2009 was an important year in pop culture. The music was iconic, and so were the movies.
On any given day in 2009 you were probably watching Avatar or 500 Days Of Summer , after a long day of listening to the High School Musical 3 soundtrack on your iPod Nano, amirite?
Anne Hathaway was America’s sweetheart.
She’s been America’s sweetheart ever since Princess Diaries came out, if I’m being honest. But 2009 was a big year for her too.
Bride Wars , had just been released, and she had already started filming for her role in Alice in Wonderland .
Jack Black was killing it.
Back in 2009, Jack Black was really on a roll.
I mean, he still kind of is (hello Jumanji ), but this was right around the time Kung Fu Panda came out, and that says a lot.
“How To Get Away With Murder” didn’t exist yet. But Viola Davis still did.
At this point she was better known for her roles in Doubt , and the mayor in Law Abiding Citizen .
Cuba Gooding Jr. was everybody’s favorite actor.
For a while, everyone was obsessed with Cuba Gooding Jr. I’m not complaining. I was one of those people.
I feel like we just don’t hear his name nearly as much anymore.
Seth Rogen hadn’t grown out his burly lumberjack beard yet.
Also, this man apparently doesn’t age???
“Julie & Julia” had just been released.
It wasn’t the most exciting movie on the planet, but it was bearable.
Plus Meryl Streep and Amy Adams were in it, which helped a lot .
Queen Latifah was at her peak.
There was a period of time between 2008 and 2010 when Queen Latifah had a cameo in almost everything .
“Milk” had just been released, and was giving Sean Penn the boost he needed.
The movie was extremely impactful because it was slightly ahead of its time, and had an incredible message.
Alicia Keys didn’t hate makeup yet.
Long before her days as a judge on The Voice , Alicia Keys hadn’t committed to never wearing makeup yet. She would still shamelessly get dolled up for award shows.
If you ask me, she looks beautiful either way.
“Slumdog Millionaire” had just come out.
This movie was a big deal between 2008 and 2009.
Remember when Nicole Sherzinger released her rendition of “Jai Ho”? What a time to be alive.
Taraji P. Henson looked like this.
Don’t get me wrong, she still looks beautiful here.
But I’d be lying if I said that she didn’t look way more stunning 10 years later, not wearing pencil eyeliner under her eyes.
Jessica Biel hadn’t married Justin Timberlake.
Little did Jessica know at the time, but she was about to become Mrs. JT.
James Franco looked like this.
Not that he’s any less hot now, that is definitely not the case, but he certainly has aged dramatically in the last 10 years.
Jennifer Aniston was dating John Mayer.
I really loved these two together. But as most of us already know, John Mayer cannot be tied down for long.
It simply isn’t done.
RELATED STORIES
Beyoncé was performing alongside Hugh Jackman for some reason.
I’m not surprised that Beyoncé was the main musical act of the night.
What I am surprised is that the host of the night, Hugh Jackman, had such an important role in her performance.
I seriously do not understand this.
I love Beyoncé and I love Hugh Jackman.
I don’t know how I feel about them performing on stage together though. It’s a strange mix. But then again, 2009 was a strange time.
Zac Efron looked like this.
This was back when Zac’s acting highlight reel mainly consisted of scenes of him dancing and singing in _High School Musical.
Miley Cyrus was only 17-years-old.
Miley Cyrus was just a teenager, trying to figure out her way in the world, and had just wrapped up her Hannah Montana days.
And still attending the Oscars with her mom.
You know she was young because her date for the evening was her mom, and probably not by choice.
I mean, bringing your mom to the Oscars is obviously very cute. I’d do it. But when you’re 17, going anywhere with your mom isn’t ideal.
Robert Pattinson was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
The 2009 Oscars happened very shortly after the release of Twilight , when people all over the world were swooning over Edward Cullen.
Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens were still “Zanessa”.
This was basically the greatest period of my life. The High School Musical franchise was thriving, and so was I.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were still together, and had just had their twin babies, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline.
I loved these two together.
They were definitely a power couple. I really didn’t think that they would ever break up, so as you can imagine, I was in for a world of disappointment.
Of course some things barely changed at all.
Take Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, for example.
These two have been going the distance for over a decade now, and haven’t aged a day.
Beyoncé was still serving looks at every turn.
I’m pretty sure that Beyoncé is a vampire, and you could not convince me otherwise.
The woman hasn’t aged a day since her Destiny’s Child days.
What a throwback!
