Teen Movie/TV Heartthrobs You’re Legally Allowed to Love

Teenage life is often sexualized and glorified in the media with depictions of hot older actors playing “high schoolers” in TV and movies — so it’s no surprise that some people feel guilty about drooling over the handsome dude playing the quarterback. The ironic thing about this is that our culture is against sexual attraction to those who are underage, and yet the actors the media chooses to play teenagers are meant to be attractive to audiences. Check out this list of 12 of the most popular movies and TV shows of the 1990s-early 2000s, and you’ll notice that the majority of them are definitely over 18.

Maybe now you won’t feel so naughty about having those ridiculous vampire slayer fantasies with the younger Sarah Michelle Gellar. Or maybe you’ll feel just as naughty. Whatever. It’s legal. 

Image: Movie Pilot.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer, 1997.

From left: Alyson Hannigan (23), Sarah Michelle Gellar (20), Charisma Carpenter (27), Nicholas Brendan (26).

Image: Wacky Packs.

Detroit Rock City, 1999.

From left: Sam Huntington (17), James DeBello (19), Edward Furlong (22), Giuseppe Andrews (20).

Image: Casey Werner.

That 70s Show, 1998.

Ashton Kutcher (20), Topher Grace (20), Danny Masterson (22), Laura Prepon (20), Wilmer Valderrama (18), Mila Kunis (15).

Image: Fashion, Grunge, Style.

Freaks and Geeks, 1999. 

From left: James Franco (21), Busy Phillips (20), Seth Rogen (17), Linda Cardellini (24), Jason Segal (19).

Image: House of Geekery.

Clueless, 1995.

Alicia Silverstone (19), Stacy Dash (28), Brittany Murphy (19).

Image: Screenrant.

American Pie, 1999. 

From left: Tara Reid (24), Mena Suvari (20), Chris Klein (20), Alyson Hannigan (25), Seann William Scott (23), Thomas Ian Nicholas (19), Eddie Kaye Thomas (19), Natasha Lyonne (20), Jason Biggs (21), Shannon Elizabeth (26).

Image: Charmed Wikia.

Jawbreaker, 1999.

Julie Benz (27), Rebecca Gayheart (28), Rose McGowan (26).

Images: Screen Crush.

Drive Me Crazy, 1999.

Row by row, from left to right: Melissa Joan Hart (23), Adrian Grenier (23), Mark Webber (19), Susan May Pratt (25), Kris Park (unknown), Gabriel Carpenter (22), Ali Larter (23), Lourdes Benedicto (25),  Keri Lynn Pratt (21).

Image: Real2Reality.

10 Things I Hate About You, 1999.

From left: Susan May Pratt (25), David Krumholtz (21), Gabrielle Union (27), Andrew Keegan (20), Julia Stiles (18), Heath Ledger (20), Larisa Oleynik (18), Joseph Gordon Levitt (18).

Image: For Your Inebriation.

Bring It On, 2000.

From the top row down, left to right: Kristen Dunst (18), Clare Kramer (25), Eliza Dushku (20), Nicole Bilderback (25), Gabrielle Union (28), Lindsay Sloane (23).

Image: Draft House.

Mean Girls, 2004.

From left: Lacey Chabert (22), Rachel McAdams (26), Lindsay Lohan (18), Amanda Seyfried (19).

How many of these actors did you think were actually under 18?