According to a YouGov survey, 53% of Americans believe that they would enjoy being famous. But being in the public eye certainly isn’t for everyone, and it’s not conducive to every career path either. If you have big dreams of being a nurse or firefighter, there’s no need to have a huge following on social media. In fact, it might be better not to.
Redditors have recently been discussing former stars who decided to remove themselves from the spotlight and live quiet lives following their fame. From child actors who had other ideas for their careers to celebs who decided to focus on their families, enjoy scrolling through, and keep reading to find a conversation with Jazz and Jess from the Sis, Let Me Tell You podcast!
#1
President Jimmy Carter. He could have parlayed his Pres gig into big bucks speaking and getting book deals. Instead, he just built houses for lower income people. Never wavered from his core beliefs. As a former Navy Submariner, I always admired how he always kept the values of our Top Secret oath we took as submariners.
Image source: myvotedoesntmatter, Children’s Bureau Centennial
#2
Rick Moranis.
PhoneJazz:
He left Hollywood because his wife died, and he wanted to raise his kids.
Image source: XeniaDweller, MGM Studios
#3
Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes, refused to license his work out and retired when the comics were huge at 37. Walked away from potentially hundreds of millions because he thought it would jeopardize the integrity of his art through commercializing it. I think he’s refused any public interview and the only publicly available picture of him is from over 30 years ago.
Lives in a modest neighborhood in Cleveland.
#4
Hayden Christensen did all the Star Wars stuff and then bought a farm outside Toronto. He’s now all about farming.
Image source: Raskolnikovs_Axe, Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM
#5
Chunk (Jeff Cohen) from The Goonies became a lawyer.
dfze:
Yup. Apparently he’s a lawyer that represents actors and tries to make sure they always negotiate for fair agreements.
Image source: bionicjoe, Warner Bros
#6
The kid who played Charlie in the original Willy Wonka. He went on to be a veterinarian.
Image source: noseymimi, Warner Bros
#7
Enya lives in a tiny Irish village where she’s just one of the locals.
JuryBorn:
She lives in Killiney. It is an affluent suburb in Dublin. 2 members of U2 also live there. She is quite reclusive and lives in a castle.
dasuberblonde:
Enya became a hermit and lives in a castle collecting cats aka living the dream
Image source: chahlie, official_enya
#8
Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi run a tennis academy in Las Vegas for underprivileged kids.
Image source: LeoMarius, Expressive Book
#9
Queen’s John Deacon. Lives quietly wherever. Has minimal contact with Queen, though they do run ideas by him as a courtesy.
TwistyHeretic2:
Deacon lives quietly with his wife Veronica, for whom he wrote his first major hit “You’re My Best Friend” when they were newlyweds and expecting their first baby (1975). They’ll be celebrating their 49th anniversary next month. They still live in the house they bought back when the money started coming in. They had six children (5 boys and 1 girl), and now who-knows-how-many grandchildren.
Image source: alfienoakes, Eddie
#10
Cameron Diaz.
Raising her kid with one of the Good Charlotte dudes and enjoying life. She made some awesome movies and great friendships. Content to live her life pretty quietly now.
Image source: justReading271000, David Shankbone
#11
Greta Garbo was the biggest movie star in the world throughout the ‘30s. She made her last movie in 1941, at the age of 36.
She then spent the next 50 years living alone in a New York apartment. She was known for taking daily walks around Manhattan, and “Garbo-spotting” was a popular New York activity in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.
Image source: Arkeolog, https://www.mgm.com/
#12
Newt from Aliens (Carrie Henn) is a teacher.
Image source: raresaturn, Twentieth Century Fox
#13
Pheobe Cates.
FyreWyvern:
Fast Times at Ridgemont High, 2 Gremlins movies, a few other things… then retired more than 20 years ago.
Married to Kevin Kline since 1989 and running a little shop in NYC.
Image source: canuckbuck2020, https://www.universalstudios.com/
#14
Danny Lloyd, the kid from The Shining is a professor at a community college in Kentucky.
Image source: lifeuncommon, Warner Bros
#15
Bridgett Fonda, loved her then she disappeared. Last year paps found her living a normal life not looking she used too. They were brutal. F**k the paps.
Image source: SassyAF519, Miramax Films
#16
Kate Bush.
Now_Wait-4-Last_Year:
Still quietly making music out of sight like she always did. Apparently Running Up That Hill being featured on Stranger Things made her several million dollars to add to all her other revenue streams.
Image source: roc-aki, slydogmania
#17
Erik Estrada, who played officer Francis Llewellyn “Ponch” Poncherello on “CHiPs” became a real-life police officer in Saint Anthony, Idaho.
Image source: vieniaida, MGM Television
#18
Surprised no one mentioned Daniel Day-Lewis. The man was on the top of his field for many years, but the toll each movie had on him made him choose to go live a normal life with his family.
Anything this guy did was immediatly praised by the Academy. He really went out on top.
Image source: PeterJuncqui
#19
Tom from MySpace 😆
Illustrious_Town_163:
I respect him a lot compared to all the other major internet company guys. Wasn’t trying to change the world or farm data or move us into some technocratic future, just made a cool thing, sold it and does what he wants now.
Image source: Extreme_Eye_3198
#20
Bill Withers passed away in 2020, but he’s the ultimate example of being on top and just dropping out and living his life.
girlomfire17:
I love Bill. He never fully quit his blue collar job, even when fully immersed in making music because he never trusted the people. And recognized his fame as fleeting. He was great. Probably in my top 5 songwriters
Image source: theisntist, annulla
#21
Staci Keanan. Was on two big sitcoms in the 80s and 90s, charming, beautiful. Had amazing prospects. Then she dropped out of the business, went to law school, now she’s a district attorney.
Image source: cugamer, Gary Sherman Productions
#22
Bobby Sherman was a huge teen heartthrob in the 70s, and then at the height of his career, he left it all behind to become a paramedic.
Follow your heart, I guess, even if others find it weird.
Image source: Lil_Artemis_92
#23
Andre 3000 from OutKast. He was arguably the greatest rapper in the world and gave up the fame to live a quiet private life. The guy literally does his laundry at a laundromat to stay grounded and so he can play his flute in the alley while his clothes dry.
Image source: InternationalTap33, Daniel Benavides
#24
The girl who played Harper on Wizards of Waverly Place is a Registered Nurse now.
Image source: Username_Here5
#25
Ken Griffey Jr. (baseball) is worth over $100M, and in his retired years, he picked up photography. He’s an on-field photographer for the Philadelphia Eagles, where his father lives. Dude is humble and loves what he does.
Image source: Mammoth_Parsley_9640
#26
It was Rick Astley until we relentless trolled our teachers and friends with the Rick roll circa 2006 ish.
Wolfwoods_Sister:
He said he really hated the music fame machine and just didn’t want to go any further with it.
Image source: Competitive_Log_4111, Alterna2
#27
Jake Ryan on 16 candles.
SeatownSpy:
I think he’s a wood worker now. His daughter Scarlett is a stunner and works in modeling.
Image source: Harlow08, 20th Century Fox
#28
Nikki Reed. Decided to farm with Ian Somerhalder.
Image source: exlongh0rn, nikkireed
#29
Phyllis Smith from the Office was actually part of the casting team for the show originally. She moved out of LA several yrs ago, lives a completely normal life in Missouri now.
Image source: Powerful_Dog7235
#30
Nikki Blonsky from Hairspray. She was selling shoes and working as a hairstylist last I read.
Image source: everythinglatte
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