Most child stars don’t love what they do. Their lifestyle may be glamorous but the demanding schedule of an actor certainly doesn’t leave a lot of time for fun.
That’s why many decide to walk away and leave it all behind. See for yourself and check out these 10+ child stars who quit Hollywood and never looked back.
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Omri Katz
Omri Katz will forever be known as the virgin that lit the Black Flame Candle. But after his breakout role in Hocus Pocus , the phone just stopped ringing.
These days, Omri is working as a professional hairstylist in Los Angeles.
Jennette McCurdy
Jennette was a standout character on Nickelodeon’s iCarly series.
During an episode of Jennette’s Empty Inside podcast, she expressed how she felt genuine resentment toward her acting career. She even went as far as to say that she was embarrassed by her early roles.
Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple began her career at the tender age of 3 and was the biggest draw in all of Hollywood throughout the 1930s.
By the age of 22, she had retired from acting altogether in order to pursue a life of politics .
Charlie Korsmo
I don’t care what anyone says — Hook is a freaking classic and easily one of Robin Williams’ top 5 greatest films.
Once Hook had wrapped, Charlie didn’t act again for another 7 years and retired after appearing in Can’t Hardly Wait . Nowadays, he works as a law professor today.
Ariana Richards
Watching the jello dance on Ariana Richards’ spoon is one of the more iconic moments in the entire Jurassic Park franchise.
After making a slew of made-for-TV movies throughout the ’90s, Ariana quit acting to pursue her love of painting. She now owns and runs her own gallery .
Lisa Jakub
Who could forget the smart alec back-talking Lydia Hillard from Mrs. Doubtfire ?!
Lisa decided to walk away from acting at 22 to focus on her yoga. She’s also authored two books , the most recent of which highlights Lisa’s struggles with anxiety.
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes was one of the most promising young stars of the early ’00s. After appearing in Easy A , Amanda took to Twitter to announce her intentions to leave acting behind.
She’s since dealt with an onslaught of mental health problems/addiction.
Jack Gleeson
The king is dead, long live the king! After Joffrey Lannister met a most brutal demise on the defining HBO series Game of Thrones , Jack realized that he’d fallen out of love with acting.
He retired and returned to school to complete his studies.
Jeff Cohen
I know he doesn’t look quite the same as you remember him, but the man you see is none other than Chunk from the ’80s adventure classic The Goonies .
Jeff has since gone on to become a lawyer and operates his own firm.
Carrie Henn
Carrie Henn played the adorable rough-and-tumble ‘Newt’ from James Cameron’s sci-fi/horror epic — Aliens . The film was Carrie’s first and only acting appearance.
She’s all grown up now and has since gone on to become a primary school teacher.
Danny Lloyd
Ironically, Danny didn’t even know that he was making a horror movie at the time The Shining was being filmed. He only discovered this fact years later.
Danny retired from Hollywood at age 9 and still works as a biology professor .
Peter Ostrum
After appearing in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory , it appeared as if Peter Ostrum had the Golden Ticket.
He was offered two more sequels but refused, opting instead to retire and pursue his dream of being a veterinarian .
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen stole our hearts in Full House and breathed new life into an old trope with It Takes Two .
But shortly after becoming teenagers, the Olsens withdrew themselves from the spotlight entirely. Now, they’re focused on running their own fashion empire .
Johnathan Taylor Thomas
You can call him Johnathan Taylor Thomas all you want, he’ll always be JTT to me and millions of Tiger Beat readers around the world.
The former star of Home Improvement grew tired of being a teen dream and decided to return to high school , travel, and live a normal life.
Mara Wilson
Many will undoubtedly remember Mara from films like Matilda , Mrs. Doubtfire , and of course — Miracle on 34th Street .
She retired from acting when she was only 13-years-old and has gone on to become an author as well as a successful journalist.
Alisan Porter
Alisan rose to fame playing Curly Sue in the movie of the same name. After making the decision to walk away from acting, Alisan decided to pursue a career in music.
She wound up winning the 2016 season of The Voice .
Kay Panabaker
Kay is best known for her roles in the tv series Summerland , as well as a few scattered Disney Channel projects.
At the age of 13, Kay had already graduated high school and hasn’t acted in anything since 2012’s Beverly Hills Chihuahua .
Jake Lloyd
Jake Lloyd doesn’t have happy memories playing Anakin Skywalker. After the release of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace , Jake became the victim of intense cyberbullying.
The former child star was later admitted to a psychiatric hospital after being diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic .
Ross Malinger
The cute kid from Sleepless in Seattle had a slew of other appearances on series like Party of Five , as well as a long-term tenure playing TJ Detweiler on Disney’s Recess .
In 2006, Ross officially retired to become a car salesman .
Jason Zimbler
Jason Zimbler, better known to the world as Funky Ferg, never acted again after Clarissa Explains Everything was taken off the air.
Instead, Jason decided to move to Portland and open up his own theatre company. As of 2011, he was working as a software designer for HBO.
Barret Oliver
I used to be obsessed with The Neverending Story as a kid. For those who need a little help remembering, Barret playing the lovable bookworm Bastian.
Barret left Hollywood to teach photography and has also published a book called ” A History of the Woodbury Type .”
Amber Scott
Child actress Amber Hall is more elusive than Tinkerbell herself. Amber played Maggie Banning in the ’90s classic Hook , starring Robin Williams, and completely disappeared afterward.
Absolutely nothing is known about Amber, other than the fact that she attended Trinity College and graduated in ’06.
Brian Bonsall
What you’re seeing is a 12-year-old Brian Bonsall unapologetically making out with a 30-something woman in Blank Check . The ’90s really were something else.
Unfortunately for Brian, he became entangled with law enforcement after quitting acting to play in a punk rock band.
Liesel Matthews
You’ll probably recall Liesel from her roles as Sarah Crewe in A Little Princess , as well as Alice Marshall in Air Force One .
She also happens to be the heiress to the Hyatt fortune and is known internationally for her philanthropy.
Joey Gaydos Jr.
Joey Gaydos Jr. rose to fame after appearing in Richard Linklater’s School of Rock , opposite Jack Black.
The groundbreaking film was Joey’s only acting role. Recently, he was in the news after being arrested for shoplifting a guitar.
Ross Bagley
Ross Bagley stole our hearts as Buckwheat in The Little Rascals and again as Nicky Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air .
After he graduated from California State University, Ross was able to land an internship at Will Smith’s Overbrook production company.
Michael Oliver
Michael was the star of the popular Problem Child franchise. He told his friend and co-star Gilbert Gottfried that:
“I started to realize that I want a normal life. I work my ass off, I have a 9-5, a normal existence. I’m happy with it.”
Robert MacNaughton
Of all the kids from the cast of E.T. , Robert MacNaughton was the only one who experienced a failure to launch, career-wise.
He eventually decided to quit acting and as of 2011 was working as a postal worker in New Jersey.
Jordan Warkol
’90s kids will no doubt recall Jordan as Froggy from The Little Rascals . Jordan worked sporadically for roughly a decade after the film’s release before deciding to retire.
He went on to make a name for himself as a professional poker player .
Amy O’Neill
Amy found early success with Honey, I Shrunk the Kids , but wasn’t keen on the scripts she received afterward.
Movie producers only seemed interested in Amy if she would agree to do nude scenes. She left the business and joined a circus troupe known as Girls On Stilts.
Taran Noah Smith
Taran Noah Smith fell in love at the age of 17 with a woman who was 15 years older than he was. He took his parent to court to sue for emancipation.
After that, Taran left showbusiness to open a vegan restaurant with his new wife.
