{"id":48647,"date":"2026-08-16T13:40:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T08:40:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=48647"},"modified":"2026-08-16T13:40:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T08:40:22","slug":"90s-tv-star-unrecognisable-32-years-after-iconic-nickelodeon-show-and-being-left-homeless","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=48647","title":{"rendered":"90s TV star unrecognisable 32 years after iconic Nickelodeon show and being left homeless"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<p>A NINETIES TV star looks completely different three decades after finding fame on her hit Nickelodeon show.<\/p>\n<p>The American actress, who has faced a number of hardships including drug addiction and homelessness in her 44 years, now cuts a very glam figure on her Instagram page.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16849113\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>This American actress looks completely different after finding fame on kids TV<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16849109\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>The 44-year-old has turned her life around following addiction and homelessness<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Natanya Ross is best-known for playing fresh-faced Robyn Russo in kids series, The Secret World of Alex Mack, which aired from 1994 to 1998.<\/p>\n<p>Natanya\u2019s character was a close friend of the protagonist, and she showcased a goth look as well as her natural auburn hair and striking blue eyes for the role.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--thesun aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Entertainment\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the <span class=\"newsletter-name theme-entertainment\">Entertainment<\/span> newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThank you!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>She starred in the show for its entire four seasons and scooped two Youth In Film awards for her role.<\/p>\n<p>Natanya then went on to star in telly favourites Boy Meets World, 90210 and Baywatch as well as the Freaky Friday movie and many others.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-readmore\">\n<div class=\"article-readmore__header\">\n<p class=\"article-readmore__headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tread more nineties tv stars\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-readmore__content-wrapper article-readmore__content-wrapper--single\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"article-readmore__text-anchor-wrap\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/entertainment\/12742022\/quantum-leap-scott-bakula-unrecognisable-shops-la\/\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-readmore__content\">\n<div class=\"article-readmore__content-img\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"240\" width=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/10\/newspress-collage-j8zfpvczp-1729756463463.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;1729746270&amp;w=360&amp;h=240&amp;crop=1\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-readmore__text\">\n<div class=\"article-readmore__text-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"article-readmore__text-kicker\">TIME TRAVELER<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-readmore__text-headline\">Rarely seen 90s TV star, 70, unrecognizable &#8211; can you guess who it is?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16849110\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Natanya played Robyn in Nickelodeon series The Secret World Of Alex Mack<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Credit: Refer to Source<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16849111\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>She won two Youth in Film awards for her role, which saw her embrace her natural auburn locks<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: Google<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16849112\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>She also starred in Baywatch<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16849108\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Natanya\u2019s new look sees her embrace a darker, longer hairstyle and sober lifestyle<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After rocketing to fame she fell on hard times in her Twenties, often ending up homeless or on Skid Row, a Los Angeles neighbourhood of unhoused people.<\/p>\n<p>She previously told <a href=\"https:\/\/voyagela.com\/interview\/check-out-natanya-rosss-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Voyage LA (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" data-nyp-affiliate=\"true\">Voyage LA<\/a>: \u201cI battled a drug and alcohol addiction for the majority of my 20s. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWent to treatment for the final time at 30 years old which is what originally inspired me to start working in treatment\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The screen star battled addictions with cocaine and heroin and recently told the Against All Odds podcast how drugs ruined her chance at a role in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/who\/eminem\/\">Eminem<\/a> movie, Eight Mile.<\/p>\n<p>Showcasing her new sleek dark red hairstyle, perfect eyebrows and chunky glasses she explained to the show: \u201cI got all the way down to the call, the very last call before you were going to screen test with Eminem.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey asked us to bring a scene partner to play Eminem\u2019s character and I killed every audition up until then.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI got so nervous before going in to this audition, I thought it would be a great idea to shoot up cocaine\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>She added: \u201cI go in there like that, dripping sweat, and I\u2019m not kidding you guys, by the time I got home my agent of 17 years dropped me\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Now, Natanya has moved away from acting to focus on her podcast and charity work \u2013 with a lifestyle re-vamp to boot after getting sober.<\/p>\n<p>She set up the San Fernando Valley feed the homeless non-profit organisation, as well as sitting on the board of the Women\u2019s Association of Addiction.<\/p>\n<p>As part of her healthy lifestyle, she also recently experienced \u201cthe most important morning in my entertainment career in the last 25 years\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>This came when she launched her podcast, We\u2019re Still Here Babe, last month.<\/p>\n<p>She launched the show with a glam snap showing her in a leopard-print dress and told fans: \u201cSome of you guys have literally stuck with me throughout a lifetime. I\u2019m talking AOL sign up days. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd many of you have asked me throughout the years, if and when I will return to acting. I\u2019ve had a little pops here and there. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut nothing like this. I promised myself at the beginning of this. I just could not care what the outcome was gonna be. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd instead, I\u2019d rather just take this journey with you guys, and we\u2019ll go wherever the wind takes us. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is truly my love letter back to you all\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A NINETIES TV star looks completely different three decades after finding fame on her hit Nickelodeon show. The American actress, who has faced a number of hardships including drug addiction and homelessness in her 44 years, now cuts a very glam figure on her Instagram page. This American actress looks completely different after finding fame&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48648,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/nat-op.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&1786852864&w=1920&h=1080&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=48647"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48647\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/48648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}