Some actors managed to get out of Hollywood early on, others when it suited them. Some hung on for quite a while before finally saying enough. No matter what though, all of them come back time and again just to say hey and allow their fans the chance to meet them on occasion. Every person on this list either found success away from the big screen in some way, be it the kind of success you get from finding the perfect job, or the success that comes from a well-managed home life.
If you fail to see Peter Billingsley on this list keep in mind that he’s still an active part of Hollywood, and that’s why he’s been omitted.
5. Jeff Cohen
If you don’t recall Cohen from his current appearance then think of him as the heavy kid in The Goonies and then imagine the Truffle Shuffle. That’s Chunk! Jeff Cohen admittedly had chicken pox when the film started and if you look during the Truffle Shuffle you can see evidence of it on his chest. He left Hollywood not long after and is now writing for the Huffington Post, mostly about law and political matters.
4. Sean Connery
Sean Connery, the original James Bond, finally hung up his acting hat after his last film in 2003 and hasn’t been seen on screen since. He’s had some voice acting roles in the recent past but nothing that could truly be called important enough to take note of. As of now Connery is enjoying the time with his family and is having a blast being retired. That counts as success in my book.
3. Gene Hackman
He said that he was done in 2004 during an interview with Larry King, but in 2008 after promoting his third novel he said goodbye to Hollywood altogether. Like many actors he had a long and storied career. He’s played roles that many believed he might not have been meant for, but still nailed with an intense amount of skill that left other actors in awe. As you can already tell he’s become quite the writer and is doing well.
2. Rick Moranis
The man’s net worth is around $10 million so in truth there’s really no need for him to get back to work anytime soon. Plus, Moranis was admittedly more concerned about how his success was starting to change his life and thus bowed out between 2009 and 2010. He’s made it very clear that he has no intentions of ever coming back to acting, but he’s stayed somewhat busy performing his own brand of comedy in the last few years.
1. Bridget Fonda
After watching what fame and prolonged periods of separation did to her parents Bridget Fonda decided to take herself out of Hollywood in order to spend time with her family and become a devoted wife and mother. She was one of the hottest actresses in the industry at one time, but she made the decision to focus on her family rather than a prolonged career, so in truth she is as much as success as anyone for realizing what was important to her and going with it.
Actors tend to bow out of Hollywood either when things get too rough or when they feel that it’s warranted for a reason they don’t generally disclose. Most of them have one or more memorable moments on film, while others had that one shining point in movie history that fans will remember for the rest of their lives.
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