Hannah Riley
Okay let’s be honest for a minute: being famous looks like it would be fun for a few weeks and then it would be absolutely exhausting. Having to deal with fans, agents, and paparazzi sounds like more than most people would want to handle. Getting complimentary guac at Chipotle would be nice, but being recognized all the time would get really, really old.
These actors had their taste of fame and decided to leave the show business to pursue a different career path. In fact, some of these actors only starred in one movie before collecting their check and moving on with their lives!
Here are some actors who left acting and never looked back:
1. Rick Moranis, The Star Of ‘Honey, I Shrunk The Kids’ Became A Stay-At-Home Dad To Care Of His 2 Children After His Wife Passed Away In 1991
2. Karyn Parsons, Former Star Of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. After Playing The Role Of Hilary Banks For Six Years, She Moved On To Nonprofit Work. She Founded Sweet Blackberry, A Non-Profit Focused On Teaching Children About Black History
3. Peter Ostrum, Who Played Charlie In Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, Is Now A Dairy Veterinarian
4. Jeff Cohen, Who Played Chunk In The Goonies, Is Now A Lawyer
5. Danny Lloyd, Who Played Danny Torrance In The Shining, Is Now A Biology Professor At Elizabethtown Community And Technical College In Elizabethtown, Kentucky
6. Brittany Ashton Holmes Enjoyed A Successful But Short-Lived Career As An Actress. She Is Perhaps Best Known For Her Portrayal Of The Cheeky Darla In The 1994 Film Version Of The Little Rascals. She Now Works As A Barista And Seems To Enjoy Her Current Pace Of Life.
7. Andrew Shue Known For “Melrose Place” Is Now A Online Publisher, Co-Founder Of Cafemom, A Website Focusing On Parenting Content And Women’s Interest
8. Nikki Blonsky, Who Played Tracy Turnblad In Hairspray, Was A Makeup Artist At Superstar Salon In New York
9. Lark Voorhies Who Played Lisa Turtle In “Saved By The Bell” Is Now A Writer
10. Maia Brewton Starred In The 1987 Box Office Hit Adventures In Babysitting And Spent Three Seasons On The Fox Sitcom Parker Lewis Can’t Lose. The Actress Currently Works As A Lawyer
11. Jonathan Taylor Thomas Who Played Randy Taylor In “Home Improvement” Is Now A Writer
12. Danielle Fishel Who Played Topanga In “Boy Meets World” Is Now A Journalist
13. Taran Noah Smith Who Played Mark Taylor “Home Improvement” Is Now A Carpenter
14. Bridgit Mendler, Who Played Teddy Duncan On Good Luck Charlie, Is Pursuing A Degree At Harvard Law School
15. Former Two And A Half Men Star Angus T. Jones, Who Ditched Acting At Age 21. These Days, Jones Is Working On The Management Side Of Tonite, A Production Company Co-Run By Diddy’s Son, Justin Combs
16. Michael Schoeffling Known For “Sixteen Candles” And “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken” Now Works As A Carpenter And Runs A Woodworking Shop
17. Jerry Mathers, Who Played Beaver Cleaver On Leave It To Beaver, Became A Sergeant In The Air Force Reserve
18. Ali Mcgraw From “Love Story” Followed Her True Passions And Started Rallying For Animal Rights And Also Became A Yoga Instructor
19. In The ’50s, Tommy Rettig Was The Adorable Boy Whose Sidekick Was The Ubiquitous Lassie. After Lassie, He Found Work As A Computer Software Engineer.
20. Freddie Prinze, Jr. Known For “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “Scooby Doo” Is Now A Chef And A Cookbook Author
21. Charlie Korsmo, Who Played Jackie In Hook, Is A Law Professor At The Case Western Reserve University School Of Law
22. Josh Saviano Who Played Paul From The Wonder Years Now Works As A Lawyer In His Native New York
23. Ariana Richards Most Known For Her Role In Jurassic Park Became A Full-Time Painter
24. Frankie Muniz Of “Malcolm In The Middle” Has Become A Legitimate Professional Racer, Even Earning An Award For Sportsmanship From His Peers. Muniz Also Manages An Olive Oil Shop In Arizona
25. Erik Estrada, Who Played Officer Francis Llewellyn “Ponch” Poncherello On Chips, Became A Real-Life Police Officer In St. Anthony, Idaho
26. Jennifer Stone, Who Played Harper On Wizards Of Waverly Place, Is Now A Registered Nurse
27. Lucas Babin, Who Played Spider In School Of Rock, Became The District Attorney For Tyler County, Texas
28. Mike Vitar From “The Sandlot” Is Now A Firefighter
29. Mara Wilson, Who Played The Titular Character In Matilda, Is Now A Writer
30. And Kal Penn From Harold & Kumar Nabbed A Serious Position As The Associate Director In The White House Office Of Public Engagement
