15 Huge Celebs Who Gave Up Their Dreams And Retired From Hollywood

Some people spend their entire lives seeking to become world celebrities and living out their lives as world stars. Since their early childhood, they dream of shaking hands with rich and prominent people, getting flocked by fans, and living it up in La La Land. Their bedroom walls are plastered with posters of rock stars and movie stars. Although it often happens that life as a celeb isn't all that it's chalked up to be, there are numerous examples of actors who rose to fame for playing roles as children or teenagers, and then just grew out of the child part of child actors. It might sound completely insane to some people, but there have been a number of examples of stars who essentially gave up what they were doing and started a completely new life as ordinary people, and interestingly really enjoyed normalcy. These individuals usually leave stardom for more low-key and not so prominent careers. Being tired of the limelight (and especially tired of the paparazzi), they preferred something less eminent and a more simple life. They opted to devote more time to their families and to raising children. Though some of the stars just needed to have a little bit of a break and rest, as many of them decide to return to their star careers after one or two years. Really it is not so easy to give up on their childhood dream altogether.

Amanda Bynes

When Amanda Bynes was starting her career in showbiz, she was just a kid. Her most prominent roles were in All That and The Amanda Show (named after herself) on Nickelodeon, and she made a rather successful career in different comedies. However, after playing a supporting role in Easy A opposite Emma Stone, Bynes experienced something like a breakdown. She had legal problems and little by little began to steer away from the spotlight. She had to spend some time to improve the quality of her life and eventually she left her star career altogether and became interested in fashion. She went to college and studied fashion as it is the sphere in which she wants to focus her career. Though, according to Us Magazine, she doesn’t exclude the possibility of returning to acting at some point. There is some information about her plans to officially return to the spotlight sometime in 2018.

Jack Gleeson

Though his first role in a major production was in Batman Begins (he's the kid who meets Batman on the patio while his parents are fighting inside). The Irish actor Jack Gleeson really got the attention of audiences only after the release of the Game of Thrones. Yeah, he played one of the most detestable characters ever, but in this TV show, he really showed his talent. However, after his character Joffrey Baratheon dies in the show's fourth season, Gleeson took it as an opportunity to end his acting career as well. Gleeson explained in an interview with the Irish Independent that, "The lifestyle that brings with it being an actor in a successful TV show isn't something I prefer.” Instead of staying in the spotlight, he's chosen to focus on studying. He studied theology and philosophy, and though he'll show up from time to time to meet with his fans, he keeps things on the light side.

Frankie Muniz

Back in the '90s, Frankie Muniz became a well-known celebrity when he starred in the TV sitcom Malcom in the Middle, opposite Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston. During the run of the show, as well as sometime after, he maintained a career in acting — but it didn't last long. Eventually, Muniz found a new vocation. In 2008 he gave up his acting career and became a race car driver. So, Frankie Muniz focused on race car driving and music. But in 2017 he started getting a bit more theatrical as he joined Dancing with the Stars. He made a revelation that racing has actually had a terrible impact on his body and his health in general. Due to some concussions and mini-strokes, he lost some of his memory. According to Muniz himself, he doesn’t really remember much of his work in the US sitcom.

Freddie Prinze Jr.

If you were a budding teen in the '90s, then you should know all about Mr. Freddie Prinze Jr. He played the role of a boyfriend in the film I Know What You Did Last Summer and the tool-turned-hero in She's All That. Then he turned around and played Fred from the two Scooby-Doo movies (interestingly, he even married his co-star from the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer & Scooby-Doo, Sarah Michelle Gellar). Despite having such a fun career in acting, Prinze eventually walked away from stardom. So, what's he doing now? Having clearly been obsessed with cooking shows like Master Chef, he's begun a life in professional cooking. He devotes a lot of time to his family (he has a son and a daughter) and he's also published some cookbooks. So, you shouldn’t be surprised if you see his face in the cooking section at your local bookstore.

