By Megan Riedlinger
12:53pm PDT, Jun 6, 2017
Let's go back… way back! Twenty years ago, "Titanic" was breaking box office records, Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" tribute to Princess Diana was the song of the year, and "Seinfeld" was the most-viewed TV show on the air. But where are the biggest stars of 1997 today? We're rounding up some of the most famous faces from that year, starting with Heather Graham! The actress shot to fame after starring in one of the year's biggest movies, "Boogie Nights." She followed that up with a cameo in another massive flick that year, "Scream 2," and continued to be one of the most in-demand leading ladies of the '90s. But where is she now? Keep reading to find out!
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Heather Graham's career peaked in the late '90s and early '00s. From there, she had a small role in 2009's massive comedy hit, "The Hangover," followed by appearances on television shows like "Portlandia" and "Californication." Next up, you can see her on TV's "Bliss" alongside David Cross. As for her personal life, Heather never married but has been tied to a string of famous men. She reportedly dated stars like Ed Burns, Benicio Del Toro and Leonardo DiCaprio and was most recently linked to film producer Tommy Alastra in September 2016.
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Leonardo DiCaprio has maintained his position as one of the biggest names in Hollywood over the last two decades. The actor even won his first Academy Award — for Best Actor for his work in "The Revenant" in 2016 — after four previous nominations. When it comes to his personal life, much like former flame Heather Graham, Leo has yet to settle down. Over the last 20 years, he's been attached to a bevy of beauties including Juliette Lewis, Gisele Bundchen, Blake Lively and many, many Victoria's Secret models.
While starring on the hit show "Party of Five" in the '90s, Neve Campbell also established an impressive film career. By 1997, she was a major player in Hollywood, especially after she followed up her massive 1996 hit "Scream" with the equally successful sequel "Scream 2."
Neve Campbell has continued to act over the last 20 years, appearing in two more sequels to "Scream." Most recently, she can be seen on the hit Netflix show "House of Cards," where she's played Leann Harvey since 2016. Neve has been married twice: once to actor Jeff Colt from 1995 to 1998, and then to actor John Light from 2007 to 2010. She welcomed her first child, son Caspian, with current partner JJ Feild in 2012.
Though he was already a famous face thanks to his hit show "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," Will Smith really made it big in 1997. It was that year that his blockbuster smash "Men in Black" was released, cementing him as a Hollywood heavyweight.
Will Smith's career has continued to flourish since 1997. The actor starred in plenty of big flicks, including sequels to "Men in Black," 2006's "The Pursuit of Happyness," 2007's "I Am Legend" and 2016's "Suicide Squad." 1997 was also a good year for him personally, as it's the year he married Jada Pinkett, the mother of two of his three kids, entertainers Jaden Smith and Willow Smith.
Milla Jovovich was a massive star back in 1997 thanks to her lead role in that year's major hit movie "The Fifth Element." The film opened the Cannes Film Festival and ended up being a blockbuster smash.
Though "The Fifth Element" is still her biggest film to date, Milla Jovovich has maintained a steady movie career since the '90s. The star landed a part in 2001's "Zoolander" and in 2002 took on the lead role in the popular "Resident Evil" franchise. Most recently, she reprised her "Zoolander" character in 2016's "Zoolander 2" as well as Alice in "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" the same year. Milla has been married to her second husband, writer Paul W. S. Anderson, since 2009. They share two children, daughters Ever and Dashiel.
Recognize this face? George Clooney rose to mainstream fame in the mid-'90s starring as Dr. Doug Ross on "ER." He made a seamless transition from the small screen to the big screen and took on the iconic role of Batman in 1997's "Batman & Robin."
George Clooney continued to develop into a bona fide movie star during the '90s and '00s. Some of his most notable flicks include 2001's "Ocean's Eleven" (and its sequels), 2005's "Syriana" and 2009's "Up in the Air." He dated plenty of women during his time in the spotlight, and while most thought he would end up a permanent bachelor, eventually, the right woman came along! George got engaged to British barrister Amal Alamuddin in 2014 and married her that same year. The happy couple expanded their family a few years later, welcoming twins, son Alexander and daughter Ella, in June 2017.
1997 was a huge year for Sarah Michelle Gellar! Not only did the star's cult classic television show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" debut that March, but she also appeared in her first major film that same year, starring with future husband Freddie Prinze Jr. in "I Know What You Did Last Summer." That same year, her other big flick (with fellow 1997 superstar Neve Campbell) debuted: "Scream 2."
Sarah Michelle Gellar's series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" ran for seven seasons. She also continued to work in film in the '90s, including starring in the 1999 hit "Cruel Intentions." Since then, she's lent her voice to numerous cartoons including "The Simpsons" and "American Dad" and starred alongside the late Robin Williams in the 2013 show "The Crazy Ones." Something that hasn't changed since 1997? SMG's other half! She and Freddie Prinze Jr. started dating in 2000 and tied the knot in 2002. The couple, who also co-starred in the "Scooby-Doo" films, are still happily married and have two children: daughter Charlotte and son Rocco.
Though he'd been working as an actor throughout the '90s, Matt Damon got his big break in 1997 — times two! That year, two major films he acted in were released: "The Rainmaker," which earned him solid reviews, and one of his most famous films ever, "Good Will Hunting." He even earned an Academy Award for writing the screenplay with pal Ben Affleck the following year!
Matt Damon's career continued to soar after his pivotal year. Like fellow 1997 star George Clooney, Matt appeared in 2001's "Ocean's Eleven" and its sequels. In 2002, he took on the role of Jason Bourne in the first installment of what would turn into the massively successful "Bourne Identity" franchise. Matt's success in Hollywood wasn't just commercial though, as he received critical acclaim — and Academy Award nominations — for his work in films including 2009's "Invictus" and 2015's "The Martian." While in the prime of his career, Matt met Luciana Barroso, whom he married in 2005. They went on to have three children together — daughters Isabella, Gia and Stella — who joined Luciana's daughter from a previous relationship, Alexia, to round out their family of six.
Toni Braxton had one of the biggest songs of 1997 with "Un-Break My Heart," which came from her second and most successful album, "Secrets." The tune was No. 1 for 11 consecutive weeks.
Despite finding massive success in the '90s, Toni Braxton eventually had to file for bankruptcy after battling her record label for her earnings. Though the bankruptcy resulted in Toni having to give up her Grammys and American Music Awards, eventually, she made up with her label and signed a new $20 million contract in 2000. She returned to the top of the charts with that year's "He Wasn't Man Enough For Me," but after that was never able to duplicate the success of her '90s career. Between working on albums, Toni made appearances on Broadway, including starring as Belle in "Beauty and the Beast" in 1998, and in 2011 she made the leap to reality television. Her family starred on WE tv's "Braxton Family Values" for five seasons. Toni married Keri Lewis in 2001 and they had two children, sons Denim and Diezel. The couple separated in 2009 and eventually divorced in 2013.
After finding fame in the '80s, Kim Basinger returned to acting in 1997 for one of her biggest roles to date in "LA Confidential." The film earned her a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Kim Basinger has continued to work steadily, though not constantly, over the last two decades. Some of her more notable performances include work in 2002's "8 Mile," 2004's "Cellular" and, most recently, her turn in the blockbuster sequel to "Fifty Shades of Grey," 2017's "Fifty Shades Darker." As for Kim's personal life, she married young in 1980 before splitting from makeup artist Ron Britton. The star reportedly dated Prince for a time before getting married for the second time in 1990, to actor Alec Baldwin. The two, who share daughter Ireland Baldwin, were together for 10 years before bitterly splitting in 2000.
