Although it is impossible for us, mere mortals, to imagine celebrities leading an unhappy life does happen. The pace, pressure, media, and travel are often too much. To do something else they enjoy, they want to take a break. Usually, when they were so well settled back into “normal life.” people don’t even remember they once started in Hollywood. So, who are the celebrities who left behind the glory for a more low essential life? To find out, keep reading to find out who these celebrities are!
Kirk Cameron – Religion
Kirk Cameron is best remembered for his role on Growing Pains. 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. He became well known for his role on The Wonder Years. 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 law-related projects.
Josh Saviano – Lawyer
Greta Garbo
It is almost unheard of to leave Hollywood at the height 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 that was worth millions by the time she died.
Greta Garbo
Peter Ostrum – Veterinarian
Peter Ostrum is best known as Charlie in Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. 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
Danny Lloyd played Danny Torrance in “The Shining.” He retired from acting in 1982. Around the age of 13 or 14, Lloyd quit the acting profession because he grew tired of the auditioning process. He doesn’t have regrets. As of 2017, he is working at a community college in Kentucky as a teacher.
Dany Lloyd
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell, aka MC Hammer, had an amazing music career. He had amazing commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the early 1990s. After accumulating over 13 million dollars of debt, he decided to switch careers. He currently 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 alter 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, we’re proud of you!
Jeff Cohen Lawyer/Writer
Gary Coleman – Security Guard
After his role in the hit television 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 Americans. But his career seems to have been short-lived. Although he was seen as one of the most promising stars of the time, Coleman later struggled financially. Sadly, he passed away while working as a security guard in 2010.
Gary Coleman
Jonathan Taylor Thomas – Harvard Graduate
Jonathan Taylor Thomas was a super cute teen heartthrob. He is known for portraying Randy Taylor on Home Improvement and voicing young Simba in Disney’s 1994 film The Lion King and Pinocchio in New Line Cinema’s 1996 film The Adventures of Pinocchio. He decided to leave acting to pursue his education. He studied at Harvard, Columbia, and St. Andrew’s University in Scotland. Pretty impressive schools, JTT!
Jonathan Taylor Thomas – Harvard Graduate
Carrie Henn
Carrie Hen was the adorable girl in Alien, starring alongside Sigourney Weaver. Henn won the Saturn Award for “Best Performance by a Younger Actor/Actress.” She was also nominated for the Young Artist Awards that same year. That was her only role. She chose to pursue teaching and is still in the profession!
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
Lark Voorhies was known as Lisa Turtle on Saved by The Bell. She had been nominated for the Young Artist Award six times, winning in 1990 and 1993 for her work on the show. She has taken a few other small acting roles during her career. She left acting to pursue writing. She has three books published to date!
Lark Voorhies
Barret Oliver
Beginning 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 exhibitions in galleries.
Barret Oliver
Rick Moranis
This Canadian actor is most known for lead roles in Hollywood films such as Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. 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 became known as she played a character named 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
For her contribution to film in the year 1935, Shirley Temple was awarded a special youth Oscar 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 offers help, advice, and suggestions.
Andrew Shue
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes was a child star who continued to have an acting career as a young adult. She decided to leave the spotlight to pursue fashion design. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, she was best known for her television and film work. She has won numerous awards, including seven Kids’ Choice Awards and a Critics’ Choice Award.
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 multimedia company founded by P.Diddy.
Angus T. Jones
Jack Gleeson
Jack Gleeson in Game of Thrones was the not so lovely King Joffrey. He decided to take a break from acting because, as he used to, he did not enjoy it as much. 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 kid. Wilson is currently working for a nonprofit in New York called Publicolor.
Mara Wilson
Danica McKellar
Everyone remembers Danica McKellar as the beautiful Winnie Cooper in The Wonder Years. She is a woman of great talent. In school, she was always gifted and graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a mathematics degree. 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 massive 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. He is still pursuing race car driving today.
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 the 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 eight-year-old who was left alone at home? Although, for the most part, when he entered his late teens, he fell off the grid, we’ve seen minor appearances from him here and there. 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 that captivated everyone’s hearts. He has put a lot of time into cooking since he left the big screen. In 2016, he published his 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 pictures. A lot of her work has been donated to charity. Pretty amazing, Lucy!
Lucy Liu
Elizabeth Berkley
Elizabeth Berkley is best known for her role in Saved By The Bell. In a variety of film and stage productions, she has also appeared. She’s been taking a break from acting recently and is concentrating on writing. In 2011, she authored 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 the business for quite a while 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 been divorced since then, and Linda Kozlowski is reportedly moving to Morocco with her new partner, Moulay Hafid Baba. She isn’t in the show business anymore and is spending a lot of time on her personal life.
Linda Kowoloski
Jim Carrey
With films such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and The Mask, Jim Carrey certainly 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 six 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 was the Deputy Sheriff of the Reserve for the Lousiana Police Department. Did you know that Steven Seagal is a 7th-dan black belt in Aikido? Pretty cool, right?
Steven Seagal
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar, for years, of course, played Buffy. The show we love! 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.! She 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 show, which can be seen on HGTV.
Vanilla Ice
Gary Dourdan
Actor Gary Dourdan is best known for his role in CSI as Warrick Brown, Shazza Zulu on the television series A Different World, and Mickey Monroe in crime thriller Righteous Villains. Did you know that he was on CSI for eight years? 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
Helen Hunt has been acting since she was ten years old! She is very talented and is also 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
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. He is also known for his role in The Founder, in which he portrays Richard McDonald, one of the brothers who developed the fast-food chain McDonald’s.
Nick Offerman
Barbi Benton
Barbi Benton is renowned for being a lovely Playboy Bunny. She also has TV experience, movies, and five albums she has recorded! She’s an extremely talented lady. She retired from show business in the 1980s to raise her children and is currently working in real estate.
Barbi Benton
Sharona Alperin
There’s no doubt that you have heard of the song named ‘My Sharona’ Doug Fieger wrote these lyrics for his 1979 hit after his girlfriend, Sharona. For four years, they’ve been together. Alperin is now a LA realtor and has many customers in the entertainment industry.
Sharona Alperin
Al Franken
Al Franken is hilarious! He was an amazing actor and writer on SNL. 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. Terrific!
Al Franken
Liam Gallagher
Liam Gallagher is a singer and songwriter. He is best known for being a part of the very famous 90s rock band, Oasis. After Oasis, he started his own clothing line called Pretty Green, which is still operating today. As one of the most recognizable British music figures, Gallagher is noted for his outspoken and abrasive manner, a penchant for wearing parkas, and distinctive singing style.
Liam Gallagher
Roseanne Barr
Roseanne Barr played a hilarious mom on the sitcom Roseanne. 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. Jon and his former wife received local media coverage until the sextuplets were 17 months old when Discovery Health offered the couple a reality series chronicling their family’s lives. 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 an American actor and photographer. He is best known for his role as Chuck Sherman, a.k.a. The Sherminator in the American Pie film franchise, appearing in American Pie, American Pie 2, American Pie Presents: Band Camp, and American Reunion. 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 also co-starred with another former child actor, Tony Dow, in the mid-1960s television teen soap opera Never Too Young and recorded the song by that title with the group, The TR-4. 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
Mackenzie Rosman is known for portraying the character named Ruthie Camden in 7th Heaven. 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