It shouldn’t come as a surprise that most celebrities are regular folk. After the spotlight dims, plenty of famous people choose to become entrepreneurs or pick up regular 9-to-5 jobs.
For some, the move into the regular job is often temporary, perhaps motivated by a slump they are facing in showbiz. Others leave the glitz and the glam behind due to the high-stress nature of the industry, health issues, or just when they feel like it’s time to retire. Often, celebs who walk away from the limelight choose to lead private lives. We’ve dug around and found out what some of the famous names who switched careers are up to these days.
Some even bid adieu to fame simply because they felt like they weren’t cut out for the celebrity life. Others got shunned by the industry as they grew up because they were no longer the bankable child stars they started out as.
Macaulay Culkin (Home Alone) - Currently A Web Publisher/ Actor - Net worth: $15 Million
Macaulay Culkin is one of the most iconic child stars of the ’90s, having appeared in the cult-classic series of Home Alone films as Kevin McCallister. He also appeared in the 1991 coming-of-age movie My Girl.
Culkin continued picking up credits at the height of his fame, appearing in Getting Even With Dad and The Good Son. Soon, he succumbed to the pressures of Hollywood, and he was always in the midst of one controversy or another. He made a comeback in 2003 appearing in Party Monster and Will and Grace. Culkin is now the CEO and publisher of the satirical podcast/website Bunny Ears.
He founded and headlined The Pizza Underground in 2013, and in 2016, the group split. In 2018, he reprised his role as Kevin McCallister for a Home Alone-themed Google Assistant advertisement that went viral. Culkin is now set to appear in the 10th season of American Horror Story.
Jack Gleeson (Game of Thrones) - Currently A Theater Owner - Net worth: $6 Million
Some actors land the role of a lifetime, and it just never seems like they can outplay that role afterward. That’s the predicament that Jack Gleeson faced after starring in Game of Thrones as Joffrey Baratheon.
After his run on the show, where his character met a rather epic demise – death by poison, Gleeson retired in 2014. He chose to focus on school, and he attended the Dublin-based Trinity College. While still in school, he established Collapsing Horse, a theater company. He co-owns the company with his college theatre group – the DU Players. Gleeson announced in 2020 that he was returning to acting.
In 2019, Gleeson was featured in the A-Musical live comedy program. Later in the year, he appeared at the Over the Top Wrestling event dubbed Trinity Brawl 2, where he faced off with wrestler J Money. In 2020, he is scheduled to appear in Out of Her Mind, Sara Pascoe’s upcoming series.
Freddie Prinze Jr (I Know What You Did Last Summer) - Currently An Actor - Net worth: $30 Million
Freddie Prinze Jr appeared in an endless list of hit movies in the ’90s, and naturally, he became a noted heartthrob. His roles in She’s All That and the slasher movie I Know What You Did Last Summer made him a household name.
Freddie Prinze Jr moved over to voice acting, picking up gigs voicing animated shows as well as video game characters. While he technically hasn’t quite retired, he wasn’t taking too many acting jobs over the recent years. In 2019, he had a voice cameo in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. He’s also set to appear in the upcoming 2020 TV series Punky Brewster.
Freddie Prinze Jr is married to Sarah Michelle Gellar, his former co-star in I Know What You Did Last Summer, Star Wars Rebels, and the two Scooby-Doo films. They walked down the aisle in 2002, and their family now includes two children.
Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) - Currently A Business Owner/Cookbook Writer - Net worth: $20 Million
Invasion of Privacy came out in the ’80s, and it’s the film that gave Sarah Michelle Gellar a start in showbiz at the age of four. She went on to gain more recognition in All My Children as Kendall.
Gellar’s most prominent role yet was in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. On the big screen, she appeared in acclaimed films like I Know What You Did Last Summer, Cruel Intentions, and two Scooby-Doo films. Gellar also headlined The Crazy Ones and Ringer before taking a hiatus from the industry. She teamed up with Greg Fleishman and Galit Laibow to launch the e-commerce Foodstirs in 2015.
