They weren’t always on magazine covers, but they were scene-stealing beauties of the ’80s.
Finola Hughes
British actress Finola Hughes starred alongside John Travolta in director Sylvester Stallone’s 1983 sequel to Saturday Night Fever, Staying Alive.
She studied at The Arts Educational Schools in London and had experience as a ballet dancer and in musical theatre.
Hughes would go on to be best known for her television role as Anna Devane on General Hospital, though her role in Staying Alive became her most well-known film appearance of the 1980s.
Kerri Green
Kerri Green added innocent allure to two of the greatest movies of the decade, starring opposite Josh Brolin and Corey Feldman in The Goonies as Andy, and alongside Charlie Sheen in Lucas as Maggie.
Kerri’s red hair and sweet looks made her stand out from some of the other styled starlets of the time period.
Following her time at Vassar College, Green’s acting career took a less active turn. Later, she went on to co-found Independent Women Artists production company and later directed the independent film Bellyfruit.
Vanity
Denise Matthews was best known by her stage name Vanity. She rose to prominence as the seductive lead singer of Vanity 6 and for her role in The Last Dragon.
Matthews stood out as one of the most recognizable female performers connected to Prince’s 1980s circle. Her success as an entertainer and icon made her a household name.
In 1994, Matthews suffered from an overdose and almost died. That likely contributed to her decision to leave show business and convert to born-again Christianity.
MarÃa Conchita Alonso
Having been born in Cuba and then raised in Venezuela, MarÃa Conchita Alonso first made a name for herself as a Venezuelan beauty queen, ultimately placing in the Top 7 at Miss World in 1975.
Alonso shared the screen with Robin Williams in Moscow on the Hudson and Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Running Man.
She didn’t just act; Alonso also launched a music career and dove headfirst into political activism.
Mimi Rogers
Before becoming a well-known character actress (and competitive poker player), Mimi Rogers starred alongside Tom Berenger in Ridley Scott’s thriller Someone to Watch Over Me.
Released in 1987, Rogers stood out with her classy look and icy demeanor. Rogers would go on to have a successful career in both movies and television, known for portraying many different characters.
Robyn Lively
Though her younger half-sister, Blake Lively would achieve widespread stardom years down the road, Robyn Lively already enjoyed a degree of recognition in the late 1980s.
Her distinctive red hair and radiant smile paved the way for her starring role in the cult favorite Teen Witch, along with an appearance in The Karate Kid Part III.
Robyn has remained active in film and television since then, but her short time as a teen idol tends to stand out most to fans of the 1980s.
Daphne Zuniga
Prior to her success as Jo Reynolds on Melrose Place, Daphne Zuniga starred in several iconic films of the 1980s including The Sure Thing and Spaceballs.
Zuniga had standout beauty among other actresses of her time with dark hair, large expressive eyes and subtle comic timing.
After acting steadily, she began focusing on environmental causes and is one of the best-known actresses from the 1980s to have a relatively low-key profile.
Catherine Mary Stewart
Canadian-born Catherine Mary Stewart graced some of the most iconic cult films of the decade, thanks to her bright hair, high cheekbones, and captivating blue eyes.
Stewart led the way in sci-fi favorites like The Last Starfighter and Night of the Comet, effortlessly demonstrating her talent and classic beauty.
While she kept working in movies and on TV in the years that followed, those earlier 80s sci-fi parts really stuck with her fans.
Lori Singer
Possibly best known to TV viewers as Julie Miller on Fame, American actress Lori Singer really made her mark as Ariel Moore in Footloose (1984), the headstrong daughter of a preacher.
Prior to her acting career, Singer was trained as a cellist and studied at Juilliard. During that same decade, her filmography also included roles in The Falcon and the Snowman and The Man with One Red Shoe.
Mia Sara
Mia Sara introduced herself to viewers of the ’80s with two drastically different fantasy films and teen comedies. Sara made her big screen debut opposite Tom Cruise as Princess Lili in Legend (1985), directed by Ridley Scott. She later starred opposite Matthew Broderick as Sloane Peterson in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986).
She also took on the lead role in the 1987 miniseries, Queenie. Sara’s acting career slowed down throughout the years, but she will always be remembered as one of the recognizable teens of the 1980s.
Amanda Peterson
Amanda Peterson became recognizable to audiences during the late ’80s when she starred opposite Patrick Dempsey as Cindy Mancini in Can’t Buy Me Love (1987). The movie became a sleeper hit, and audiences loved Peterson as Cindy.
The actress had already starred in Explorers (1985) with up-and-comers River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke and had a part in the television miniseries, A Year in the Life. She continued to act into the late 1980s and early 1990s, but her roles significantly decreased after that.
Lea Thompson
Lea Thompson had small roles in films like Jaws 3-D, All the Right Moves and Red Dawn before she was cast as perhaps her most iconic role, as Lorraine Baines McFly in Back to the Future in 1985.
She reprised her role in the two sequels and went on to star in films like SpaceCamp, Howard the Duck and Some Kind of Wonderful. Prior to becoming an actress, Lea Thompson was a professional ballet dancer.
Elisabeth Shue
After starring in her first movie role as Ali Mills in The Karate Kid in 1984, Elisabeth Shue had a role on the television show, Call to Glory. She soon after became widely known for her role in Adventures in Babysitting as Chris Parker in 1987.
This was followed by Cocktail with Tom Cruise and Back to the Future Part II as Jennifer Parker. By 1989, Shue had become a well-known figure in both the teen film scene and broader Hollywood cinema.
Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Grey had roles in several iconic movies from the decade, starting with roles in Red Dawn (1984) and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). Her role as Frances “Baby” Houseman in Dirty Dancing (1987) is likely what most people remember her for.
Grey has continued to act in both film and TV, but she will always be remembered for her roles in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Dirty Dancing by fans of 1980s films.
Ally Sheedy
Emerging as a teen star throughout the 1980s, Ally Sheedy starred in a series of box-office hits. She was in WarGames (1983), The Breakfast Club (1985) and St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), becoming linked to a cohort of young performers who would eventually become known as the Brat Pack.
Sheedy also starred in Short Circuit (1986) and remained active in the industry throughout the 1990s. Due to her successful string of vastly diverse roles, Sheedy is one of the most recognizable young actresses from ’80s Hollywood.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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