What if they were 17 again?

Matt Dillon

Now: Earned an Oscar nomination for “Crash” [pictured right] and has struggled to follow it up with anything worthwhile (“You, Me and Dupree” or “Herbie: Fully Loaded” anyone?).

Then: Supposedly discovered as an actor by talent scouts at his high school, Dillon’s attitude paved his way early on in the industry. He was a rebellious kid in 1979’s “Over the Edge,” a bully who gets his just desserts in 1980’s “My Bodyguard” and a heartthrob in the same year’s “Little Darlings” [pictured left].

Better when? Dillon’s early days were ripe with promise.