25 favorite ’80s and ’90s teenage heartthrobs and what they’re doing now

Tupac Shakur

What made him a heartthrob: Perhaps it’s a stretch to think about Tupac Shakur the rapper and performer as a “heartthrob” But if you’ve ever watched him act even one scene  and bat those eyelashes at his love interest, you know that he’s just as capable as tugging on a heart string as producing a beat.

His onscreen magnetism made Juice a compelling and valuable watch. His role as a violent gang member was the breakout role of the film, and he held his own even when he was sharing the screen with some acting heavyweights.

He had quite a promising acting career, but his history of violence and then his untimely death precluded him from taking on a lot of the roles that were slated for him. Tupac died as a result of a gang-related drive-by shooting at the age of 25.

Tupac’s best: As good as he was in Juice, he was even better in Poetic Justice. Maybe it was his onscreen love interest, played by Janet Jackson, that brought it out of him, but he really delivered a home run.