After Fame
They got famous at a young age, but these former child stars grew up to have all kinds of non-acting careers out of the spotlight.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: Fashion
As babies, the Olsen twins took the TV world by storm on Full House.. Eventually they both retired from acting, but not from making lots of money. Which they have done with their foray into fashion with their brand The Row, which they founded in 2006.
Jeff Cohen: Lawyer
That's right. Chunk from The Goonies became a lawyer. More precisely, an entertainment lawyer.
Warner Bros., The Goonies (1985)
Lisa & Louise Burns: Lawyer & Microbiologist
We're talking about The Shining twins. Lisa and Louise didn't make another movie after The Shining. Instead Lisa became a lawyer and Louise a microbiologist. We aren't done with The Shining just yet though.
Warner Bros., The Shining (1980)
Danny Lloyd: Biology Professor
One of the Horror-genre's most recognizable child actors, Danny Lloyd was Danny in the classic Kubrick film. But acting wasn't for him, and instead he became a biology professor when he grew up.
Warner Bros., The Shining (1980)
Lisa Jakub: Author and Yoga Instructor
From 1985 through 2000 Lisa Jakub was a very busy child actor, with her most memorable roles probably being in Independence Day and as the oldest daughter in Mrs. Doubtfire. However, by 2000 the anxieties of the business were too much for Jakub and she decided to get out before they swallowed her up.
Jakub is a qualified Kripalu yoga instructor and has also written two books: You Look Like That Girl and Not Just Me.
Twentieth Century, Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Danielle Spencer: Veterinarian
Have you been wondering what's happening with Danielle Spencer these days? Well, the girl who played Dee Thomas on the 1970s sitcom What's Happening!! grew up to be a veterinarian. She still does some acting (as long as it doesn't conflict with her vet practice).
ABC, What's Happening!! (1976-1979)
Ross Bagley: DJ & Realtor
How many Realtor DJs are there? Well, we can name at least one: Ross Bagley. Bagley, best known for his role as Nicky Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, quit acting in 2015.
NBC, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996)
Reed Alexander: Correspondent & Cookbook Author
Alexander went from being in the entertainment industry as Nevel in iCarly, to writing about it as a correspondent for Insider. He also wrote a cookbook called KewlBites: 100 Nutritious, Delicious, and Family-Friendly Dishes.
Nickelodeon, iCarly (2007-2012)
Andrea Barber: Education
Yup, it's Kimmy Gibbler (if you're a Full House fan then you know what we're talking about). While she did come back to TV to reprise her Kimmy role in Fuller House, Barber's focus over the decades between said shows was on graduating from Whittier College, interning at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, and getting her master’s degree in the UK.
She then returned to her alma mater as assistant to the director of Whittier College's Office of International Programs.
Taran Noah Smith: Vegan Cheese
After eight seasons and over 200 episodes of Home Improvement, Taran Noah Smith (who played youngest son Mark on the show) was done with acting. He's had many projects in his life since leaving Hollywood. In 2005 he started a non-dairy cheese manufacturer and restaurant called Playfood with his then-wife. Smith also teaches people how to pilot submarines.
ABC, Home Improvement (1991-1999)
Rajiv Surendra: YouTube Creator
After gaining some notoriety as Kevin in the 2005 film Mean Girls, Surendra quit the business after he failed to land the lead role in the 2012 film Life of Pi. He even wrote a book about that experience. Since then he's started a bespoke calligraphy and graphic design service and in 2022 he launched his YouTube channel where he mostly does tutorials on cooking, antiques, and crafts.
Broadway Video, Mean Girls (2004)
Jennifer Stone: Nurse
Stone got her break playing Selena Gomez's BFF Harper Finkle on Wizards of Waverly Place in 2007. She got some more roles after the show ended, but in 2019 she announced that she had graduated from nursing school. Stone was right there on the frontlines when COVID-19 hit. She also co-hosts the Wizards of Waverly Pod with David DeLuise.
Walt Disney, Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-2012)
Kay Panabaker: Zookeeper
Panabaker was pretty busy throughout the aughts and early 2010s in guest roles and as a main character on shows like Summerland and No Ordinary Family. However, by 2011 Panabaker had lost her passion for the business and pretty much retired from acting. She instead turned to animals and in 2015 she became a zookeeper at Walt Disney World.