Mara Wilson

If you were a child in the '90s, then your hero would have been the precocious, book-obsessed young girl named Matilda Wormwood. That means, your hero was Mara Wilson, the actress who played her. We also know her for playing in such movies as Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street and Thomas and the Magic Railroad. So, what exactly is your hero doing these days? Well, to begin with, her character in Matilda was never too fond of television and movies, so it’s no wonder that she'd eventually departed from La La Land. In fact, it's very logical that eventually she'd become a writer. While she does enjoy offering her vocal talents to various projects, she explained on her personal site that leaving her star career was like a mutual break-up, stating that "Hollywood didn’t really want me anymore, and I was kind of over it, too." In order to get more information on that subject, you should check out her FAQ section of her site because it's really interesting and amusing.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

We can definitely say that in the ‘90s Jonathan Taylor Thomas (or JTT to the fangirls and fanboys) was the cream of the crop. Posters of him were plastered on walls in the room of every boy and girl, everyone's favorite lion in Disney's The Lion King spoke with his voice, and he was everyone's favorite son (sorry Brad and Mark) from the sitcom Home Improvement. Unfortunately, his most devoted fans hated the fact that he left showbiz, in order to pursue other interests. He has traveled to all parts of the world, studying at Harvard and Columbia. Now, having more spare time after giving up his acting career, he's focusing on screenwriting and directing his own projects. So, we can expect him to return to the spotlight, but maybe just in a new off-screen role. Recently, he has appeared several times as a guest opposite his old TV dad Tim Allen on the Last Man Standing, so maybe he is making some attempt to resurrect his career as an actor.

Nikki Blonsky

As we understand, it is not so easy to maintain a career in Hollywood. If you're not the early bird getting the worm, then you have all the chances to fall by the wayside. That's just the way it is. In fact, even if you're an Oscar nominee and a star of a major movie, it is quite possible that you will end up working in a café or shoe store to be able to pay your bills. This is the story of Nikki Blonsky, the star of Hairspray and the ABC Family Series Huge. Blonsky ended up taking a break from stardom. She chose to lead an ordinary life. But taking into account the fact that she is dabbling in acting yet again, we can expect her permanent return to the spotlight in the near future. For the time being, though, her work has been in the form of cameos or low-budget productions, so only time will show when her next big break may be.

Cameron Diaz

The famous actress Cameron Diaz has starred in quite a few major movies. However, after spending many years playing leading roles, Diaz has decided to call it quits and leave the star career. The popular actress recently opened up to pal Gwyneth Paltrow about why she has decided to retreat from the public eye. As she once said during a 2017 panel, "I can’t really say who I am to myself. Which is a hard thing to face up to. I felt the need to make myself whole.” Her Sweetest Thing co-star also stated that during a recent conversation Diaz said, "Cameron’s retired from acting, she’s like, ‘I’m done.’ I mean, she doesn’t need to make any more films, she has a pretty great life, I don’t know what it would take to bring her back. She’s happy.” In fact, Cameron Diaz gave up the stardom in order to spend more time at home and devote herself to her family.

Kevin Jonas

In the late 2000s, Kevin Jonas was invariably part of The Jonas Brothers. Starting off their careers as kids, the three brothers ended up taking the youth-focused music industry by storm. But no wonder that as they got older, they each made individual names for themselves. Joe and Nick pursued solo careers in acting and music, but Kevin decided to do something quite different. Post Jonas Brothers, Kevin entered the world of construction and started his own business. In 2013, he founded the real-estate development and construction company named Jonas Werner. Now his life now is not as fascinating as life at Camp Rock, but he is certainly able to pay the bills. Besides, having a familiar name surely helped him at the beginning of his career as getting people’s attention is the hardest part of business startups. It is quite possible that if the three brothers have a reunion tour, it will be on a set constructed by Kevin himself.

Phoebe Cates

One of the more interesting aspects of being a celebrity is the astounding way how stars manage to raise their children and find time for their family despite being so famous. It doesn’t seem easy to put into practice. Some stars manage to cope with such a task, but many consider choosing a simple life to be more beneficial— which is exactly what actress Phoebe Cates did. Cates is well recognized for her roles in numerous films and is married to Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Kline (you will recognize his voice as Mr. Fischoeder from Bob's Burgers). Cates left her star career in the ‘90s and in 2005, she opened up a boutique in New York City and seems to be very happy with the way she lives now. While not completely averse to cameos, there's still a chance she might show up in the upcoming Gremlins 3. It might even be a surprise if she even manages to grab a starring role!