Gellar released Stirring Up For Fun with Food, a cookbook, in 2017. She has gradually been making a comeback in the industry. In 2019 she appeared in the last episode of The Big Bang Theory. In 2020, she joined the voice cast of the animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
Phoebe Cates (Fast Times at Ridgemont High) - Currently A Boutique Owner - Net worth: $35 Million
In the ’80s, Phoebe Cates was a renowned actress appearing in films like Gremlins, and most notably in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Coming from a family of entertainers, her father being a Broadway producer, and her late uncle, the formidable TV producer/actor Gilbert Cates, showbiz was always on the cards for her. Phoebe also tried her luck in modeling, but she soon left the industry, saying that she disliked its repetitiveness. She had a short stint in dancing too before an old injury forced her to quit ballet school. Cates retired from acting in 1994, and these days she runs the boutique she opened in 2005, Blue True.
Cates has made brief comebacks over the years, like in 2001 when she appeared in Anniversary Party. It was a favor for Jennifer Jason Leigh, her former co-star in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. In 2015, she lent her voice the Lego Dimensions video game for the character Kate Beringer.
Angus T. Jones (Two and a Half Men) - Currently Part Of The Tonite Management Team - Net worth: $15 Million
We couldn’t help but develop a sweet spot for Jake Harper, the character Angus T. Jones played in Two and a Half Men for a decade. It’s the role that earned him a TV Land and two Young Artist Awards.
Jones started acting at the age of five when he appeared in Simpatico. He also appeared in films like See Spot Run, George of the Jungle 2, and Bringing Down the House. In 2010, earning $300K per episode, he was officially the highest-paid TV child star at the age of 17. Since 2016, Jones has been a part of the Tonite events production and multimedia company, launched by Justin Combs in partnership with Kene Orjioke.
Jones became highly religious in 2012, and he admitted that his later storylines in Two and a Half Men made him uncomfortable. He went to the extent of referring to the show as “filth” because it conflicted with his religious stance.
Mara Wilson (Matilda) - Currently A Writer/ Actress - Net worth: $500K
Mara Wilson gave a memorable performance in Mrs. Doubtfire in 1993, marking her rise as a child star. Wilson went on to appear in Miracle on 34th Street the next year, and in 1996, she starred in Matilda.
Wilson last appeared in the 2000 fantasy adventure Thomas and the Magic Railroad. She retired and decided to venture into writing. However, come 2012, and Wilson was back on our screens in Missed Connection, a web series. In 2015, she appeared in Billie Bob Joe, a comedy-drama film. Wilson holds a role in Welcome to Night Vale, a podcast presented as a radio show.
Wilson has been working with the non-profit Publicolor since 2013. In 2016, she published a book, and she also had her play dubbed Sheeple produced in 2013. Wilson penned an article for Cracked.com talking about how some former child stars become delinquents.
Gene Hackman (Unforgiven) - Currently A Novelist - Net worth: $80 Million
Gene Hackman enjoyed a six-decade-long career in showbiz culminating in four Golden Globe, two BAFTAs, and two Academy Award wins amongst other accolades. His role in The Unforgiven and French Connection are amongst the ones that won him awards.
Hackman also had a stint on Broadway back in the ’60s, but the big screen is where he found the most success. His list of credits also includes The Poseidon Adventure, Superman: The Movie, and The Royal Tenenbaums. In 2004, he granted Larry King an interview and announced that his acting days were over. Hackman now has three historical novels to his name, in collaboration with Daniel Lenihan.
Hackman also released a solo publication, Payback at Morning Peak, in 2011. He followed through with a police thriller in 2013 titled Pursuit. He and his second wife, Betsy Arakawa, have been married since 1991. He has three children from his first marriage.
Geena Davis (Thelma & Louise) - Currently A Documentarian - Net worth: $30 Million
Geena Davis ventured into the world of modeling, soon after graduating from Boston University with a degree in drama. The film Tootsie marked her acting debut in 1982.
Her role in Beetlejuice was what first earned her international prominence, and Accidental Tourist saw her take home an Academy win as the Best Supporting Actress. However, it is Thelma & Louise that made Davis a leading actress. She continued landing roles in acclaimed films and TV shows, like The Exorcist from 2017. She went through a slump in the ’90s, and Davis went on a hiatus up until 2009. During that time, she immersed herself in business and started directing documentaries.
She established The Geena Davis Institute On Gender in Media to champion the right of equal representation for women in the industry. Her role in Thelma & Louise motivated her to start the non-profit because she realized that there were few opportunities presented to audiences to see empowered women on the screen.
