Although it’s hard for us, mere mortals, to imagine an unhappy life as a celebrity, it happens. The pace, pressure, media, and travel are sometimes too much. They want to take a break to pursue something else they love. Sometimes when they were adapted so well back to “normal life.” People do not even realize that they started in Hollywood once. Then, who are the celebrities that left the fame for a less important life? Continue reading to find out!
Kirk Cameron – Religion
For his role in Growing Pains, Kirk Cameron is best remembered. He decided to give up acting and make a bigger commitment to his faith, despite getting two Golden Globe nominations. He is very active with his Church, hosts an evangelical television show, and makes appearances occasionally.
Kirk Cameron – Religion
Josh Saviano – Lawyer
Josh Saviano has abandoned Hollywood for good. For his role in The Wonder Years, he became well known. He went to Yale after the show and earned a degree in political science. He then chose to pursue a law degree and graduated from Cardozo. He worked at Morrison Cohen LLP for many years as a lawyer and currently works on his own law-related projects.
Josh Saviano – Lawyer
Greta Garbo
It is almost unheard-of to leave Hollywood at the peak of your career. But Greta Garbo did exactly that. Before making her speaking debut in Anna Christie in 1930, the three-time Academy Award-nominated actress began her silent films career. She decided to retire at the age of 35 after a spell of “box office poison.” Garbo enjoyed a retirement vacation life of leisure. She also started a massive collection of art, which by the time she passed away was worth millions.
Greta Garbo
Peter Ostrum – Veterinarian
In Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, Peter Ostrum is best known as Charlie. He decided that acting was not his passion and realized that there was something he wanted to do to help animals. He got a degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. He is a practicing vet at the moment and mostly treats horses.
Peter Ostrum – Veterinarian
Danny Lloyd
In “The Shining,” Danny Lloyd played Danny Torrance. In 1982, he retired from acting. At the moment, he is a biology professor in Kentucky. In 2019, in the Shining sequel, Doctor Sleep, Lloyd appeared in a cameo role as a spectator at a baseball game, his first acting role in 38 years.
Dany Lloyd
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell, aka MC Hammer, had an incredible career in music. He decided to switch careers after he had accumulated 13 million dollars of debt. Presently, he officiates weddings, teaches and develops apps for Apple.
MC Hammer
Jeff Cohen – Lawyer/Writer
In The Goonies, Jeff Cohen is well known for his chubby character. He played “Chunk.” After the film, he worked hard to change his image. He began playing football and lost a great deal of weight. He went to college in Berkeley and then to law school at UCLA. To this day, he is still practicing law.
Jeff Cohen Lawyer/Writer
Gary Coleman – Security Guard
Following his hit TV show Diff’rent Strokes, Gary Coleman was a household name during the 70s and 80s. He was an adorable young actor that, with his humor, won over America. But his career seems to have been short-lived. Coleman later struggled financially, although he was seen as one of the most promising stars. Sadly, he passed away while working as a security guard in 2010!
Gary Coleman
Jonathan Taylor Thomas – Harvard Graduate
Jonathan Taylor Thomas was a charming heartthrob for a teen. To pursue his education, he decided to leave acting. He studied in Scotland at Harvard, Columbia, and St. Andrew’s University. A fairly impressive school, JTT!
Jonathan Taylor Thomas – Harvard Graduate
Carrie Henn
Carrie Hen was the beautiful girl who starred in Alien alongside Sigourney Weaver. That, actually, was her only role. She chose to pursue teaching, and she is continuing to work!
Carrie Henn
Doris Day
During the ’60s and’ 70s, Doris Day was the city’s talk, becoming one of the largest stars of that time. A true legend of Hollywood, her name will never be forgotten. After facing personal problems of her own, however, this star took herself out of the spotlight. She shifted her focus to her family life and helped recover wounded animals as well!
Doris Day
Lark Voorhies
In Saved by The Bell, Lark Voorhies as Lisa Turtle. During her career, she took on a couple of other small acting roles. To pursue writing, she left acting. To date, she has 3 books published!
Lark Voorhies
Barret Oliver
Starting as a child actor, Barret Oliver temporarily stole our hearts in The Never Ending Story. His career ended when, after his last role in 1989, he became an adult and decided acting was not for him. He decided it wasn’t for him to act and preferred to be on the other side of the camera. He now works in printing and photography, and in this field, he has proven successful. His work has been shown in museums and gallery exhibitions.
Barret Oliver
Rick Moranis
In Hollywood movies like Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids; this Canadian actor is most recognized for lead roles. Rick decided to give up his acting career for six years to concentrate on his children after losing his wife in 1991. When being a single parent, the traveling that went along with filming was too much to handle. In the past decade, however, he’s made a comeback to voice acting.
Rick Moranis
Brittany Ashton Holmes
In Little Rascals, Brittany Ashton Holmes played Darla. Her acting career was short-lived, and when she grew up, she decided she did not want to be in the limelight. She is currently pursuing a political science degree and is a barista.
