If you’ve been scrolling through the news lately and spotted nostalgic photos of some very familiar faces — think Reba, Kevin Bacon, Brooke Shields and Drew Barrymore — you’re catching glimpses of one of the most charming social media trends in recent memory. It’s called the “What Were You Like in the ’90s” trend, and it has some of the biggest names in entertainment dusting off their old photo albums and sharing snapshots from three decades ago.
All over social media, famous ’90s stars are posting nostalgic photos of themselves from 30 years ago, set to The Goo Goo Dolls’ beloved song “Iris.” Participants, mostly celebrities who were at the height of their fame during that decade, share a series of old photographs of themselves, creating a short slideshow that plays alongside the music. The trend has spread widely across platforms like Instagram.
The format is fairly simple: a celebrity posts a collection of photos, often accompanied by a short caption reflecting on the era, and followers respond with enthusiastic comments. Think of it as a digital version of flipping through a scrapbook with millions of people watching along.
What makes this trend especially fun is the sheer number of recognizable names taking part. Reba, Darius Rucker, Drew Barrymore, Scott Wolf, Brooke Shields, Marla Sokoloff, Kristin Davis, Kevin Bacon and Joe Mantegna have all joined in — names that have spanned decades of television, film and music.
One of the more endearing entries came courtesy of Sharna Burgess, wife of Brian Austin Green, best known for his roles in Beverly Hills, 90210. Green was quite the ’90s heartthrob, and Burgess decided to make the tribute on his behalf. She wrote as the Instagram caption: “You were never gonna make this for yourself @brianaustingreen so I (gladly) did it for you 😘 and DAMNNNNNNN 🤤”
Fellow 90210 alum Tiffani Thiessen, who played Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell and Valerie Malone on Beverly Hills, 90210, also posted the trend on Instagram, writing as the caption: “Did someone say 90’s? 👋🏻”
Drew Barrymore, one of the most recognizable faces of the 1990s, posted hers on February 24, writing: “Oh the 90s! I went down memory lane looking at these photographs.”
The response from fans and fellow celebrities was immediate. Singer SZA commented, “Blueprint ✨,” and another commenter wrote: “Literally the original ‘it girl’”
Another participant was Melissa Joan Hart, best known for starring as the titular character in Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Clarissa Explains It All. Hart took part in the trend in February 2026, posting several photos of her own unique ’90s fashion choices. “The fashion was wild,” she wrote as the Instagram caption.
The response from her fans was overwhelmingly affectionate. Comments underneath her post included: “She WAS the 90s ✨✨,” “An entire generation of women wanted to be you. Icon,” and “Loved Clarissa BUT SABRINA!!!! ✨✨✨ THAT WAS MY GWORL!!”
At its heart, the “What Were You Like in the ’90s” trend is a celebration of a decade that holds deep sentimental value for millions of people. Whether you were raising kids during that era, watching these shows after a long day at work or simply enjoying the music and movies of the time, seeing these familiar faces revisit their younger selves is a genuinely feel-good experience.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.kansascity.com ’