Andrew Shue (Melrose Place) - Currently A Website Owner- Net worth: $100 Million
Billy Campbell is the role that Andrew Shue portrayed in the hit ’90s series Melrose Place. He also appeared in The Rainmaker and a commercial for SportsCenter, while still on the show.
Shue also appeared in Gracie, a sports drama film, alongside his sister Elisabeth, and their brother John. Davis Guggenheim, the film’s director, is Shue’s brother in law. These days he is part of the Do Something board of directors, and he also co-founded the non-profit organization. Shue also co-founded CafeMom, the social networking that was referred to as the MySpace for moms when it was launched in 2006.
CafeMom now includes an umbrella of companies under it like MamasLatias, The Stir, and Baby Name Wizard. Shue also co-hosts Mad Life, a webisode series, with Joanie Roback, who is Amy Robach’s mom and his mother-in-law, and comedian Chuck Nice.
Mc Hammer (U Can’t Touch This) - Currently A Preacher - Net worth: $1.5 Million
Sadly, when you mention Mc Hammer these days, the image that comes to mind is financial ruin. He rose to fame in the late ’80s and early ’90s as the rapper behind hits like 2 Legit 2 Quit and U Can’t Touch This.
Mc Hammer was equally known for his flashy style of dressing and choreography. He is largely credited for pioneering pop-rap. Soon, news about Mc Hammer going bankrupt became public, and it was backed up by assets like his former mansion selling for a fraction of its cost. He went back to his Christian roots in ’97 under the moniker M.C., and he’s currently a minister.
Hammer joined media executive Jaeson Ma in Asia at crusades between 2009 and 2010. They also co-starred in the documentary 1040, exploring the reach and spread of Christianity in Asia. He officiated the nuptials between Corey Feldman and his wife Susie Sprague in 2002.
Rick Moranis (Honey I Shrunk The Kids) - Currently A Stay-at-home Dad - Net worth: $10 Million
Rick Moranis appeared in the ’80s sketch comedy Second City Television (SCTV) before going on to star in films like Strange Brew and Ghostbusters. He also appeared in what is perhaps his most notable role, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
Moranis also appeared in The Flintstones and My Blue Heaven before going on a long hiatus from acting in 1997. Morais still offered his voice to animated films like Brother Bear during his break from the industry. He then retreated from public life to focus on raising his two children, after the death of his wife, Ann Belsky, in 1991.
After more than two decades away from significant roles, Moranis confirmed in 2020 that he has taken up the offer to appear in the upcoming sequel of Honey I Shrunk the Kids. He also appeared in the TV special An Afternoon with SCTV.
Tiffany Darwish (I Think We’re Alone Now) - Currently A Clothing Store Owner - Net worth: $4 Million
Tiffany Darwish, known mononymously by her first name, rose to fame as a teen singer. Tiffany is best known for her ’87 cover of I Think We’re Alone Now.
Tiffany became a commercial success following a mall tour she went on that same year. She was able to chart I Saw Her Standing There, her reworked version of the Beatles’ hit song I Saw Him Standing There. She had a voice role in a 2019 episode of the popular TV series, Robot Chicken. Tiffany has continued singing through the years, but these days she splits her focus on her clothing boutique.
While she had already launched her boutique, Tiffany appeared on an episode of TLC’s What Not To Wear in 2012. Tiffany was married to Bulmaro Garcia, a makeup artist, and they share a son called Elijah. She was also married to Ben George, but they also divorced.
Karyn Parsons (Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air) - Currently A Writer - Net worth: $15 Million
In the ’90s, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was one of the must-watch NBC sitcoms, and Karyn Parsons was part of the cast portraying the character Hilary Banks. Outside the show, she appeared opposite Damon Wayans in the comedy film, Major Payne.
Parsons later co-starred alongside Damon Wayans again in the ABC sitcom The Job. She also lent her penmanship to the show she co-created in 1996, Lush Life. In addition, she also launched the series of Sweet Blackberry animated films centering on unsung black heroes. She published How High the Moon, a middle-grade novel, in 2019. The publication was inspired by her mother’s experiences growing up under the Jim Crow laws.
