The glamorous world of Hollywood attracts many but not all make it till the end and choose to step outside to breathe a normal life. The stars that were once a big part of this industry are now nowhere to be seen on the screen. They made a choice of quitting the limelight and exploring other fields. Fair enough, right?
Josh Saviano – Lawyer
Who would have thought that this child actor would grow up to become a lawyer? That is a drastic career change! “Josh Saviano” can be remembered from the TV series “The Wonder Years” in which he portrayed the character of Paul Joshua Pfeiffer.
He decided to put his feet in another area and majored in Political Science at Yale University. Soon, he passed the bar and became a lawyer. He found his true calling!
Angelina Pivarnick - EMT
Angelina Pivarnick appeared on MTV's reality show “Jersey Shore” for two seasons. She even did the show “Couples Therapy” on VH1. You might think that reality TV took her to Hollywood and her acting career evolved. That really didn’t happen!
After years of struggling in that area, Pivarnick finally became an EMT in 2016. Did you expect that? We guess not!
Dylan Sprouse – Entrepreneur
We all have spent our childhood watching “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” and admiring the adorable actors, Dylan Sprouse and Cole Sprouse. They became really famous after the show and its spin-off series, “The Suite Life on Deck”.
Dylan got a degree from New York University and then, he opened an All-Wise Meadery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He is definitely a successful entrepreneur apart from an amazing actor!
Sarah Michelle Gellar – Food Industry
Sarah Michelle Gellar is a known face of Hollywood as she has been a part of really popular films and shows. The show “All My Children” will give you an insight into her acting career as that was the beginning of her journey to fame.
Soon, she found herself attracted to the food industry and that’s when she turned into an entrepreneur and created a food crafting brand and e-commerce startup selling baking kits called “Foodstirs” with Galit Laibow and Greg Fleishman.
Gene Hackman – Novelist
You know Gene Hackman from the film “Bonnie and Clyde” of 1967. He starred in many films and he entertained us for almost 60 years before shifting his focus to writing. His last movie “Welcome to Mooseport” came out in 2004.
Hackman became a novelist and wrote three historical fiction novels and received great success in this field. Change for the better, right?
Greta Garbo – Art Collector
Greta Garbo got her name in the “greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema” and that was justified considering her wonderful performances in various movies. Her 1930 film “Anna Christie” received great acclaim as it was her first talking film after playing roles in silent movies.
Garbo retired from Hollywood and pursued art collection. Her entire collection turned out to be worth millions after she died. From film star to an art collector – Wow!
Danny Lloyd – Biology Professor
From playing Danny Torrance in the horror movie “The Shining” to becoming a biology professor at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College in 2007, Danny Lloyd witnessed a major change in his life.
The six-year-old Lloyd performed amazingly in the movie and interestingly, at that time, he didn’t know that he was shooting for a horror movie. Four years after that movie, he quit acting and got out of Hollywood. Lloyd gives biology lectures in Kentucky now (actor turned professor!).
Amanda Bynes - Fashion Designer
Amanda Bynes stepped into Hollywood as a child star and soon, she rose to fame with many movies offers lining up for her. Her popular films include, “She's the Man”, “What a Girl Wants”, “Hairspray” and many more.
However, Bynes took a step back from the movies in 2010 and later, went on to be the holder of an undergraduate Arts degree in Merchandise Product Development. She found herself indulged in fashion designing!
Karyn Parsons – Film Production
You should recognize her from the show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” in which she played Hilary Banks. That show led her to the road of success and she did many movies after that.
But that was not what she wanted to do. So, she switched her path and created Sweet Blackberry, a company that makes animated films revolving around the uncelebrated black heroes. She finally found peace in this field!
Lisa Whelchel – Author
Lisa Whelchel entered this world of cinema at a young age and acted in “The New Mickey Mouse Club” and also, in “The Facts of Life”. Apart from acting, Whelchel got into singing and songwriting too.
She did not stick to this field for long and moved towards writing. Now, she is an incredible author who has written ten books on the topics related to motherhood, child discipline and more.
