90s teen heartthrob is unrecognisable - and has completely different career

Richard Grieco was once a well-known face in Hollywood, but now he's unrecognisable as he's swapped his acting career for something completely different as he focuses on his art

A 90s heartthrob is barely recognisable more than 30 years after first shooting to stardom on our TV screens - and he's taken a sharp turn in his career path, too. Richard Grieco, famed for his role as Detective Dennis Booker in the iconic series 21 Jump Street, has traded the glitz of acting for the creative realms of art and music.

Now 59, Richard initially captured hearts back in 1988 with his appearance on 21 Jump Street, which aired from 1987 to 1991 and featured stars like Johnny Depp. The show revolved around a squad of undercover cops tackling crime in their community.

The name might ring a bell for film buffs, thanks to the Fox TV series being the inspiration behind the blockbuster movies 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street, featuring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. In a touching tribute to the original, Richard even snagged a cameo in 22 Jump Street in 2014.

Back in the day, Richard was instantly recognisable with his dark, quiffed hair, but today he sports a very different look. An Instagram post from March revealed the former actor with longer locks and a beard, gazing thoughtfully into the distance.

"#Saturday pondering about.... Hmmmm many things," he captioned the contemplative image. Fans were quick to flood the comments with praise and support for Richard's new artistic endeavours, reports OK!. "Looking awesome! ," one fan gushed. "You are so stunning every time," another chimed in, while a third admirer commented: "Do you age... u looking Awesome...Brotha".

Richard, known for his role on 21 Jump Street, has also graced the screen in the 1991 film 'If Looks Could Kill' and made an appearance in the hit comedy 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'. Nowadays, Richard prefers to stay out of the limelight, dedicating himself to his art career which began around twenty years ago.

His website reveals that he has maintained a very low profile to focus intensely on his artwork, which is often described as abstract but also incorporates elements of expressionism, surrealism, and cubism. It also mentions that Richard's art, which he refers to as 'Abstract Emotionalism', is sold worldwide.

“And over the years he has kept a very low profile to aggressively concentrate on his art work,” his website states. “Although his work most often categorised as abstract, you will also see forms of expressionism, surrealism, and cubism just to name a few.”