Macaulay Culkin

We may say that for several years in the late '80s and early '90s Macaulay Culkin was everywhere. He was a prominent star in Home Alone, My Girl, Richie Rich, and we all still remember him very well for these films. He even played the evil youngster in The Good Son. As he grew up, however, his career in Hollywood slowly declined. Culkin—more or less—threw up his cards for a solid decade in the '90s, though after that he returned for a brief stint in acting in the 2003 movie of Party Monster. His career has ebbed and flowed ever since. Most recently, he's been working as a roadie, touring with bands, and has even started his very own podcast called Bunny Ears. Thanks to getting his experience with Hollywood, he doesn’t care so much about what the public thinks of him — even though their collective opinions never seem to cease.

Steven Seagal

Do you all remember Steven Seagal kicking butt and taking names? Well, the actor and martial arts specialist is still doing it now, but not on the big screen, he's doing it as an actual police officer. Having retired from acting Seagal became a reserve police officer in New Mexico in 2013 and carries out police work accompanied by a commissioned peace officer. Well into his 60's, Seagal has even offered his personal knowledge of training and self-defense to the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, Kelly Jameson, a spokeswoman from the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office. She also said to the Los Angeles Times that although they could get this type of training anywhere, there was just something special about Mr. Seagal. So, if you ever get a strong desire to break law in New Mexico, think twice before doing it. You may want to check out Seagal's films and just reconsider any criminal behavior you may have.

Vanilla Ice

Why is it getting hot in here? It could be because Vanilla Ice has left his star career. Back in the '80s, Vanilla Ice or Robert Matthew Van Winkle became famous with the song "Ice Ice Baby" (think Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody”, but as a "rap" song), which was a huge success at the time. However, his fame pretty much just existed in the era in which he got famous, and his reputation after that wasn't so flourishing. So, what is he up to now? After showing up in various reality shows from time to time, Vanilla Ice ended up becoming a professional jet-skier (which is a big thing in itself). He lives with his family in Florida, and in 2016 he made a brief appearance in the spotlight when he joined the cast of Dancing with the Stars. He still has a passion for music but isn't so keen on performing for a living.

Jeff Cohen

Once upon a time, Jeff Cohen was the kid in The Goonies doing the famous truffle shuffle dance for his BFFs. Everyone wanted to be friends with him back in the '80s. He was also the person everyone could count on to befriend even the most unlikely of heroes (we're looking at you, Sloth). However, instead of staying in the spotlight (or saving the day, for that matter), Cohen has been working in law; specifically, entertainment law. Now he is an attorney and founding partner of Cohen & Gardner, LLP. According to his company's website, he focuses on transactional representation for clients in the entertainment, media and technology spheres. Let's be honest, if you ever needed someone to look out for you, you'd surely like it to be Jeff Cohen as one of the Goonies. He dealt with some serious crimes back in the day, so you can definitely count on him to protect your interests.

Charlie Korsmo

In Steven Spielberg's Hook, Charlie Korsmo was one of the two children who gets kidnapped by the titular Captain. In Can't Hardly Wait he played a role of one of the high school nerds who can't quite fit in at house parties. It is astonishing that Charlie Korsmo is now an assistant professor of law. Interestingly, Korsmo didn’t want to have anything to do with entertainment law as it just didn’t interest him. After Korsmo decided to take a break in his star career in order to lead a simpler life, he understood that he actually enjoyed school. In fact, in an interview with The Daily, he explained that leaving Hollywood was a smart move, considering he would have probably started losing out on roles once he no longer was a child actor. He said, "I think I smartly managed to leave voluntarily just in time as I would have been thrown out anyway."

References: hollywoodreporter.com, heraldsun.com.au, nickiswift.com, cbsnews.com, dailymail.co.uk, people.com, eonline.com, mic.com, looper.com, uproxx.com, cinemablend.com, nickiswift.com

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