25 favorite ’80s and ’90s teenage heartthrobs and what they’re doing now
By Sundi Rose
Chad Allen
What made him a heartthrob: Technically, it was his role on the (sadly) forgotten sitcom, Our House, but I like to think it was my sheer force of love and devotion that made him the young man he was. He played opposite Wilford Brimley, Shannen Doherty, and Deidre Hall, and was just another contribution to the canon of white, blond, boys that I loved very, very much.
What he’s doing now: After a very unfortunate incident in which he was outed by a tabloid, he’s since become an avid activist for the LGBTQ+ community. He’s appeared on countless talk shows and in magazines, fighting for equality and fair treatment of the community. He also starred on the long-running and inexplicably popular series, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. Perhaps it was so beloved because he looked so dreamy in suspenders and that pioneer hat of his.
Chad at his best: He’s been retired from acting since 2011, but he did quite a bit of acting before he did. Of note, his movie, End of the Spear was pretty popular despite the Christian right’s protest over a gay man playing a Christian missionary in the film. He also starred in a trilogy of detective movies, based on the novels by Richard Stevenson.