Historians say that the Roman Emperor Diocletian abdicated the throne one day and retired to his country estate to grow vegetables in his garden. When his courtiers came to literally beg him to return to Rome, the Emperor allegedly told them: “If you had seen the cabbage I grew, you would never have tried to persuade me to return!”
Why am I telling you all this? Well, here’s why: sometimes, we think that the life of celebrities—outstanding movie actors, musicians, and athletes—is an ideal one to strive for and envy. A life on the red carpet, in the spotlight, and under the flashes of cameras… But, it turns out that not all showbiz stars actually agree with this.
#1
Evan Adams
Evan Adams acted a lot in the nineties in Canada, but at the same time, he studied to be a doctor and graduated from the University of Calgary with his medical degree in 2002. Having made a decent medical career, today he is the Chief Medical Officer of the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia.
#2
Rick Moranis
Rick Moranis’ finest hour came mainly in the eighties, when he played in the Ghostbusters and Spaceballs, but in the first half of the nineties, he created a memorable image of the half-mad inventor Wayne Szalinski in the film Honey, I Shrunk The Kids and subsequent sequels.
However, in 1997, Moranis retired from filming. The fact is that in 1991, his wife Ann passed away from breast cancer, and the actor decided to devote his time to raising his two kids. Since then, he has not married, and periodically does voiceover work for cartoons.
#3
Bridget Fonda
It is not surprising that another representative of the glorious Fonda acting dynasty starred in films a lot and fruitfully in her youth, but at the beginning of the 21st century, Bridget Fonda finally left Hollywood. She married composer Danny Elfman, gave birth to a son, and reportedly leads a happy, calm life as a civilian.
History knows more than one, or even more than a dozen actors and musicians who one day simply stopped and, having thought over their life prospects, reasonably realized that they liked the everyday life of an ordinary civilian much more. And it is better to become, for example, an outstanding lawyer than a supporting or even third-rate actor or actress.
#4
Mara Wilson
As a child, she was the star of Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire, but by the age of 13, Mara Wilson faced problems in her family and, unable to bear the fame that had fallen upon her, ended her acting career. Today, she is a writer and occasionally does voice-over work for cartoons.
#5
Yasmeen Ghauri
Yasmeen Ghauri was a catwalk superstar in the 1990s, being the face of Chanel and Jil Sander, Versace, and Valentino couture. However, in 1997, she stepped out of the Yves Saint Laurent show at the last minute, after which she retired from modeling.
Ghauri then married lawyer Ralph Bernstein, had two children with him, and now also works on issues in support of breast cancer research and environmental causes.
#6
Karyn Parsons
After starring on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1996 as Hilary Banks, Karyn Parsons attempted to launch her own comedy show and starred in the film Major Payne with Damon Wayans. She eventually moved to NYC, where she made a career as a children’s writer. In 2005, she also founded Sweet Blackberry, a nonprofit that teaches kids about the lesser-known aspects of Black history.
This usually happens with star child actors who, by the time they reach their prime, either face professional “burnout” or realize that they just want to go to college and get a degree. For example, in the field of law—at least three of the nearly three dozen celebrities featured on this list from Bored Panda actually became lawyers—and quite successful ones.
#7
Josh Saviano
Josh Saviano, who played Kevin Arnold’s best friend, Paul Pfeiffer, in the ABC television show The Wonder Years, did not pursue acting fame, and immediately went to study law after graduating from school. Today he is a well-known lawyer and the founder of several start-up endeavors.
#8
Ariana Richards
Ariana Richards also became popular in her childhood—the peak of her movie career was the role of Lex Murphy in Jurassic Park. And, as often happens with young movie stars, she left Hollywood relatively early, becoming a fairly well-known artist. At least, reportedly, one of her paintings decorates the office of Steven Spielberg, whom she has known since childhood.
#9
Leelee Sobieski
Leelee Sobieski was considered ‘the next big thing’ in Hollywood at the turn of the century, but eventually, in 2012, when she married fashion designer Adam Kimmel and gave birth to her first child (she now has two), she decided to end her acting career completely. A few years later, under the name Leelee Kimmel, she began a career as an artist and designer.
This selection includes mostly people who hit fame in the late ’80s and ’90s, otherwise Shirley Temple would’ve definitely been included here as one of the most famous children ever to appear on Hollywood screens, and who, as an adult, made a brilliant career in politics and diplomacy.
At the same time, Macaulay Culkin is not here—after all, he still keeps filming and, who knows, maybe one day he will also receive his Oscar, like his younger brother.
#10
Jaye Davidson
Jaye Davidson had a brilliant start to his acting career—with his debut film, The Crying Game, he received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. Then there was a promising sequel as Ra in Roland Emmerich’s blockbuster Stargate… but that was pretty much the end of Davidson’s film career. After that, he devoted himself to the modeling business, and today, he reportedly lives in Paris and works as a fashion stylist.
