11 teenage heart-throbs of the 70s and 80s: Where are they now?

Before there was Bieber there was Bros and before there was Hanson, there was Henry Winkler.

And although the decades and generations may differ and the doe eyed dreamy idol himself may have changed, one thing remains the same… All our teenage years can be defined by the dreamboat who adorned our bedroom walls.

But what happens when the fans move on and the applause dies down for our idols? History shows us that it can go a number of ways.

Some will stay in the industry and constantly reinvent themselves (Robert Downey Jnr for example). Others will quietly bow out of the spotlight for a quiet, unassuming life. And an unfortunate few will turn to the dark side. Whether it’s because they can’t handle being dropped from the limelight or because they simply couldn’t cope with their immense popularity in the first place.

Prepare yourselves, here are the men who adorned your bedroom walls (or ceilings) as they were then, and…. where they are now.

1. Leif Garrett (53)

Leif Garrett was the Justin Bieber of the ’70s. He had enormous talent and success as a pop singer in the later ’70s and early ’80s. Decades of drug abuse and arrests however, derailed his career. The former Teen Beat pinup is apparently in a better headspace these days, occasionally tours and has released a punk rock single.

2. Henry Winkler (69)

Winkler was best known for his role as Arthur (The Fonz) Fonzarelli in the sitcom, Happy Days. He has continued to lead a successful career as an actor, author and director and recently starred in the TV show 'Arrested Development'.

3. David Cassidy (64)

Shooting to fame in his role as 'Keith Partridge' in the hugely successful 1970s sitcom, The Partridge Family, David has gone on to have a somewhat successful career, both acting and singing. Sadly, despite selling tens of millions of albums, David has recently filed for bankruptcy.

Related: Things only women born in the '60s and '70s will understand

4. Erik Estrada (66)

There wasn't a woman alive who didn't want to be pulled over for speeding by Frank (Ponch) Poncharello from the TV series Chips. Erik didn't simply fade off into the sunset when the show was cancelled in 1983. In fact he's been in a bunch of TV shows, (even the Bold and the Beautiful) since. He has also been seen in music videos from Eminem and written a moderately acclaimed autobiography.

5. Harrison Ford (72)

Harrison Ford first came to the world's attention for his role as Han Solo in the original Star Wars. Harrison has continued to enjoy huge success as both an film actor and producer. Ford married actress Calista Flockhart, who is half his own age, in 2010 and they have an adopted son. Unfortunately, Ford was involved in a plane crash earlier on this year and is still recovering from injuries sustained.

6. Donny Osmond (57)

In the mid '60s, Donny and his four older brothers found fame in the hit show, The Osmonds. In the early '70s, Donny broke away from his brothers and went solo. He then teamed up with this sister to appear in the self titled TV show, Donny and Marie. Donny has been consistently acting and singing since. He recently came first after competing in the 9th season of Dancing with the Stars in the United States.

7. Mickey Rourke (62)

Oh Mickey you're so fine. Or at least you were... Most people remember Mickey as 'John Gray' from the '80s erotic romantic drama, 9 1/2 weeks. Rourke has attracted a lot of attention over the years, first as a heartthrob, then as an acclaimed actor and over the last decade or so, for his liberal use of plastic surgery.

8. Grant Show (53)

Grant or 'Jake Hanson' as we all knew him as on the smash hit TV drama, Melrose Place, has done rather well in Hollywood with consistent roles in popular television dramas. He currently has a recurring role on the television show 'Devious Maids'. And he's still looking pretty darn fine...

9. Joey Perrone (47)

Joey or 'Joe' as he prefers to be called these days, skyrocketed to national fame on the iconic Australian television show, Young Talent Time. Apologies for the blurry 'before' picture. Seems Joey never stood still long enough back in the '80s to get a decent shot of him. According to his website, Joe has been to America where he scored a role in a movie, has worked in the theatre and is now fluent in several different languages.

10. Luke Perry (48)

We all remember this bad boy, who played brooding son of a millionaire 'Dylan McKay' in the original series of Beverly Hills, 90210. Fun fact, Luke originally auditioned for Steve Sander's part (which we know would have just been all wrong). Luke continues to have moderate success in Hollywood with small roles in film and television and voice overs. He turned down the chance to reprise his role as Dylan when 90210 was revived a few years ago.

11. Matt Goss (47)

Matt and his twin brother and some other guy no one ever remembers the name of, were in a band named Bros back in the '80s. Matt however, was considered the best looking and as a result, caused teenage girls everywhere to absolutely lose their minds. Despite their huge success, Bros disbanded and Matt went on to forge a solo career. In 1995, he sold over 5 million copies of his single and wrote two books that topped the best sellers list; one a children's book. You still got it Matt.

Who would you like to see added to the list?