Abstract: Optical transit surveys have been extraordinarily fruitful in the detection and characterization of exoplanets orbiting main-sequence stars. While the bulk of a star’s lifetime is spent undergoing core hydrogen fusion, much can be learned about star-planet systems by turning our gaze away from the main sequence. In this talk, I discuss the observational properties of star-planet systems at *early* and *late* stages of evolution. More specifically, I review the ways that stellar variability, angular momentum evolution, chemical surface abundances, and exoplanet orbital architectures at early and late stages are shaping our understanding of the formation and evolution of star-planet systems. I will end my talk with a look toward the future, discussing new insights that would be leveraged via space-based infrared surveys of young star-forming regions.