Warner Bros., Summerland (2004-2005)Shirley Temple: US Ambassador
Maybe the most popular child star of all time, Shirley Temple saw the acting work begin to dry up as she got older. Temple became the US ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, and then served as US Chief of Protocol.
Twentieth Century, Bright Eyes (1934)
Charlie Korsmo: Professor
Charlie Korsmo's entire acting career basically took place in 1990 and 1991 with roles in Dick Tracy, What About Bob? and Hook. After that came high school and then MIT. He did get a part in 1998's Can't Hardly Wait, but rather than jump back into Hollywood, Korsmo graduated MIT and followed that up with Law School at Yale.
He then went on to become a law professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
Bridgit Mendler: CEO
From 2010 to 2014, Bridget Mendler starred in Good Luck Charlie on the Disney Channel and in 2012 she also released her debut album, Hello My Name Is…. However, her path since then has looked quite different.
Mendler attended USC, then went on to get her masters from MIT and begin working on her Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Law (although she did put the former on hold). In February of 2024 she became the CEO of the startup, Northwood Space, with its goal of creating a "data highway between earth and space."
Walt Disney, Good Luck Charlie (2010-2014)
Clayton Snyder: Real Estate Agent
Clayton is best known for playing Hilary Duff's crush, Ethan Craft, on both seasons of Lizzie McGuire and The Lizzie McGuire Movie in the early 2000s. And while his IMDb page has him still acting in the 2010s, it’s mostly on the web and in short films. Today he is primarily working as a real estate agent out in California.
He isn't the only former Lizzie McGuire actor to get a "normal" job either.
Walt Disney, Lizzie McGuire (2001-2004)
Ashlie Brillault: Defence Attorney
Ashlie Brillault, better known as Kate on Lizzie McGuire, left acting behind after the series and movie, got her JD from the University of Denver, and is now a criminal defense attorney in Southern California.
Walt Disney, Lizzie McGuire (2001-2004)
Ross Malinger: Car Dealership
If the name Ross Malinger doesn't ring any bells, then how about Tom Hanks’ cute son in Sleepless in Seattle? Yup, that was Malinger. He did a little acting work into the 2000s but as an adult his work has primarily been at car dealerships, including as finance manager for the Honda Van Nuys in Los Angeles.
TriStar, Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Michael Oliver: Tech
As a kid, Michael Oliver was the Problem Child. The movie was a hit, they made a sequel, and Oliver got famous fast. But just as fast as he got famous, he returned to anonymity—retiring from acting at age 15 and going to work in the tech industry.
Universal, Problem Child (1990)
Barret Oliver: Printer & Photographer
Oliver was the curious kid in 1984's The NeverEnding Story and the cyborg in 1985's D.A.R.Y.L. He had a few other roles as well, with his last coming in the 1989 dark comedy Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills. Since then he’s focused his attention on printing and photography and has had his work in galleries and museums. He even published a book in 2007 called A History of the Woodburytype.
Warner Bros., The NeverEnding Story (1984)
David Dorfman: Legislative Director/General Counsel
Dorfman was haunted in The Ring and The Ring Two and besides playing a Lannister soldier in one episode of Game of Thrones, he retired from acting in 2010. Even before that though, at the age of 13, Dorfman was accepted to UCLA and at 18 he got into Harvard Law School.
Since 2022 he's served in the US House of Representatives as Legislative Director/General Counsel to the Energy & Commerce Committee's Vice Chair and Homeland Security Committee's Cybersecurity Subcommittee Emeritus Chair.
Staci Keanan: Deputy District Attorney
Staci Keanan's path to LA County Deputy DA began as a child actor in shows like My Two Dads and Step by Step. She got her law degree from Southwestern Law School, and in 2021 became an adjunct associate professor at her alma mater.
Josh Saviano: Lawyer
Paul from The Wonder Years quit acting, became a partner at a New York law firm, and then started his own firm.
ABC, The Wonder Years (1988-1993)
Carrie Henn: Teacher
Known to movie-lovers as "Newt" in Aliens, Carrie Henn became a teacher.
Twentieth Century, Aliens (1986)
Peter Ostrum: Veterinarian
Peter Ostrum only has one acting credit on his resume, but that credit is Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. After making the movie, Ostrum had the option to sign a three-movie deal but he turned it down. Instead, Ostrum returned home where—partially inspired by the veterinarian who cared for the family's horses—he went on to get his degree in veterinary medicine. He retired in 2023.
