Hands up if you thought Renaissance artists were named after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and not the other way around.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were an essential part of any childhood. Many of us can attribute our undying love of pizza to those heroic reptiles, requesting every meal until roughly the age of 25 to be cut into pizza-like slices for ease of digestion. Cereal was tricky, but if you parents loved you enough, they found a way.
But what ever happened to Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael? Did they ever become Adult Mutant Ninja Turtles?
Let’s find out.
Donatello
Always regarded as the smartest and most innovative turtle, Donatello decided to venture into a new industry entirely when his commitments with TMNT wrapped up. The purple-masked powerhouse dabbled in the fashion world and made quite a name for himself as both a designer and businessman.
To date, his creations have been worn by the likes of Madonna, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and countless other fashionable stars, with these trademark Italian Versace garments being the source of desire for many. Donatello wanted to keep his life as a TMNT separate, so changed his name slightly to Donatella. He’s currently got a net worth of $200 million and a brand worth over $5 billion. Not bad for a fictional anthropomorphic turtle that grew up in a sewer.
Leonardo
Often regarded as the leader of the group, it was clear from a young age that Leonardo was going places. When TMNT finished, he went straight into acting, landing his first big role as the lead in This Boy’s Life, alongside Robert De Niro. He meandered his way through Hollywood, eventually getting his big break playing Romeo Capulet in Baz Luhrmann’s take on the Shakespearean classic Romeo and Juliet.
His life nowadays is a far cry from those days as a TMNT. It’s all models, parties and lavish expenditures. He underwent minor cosmetic surgery to appear slightly more human-like, mostly due to Hollywood’s unrealistic standards of beauty.
It must’ve paid off as Leonardo was awarded the highest accolade as an actor, an Academy Award, last year, much to the delight of millions of fans worldwide. He’s become a household name, heartthrob and easily the most successful Ninja Turtle to date (if you measure success by how many attractive young models someone has been linked with).
Michelangelo
He was always the biggest joker of the squad and I’m happy to report that he hasn’t lost that mischievous edge. When his commitments with the other TMNTs ended, Michelangelo dropped the ‘angelo’ and decided to henceforth be known as Michael. He turned his efforts towards television presenting and stand up comedy, wanting to spread happiness to the masses as best he could.
Michael hosted shows such as Strike It Lucky, Get Set Go!, My Kind of People and many more. He’s become a bit of an icon for his fun personality, sharp sense of humour and friendly manner. These days, he’s keeping very quiet and working on some personal projects. We can’t wait to see what Mr. Barrymore does next.
Raphael
Raphael was often described as the ‘bad boy’ of the Ninja Turtles, regularly getting into trouble and causing havoc among his brothers. It might surprise you to learn that he did a complete 360 after working with TMNT and decided to help people rather than hinder them. Similar to Michelangelo, Raphael turned to the world of television and became a world-renowned talk show host.
He now goes by his full name, Sally Jessy Raphael, and hosted his very own talk show for two decades turning him into a cultural and also fashion icon with purchases of large red spectacles tripling in the years he was on our screens.
Nowadays, (SJ) Raphael has retreated from the limelight and splits his time between land and sea. He hasn’t returned to a sewer in over 40 years and doesn’t have any plans to revisit his humble beginnings in the near future. Good for you, Raphael!
