Fame ranks very differently for celebs.
While some are allll about it (looking at you, Kris Jenner), others would gladly give it up.
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For many celebs, family is at the root of that. Some even moved away from Hollywood to give their kids the chance at a normal life!
Curious who has their priorities straight? Here are 10+ celebs who chose family over fame.
1. Jennifer Garner
For a while there, the star was everywhere: Alias , Daredevil , and 13 Going on 30 . But everything changed when she started a family with her ex-husband, Ben Affleck.
This led her to take a step back from Hollywood while Ben worked.
“I’ve never been away for more than, I think, four days,” she told *Us Weekly*.
Her movie scheduled revolved around her kids, not the other way around.
But now that she and Ben split, she told the publication that it’s her time to shine again.
2. Jamie Lynn Spears
While she was set to hit it big just like her older sister, Britney, everything changed when the Zoey 101 star got pregnant at 16.
“I put myself in an adult situation, so I needed to handle it like an adult,” she told People about her Hollywood hiatus.
“I brought this little girl into this world, and it’s my job to make sure that she has the best life that she possibly can have,” she continued.
Even after starting a country music career, her focus is still on her (now two daughters) family.
3. Alyssa Milano
Fans were disappointed when the actress didn’t return as the lead in the ABC drama, Mistresses .
Milano decided that relocating to Vancouver, Canada for Season 3 wasn’t worth it. “Being a mother and wife comes first,” she wrote on her website.
4. Rick Moranis
The Honey, I Shrunk the Kids actor left his successful career as an actor, but not exactly by choice.
That’s because his wife, Ann Belsky, tragically died of cancer in 1991, leaving him with two children to care for.
5. Demi Moore
Back when the Ghost actress was married to Bruce Willis, she left her successful career as a movie star to raise their three daughters.
The family even moved to Hailey, Idaho to provide their children with a normal environment.
“One of my goals is to build a loving relationship so that my children, as adults, will want to share their lives with me,” she told *InStyle* magazine.
This paid off, as her daughter, Rumer, once said that she and her sisters were “very, very blessed” to not have had stage parents.
6. Jessica Biel
The star first rose to fame with the popular family drama, 7th Heaven . She starred in several big films after that, including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Blade: Trinity .
Since marrying Justin Timberlake and raising a family, both have shifted her priorities.
Even when she returned to acting with *The Sinner*, being a mom always came first.
“My work, I leave it at work. I don’t bring it home,” she told Entertaiment Tonight .
“You have a 2-year-old who just wants to play with you and that’s what’s most important.”
7. Megan Fox
While her personal life still makes headlines, you won’t hear much about her work projects.
She focused on family when she began having children with ex-husband, Brian Austin Green. “My job is to be with him,” she told Marie Claire after the birth of her first son.
8. Dave Chappelle
The world was shocked when the comedian abruptly left Hollywood, including his popular Chappelle Show .
Turns out, the fame got to him and his family. “That kind of attention wouldn’t have been conducive to raising a family,” he told People .
9. Julia Roberts
During the ’90s, the star was everywhere: Pretty Woman , Notting Hill , and Runaway Bride .
These days, we don’t hear too much about America’s Sweetheart, and her family life is why. She married a non-celeb : cameraman Daniel Moder.
This led Julia to disappear for many years while they raised their three children.
“The strange culture of celebrity and the Internet age — I kind of am too old for that silly mess that goes on,” she said, according to USA Today .
“I’m glad about that. It’s helped that I’m definitely of a particular age.”
10. Garth Brooks
The country singer went on a 14-year absence from Hollywood to be a dad.
“You start being a part of the community,” he explained to People about his decision. “The dads across the soccer field looked at me as a dad just like them. And I was very grateful.”
11. Robin Wright
Back when she was married to Sean Penn, the family moved to northern California for their two kids.
“I didn’t want to raise my kids in this weird, sycophantic society,” she told Entertainment Weekly . “If you have celebrity parents, it’s not a good recipe for the kids, or anyone at any age.”
12. Elsa Patsky
While her husband, Chris Hemsworth, is still actively working in Hollywood, the model decided to quit to raise their kids.