Brittany Ashton Holmes
Shirley Temple
In 1935, Shirley Temple was awarded a special Juvenile Oscar for her contribution to film at seven. Temple had lost interest in acting entirely by age 22. In the 1960s, she returned to the spotlight as a politician and diplomat and, in 1989, as the US ambassador to Czechoslovakia.
Shirley Temple
Andrew Shue
For seven years during the ’90s, the young heartthrob of Melrose Place, Shue, became one of the most famous mommy bloggers in the world. Alongside his childhood best friend, Michael Sanchez, the former actor, exchanged scripts for content and co-founded CaféMom. CaféMom is a social networking site that focuses on women’s interests and helps, advice, and recommendation site.
Andrew Shue
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes was a child star who, as a young adult, continued to have an acting career. In 2010, she announced an indefinite hiatus from acting as she struggled with various personal issues. She decided to leave the spotlight to pursue fashion design.
Amanda Bynes
Angus T. Jones
For his role in Two and a Half Men, Angus T. Jones became famous. He faced some controversy in his personal life and the media after he left the show. He became a Seventh Day Adventist and worked for a founded multimedia company by P.Diddy.
Angus T. Jones
Jack Gleeson
Jack Gleeson in Game of Thrones was the not so lovely King Joffrey. He decided to break from acting because he didn’t enjoy it as much as before. He’s a full-time student at present, deciding what to do with his career.
Jack Gleeson
Mara Wilson
As a child, Mara Wilson was an incredible actress! In films like Matilda, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Miracle on 34th Street, she gave very memorable performances. Rather than continuing with acting, she decided to pursue writing and philanthropy. She wrote a book that was published in 2016 about her experiences acting like a child. Wilson is currently working for a nonprofit in New York called Publicolor.
Mara Wilson
Danica McKellar
In The Wonder Years, everybody remembers Danica McKellar as the lovely Winnie Cooper. She is a woman of great talent. She was always gifted and actually graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a mathematics degree in school. She has published many math books, including “Math Doesn’t Suck.” With her show called Math Bites, she brought math to the small screen.
Danica McKellar
Frankie Muniz
In the 90s, Frankie Muniz was a huge star. In Malcolm in the Middle, he is best known for his star role. He was nominated for an Emmy and 2 Golden Globes. Fantastic! He is a very talented race car driver, in addition to acting. Today, he continues to pursue race car driving.
Frankie Muniz
Andrea Barber
For playing Kimmy Gibbler in Full House, Andrea Barber is best remembered. In the Netflix reboot, she recently returned as her original character. Aside from acting, she attended Whittier College in California after Full House, where she earned an English degree. Afterward, she studied at the University of York. To direct Whittier’s international study program, she returned to the USA.
Andrea Barber
Tony Danza
Tony Danza is a former professional boxer as well as an actor. He starred in the reality show Teach: Tony Danza that featured him teaching a 10th grade English class in Philadelphia after Who’s The Boss rapped. His objective was to raise awareness of the state of America’s education.
Tony Danza
Karl Malone
The days of his super successful basketball career are long gone for 55-year-old Karl Malone. Malone took on several interesting jobs following his career on the court. He took his shot at the silver screen, wrestling as well. He decided to become a lumber trucker after all that.
Karl Malone
Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens has earned quite a name for himself in the NFL. Now that he has retired from the pitch, there’s something else in his eyes. It seems like his heart is telling him to pursue a modeling career while he has been offered a collection of jobs. What are your thoughts on that?
Terrell Owens
Macaulay Culkin
Who could have forgotten our favorite 8-year-old who was left alone at home? Although he fell off the grid for the most part when he entered his late teens, we’ve seen minor appearances here and there from him. His spoof commercial for Home Alone for Google was one such example of this. He is pursuing a newfound interest nowadays – creating a comedic rock band.
Macaulay Culkin
Danielle Fishel
In the hit ’90s Boy Meets World sitcom, Danielle Fishel, of course, played Topanga. The show lasted many years, and she wanted to pursue something different when it wrapped up. Fishel decided to host the satirical show The Dish, and for Popsugar, she reports. In the Disney spin-off series, Girl Meets World, she has recently returned to acting as Topanga.
Daniel Fishel
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Freddie Prinze Jr. was a teenage heartthrob for sure. In I Know What You Did Last Summer, and She’s All That, he played major roles. He has put a lot of time into cooking since he left the big screen. In 2016, he published his own cookbook.
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu played Ally McBeal in Ling Woo. For her work, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy! She, too, was Alex in Charlie’s Angels, of course. She works in the visual arts world, aside from acting. She does paintings and collages. A lot of her work has been donated to charity.
