Top 10 '80s Stars Who Fell Off the Map

Everyone remembers the cowardly but heroic Chunk from the coming-of-age classic “The Goonies.” But you might not know that Jeff Cohen also had a fairly prolific TV career in the ‘80s, with roles in several TV movies and appearances in multiple episodes of hit sitcoms. Later in life, he became interested in the business side of Hollywood, and went on to take up a career in law, even co-founding his own firm. While he’s moved away from the spotlight, he’s very much still involved in the entertainment industry. In fact, he represented his “Goonies” co-star Ke Huy Quan in negotiating Quan’s contract for his Oscar-winning role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

Becoming a famous actor is one thing, but getting an item of clothing named after you is a whole other level of icon status. When Bach was first cast in “The Dukes of Hazzard,” the producers had a more old-fashioned wardrobe in mind for her character. But Bach talked them into letting her wear her own clothes, and thus was born the famous shorts that would come to be known as Daisy Dukes. In addition to reprising her role in the “Dukes” animated series and a pair of “Dukes” reunion specials, Bach played recurring characters on several other shows, most notably “The Young and the Restless.” She also appeared in over a dozen small films, but hasn’t had an acting credit since 2016.

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is one of those ‘80s movies that everyone has to see at some point, and Mia Sara’s Sloane was part of the teen trio that made it so great. Sara has been all over our screens in the years since, with plenty of TV appearances as well as roles in both big budget flicks and smaller films. Her final feature appearance came in 2012’s “Dorothy and the Witches of Oz” as the evil Princess Langwidere, who can swap her head out at will. Since then, Sara has retired from acting and become a prolific writer, focusing mainly on poetry. But she did reunite with her “Ferris Bueller” co-stars to share memories in 2020.

It’s hard to follow up a break-out performance in such a beloved classic as “Sixteen Candles.” Schoeffling started his career as a model, and his part as Sam’s love interest in the teen rom-com was his first screen role. After that, he appeared in a string of movies throughout the ‘80s and into the early ‘90s, some more successful than others, before quitting acting to – believe it or not – make furniture. Despite the plethora of Jake Ryan fans apparently still pining for him, Schoeffling has had better luck staying out of the spotlight than most former stars. Aside from the odd appearance on his daughter’s Instagram feed, he’s pretty much disappeared from the public eye.

If you’re deep into the faith-based film scene, Cameron probably hasn’t fallen off your map, though he no longer spends much time in the mainstream public eye. During his turn as Mike Seaver on the hit sitcom “Growing Pains,” Cameron first became a teen heartthrob, then a born-again Christian. He’s been totally devoted to his religion ever since, appearing almost exclusively in faith-based productions – though he did make a cameo on his sister’s sitcom, “Fuller House,” in 2019. He’s also starred in and produced a number of Christian films and documentaries over the last two decades, the most popular of which is his role in the first three “Left Behind” movies, based on the popular novel. Cameron even hosts his own Christian talk show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Like most of the celebs on our list, McGillis’s biggest role came early in her career. This was when she starred opposite Tom Cruise as Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood in the mega blockbuster “Top Gun.” Unlike many others on our list, McGillis has actually been working pretty steadily ever since. Although she took a short break from acting in the early 2000s, between the late ‘80s and the 2020s, she’s had dozens of roles in small films and TV movies. She also appeared in a handful of TV episodes, including in some fairly major series like “The Outer Limits” and “The L Word.” She’s even performed on stage, most notably playing Mrs. Robinson in a 2004 tour of “The Graduate.”

Another “Sixteen Candles” alum, Gertz was in high demand throughout the 1980s. With major roles in movies like “The Lost Boys” and “Less than Zero,” as well as series like “Square Pegs,” Gertz was all over our screens. Her busy schedule tapered off slightly in the ‘90s, when she took on fewer film roles, and most of her TV appearances were guest parts. Starting in the 2000s, she pivoted almost entirely to TV, with major roles in “Still Standing” and “The Neighbors.” However, since 2015, sports fans might best know her as co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks with her husband, Tony Ressler.

After the surprise success of “Dirty Dancing,” we might have expected Jennifer Grey to become the next big Hollywood star, but her popularity took a downturn in the ‘90s. Concerned that her appearance would prevent her from getting roles, she had rhinoplasty, and ended up looking so different that even close friends didn’t recognize her. Grey persevered despite the negative effects on her career, and landed a number of smaller parts over the next two decades, as well as a starring role on a short-lived sitcom where she played herself. In 2010, she put her dancing talents to the test again on “Dancing with the Stars” and won the competition with her partner, Derek Hough.

If you were a kid in the ‘80s, you definitely knew Rick Moranis. He appeared in some of the most beloved comedies of the decade. Everyone remembers Louis from “Ghostbusters,” who might have been a bit of a nerd but actually looks like a blast to hang out with. And of course, who could forget Lord Dark Helmet. Sadly, Moranis’s wife tragically passed away from cancer in 1991, and over the next decade, the actor began to step away from Hollywood to focus on parenting his two children. Aside from a few TV appearances and voice gigs, he’s largely been away from acting, though he’s slated to reprise his role as Wayne Szalinski in the “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” franchise.

If you only know her from one scene, we bet we can guess which one it is. It has to be one of the most replayed moments in movie history, and it arguably catapulted Cates to superstardom. Over the next decade, the young actor averaged more than one movie a year, and there’s no reason to think she couldn’t have continued appearing on screen as much as she wanted. Instead, after starring alongside her husband Kevin Kline in 1994’s “Princess Caraboo,” Cates elected to press pause on her Hollywood career and focus on her kids. Since then, she’s started her own New York City boutique. Cates returned to acting just once, in 2001’s “The Anniversary Party,” directed by “Fast Times” co-star Jennifer Jason Leigh.