Lauren Conrad – Fashion Designer And Author
Lauren Conrad rose to fame after she did the reality TV series “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County”. She had her own spin-off series “The Hills” and she gained recognition after that in the industry.
She went to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising as the world of fashion always attracted her. She has her own fashion lines, LC Lauren Conrad and Paper Crown. She also got into writing and is the author of nine books!
Vanilla Ice - Real Estate
The song “Ice Ice Baby” is still fresh in our minds and the talent behind this super hit hip hop single is Vanilla Ice (born as Robert Matthew Van Winkle). That one song took him to great heights but his life was no less than a roller coaster ride after all the popularity.
Vanilla Ice made a career in real estate after he could not trust the music industry anymore for supporting him. He renovated and sold houses for a long time.
Danielle Christine Fishel - Writer
Yes, we are talking about the beautiful Topanga from the TV show “Boy Meets World”. She had an amazing career in Hollywood as she did many shows and movies. She wanted to be a little out of the spotlight for a while and so, pursued writing.
She writes for PopSugar and its YouTube channel, PopSugar Girls Guide. This is away from all the spotlight that she received in the acting industry.
Kirk Cameron – Religious Activism
We all recognize Kirk Cameron as Mike Seaver in “Growing Pains” and his acting career kept rising with many award nominations. He appeared in movies “Like Father Like Son” (1987) and “Listen to Me” (1989) as a child actor.
Cameron became a born-again Christian and trains Christians in evangelism. He chose the path of religious activism and follows it passionately!
Barret Oliver – Photographer
This child actor tuned photographer aced both the career fields. As a child actor, he appeared in the short film “Frankenweenie” as a lead. He played a few other roles too but did not pursue acting for long.
Oliver picked up the camera later in life and stood behind the lens to capture some stunning pictures. His pictures made their spot in exhibitions and museums. What an achievement for this talented man!
Mara Wilson - Writer
After Mara Wilson played various roles in Hollywood movies and gained success, she took retirement from acting in 2000 and turned to the writing job.
Her portrayal of Matilda Wormwood in the film “Matilda” that released in 1996 received appreciation and she was even honored with an award for her phenomenal performance. On leaving acting, she said, “Film acting is not very fun. Doing the same thing over and over again until, in the director's eyes, you 'get it right', does not allow for very much creative freedom.”
Charlie Korsmo – Lawyer
As a child actor, Charlie Korsmo appeared in the movies “What About Bob?” and “Hook”. He portrayed the role of the son of Peter Pan in “Hook”. That was a big one for him!
He quit acting and continued with his further studies. In 2007, he was admitted to the New York bar and was ready to pursue law. He worked as an associate initially and then became a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. His journey is surely unique!
Nikki Blonsky – Hairstylist And Make-up Artist
The journey to fame is not always smooth, it has many highs and lows. Nikki Blonsky witnessed all those ups and downs before she obtained a cosmetology license and turned into a hairstylist and make-up artist.
You might know her from the movie “Hairspray” in which she played Tracy Turnblad. That movie did great and so, Blonsky’s acting career saw a rise. But she still took the step of opting for a normal job that is out of all the glamorous world.
Jon Gosselin – DJ
A lot happened in Jon Gosselin’s life after he appeared in the reality TV show Jon & Kate Plus 8 with his wife and eight kids. He got really famous on television and even got offers from Discovery Health Channel where they featured him, his wife, their sextuplets and twins.
With many fluctuations in his life, he finally headed out of the world of fame and started working as a DJ since 2017. He even does a shift of 8 hours per week at T.G.I. Fridays in Lancaster, Pennsylvania as a prep cook. Too many jobs in one lifetime!
Jennie Garth – Entrepreneur
The role of Kelly Taylor in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise played by Jennie Garth received a lot of love and praise from the fans of the series. Getting your own reality show is a big deal in this industry and this star managed to accomplish that with “Jennie Garth: A Little Bit Country”.
With all the stardom, Garth decided to shift her focus and be an entrepreneur. She launched MomGiftBox.com that is a perfect box for all the mothers. This businesswoman kept collaborating for more experience in this area!
