# The Prettiest/Handsomest Teens in TV History **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 20, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076 "2009-05-20T15:36:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/41 "2009-05-20T22:27:29Z")
Tony Dow (_Leave It To Beaver_) grew up pretty nice. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/42 "2009-05-20T22:36:45Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Katie Holmes in Dawson’s Creek. She’s a fuckin’ doll. I hope some day she and little Suri can make a break for it. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/43 "2009-05-20T22:51:30Z")
> [@maplekiwi](#): > > Linsay Lohan was so cute & striking when she started out - its sad to see recent pictures of her. Not a TV star. She was very beautiful, though; I met her in person about 5 years ago, around the time she was in “Mean Girls” - she was absolutely stunning. Today she looks like a saddle. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone age so quickly. She looks ten years older than she is. * * * Oh, and as for a male child star who became a leading man, I give you Kurt Russell. Cute kid, and as an adult, handsome in a tough, masculine way; as the quote put it, he looks like a dumpster full of drop kicks. He sure made the transition easily. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/44 "2009-05-20T22:58:18Z")
Christina Applegate started out as Kelly Bundy on Married With Children looking dull and skanky in the early episodes with that hideous Mall Hair. As time went on, the show got hilarious and Kelly got gorgeous. This year she’s People mag’s most beautiful person, and well deservedly so. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/45 "2009-05-20T23:00:39Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > Point of order - does the actor/actress have to actually be under 20 at the time to be eligible for this thread? 🙂 I was kinda hoping to stick to under 18, as I implied in my OP. But restrictions never work. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/46 "2009-05-20T23:25:12Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Tatania Ali who played Ashley Banks on Fresh Prince was pretty smoking. > > (And I always thought Alfonso Ribeiro who played Carlton was always a lot hotter than his character.) It’s kind of hilarious how they always kept him completely covered up so you couldn’t see all his muscles next to Will Smith’s ganglies. 🙂 Dude was a dancer! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/47 "2009-05-21T00:15:19Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Seconded. > > Of course, now she’s 23 and… well… insert everyone’s favorite Jayne quote from Firefly… “Pretty cunning, doncha think”? I don’t get it. I mean, I have nothing against Ms. Trachtenberg, but ‘cunning’ isn’t the first word that springs to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/48 "2009-05-21T00:17:05Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > It’s kind of hilarious how they always kept him completely covered up so you couldn’t see all his muscles next to Will Smith’s ganglies. 🙂 Dude was a dancer! Ain’t that the truth! The two or three times we did see shirtless Carlton were “I’ll be in mah bunk” moments. And Will being a casanova while Carlton was a dork just felt strange when I knew what an awesome body Carlton had hidden away. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/49 "2009-05-21T00:22:51Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > I always had a thing for **Kim Richards**. > > [http://www.melissabianco.com/images/KimRichards.jpg](http://www.melissabianco.com/images/KimRichards.jpg) Me too. She was my first crush. Of course, I am only a few years older than she, so it wasn’t disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/50 "2009-05-21T00:26:46Z")
**Movies:** Heath Ledger was such a hottie. Molly Ringwald always appealed to me because she wasn’t classically beautiful. More of a quirky beautiful. Ione Sky was 18, I think, when she made Say Anything. Lest we forget, [Mia Sara](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000214/). Anne Hathaway has been around forever. Jamie Bell, from [Billy Elliott](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068260/) TV: [Miranda Cosgrove](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1388927/) is a teen playing a teen. [Haley Joel Osment](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005286/) is a bit of a prodigy. [Emily Osment](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0652089/) is righ ton his heels. [Dakota Fanning](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0266824/) his a prodigy. More movies, but tv experience. [Miley Cyrus](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1415323/) [Ashely Tisdale](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0864308/bio), [Brenda Song](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0814259/) and every kid you see on Disney Channel are prodigies on my book. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/51 "2009-05-21T00:38:45Z")
I always thought Shelley Fabares was very pretty. Joey Lawrence also grew up to be very handsome, more so after he aged. Also that girl who played Six on “Blossom.” Let’s face it the only reason people watched “Blossom” was to stare at Six’s “ass” or Joey’s “ass” depending on your respective genders 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/52 "2009-05-21T01:33:23Z")