Lucy Liu
Elizabeth Berkley
For her role in Saved By The Bell, Elizabeth Berkley is widely famous. In a variety of film and stage productions, she has also appeared. She’s been taking a break from acting recently and is focusing on writing. In 2011, she wrote a self-help book called Ask-Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Berkley
Linda Kozlowski
Unfortunately, Linda Kozlowski from Crocodile Dundee is no longer an actress. She’s been out of business for a few centuries now. After the two met on set, she married her ex-husband, Paul Hogan. They’ve been married for 23 years, and together they have a teenage son! The two have since divorced, and Linda Kozlowski and her new partner, Moulay Hafid Baba, are reportedly moving to Morocco.
Linda Kowoloski
Jim Carrey
With films such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and The Mask, Jim Carrey became a huge star in the 90s. He has taken a break to pursue painting from acting. That has been his focus for the last 6 years. He even has an exhibit of his own at a Las Vegas gallery.
Jim Carrey
Steven Seagal
Before he moved back to the USA to pursue acting, Steven Seagal was a martial arts instructor in Japan. He went into law enforcement after retiring from acting. He served as the Louisiana Police Department’s Reserve Deputy Sheriff.
Steven Seagal
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar, for years, of course, played Buffy. She has been pursuing her other passion lately: cooking. She co-founded a start-up of her own called Foodstirs. For children, it sells baking kits. She has been married for over 15 years to Freddie Prinze Jr.! He loves cooking as well.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice is a rapper who rose to fame in 1985, of course. Presently, he is pursuing real estate. He buys homes, renovates them, and sells them afterward. The Vanilla Ice Project, which features him leading home renovations, is his own show on HGTV.
Vanilla Ice
Gary Dourdan
For his role in CSI, the actor Gary Dourdan is best known. For 8 years, he’s been on the show! At the start of season 9, his character was sadly killed off. He collects cars these days and is pursuing a career in DJing.
Gary Dourdan
Helen Hunt
Since she was 10 years old, Helen Hunt has been acting! She is very talented and an Academy Award winner. These days, she works as a producer behind the camera. She owns a production company called Hunt/Travel Productions, which is her own.
Helen Hunt
Nick Offerman
In Parks and Recreation, Nick Offerman is hilarious! He plays Ron Swanson, a manly man, and has received a great deal of praise for his role. He is still acting, but a side job is also being pursued: carpentry. He was fond of crafting ships and furniture.
Nick Offerman
Barbi Benton
Barbi Benton is renowned for being a lovely Playboy Bunny. She also has TV experience, movies, and 5 albums she has actually recorded! She’s an extremely talented lady. She’s married and working in real estate right now.
Barbi Benton
Sharona Alperin
Did you hear about ‘My Sharon’? Doug Fieger wrote these lyrics for his 1979 hit after his girlfriend, Sharon. They spent four years together. Alperin is now a LA realtor and has a lot of entertainment business clients.
Sharona Alperin
Al Franken
Al Franken is hilarious! He was an incredible SNL actor and writer. He has also written several satirical books. He has a keen interest in politics and is running for a seat in the Senate. In 2009, he won the Minnesota seat and was re-elected for a second term in 2014.
Al Franken
Liam Gallagher
Liam Gallagher is a songwriter and singer. He is best known for being part of the well-known rock band of the 1990s, Oasis. He started his own line of clothing after Oasis, called Pretty Green, which still operates today.
Liam Gallagher
Roseanne Barr
In the sitcom Roseanne, Roseanne Barr played a hilarious mom. She is now renowned for her political work and hopes to be elected to office. In the 2012 presidential election, she was a candidate for the Peace and Freedom Party. She arrived in 6th place. She has appeared on many TV programs discussing politics ever since the election.
Roseanne Barr
Jon Gosselin
Owing to the success of the TLC show Jon and Kate Plus 8, Jon became famous. In 2009, he divorced Kate, and he worked a series of jobs. He is currently a DJ performing in Atlantic City, his hometown.
Jon Gosselin
Chris Owen
Chris Owen is best known for his role in American Pie movies as “The Sherminator.” He is the only actor to appear in all of the franchise’s films and projects. He still resides in LA and works at a sushi restaurant as a waiter.
Chris Owen
Ariana Richards
In the 80s, Ariana Richards was a child actress who appeared in movies like Tremors and Jurassic Park. She changed professions and decided to pursue painting. To study art, she went to Skidmore and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
Ariana Richards
Tommy Rettig
Of course, Tommy is renowned for being Lassie’s best friend. He pursued some other acting projects after the show wrapped, but he was unsatisfied. He became a software engineer and worked until his death in 1996, working with computers.
Tommy Rettig
Mackenzie Rosman
Ruthie Camden in 7th Heaven was Mackenzie Rosman. She was on the show for most of her childhood and teenage years. She is a devout philanthropist outside of acting. As chairwoman of Curefinders, which helps children suffering from cystic fibrosis, she is most involved.
Mackenzie Rosman