Parsons was previously married to Randy Brooks. She’s been married to director Alexandre Rockwell, since 2003. The couple shares a daughter called Lana, who was born the same year as their nuptials, and they welcomed their son Nico in 2007.
Lisa & Louise Burns (The Shining) - Currently A Lawyer & Scientist - Net worth: $3 Million
Lisa and Louise Burns portrayed the creepy twins who appeared in The Shining. The sisters took on the role of the Grady Twins in the Stanley Kubrick film when they were ten. They couldn’t have imagined that they would be cemented in history as pop icons.
They now go by @Shining_twins on Twitter, but they stepped away from the spotlight after appearing in the movie. It wasn’t out of choice, but they were turned down by The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). These days Lisa is a lawyer while Louise works as a research scientist. They are still spotted frequently at horror conventions.
Louise, who really wanted to pursue acting, admitted that she lost confidence after RADA’s rejection and gave up on the dream. Through their Twitter account, Lisa and Louise Burns answer questions fans have about the masterpiece. They celebrated their 11th birthday during filming.
George Foreman (Two-time World Heavyweight) - Currently A Ringside Analyst - Net worth: $300 Million
George Foreman is a former boxer who had his most successful moments in the ring back in the ’60s and ’70s. He hung his gloves in 1977, after losing a match against boxer Jimmy Young.
Foreman would describe having a religious epiphany, soon after, and he soon became a man of the cloth. However, in 1994, he decided to make a comeback when he was 45. It wasn’t long before he went back to retirement, after two more years in the ring, and 76 wins under his belt. Foreman owns a patent for his self-titled grill, and he also offers ringside analysis for HBO.
In his ’94 matchup against Michael Moorer, Foreman regained his title after knocking Moorer out. Moorer was 26 years old at the time, which made Foreman’s victory more impressive. It also saw him set the record of being the oldest heavyweight champ at the time.
Peter Ostrum (Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory) - Currently A Veterinarian - Net worth: $500K
Peter Ostrum earned his spot on the list of notable ’70s child actors when he appeared in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. It would end up being his only film role.
Ostrum largely remained silent about his experience working on the film, but in 1990 he started opening up about it on visits to schools. He gained renewed interest in 2005 when Tim Burton’s remake of the classic movie hit the theaters. While filming the ’71 movie, Ostrum developed an interest in horses, and it led him to his current profession. He attended Cornell University, and he is now a veterinarian.
Ostrum had taken a brief break before joining Cornell, and he picked up work at the Pennsylvania-based Delaware Equine Center, and he also groomed horses. He had contemplated making a move to Hollywood, and he even spent two weeks in California testing the waters.
Erik Estrada (CHiPs) - Currently A Reserve Police - Net worth: $4 Million
The famous police crime drama CHiPs aired between 1977 and 1983. That’s where Erik Estrada gained fame playing the role of Francis Poncherello, a California Highway Patrol officer.
Estrada would later carve a niche for himself as a Spanish-language star with appearances in telenovelas like Dos Mujeres, un Camino. He also appeared in reality shows, and he voiced the animated series Sealab 2021. Estrada would become the deputy sheriff of Bedford County, Virginia, in 2009, and in 2016 he earned the designation of a reserve police officer at the age of 67. He also serves as the Safe Surfin’ Foundation’s spokesman.
Estrada had worked as an investigator under the Internet Crimes Against Children department in Virginia for eight years. There are even videos floating around of Estrada on police patrol duty aboard a motorcycle, talk about living out his CHiPs role in real life!
Jonathan Taylor Thomas (Home Improvement) - Currently A Filmmaker - Net worth: $16Million
Home Improvement was a sitcom that aired in the late ’90s, and it’s the show that made us better acquainted with Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Randy Taylor. He also most notably voiced the role of a young Simba in the 1994 Disney film, The Lion King.
The start of the ’00s saw Taylor take a back seat in the industry, and he decided to concentrate on school and also travel. Thomas didn’t stay away from the industry for too long, but these days he’s a permanent fixture behind the scenes. He is a writer and director with notable directing credits to his name like Last Man Standing.
Taylor graduated from Harvard University as a Philosophy and History major. These days he keeps his private life relatively private, despite working in the entertainment industry. That’s why it isn’t public knowledge whether he’s dating, married, or if he even has kids.
