playing the girl with a secret. A high school kid who’s also a slayer. A wealthy socialite with the cruelest of intentions. And, someone who knew something about what someone did last summer. You’re drawn to people who are hiding something underneath. Let’s just hope, for your sake, it’s not a wooden stake.
Photo: Moviestore Collection/REX USA.
Gwen Stefani
If Madonna is the queen of personal evolution, Gwen’s gotta be the princess. But, if she was your childhood crush, there’s a good chance Gwen caught you in her “Spiderweb” phase, where her reign as a pop-punk powerhouse ensnared many a lovestruck victim. Simply put, you’ve got a passion for ladies who kick ass — and, for the correct spelling of “bananas.”
Photo: REX USA.
Jessica Alba
What’s there to say about Jessica Alba, other than she’s perhaps the only person who could star in a series with the word “angel” in the title and actually live up to it? But, along with Sarah Michelle, she also championed that movement of '90s hotties who could totally beat the crap out of you. Your crush reveals a healthy ability to see beauty in many ways: looks, brains, and swift helicopter kicks to the face.
Photo: JIM SMEAL/BEImages.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Sure, it’s cool to call JGL bae these days. But, this is your “first” celebrity crush, which means we’re going back to Third Rock -era Joe, who seemed to spend an entire decade in his awkward phase. You, however, saw beyond that awful hair, and like another JGL classic ( Angels in the Outfield), you decided that anything is possible. You're a true believer.
Photo: Moviestore Collection/REX USA.
J. Lo
Don’t be fooled by the crush that you got, you’re still (you’re still) a total booty hawk. J. Lo is many things to '80s babies: a singer, an actress, an entrepreneur. But, let’s be real. At that first crush age, there was only one J. Lo feature you were watching, and it wasn’t Money Train. So embrace it. No, don’t literally — I mean be who you are. Cheeky bastard.
Photo: BEImages.
Jennifer Aniston
For a bunch of people whose love lives were apparently “DOA,” the cast of Friends sure as hell got around. But, for the Ross Gellers inside all of us, it was always about Rachel. To love Jen is to love the girl next door, in a sci-fi world in which you live next door to a genome factory that manufactures freakishly beautiful people. In other words, your expectations are high, but they’re admirable. (Clap clap clap clap.)
Photo: BEImages.
Brandy
Brandy’s voice was like her name — rich, sultry, and if you didn’t respect it, ready to burn. If you were Team Brandy in “The Boy Is Mine” video, a.k.a. the R&B version of the East Coast/West Coast hip-hop beef, you were making a statement: Looks are one thing, but the ability to weaken the knees in a deep vocal register is another. Just don’t pull a Mekhi Phifer. [Door slam.]
Photo: Matt Baron/BEImages.
Rider Strong
Boy Meets World ’s Shawn Hunter was the bad boy for people who think refilling your soda at a “no refills” station is being bad. A leather jacket?! Absentee parents?! Shawn spelled with a “W”?!?! You may think you want to walk on the wild side, but we both know you’re not taking a step until you update your emergency contacts and find some sensible shoes.
Photo: Courtesy of ABC.
Tia & Tamera Mowry
How do you think Tia and Tamera would feel being lumped together like this? You watched Sister, Sister. They’re different! One was nerdy, I think, and the other was...not? Truth is, I love them for launching the career of Marques Houston, without whom we’d never have Immature / You Got Served. You were probably just indecisive. Or, had a twin thing. Either way, grow up.
Photo: Matt Baron/BEImages.
Leonardo DiCaprio
I don’t want to say you’re basic (well, maybe a little), but Leo DiCaprio was the Pumpkin Spice Latte of '90s teen idols. Sure, PSLs are delicious, but everybody thinks they’re delicious. You’ve got to branch out a little. Try an affogato, a ca phe sua da, even an Irish coffee. Or, as your boy said at the top of that staircase in Titanic, “You wanna go to a real party?”
Photo: Alex J. Berliner/BEImages.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Keeping Up With The Kardashians Season 14, Episode 10 Recap: "Baby One More Time"
Suri Cruise Teamed Up With Her Mum To Share An Important Taylor Swift Message
Tiffany Haddish Says Sexual Misconduct In Comedy Is Real & Pervasive