If we’re going Tiffani Theissen and Elizabeth Berkley, I’m compelled to complete the “Saved by the Bell” triumvirate with Lark Voorhies. Kelly Shanygne Williams, who played Laura, object of Urkel’s affection on “Family Matters” was a lovely young miss too. And a hat tip to Kaley Cuoco, now on “Big Bang Theory” who was a teen when she came to fame as the oldest daughter on “8 Simple Rules.” Quite adorable. And for a bit more gender balance, since his first big exposure came through guest appearances on shows like Firefly, ER and NCIS, and the first two HSM were made-for-Disney Channel, I’ll say that Zac Efron qualifies. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/53 "2009-05-21T01:52:45Z")
No votes for **Mila Kunis**? She started on _That Seventies Show_ at 14 or 15. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/54 "2009-05-21T01:57:25Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > On the other hand, you would never know **Christian Bale** had been a child actor to look at him. It’s funny you say that because I always associate him with “Newsies.” Some reviewer will be talking about what a great portrayal of a psycho he’s done and I’ll be thinking about him prancing about in knickers and a flat cap singing “Look at me! I’m the king of New York!! Starin’ right atcha’, lousy with statcha’ - Knobbin’ wit’ all the mukkity mucks I’m blowin’ my dough and goin’ deluxe..” (etc.) ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/55 "2009-05-21T02:00:14Z")
[quote=“Tamerlane, post:53, topic:497076”] No votes for **Mila Kunis**?QUOTE] None aside from the OP. I forgot my personal fave: The guy who played Dobie Gillis. I think he was like 50 though. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/56 "2009-05-21T02:05:47Z")
#1 Ricky Nelson! He was a really good looking kid. Amazingly, he never went through that gawky teen phase and remained handsome his entire life. Kurt Russell - Got better as he got older but was a fine looking teenager Bobby Sherman - I don’t know how old he was in “Here Come the Brides” but he was a very good looking man. Christina Applegate - They slutted her up on the show, but she was a lovely teen and remains a lovely woman. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/57 "2009-05-21T03:48:44Z")
**Claire Danes** in _My So-Called Life_. **Jennifer Love Hewitt** and \*\*Lacey Chabert \*\*in _Party of Five_. **Nicole Eggert** on _Charles in Charge_. [**Staci Keanan**](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443824/) was on \*My Two Dads \*and later \*Step By Step \*while still in her teens. I was in love with her (I’m about the same age). ---
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/58 "2009-05-21T03:56:18Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > I always had a thing for **Kim Richards**. > > [http://www.melissabianco.com/images/KimRichards.jpg](http://www.melissabianco.com/images/KimRichards.jpg) She was adorable. I never would have recognized her in Black Snake Moan. (She played Christina Ricci’s mother.) ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/59 "2009-05-21T03:56:37Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > **Claire Danes** in _My So-Called Life_. Good one. I almost nominated Jared Leto (Jordan Catalano) but he was at least 24 when he was on the show. ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076/60 "2009-05-21T04:19:43Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris in _Buffy_. Sorry, nobody who looked like that in high school would have been dateless. No matter how ugly the shirts. But the show _was_ a fantasy. There aren’t really vampires & werewolves, are there? > > “Go Fish” is considered one of the lesser episodes. But we do get to see Young Nick in a Speedo… Wait, I always thought the Buffy kids had to be older than teenagers. Let me check IMDB… Yep, Nicholas Brendon- 26 when the show started, Sarah Michelle Gellar-20, Alyson Hannigan-23, Seth Green-23, Charisma Carpenter-27. But Michelle Trachtenberg _was_ 15 when she started on the show. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prettiest-handsomest-teens-in-tv-history/497076.md?page=4)