Jeff Cohen (The Goonies) - Currently An Attorney - Net worth: $4 Million
Jeff Cohen co-founded the legal firm Cogen & Gardner, LLP. Before settling into life as an attorney, Cohen was a child star.
Cohen’s most memorable role was in the epic ’85 adventure film, The Goonies. Cohen initially appeared in Child’s Play, a CBS game show that aired between ’82 and ’83. He also has credits in Body Language, The Facts of Life, and Wonderful World of Disney. Richard Donner, The Goonies director, introduced Cohen to the business that is showbiz through summer jobs. He soon found out that the most critical figures in showbiz had law degrees, and Cohen followed suit.
Cohen graduated from the School of Law at UCLA. These days Cohen’s acting days are long gone, and instead, he represents those involved in showbiz working as an entertainment attorney. He periodically pens political, legal, and business articles for CNBC and The Huffington Post.
Geoffrey Owens (The Cosby Show) - Currently An Artistic Director - Net worth: $300K
In the ’90s, The Cosby Show conjured up fond memories about family dynamics for most of us. It’s also the show where Geoffrey Owens made a name for himself in the industry.
Over the years, Owens picked up work in other shows like That’s So Raven, Lucifer, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Owens became the subject of celebrity news headlines in 2018 when a photo of him working at Trader Joe’s went viral. He received immense support, and a majority of people thought that he shouldn’t face ridicule for working as a cashier. Owens now works as the Brooklyn Shakespeare Company’s artistic director.
Owens also founded the Brooklyn Shakespeare Company. He’s taught Shakespeare and acting at various institutions, including The Adult School of Montclair, Yale, and Columbia University. In 2020, Owens starred in the horror anthology Impossible Monsters. Owens has been married to Josette since 1995.
Taran Noah Smith (Home Improvement) - Currently A Food Company Owner - Net worth: $300K
The character Mark Taylor, in Home Improvement, came to life thanks to Taran Noah Smith. The ’90s sitcom ranked high on the list of the best of the decade, and it helped him gain recognition in the industry.
Once the show wrapped, Smith left the world of showbiz explaining during an interview that acting just wasn’t for him. He explained how he joined the show when he was seven, and it concluded when he was 16, adding that before then, he hadn’t been given a chance to decide what to do with his life. Smith went on to establish Playfood, a non-dairy cheese making company.
As a vegan, Smith expanded the Playfood brand to include a restaurant that catered to this demographic. He volunteered in the Philippines in 2014, as part of the Communitere disaster relief team. He is also the technical manager of the Community Submersibles Project.
Charlie Korsmo (What About Bob?) - Currently A Law Professor - Net worth: $500K
Charlie Korsmo famously features in What About Bob? After his stint in the Disney-produced comedy, he figured that he wanted to go into the academic field.
Korsmo didn’t say goodbye to acting entirely, and he’s continued taking roles in different productions like the 2019 film Chained For Life. He attended law school at Yale University, and before that, he obtained a physics degree in 2000 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Korsmo’s resume includes working with the EPA, and he also had a stint in politics. He is now a Case Western Reverse University law professor imparting knowledge on corporate finance law to various corporations.
Korsmo worked as a Sullivan & Cromwell LLP associate in New York, and he was also a Brooklyn Law School visiting professor. In 2011, he received a nomination from former President Barack Obama to join the Barry Goldwater Scholarship Foundation’s board of trustees.
Josh Saviano (The Wonder Years) - Currently A Lawyer - Net worth: $500K
The Wonder Years is the TV comedy-drama that gave Josh Saviano his moment under the spotlight. However, he had already kick-started his career as a child star with appearances in the Aim toothpaste commercial as well as the 1990 TV film Camp Cucamonga.
He attended Yale University, where he majored in Political Science, and later Saviano obtained a law degree after completing his studies at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Saviano might have left his acting days in the past, but he briefly made a comeback appearing in Law & Order: SVU, unsurprisingly as a lawyer. He currently runs a legal firm he started in 2015.
Saviano previously worked at Morrison VCohen LLP and soon became a senior counsel at the firm. He left the legal firm to venture on his own, and he set up two startups. Besides launching JDS Legal, he also runs a brand consultancy firm called Act 3 Advisors.