Name: Top 10 80s Celebs You Forgot Were AWESOME
Uploaded: 2025-02-13T10:55:03.000Z
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Relative clauses (Restrictive vs. nonrestrictive)

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the totally awesome celebrities who helped define the 1980s, but aren't always remembered as brightly as some of their contemporaries.

We'll be excluding musical artists, however, as they deserve a list of their own.

Following an appearance in Risky Business,

Bronson Pinchot would go on to make a splash in 1984's Beverly Hills Cop as Sage, the eccentric art gallery worker.

Demonstrating his versatile acting chops opposite Eddie Murphy,

Pinchot proved he had a penchant for comedic timing.

It's like the braids of a dog to scrub for the customer.

Of course, his true rise to fame came with the role of Balky Bartokomis on the sitcom Perfect Strangers.

It's here that he charmed audiences with his portrayal of an overly optimistic immigrant from the fictional Mediterranean island of Mipos.

Pinchot would continue acting in later years, but nothing quite matched the impact of his 80s stardom.

If you grew up in the 80s, you definitely remember Phoebe Cates.

Heck, she's featured in one of the most re-watched moments in movie history.

The infamous pool scene in 1982's Fast Times at Richmond High.

And while that role is certainly burned in the brains of 80s teens,

Cates also appeared in the darkly comic Gremlins movies, proving she had range beyond her iconic teen comedy role.

Her decision to mostly step away from the limelight to focus on family life may have contributed to her often being overlooked, but Phoebe Cates' influence on 80s pop culture is undeniable.

-"Starting to get scared." -"Oh, no." -"Something always seems to screw us up. Usually, it's you." -"Sometimes, it's me."

Before shows like Friends and The Big Bang Theory,

Cheers ruled the airwaves as the biggest sitcom on television, and Shelley Long was a key reason why.

Long helped define the show's early seasons alongside Ted Danson's Sam Malone.

And while her work on Cheers earned her an Emmy and Golden Globe Awards,

Long eventually left the show to pursue a film career.

She would go on to showcase her affability in such 80s films as The Money Pit and Troop Beverly Hills.

Meanwhile, 90s audiences developed a soft spot for her as the matriarch in the Brady Bunch films.

-"Cindy, that's Mr. Dettmeyer's business. Remember, nobody likes a snitch."

-"So, how do you like the valley so far?" -"Well, it hasn't been dull." -"Miss Newark dull? How'd you know I was from Newark?" -"I asked."

If you needed a charismatic girl-next-door type in the 1980s,

Elizabeth Shue was no doubt the go-to actress.

For starters, she starred opposite Ralph Macchio in The Karate Kid as Allie, the love interest of both Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence.

Shue would later steal the show in 1987's Adventures in Babysitting and 1988's Cocktail.

-"I wanted to, uh, come by and thank you for helping out yesterday." -"Sorry? How's she doing?" -"She, uh, has a hangover."

She even stepped into the Back to the Future franchise, taking over the role of Jennifer Parker from Claudia Wells.

And though she's had a steady career since, including a memorable role in The Boys, many forget just how important Elizabeth Shue was in shaping 80s pop culture.

-"You look amazing." -"Oh, thank you. So do you." -"God, when was the last time we saw each other?" -"I think it was senior year."

-"Carrie Mahoney." -"I'm George Martin." -"Carrie, we should be pals, George. You're an interesting guy."

Few actors had a streak like Steve Guttenberg did in the 1980s.

He was the face of three major film franchises,

Police Academy, Cocoon, and Three Men and a Baby.

Thanks to Guttenberg's everyman charm and comedic timing, he was one of the most bankable stars of the decade.

While his career eventually slowed down in later years, there was a time when he was practically everywhere.

In early 2025, the actor proved he was still awesome when he personally helped move vehicles on clogged roads for emergency responders during the L.A. wildfires.

-"When there is a crisis and you abandon your car in the middle of the street, leave the key in it so people like myself can move those cars to the side of the road and let fire vehicles and emergency vehicles up there."

Steve would go on to encourage kindness and community support during the dire situation.

Let's try to keep this kindness and this thoughtfulness.

This is a time that we've got to band together, that we're not one street or one town or one city.

We're one community, and that's where we are."

Joan Collins' Alexis Carrington Colby walked so Heather Locklear's Amanda Woodward could run.

On Dynasty, one of the most watched TV shows of the decade,

Collins redefined what it meant to be a television villain.

-"Well, since you haven't come up with anything better, you are fired!"

Her catfights with Linda Evans' character Crystal were legendary, as Collins brought an unmatched level of style and attitude to the screen.

-"I've also noticed that this house is in a very shabby condition these days.

Definitely run down in case no one's had the nerve to tell you."

Making audiences love to hate her, she earned multiple Golden Globe nominations and a win for the role.

And while her vixen portrayal paved the way for countless television characters that followed, it also influenced 80s fashion.

Yup, many can thank the actress for playing a significant role in popularizing those bold shoulder pads in women's clothing.

You can't talk about 80s celebrities without talking about the Brat Pack.

Emilio Estevez delivered iconic performances throughout the decade in movies like

-"It's like this mindless machine that I can't even relate to anymore.

I won't tolerate any losers in this family.

He extended his range far beyond those roles, however, with turns in 1986's Maximum Overdrive and 1988's Young Guns, to name a few.

The 90s would also prove fruitful for Estevez, including three Mighty Ducks films.

And while often overshadowed by his more famous brother, Charlie Sheen, his father, Martin Sheen, and former Brat Pack colleagues,

Estevez's contributions to 80s cinema proved to be just as significant and wonderfully varied.

John Hughes' movies practically defined the 80s, and Anthony Michael Hall was the king of them.

It was only because I didn't want to know I was a virgin, okay?"

Hall played the quintessential geek in such John Hughes films as 16 Candles,

-"Should we give her a break?" -"Yeah, we can play chess with her." -"Chess?

Yep, Anthony made being awkward cool before it was trendy.

He later diversified his roles by joining the cast of Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1986 with his real-life buddy,