Celebs Then and Now: Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid, and More
Thanks to social media, it’s easy to follow along with your favorite celebs every single day. You know when they got a haircut, when they’re wearing a new outfit, and where they’re hanging out for lunch. But because you see your faves so frequently, it can be hard to remember what they looked like a year ago — much less ten. (That’s what makes those #TBT photos so compelling, after all!) They too were once adorable, eager, sometimes-awkward teenagers. Celebrities — they *are * just like us after all!
We went through the history books (AKA, old photos) to see just what some of our faves looked like as teens — many of them were Disney channel stars or teen musicians who channeled their early days into a massive career. It’s fun to see what they looked like way back in the days before Instagram filters; no one was immune from frosted makeup, not even Beyoncé!. Who had the biggest glow-up, and who still resembles their teen self? Let’s hop in our time machine and see.
Eamonn McCormack1/35Selena Gomez
Though Selena appeared as a kiddo on *Barney & Friends, * it wasn’t until she hit airwaves as the star of Disney’s *The Wizards of Waverly Place * that her career kicked into overdrive. She was just 15 when the show began in 2007 — here’s Selena in 2008 looking adorably fresh-faced.
Michael Kovac/AMA20162/35Today, of course, she’s 24 and a massively successful pop star and actress, and the most-followed person on Instagram. NBD.
Kevin Winter/DCNYRE20103/35Justin Bieber
The Biebs was discovered at the tender age of 14 and blew up shortly thereafter, attracting the passionate following we call Beliebers and racking up pop hits.
Theo Wargo4/35Today, Justin is all grown up and has several albums, world tours, and controversies under his belt. But you can't ever forget your past: he has been rocking a hairstyle reminiscent of his iconic teenybop shag.
Charley Gallay5/35Demi Lovato
Like Selena, Demi Lovato, 24, was discovered via Barney and then showed up on the Disney Channel as a teen.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin6/35Camp Rock may have given Demi her start, but she quickly became known for her activism on behalf of mental health and body positivity, as well as her singing career.
Brian Ach7/35Nick Jonas
We always knew the youngest member of the Jonas Brothers band was incredibly talented. He was just 15 when the Jonas Brothers became a sensation, and his guitar skills were seriously impressive.
Jon Kopaloff8/35After the Brothers split, Nick, now 24, embarked on a successful solo career (Helloooo, “Jealous!”) and continued to act in shows like Scream Queens and Kingdom.
Paul Archuleta9/35Cole Sprouse
Cole Sprouse (and his twin Dylan, both now 24) basically grew up on TV. He played Ross’s son Ben on Friends, then starred in Disney Channel’s *The Suite Life of Zack and Cody * with Dylan.
Todd Williamson10/35Cole’s not a blonde resident of the Tipton Hotel any longer; he’s currently starring as the edgy writer Jughead on Riverdale.
Jim Spellman11/35Rihanna
Can you believe Rihanna’s first album came out in 2005? She was just 17 when she signed with Jay-Z.
Steve Granitz12/35Rihanna, who just turned 29, has found her niche as an artist, trendsetter, and entrepreneur; her album Anti garnered critics’ praise and she’s about to release her own makeup line, Fenty Beauty.
Jeff Kravitz13/35Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift was in her teens when her first album, *Taylor Swift, * came out in 2006. She was a country girl then, hitting red carpets with her trademark big curls and flowing dresses with cowboy boots.
Erika Goldring14/35Today, of course, Taylor is the polished icon who has gone full pop — but that doesn't mean she doesn't pen a country tune now and again, as she did for fellow musicians Little Big Town.
Jon Kopaloff15/35Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner literally went through her teens on TV. She was only 12 when *Keeping Up with the Kardashians * began, so viewers got to see her go through the classic milestones of the teenage years, including learning to drive and fighting with her sister over clothes.
David M. Benett16/35Now Kendall’s 21 and a supermodel, so those awkward years on TV were probably worth it. Plus, we have a feeling her sisters now want to borrow her clothes.
David Livingston17/35Gigi Hadid
Kendall’s BFF Gigi Hadid, 21, started her modeling career as a toddler, and never stopped. Look how cute she was in 2012!
Barcroft Media18/35Today she’s a runway superstar whose face is plastered all over magazine covers and ad campaigns. Of course, modeling is in Gigi’s blood; her mom Yolanda was a model, and her sibs Bella and Anwar are too!
NBC NewsWire19/35Zayn Malik
We all know the story of Zayn Malik; he auditioned solo on the *X Factor * in the UK at 17, got eliminated, and then became part of One Direction, a teenage boy band who quickly became the most famous fivesome in the world. They were so cute back in the day!
Kevork Djansezian20/35Zayn, now 24, went solo in 2015 and released his first album in 2016. Oh, and he and girlfriend Gigi Hadid are basically #everythinggoals, so there's that.
Nicky J. Sims21/35Beyoncé
Beyoncé was just 17 years old when her band, Destiny’s Child, released their first big single, “No, No, No.”
Kevin Mazur22/35Bey, who is now 35, quickly became one of the most famous musicians in the world. Is there anything she can’t do? No.
Scott Wintrow23/35Lea Michele
Lea Michele’s big break came courtesy her starring role in Broadway’s now-legendary pop musical Spring Awakening. Soon enough, she was cast as the ambitious singer Rachel Berry on Fox’s Glee, which ran from 2009-2015.
Paul Archuleta24/35Lea, now 30, starred in Glee creator Ryan Murphy’s campy Scream Queens, but she’s still flexing her star-making pipes too. Her second album, Places, is set to be released in 2017.
Michael Tran25/35Kylie Jenner
Kendall Jenner’s little sister Kylie also grew up on camera. Kylie’s still technically a teen, as she celebrated her 19th birthday last summer.
Karwai Tang26/35She’s also a model, entrepreneur, and owner of a massively successful cosmetics line — all before she turns 20!
Frederick M. Brown27/35Drake
Drake (AKA Aubrey Graham) was 15 years old when he starred in Canada’s *Degrassi: The Next Generation.” A few years later, he released his first mixtape and caught the attention of Lil Wayne.
Christopher Polk/AMA201628/35The rest, of course, is history. Drake's definitely put in, ahem, work at the studio, and has collaborated with Kanye West, Rihanna, and more.
Michael Tran Archive29/35Zac Efron
Whenever we want to remember teenage Zac Efron, we just turn on *High School Musical * and relive the first time we set eyes on Troy Bolton. Zac was 18 when he filmed the Disney Channel classic, which became a phenomenon and made Zac and his castmates mega-famous.
Mike Stobe/Zuffa LLC30/35Today, Zac is 29, and we’ll see him (shirtless) onscreen in the Baywatch adaptation this spring.
Mark Mainz31/35Vanessa Hudgens
Zac’s costar (and former girlfriend) Vanessa Hudgens also found fame because of her role as Gabriella in High School Musical.
Christopher Polk/NBC32/35V parlayed that success into a recording career and roles both in movies and onstage. Vanessa, now 28, can currently be found as the lead on NBC’s Powerless.
Jon Kopaloff33/35Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus was another Disney Channel teen star; she got famous as the pop star Hannah Montana in the TV show of the same name, then became a bonafide celebrity as both a singer and an actress.
Emma McIntyre34/35Since then, Miley (now 24) has released successful albums, acted in movies, and even been a judge on The Voice. She’s really passionate about her philanthropy — in addition to supporting countless charities, Miley also founded the Happy Hippie Foundation to help support homeless youth and LGBTQ youth.
