Article created by: Justinas Keturka

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!

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#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

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    #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

    Actress with curly hair in two different settings, representing ex-actors who left Hollywood and what they do now.

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    #3

    Peter Ostrum, Who Played Charlie In Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, Is Now A Dairy Veterinarian

    Split image showing an ex-actor as a child on left and a man working with dairy cows on the right, representing life after Hollywood.

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    #4

    Jeff Cohen, Who Played Chunk In The Goonies, Is Now A Lawyer

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    #5

    Danny Lloyd, Who Played Danny Torrance In The Shining, Is Now A Biology Professor At Elizabethtown Community And Technical College In Elizabethtown, Kentucky

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    #6

    Kal Penn From Harold & Kumar Nabbed A Serious Position As The Associate Director In The White House Office Of Public Engagement

    Side-by-side photos of an ex-actor who left Hollywood showing his past film role and current professional career.

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    #7

    Mara Wilson, Who Played The Titular Character In Matilda, Is Now A Writer

    Side-by-side images of a young girl and an adult woman, illustrating ex-actors who left Hollywood and what they do now.

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    #8

    Mike Vitar From “The Sandlot” Is Now A Firefighter

    Young man wearing a blue LA cap on the left, and ex-actor dressed as firefighter with a dog on the right, representing ex-actors who left Hollywood.

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    #9

    Lucas Babin, Who Played Spider In School Of Rock, Became The District Attorney For Tyler County, Texas

    Left image of an ex-actor playing guitar on stage and right image of the same man now working in a courtroom setting.

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    #10

    Jennifer Stone, Who Played Harper On Wizards Of Waverly Place, Is Now A Registered Nurse

    Side-by-side images of an ex-actor in a duck costume and the same person wearing a face mask, showing life after Hollywood.

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    #11

    Erik Estrada, Who Played Officer Francis Llewellyn "Ponch" Poncherello On Chips, Became A Real-Life Police Officer In St. Anthony, Idaho

    Before and after images of an ex-actor who left Hollywood, showing his transformation over the years.

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    #12

    Ariana Richards Most Known For Her Role In Jurassic Park Became A Full-Time Painter

    Close-up of a former actress holding green jelly and a recent portrait showing her current appearance for ex-actors keyword.

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    #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

    Young man acting in a movie scene on the left and the same ex-actor now a race car driver on the right.

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    #14

    Josh Saviano Who Played Paul From The Wonder Years Now Works As A Lawyer In His Native New York

    Split image showing a former actor as a young boy wearing glasses and the same man now in a suit smiling professionally.

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    #15

    Charlie Korsmo, Who Played Jackie In Hook, Is A Law Professor At The Case Western Reserve University School Of Law

    Young actor in a baseball uniform holding a trophy next to a portrait of the same man now working outside Hollywood.

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    #16

    Freddie Prinze, Jr. Known For “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “Scooby Doo” Is Now A Chef And A Cookbook Author

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    #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.

    Black and white photos of ex-actors smiling, featured in an article about actors who left Hollywood and what they do now.

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    #18

    Ali Mcgraw From "Love Story" Followed Her True Passions And Started Rallying For Animal Rights And Also Became A Yoga Instructor

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    #19

    Michael Schoeffling Known For "Sixteen Candles" And "Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken" Now Works As A Carpenter And Runs A Woodworking Shop

    Young man smiling and talking to a woman with flowers in her hair, representing ex-actors who left Hollywood.

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    #20

    Jerry Mathers, Who Played Beaver Cleaver On Leave It To Beaver, Became A Sergeant In The Air Force Reserve

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    #21

    Bridgit Mendler, Who Played Teddy Duncan On Good Luck Charlie, Is Pursuing A Degree At Harvard Law School

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    #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

    Split image showing a young actor in a sitcom scene on the left and the same ex-actor in a suit at a red carpet event.

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    #23

    Taran Noah Smith Who Played Mark Taylor "Home Improvement" Is Now A Carpenter

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    #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

    Split image showing a young female ex-actor wearing a costume helmet on the left and the same woman smiling with glasses today.

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    #25

    Danielle Fishel Who Played Topanga In "Boy Meets World" Is Now A Journalist

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    #26

    Jonathan Taylor Thomas Who Played Randy Taylor In "Home Improvement" Is Now A Writer

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    #27

    Nikki Blonsky, Who Played Tracy Turnblad In Hairspray, Was A Makeup Artist At Superstar Salon In New York

    Split image showing a female ex-actor from Hollywood, before and after leaving the industry, illustrating life changes of ex-actors.

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    #28

    Lark Voorhies Who Played Lisa Turtle In "Saved By The Bell" Is Now A Writer

    Side-by-side images of a woman from her acting days and current life, illustrating ex-actors who left Hollywood and their new paths.

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    #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.

    Side-by-side images of a former child actor and her adult self, highlighting ex-actors who left Hollywood and their current lives.

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    #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

    Side-by-side photos showing an ex-actor younger and older, illustrating 30 ex-actors who left Hollywood and what they do now.


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