“I feel Hollywood consumes you in such a way that it feels like work all the time,” she told Vogue Australia .
13. Candace Cameron Bure
The actress has been working in Hollywood almost all her life.
She started with her role as D.J. Tanner on the popular sitcom Full House and has since taken on roles in the show’s reboot and several Hallmark films.
But now that she’s a wife and mother of three kids, her priorities have shifted.
She even stepped down from The View because of family.
“I want to make sure that I’m able to spend as much time with my children and invest in all the projects that I do to the fullest extent.”
14. Kellie Shanygne Jackson
Kellie is best known for playing Laura Winslow on the popular ’90s sitcom, Family Matters .
Instead of pursuing other film and TV roles, Kellie chose to focus on raising her two kids. She also works very closely with several charities
15. Chris O’Donnell
Chris walked away at the height of his fame to focus on his home life.
The actor told People magazine, “I was being offered these huge films that would have taken my career to a different level, and I decided to put on the brakes.”
16. Alicia Silverstone
Shortly after Alicia learned that she was pregnant, family life became her first and only focus.
The Clueless star sparked controversy when she confirmed that she bathes with her 9-year-old son, Bear. Alicia also released a video of her feeding Bear from her own mouth.
17. Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz is officially retired from Hollywood. She’s embracing motherhood, as well as the lifestyle of an entrepreneur and couldn’t be happier.
She and her husband Benji Madden have a very tight-knit circle and pride themselves on their privacy.
18. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.
The story of how Sarah and Freddie first met has truly horrific origins. While filming the ’90s cult classic slasher film I Know What You Did Last Summer the two young actors quickly hit it off.
After they wed, Freddie left Hollywood to become a professional chef and focus on raising their family.
19. Tom Selleck
There’s no denying that Tom Selleck is an icon.
In an interview with People , Tom describes himself as an incredibly private person. “And I’ve always treasured the balance between work and time with my family. It’s always about them,” the actor said.
20. Shania Twain
Shania Twain is a few steps removed from being Canadian royalty — especially in her home province of Ontario.
In order to help allow her children to lead lives outside of the spotlight, Shania decided to relocate to Switzerland .
21. Phoebe Cates
Fans of the ’80s cult classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High will no doubt recall Phoebe from her infamous pool scene.
She had her first child at 25 and her second just two years later. From that point onward, Phobe chose motherhood over fame.
22. Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Hurley was everywhere in the ’90s and will forever be remembered as Vanessa Kensington from Austion Powers .
She said goodbye to Hollywood a little more than 20 years ago shortly after the birth of her son Damien and stayed gone for nearly a decade.
23. Halle Berry
Halle Berry has been pulling mom duties for the last 10 years. She told InStyle magazine she loved the feeling of being pregnant and that,
“I was so alive with my purpose and my femininity. It felt like my body was doing what it was built to do.”
24. Lisa Bonet
When news of Lisa Bonet’s pregnancy first broke, she was quickly fired from her role as Denise Huxtable on both The Cosby Show and A Different World .
Dejected and betrayed, Lisa abstained from the spotlight and put all of her energy into her newborn daughter.
25. Ricky Martin
Ricky was one of the most prolific pop stars of the early ’00s. But for the past several years — fatherhood has been his true calling.
According to an interview he gave to People , Ricky still has a few frozen embryos in case he decides to have more children.
26. Leelee Sobieski
Leelee explained how 90% of all acting roles are incredibly sexual in nature. She simply didn’t feel comfortable performing romantic scenes with someone who wasn’t her husband.
That and the fact that Leelee wanted to spend more time with her children .
27. Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill is a founding member of The Fugees, a living legend in the hip-hop community, and widely regarded as the greatest female rapper of all time.
Yet in spite of her legacy, Lauryn walked away in order to raise her five children.
28. Vera Farmiga
Vera Farmiga is probably best known for her work in The Conjuring horror film franchise. And while she still works, her family comes first.
The most fulfilling role , according to Vera, is that of a full-time mom.
29. Debra Winger
There’s hardly a prouder moment in any parent’s life than graduation day!
Debra said that the biggest reason for walking away from her career was that her life challenged her in more rewarding ways than the roles ever could.
