The most famous ’80s sitcom kids — who stayed on the A-list and who vanished completely?

Michael J Fox starred as Alex P Keaton in Family Ties, the oldest brother and only conservative son of the Keaton family between 1982 and 1989.

Somehow, Michael found the time to star in the first Back to the Future feature during this time. The sequel was released the same year as the Family Ties’ finale and guaranteed the actor a spot on the A-list forever.

How I Met Your Mother‘s Barney Stinson set the standard for smooth-talking, but before he was revolutionising the world of dating, Neil Patrick Harris starred in sitcom Doogie Howser, M.D. as the titular medical prodigy.

He’s still a regular on screen, with credits including A Series of Unfortunate Events, Gone Girl and acclaimed drama It’s a Sin. He married actor and chef David Burtka in 2014, welcoming twins Harper Grace and Gideon Scott in 2010.

Kirk Cameron starred on Growing Pains for seven years in total, bringing the girl-obsessed Mike Seaver to life on-screen. His other ’80s roles include castings in Two Marriages and feature film Like Father Like Son. 

Since then, Kirk has remained on screen but stepped out of the mainstream towards Christian film projects like Left Behind and marital drama Fireproof. He’s been married to Chelsea Noble since 1991 and the pair share six children together.

Lisa Bonet starred on eight years of The Cosby Show, followed by a run on A Different World where she returned as Denise Huxtable. In recent years, it’s been her relationship with Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa that brought her into the spotlight. 

The couple welcomed two children during their marriage and Lisa shares daughter Zoë Kravitz with her previous husband Lenny. Nowadays, she’s prioritising her spiritual practice and family time with her children.

Justine Bateman, sister to Jason, broke into the industry at just 16 years old on TV sitcom Family Ties. But Justine’s passions didn’t just run to acting and she stepped away from the industry as an adult, studying computer science and pursuing her own art projects.

She’s also worked as a director, debuting with 2021 film Violet which starred Olivia Munn, Luke Bracey and Justin Theroux. Justine has also spoken passionately against plastic surgery, Botox and lip fillers. In 2001, she married Mark Fluent and the pair dote on their two children, Duke and Gianetta.

Joey Lawrence starred on sitcom Gimme a Break! in the mid-80s, followed by a similarly successful run on ’90s hit Blossom, a voice acting role in Oliver & Company and even later co-starred in another sitcom hit Melissa & Joey.

Now, he’s the co-host of Brotherly Love Podcast with his brothers Matthew and Andrew. He recently became a father for the fourth time, welcoming his second child with wife Samantha Cope.