25 Actors That Just Kept Popping Up In Various Teen Dramas Over The Years
Some have not only appeared twice, not thrice, but six times!
Teen dramas have a way of sticking around, and so do the actors who keep showing up in them. From the 1990s breakout era of Beverly Hills, 90210, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Dawson's Creek to newer hits like Euphoria and Riverdale, the genre has stayed busy for decades.
Part of the appeal is simple, teenage emotions never really go out of style. The drama, the heartbreak, the friendships, and the constant chaos give these shows endless room to reinvent themselves, which is why so many familiar faces keep turning up again and again.
Some actors seem especially drawn to teen TV, even when they are well past their own teen years. See how many of these recurring faces you recognize.
1. Susan Walters
She's Principal Rimkus on One Tree Hill, Tyler's mom on The Vampire Diaries, Lydia's mom on Teen Wolf, Diane on The Fosters, and Maia on Star-Crossed.
The CW, MTV, Freeforrm2. Ross Butler
He's Zach on 13 Reasons Why, Reggie on Riverdale (in Season 1), and Nathan on Teen Wolf.
David Moir / Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection, The CW, MTV3. Vanessa Morgan
She's Toni on Riverdale, Lyria on The Shannara Chronicles, Bird on Finding Carter, and Vanessa on Degrassi: The Next Generation.
Bettina Strauss / CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection, MTV, CTV
4. Milo Ventimiglia
He's Jess on Gilmore Girls, Peter on Heroes, Greg on Saved by the Bell: The New Class, and Letterman on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Warner Bros / courtesy Everett Co, NBC, ABC
5. Rachel Bilson
She's Summer on The O.C., herself on Gossip Girl, and Colleen on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Michael Desmond / Warner Bros / Courtesy Everett Collection, The CW, The WB
Teen TV has a long memory, and these faces kept coming back for more.
6. Rumer Willis
She's Zoe on Pretty Little Liars, Gia on 90210, and Heather on Secret Life of the American Teenager.
Freeform, Michael Desmond / CW Network / Courtesy Everett Collection
7. Cody Christian
He's Mike on Pretty Little Liars, Theo on Teen Wolf, and Asher on All American.
Eric McCandless / Abc Family / Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection, MTV, The CW
8. Kathryn Prescott
She's Carter on Finding Carter, Emily on Skins, and Penelope on Reign.
Freeform, E4, The CW
9. Bianca Lawson
She's Kendra on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Emily on The Vampire Diaries, Maya on Pretty Little Liars, the guidance counselor Marin on Teen Wolf, Shawna on Secret Life of the American Teenager, Nikki on Dawson's Creek, and Megan on Saved by the Bell: The New Class.
Richard Foreman / 20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection, The CW, Freeform, MTV, The WB
10. Sam Page
He's Colin on Gossip Girl, Jesse on Point Pleasant, Joel on Greek, and Craig on Switched at Birth.
The CW, Fox, Freeform
11. Krysten Ritter
She's Gia on Veronica Mars, Carol on Gossip Girl, and Lucy on Gilmore Girls.
Warner Bros / Courtesy Everett Collection, Giovanni Rufino/ CW Network / Courtesy Everett Collection, Scott Humbert / CW Network / Courtesy Everett Collection
12. Mädchen Amick
She's Alice on Riverdale, Catherine/The Duchess on Gossip Girl, Nicole on Dawson's Creek, and Sherry on Gilmore Girls.
Shane Harvey / The CW / Courtesy Everett Collection, Eric Liebowitz/ CW Network / Courtesy Everett Collection, The WB
13. Charisma Carpenter
She's Cordelia on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Kendall on Veronica Mars, Tegan on Greek, Rebecca on The Lying Game, Wendie on Baywatch, and Ashley on Malibu Shores.
20th Cent Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection, Warner Bros / courtesy Everett Co, Karen Neal / ABC / Everett collection, Freeform, NBC, Courtesy Everett Collection
14. Jane Lynch
She's Sue on Glee (and slayed it), Mrs. Donaldson on Veronica Mars, a nurse on Gilmore Girls, and Mrs. Witter on Dawson's Creek.
Adam Rose / Fox /Courtesy Everett Collection, UPN, The WB
By this point, the pattern is pretty hard to miss.
That “arms” restriction echoes what Boy Meets World’s costume designer said about Danielle Fishel in the final season.
15. Matt Lanter
He's Liam on 90210, Brody on Heroes, Roman on Star-Crossed, and Nick on Point Pleasant.
Michael Desmond / The CW Network / Courtesy Everett Collection, NBC, The CW, Fox
16. Seth Green
He's Oz on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sam on Heroes, and Wayne on Beverly Hills, 90210.
20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection, NBC, Fox
17. Adam Brody
He's Seth on The O.C., Dave on Gilmore Girls, and Justin on Smallville.
Warner Bros / courtesy Everett Collection, The WB
18. Jessalyn Gilsig
She's Terri on Glee, Meredith on Heroes, and Shelley on Friday Night Lights.
Carin Baer / Fox Television / Courtesy Everett Collection, NBC
19. Chad Michael Murray
He's Lucas on One Tree Hill, Tristin on Gilmore Girls, Charlie on Dawson's Creek, and Edgar on Riverdale.
Warner Bros / Courtesy Everett Collection, The WB, Shane Harvey / The CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection
20. Arielle Kebbel
She's Lexie on The Vampire Diaries, Lindsay on Gilmore Girls, Paige on Life Unexpected, and Vanessa on 90210.
The WB, The CW
21. Kristen Bell
She's Veronica on Veronica Mars, Gossip Girl's voice on Gossip Girl (whoa, did you catch that?), and Elle on Heroes.
UPN, The CW, NBC
And somehow, the teen drama casting bench just keeps getting deeper.
22. Marisol Nichols
She's Wendy on Beverly Hills, 90210, Corinna (Malia's mom) on Teen Wolf, and Hermione (Veronica's mom) on Riverdale.
Fox, Dean Buscher / CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection, MTV
23. Torrey DeVito
She's Melissa on Pretty Little Liars, Meredith on The Vampire Diaries, Carrie on One Tree Hill, and a college student on Dawson's Creek.
Freeform, The CW, The WB
24. Stephen Amell
He's Jim on 90210, Brady on The Vampire Diaries, and the doorman on Degrassi: The Next Generation.
The CW, CTV
25. Melissa Ponzio
She's Melissa (Scott's mom) on Teen Wolf, Daphne on The Vampire Diaries, Alice on One Tree Hill, and Robin on Dawson's Creek.
MTV, The CW, The WB
Nothing truly hits harder than a good teen drama putting you to bed, and it's really true that they never get old. Even now, people are still going crazy over shows like Euphoria and Riverdale, and in the early 2010s, people were raving, they still do, actually, about the likes of Pretty Little Liars, Glee, and The Vampire Diaries.
How many actors did you recognize on this list? Comment down your thoughts, or share this article for all your family and friends to see!
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