Just because we might love a particular actor doesn’t automatically mean that acting is what they’ll do for the rest of their lives. Some beloved actors, from child stars to grownup celebs, gave up acting and picked entirely different paths in their lives.
While some became writers and reporters (in my biased opinion, the very best career paths ever), others were more adventurous with their aspirations, going for PhDs, working as nurses and soldiers, and even going into law.
Bored Panda has dug deep to find out what former actors went on to do with their lives, so scroll on down, upvote the career path changes that you think are the coolest, and let us know which of these actors’ roles you enjoyed in films the most.
Hollywood’s Ultimate Insider, Mike Sington, explained to Bored Panda that some fans believe that acting is a lifelong career because they only hear about them when they’re acting. “When they take a regular job, they fall out of the media’s attention and fans forget about them,” the celebrity and entertainment industry expert said. Read on for our full interview with Mike!
#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
Image source: Columbia Pictures
#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
Image source: NBC
#3 Peter Ostrum, Who Played Charlie In Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, Is Now A Dairy Veterinarian
Image source: Paramount Pictures
#4 Jeff Cohen, Who Played Chunk In The Goonies, Is Now A Lawyer
Image source: Warner Bros. Pictures
#5 Danny Lloyd, Who Played Danny Torrance In The Shining, Is Now A Biology Professor At Elizabethtown Community And Technical College In Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Image source: Warner Bros
#6 Kal Penn From Harold & Kumar Nabbed A Serious Position As The Associate Director In The White House Office Of Public Engagement
Image source: Warner Bros
#7 Mara Wilson, Who Played The Titular Character In Matilda, Is Now A Writer
Image source: Sony Pictures Releasing
#8 Mike Vitar From “The Sandlot” Is Now A Firefighter
Image source: 20th Century Fox
#9 Lucas Babin, Who Played Spider In School Of Rock, Became The District Attorney For Tyler County, Texas
Image source: Paramount Pictures
#10 Jennifer Stone, Who Played Harper On Wizards Of Waverly Place, Is Now A Registered Nurse
Image source: Disney
#11 Erik Estrada, Who Played Officer Francis Llewellyn “Ponch” Poncherello On Chips, Became A Real-Life Police Officer In St. Anthony, Idaho
Image source: MGM Television
#12 Ariana Richards Most Known For Her Role In Jurassic Park Became A Full-Time Painter
Image source: Universal Pictures
#13 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
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
#14 Josh Saviano Who Played Paul From The Wonder Years Now Works As A Lawyer In His Native New York
Image source: 20th Television
#15 Charlie Korsmo, Who Played Jackie In Hook, Is A Law Professor At The Case Western Reserve University School Of Law
Image source: TriStar Pictures
#16 Freddie Prinze, Jr. Known For “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “Scooby Doo” Is Now A Chef And A Cookbook Author
Image source: Warner Bros. Pictures
#17 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.
Image source: cbs
#18 Ali Mcgraw From “Love Story” Followed Her True Passions And Started Rallying For Animal Rights And Also Became A Yoga Instructor
Image source: Paramount Pictures
#19 Michael Schoeffling Known For “Sixteen Candles” And “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken” Now Works As A Carpenter And Runs A Woodworking Shop
Image source: Sixteen Candles Channel Productions
#20 Jerry Mathers, Who Played Beaver Cleaver On Leave It To Beaver, Became A Sergeant In The Air Force Reserve
Image source: CBS
#21 Bridgit Mendler, Who Played Teddy Duncan On Good Luck Charlie, Is Pursuing A Degree At Harvard Law School
Image source: Disney
#22 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
Image source: CBS
#23 Taran Noah Smith Who Played Mark Taylor “Home Improvement” Is Now A Carpenter
Image source: ABC
#24 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
Image source: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
#25 Danielle Fishel Who Played Topanga In “Boy Meets World” Is Now A Journalist
Image source: ABC
#26 Jonathan Taylor Thomas Who Played Randy Taylor In “Home Improvement” Is Now A Writer
Image source: ABC
#27 Nikki Blonsky, Who Played Tracy Turnblad In Hairspray, Was A Makeup Artist At Superstar Salon In New York
Image source: New Line Cinema
#28 Lark Voorhies Who Played Lisa Turtle In “Saved By The Bell” Is Now A Writer
Image source: NBC
#29 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.
Image source: Universal Pictures
#30 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
Image source: CBS
Follow Us
