Is there anything better than a good throwback photo from our favorite celebrities? We love seeing them in their younger years -- especially before they were famous. And now that prom season is finally here, seeing them on the night of the big dance is far more fun than seeing them on the red carpet, professionally styled for an awards show. Some celebrities have shared their prom photos by choice, and others just happened to surface online.
However they've managed to make their way to the Internet, we are thankful.
Prom night was forever ago for most of us, but for those of who went, it was probably a pretty memorable occasion. Pretty dresses, tuxes, feeling grown up for a night ... and tons and tons of pictures. Even though most of us get to hide those pictures away forever (if they're embarrassing), celebs don't get the luxury of keeping those photos from surfacing
... and fans get to benefit from that.
We admire the celebs who've done the sharing themselves. Seriously, it's not easy to share photos from those awkward blunder years, but many of them have done so -- like John Stamos and Gwen Stefani. It's fun to see what they were wearing and what they looked like back then, years before they knew they were going to grow up to be famous. (We can't help but wonder what they'd think if they could have a glimpse into their future then!)
Here are some of the best celebrity prom photos out there that we can't unsee. Some are perfect examples of the fashion that was popular back in the '80s and '90s, and some are seriously too hilarious for words.
Either way, it's a walk down memory lane we definitely don't want to miss.
Beyonce
After watching Beyonce grow up from the time she was in Destiny's Child, seeing her as a teenager doesn't come as a shock. But seeing her in a normal high school environment, ready for the prom, is a far cry from seeing her prep for Coachella in her Netflix Homecoming special, isn't it?
Even back then, Queen Bey glowed.
Josh Duhamel
Josh Duhamel shared this photo himself as a throwback, and we are all thankful. Not only is his caption hilarious, but he's looking pretty dapper -- especially with that teal bowtie. He's grown up a lot since then, but we can still see this baby Josh in the man we know today.
Taraji P. Henson
Yet another incredible throwback, this time from Hidden Figures star Taraji P. Henson. Her dress couldn't be more '80s if it tried, especially with those sleeves, which are truly next level. And that pose? Don't tell us this girl didn't know she was going to be a star someday.
George Clooney
See that giant grin on George Clooney's date's face? Yep, that's us if we had the chance to go to the prom with this guy. He's so young here, and just as gorgeous as ever. Little did he know when this photo was taken that he'd have so many opportunities to wear a tux in his future.
Lance Bass & Danielle Fishel
Here's a two for one! N*SYNC-er Lance Bass and Boy Meets World star Danielle Fishel actually went to prom together -- and according to what he told Cosmo, it wasn't the best night ever. They were dating at the time, and he said girls were "jealous and catty" when they showed up to the dance.
"It was terrible," Lance said. "We only stayed for 20 minutes."
Tom Brady
Long before he played in the Super Bowl, Tom Brady was just a kid going to prom like the rest of us. Back in 2014, he shared this throwback on Facebook. He looked totally adorable, all ready for his night out.
We wonder who his date was.
Gigi Hadid
Why just share one prom photo when there's an opportunity to share a whole collage? But in Gigi's case, this wasn't a throwback. When she shared these photos in 2013, they were still new. She looked absolutely gorgeous in her red dress.
Blake Lively
We know Blake Lively as an incredible actress, wife to Ryan Reynolds, and mother of two -- soon to be three! -- adorable kids. But here she is as a teenager, headed to prom in a bubblegum pink dress -- covered in sparkles and wearing a tiara to boot! And as this tweet points out, we can't help but laugh at the awkwardness of the situation.
Those hover hands!
Gwen Stefani
Gwen shared her prom photo herself, and the really cool story behind it. It's pretty awesome that she and her mom made the dress themselves, modeled after Grace Kelly's Rear Window dress. And of course, teen Gwen looked fab. She's always been one to pull off all kinds of looks, though.
Brad Pitt
We'd know that grin anywhere! Here's Brad Pitt posing with his date on prom night while wearing what looks like a shiny grey suit. And that's a lot of hair on his head, too. But hey, even back then, he was pretty good looking during what can be some awkward years for many of us.
John Stamos
Have mercy! John Stamos has always been known for his luscious locks of hair, and it seems like that dates all the way back to high school. Between his white, ruffly suit, and his date's hair and dress, this is all '70s style.
We're loving it.
Matthew McConaughey
Leah Pickett/Splash News
According to Splash News, Matthew's prom photo was taken in 1987 at Longview High School in Texas, and his date was Lori Klinger. Today, Lori's a yoga instructor in Florida, and we all know where her date ended up. Pretty cool that they have this photo to remember that night -- and Matthew looks just as charming as he seems today.
Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy shared this photo to contribute his own awkward prom story, and boy, did he. Somehow, he managed to look like he'd just seen a ghost, all because his date had a tan and he did not. At least it made for a funny memory?
Jennifer Aniston
Even with a totally '80s hairstyle like this one, Jen still managed to look like a total babe at the prom. Maybe it's her classy black dress or her trademark grin, but she looks so sweet here. And that's definitely a lucky guy on her arm. We wonder if he uses this photo as bragging rights even now?
We totally would.
Ellen DeGeneres
We don't even know where to begin with this one! Ellen herself is responsible for unleashing this prom photo upon the world, and we are so grateful for it. First of all, the hair! We've only known Ellen with her signature short cut, so this is blowing our minds. But the hair isn't enough to distract us from that plaid dress she's wearing.
It's a lot to take in!
Natalie Portman
Can we talk about the fact that Natalie Portman somehow hasn't aged at all since she was in high school? She looks awesome in her blue dress with her wrap around her arms. She was just as beautiful back then as she is now.
Bethenny Frankel
This Real Housewives star looks like a straight up '80s Barbie in this dress. As we've seen from the other photos, she was hardly the only one to rock that trend at the prom. And her corsage is huge -- we need more details about her date!
Candace Cameron Bure & Scott Weinger
This prom photo is a Full House fan's dream! As Candace Cameron Bure revealed in this throwback post, she and costar Scott Weinger attended the prom together, and we can only imagine how much the other kids at prom must have been freaking up when they showed up as each other's dates. What a sweet memory for them to have forever, especially since they're still friends today -- and costars on Fuller House!
Ashton Kutcher
Many of us have dreamt of going to prom with Ashton Kutcher when we were younger, but only this lucky lady got to actually do it -- whoever she is. Ashton looked adorable for the big night, with his hair all slicked back for the occasion.
And the balloon backdrop in the school colors?
Classic.
Kim Kardashian
Before Kim Kardashian was Kim Kardashian, she was just a regular teenage girl, doing normal things like going to prom. Although the Kim K. we know today would never sport a hairstyle quite this tall, we gotta admit that we kinda like it.
She looks so young and so happy!
