What movie ruled the screen the year you were born and where is the star lead now?

Duh-nun, duh-nun… Jaws had us all quaking in our seats in 1975. Fortunately, Richard Dreyfuss’ Matt Hooper was there to help hunt down the terrifying creature terrorising Amity Island.

Nowadays, Richard is keeping two feet on land with hits like Book Club, Murder at Yellowstone City and Waltzing with Brando. Though he did make a return to the water in 2025 with Into the Deep, facing shark-infested waters once again.

Robert Balboa, best known as Rocky, remains Sylvester Stallone’s best-loved role. The odds might be against him, but the underdog proved it’s the battle, not the victory, that matters most.

Like his on screen counterpart, Sylvester just keeps working at his calling. He recently starred in Tulsa Kind, Alarum, Armor and Expend4bles. 

May the force, as they say, always be with you. For Mark Hamill, his role in the Star Wars franchise means that the lightsaber–wielding Luke Skywalker is never far from fans’ minds, almost 50 years on from the first film’s release.

Mark is still busy on screen, starring in Stephen King feature The Long Walk, popular animated show Invincible and made a return to the Star Wars franchise in 2015’s The Force Awakens.

He’s the one that everyone wanted in 1978. John Travolta’s musical film catalogue is pretty extensive, but it’s surely Grease that ranks as his best-loved hit.

Now he’s shed the leather jacket and bad boy persona, the Pulp Fiction actor is still busy onscreen with roles in 2025 thriller High Rollers and is reportedly filming a new romantic musical, That’s Amore!.

Captain Benjamin L. Willard, played by Martin Sheen, doesn’t enjoy the smell of napalm in the morning. The scarred intelligence officer is sent on a daring mission to kill rogue agent Colonel Walter E. Kurtz.

Martin is still working today, recent credits including projects like Wild Cards, Grace and Frankie and Lost & Found in Cleveland.

Heeerrrre’s Jack! The Shining star defined the 1980 hit and left a jagged, axe-chopped mark on horror cinema history. Over 40 years on, he’s still just as terrifying.

With three Oscars to his name, it’s no wonder Jack Nicholson was still in demand until his effective 2010 retirement. His most recent features include How Do You Know, The Bucket List and The Departed.

Our favourite whip-slinging action hero made his debuted in 1981, casting Star Wars bad boy Harrison Ford in his most famous leading role. Want boulder-rolling fun? Indiana Jones is your man.

Our favourite ’80s heartthrob is still appearing on screen today, with series roles in Shrinking and 1923, as well as making his return to the adventure franchise in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. 

Debra Winger took many fans’ breath away as local factory worker Paula in the lush romantic drama An Officer and a Gentleman, swept off her feet by Ricahrd Gere’s Zack Mayo.

The actress has since stepped back from the Hollywood spotlight, focusing her energy on activist efforts as well as a few TV acting roles, her most recent long-running role coming in western sitcom The Ranch (2016-2020).

One of the ’80s defining Brat Pack actors and perhaps the prettiest boy in Hollywood, Rob Lowe starred in The Outsiders as Sodapop Curtis. The coming-of-age drama took a look at life on the wrong side of the tracks and remains a classic to this day.

The St. Elmo’s Fire star is still a fixture on screens, appearing in 72 episodes of 9-1-1: Lone Star and recently starring in comedy The Musical. Fans of a good wintertime happy ever after will be pleased to hear the Hollywood heartthrob is set to lead the way on In a Holidaze.

When there’s something strange, in the neighbourhood, who you gonna call? Tom Hanks, of course. The Ghostbusters star fought off spectral goop in the ’80s hit that is still a family favourite today.

Tom has since starred in iconic movies like Green Mile, Castaway and Forrest Gump. His more recent movie successes came in A Man Called Otto and the Toy Story franchise.

Remember when we dreamed of a 2015 that included hoverboards and flying cars moseying down the street? While not all of their predictions came true, Back to the Future certainly carved its place in cinema history for a long time to come.

Michael J. Fox officially retired from acting in 2020 due to worsening symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. Prior to his retirement, Michael worked on several seasons of Spin City, The Michael J. Fox Show and stepped back into showbiz for a Zootopia 2 cameo as Michael J. The Fox, as well as a role in the latest season of Shrinking.

Kelly McGillis defined the cool girl on screen in 1986’s Top Gun, working opposite action stalwart Tom Cruise. But just before the millennium, Kelly walked away, choosing to prioritise her family and wellbeing.

She’s since found a grounded life away from the spotlight, working full-time at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in South Jersey, supporting women on their journey to sobriety. “I work a five-day, 40-hour week… It’s just an amazing gift to see people come in hopeless and to be given some hope,” she told The Oklahoman. 

Our favourite moustachioed leading man Tom Selleck brought the laughs and longing sighs in equal quantity with his star role in Three Men and a Baby. The Magnum P.I. lead defined the ’80s, but ’87 was surely a high point for many of his fans.

He’s since had well-loved roles in Friends and Blue Bloods, released memoir You Never Know in 2024 and is set to head a 10-episode documentary series titled Crime and Justice with Tom Selleck, which focuses on key legal cases through US history.

Dustin Hoffman’s Raymond Babbitt brought extraordinary mathematical skill and an enviable memory to the screen in 1988 feature Rain Man.

The two-time Oscar winner is still busy on screen today, with credits in Megalopolis, Tuner and Diamond, as well as children’s classics like Kung Fu Panda and Esio Trot.

Tim Burton’s Batman is one of the anti-hero’s best-loved iterations, and Michael Keaton helped make the 1989 film the favoured feature it still is today. The caped crusader is one of Michael’s best roles and it’s no surprise the film found fans (and fortune) in ’89.

The Oscar-nominee has recently appeared in short film Sweetwater, TV series The Studio and 2024 features Goodrich and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. 

Demi Moore got up close and personal at the pottery wheel with Patrick Swayze in a romantic scene that has found its way into the cinema history books. Who knew crafts could be quite so intimate?

The actress is still a regular on screen with recent hits including The Substance, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and I Love Boosters.