Being a Hollywood megastar can seem like the dream job sometimes (or
oftentimes). People would idolize you, you would get paid some major
bucks, and you would hopefully spend your days doing something you are
truly passionate about. Considering just how many Hollywood hopefuls
there are out there, it seems strange that anyone could ever turn their
back on seeing their name in lights. Surprisingly, there have been many
former celebrities who left their Hollywood lives behind in favor of a
more modest lifestyle. All of the celebrities listed below left super
stardom to follow a more average career path. Some of these celebrities
chose to leave Hollywood after having a respectable career as an actor
or actress. Others, appeared in one role that made them famous before
deciding that acting just wasn’t for them. So to prove that not everyone
wants to be a Hollywood star, below is a list of ten celebrities that
chose to leave Hollywood to pursue other dreams . Some of the people on
this list managed to excel at their chosen career, while others are
still trying to find their way. Whatever new career path these former
celebrities are on, one thing is clear, life goes on after Hollywood.
10. Jonathan Bennett
Jonathan Bennett managed to make a name for himself in Hollywood when he starred in the movie,
Mean Girls.
Bennett, played Aaron Samuels, the guy that every girl wanted to be
with. Today, Bennett is a spin instructor at LA studio, Flywheel. When
speaking about his new job, Bennett said, “I’ve always had a passion for
fitness, and after my mom passed away last year, group fitness really
helped me through it.” In addition to making people sweat, Bennett has
continued to act a little on the side. Bennett’s latest project was
appearing on
Dancing with the Stars. The actor was eliminated in week 6 of the competition.
9. Dylan Sprouse
Dylan Sprouse gained fame along with his twin brother,
Cole Sprouse, after appearing in movies such as
Big Daddy and their own TV show,
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. After
Suite Life ended,
Dylan and Cole were both accepted into New York University. The twins
decided to defer for a year and then enrolled in the Gallatin School of
Individualized Study. Dylan decided to study video game design, while
Cole chose to study humanities and archaeology. In 2013, it was revealed
that Dylan was
working as a host at a New York City restaurant. In 2014, Dylan began commentating Super Smash Bros tournaments.
8. Jack Gleeson
Jack Gleeson gained worldwide fame after starring as Joffrey Baratheon on the popular series,
Game of Thrones. After
Geoffrey was killed off of the series, Gleeson announced that he would
be retiring from acting for a little while to pursue an academic career.
When explaining his decision to quit acting, Gleeson said, “It was
always something I did for recreation with my friends, or in the summer
for some fun. I enjoyed it. When you make a living from something, it
changes your relationship with it. It’s not like I hate it, it’s just
not what I want to do.”
7. Kel Mitchell
When
Kel Mitchell, one of the stars of the show
Keenan and Kel
left Hollywood, it was so sudden that some people thought the star was
dead. Luckily, Mitchell’s death was not the cause of his retirement from
Hollywood. Instead, Mitchell chose to leave stardom behind to become a
family man. Apparently the former actor put all of his efforts into,
“his Christianity and raising his family.” However as of lately,
Mitchell has been slowly making his way back into the acting world. The
funny man has appeared in a few Christian films and has even done some
voiceover work.
6. Kevin Jonas
Kevin Jonas found super stardom when he played in the band The Jonas Brothers, with his two younger brothers. In 2009, Kevin married
Danielle Deleasa, and the two starred in their own reality show entitled,
Married to Jonas.
After Kevin’s reality show, things started to calm down for the singer.
A year after The Jonas Brothers broke up, Kevin decided to try his hand
at contracting. The singer even appeared in an episode of
The Real Housewives of New Jersey,
as one of the housewife’s contractors. The star has said that
contracting is his new passion, so it seems like he has left his
Hollywood days behind.
5. Lark Voorhies
Lark Voorhies became famous after playing Lisa Turtle on the hit show,
Saved by the Bell. However,
today Voorhies tends to stay out of the spotlight. The actress has said
that she spends her time painting while doing some acting on the side.
But making art isn’t the only thing that occupies Voorhies time. The
Saved by the Bell star is also a musician and an author. In fact, Voorhies has written three books entitled
Reciprocity, Trek of the Cheshire and
True
Light: A, superior, take, unto, the, premier, haloing, of tenuation.
Readily, available, True Light, provides, resource, into, time’s,
motifed, and, vestuved, authenticate, revelation.
4. Geena Davis
Geena Davis
is a woman of many talents. Her credits include acting, writing,
producing, modeling and she is even an athlete. Although Davis’ acting
credits are impressive, the star decided to take a break from Hollywood
in order to become a full time social activist. The actress found the
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. The institute focuses on
increasing the presence of female characters in the media. Its aim is to
stop the stereotyping of females in the industry. Although Davis’ main
focus is her activism, the actress made a return to television in 2014,
when she played Dr. Nicole Herman on
Grey’s Anatomy.
3. Danica McKellar
Danica McKellar is best known for playing Winnie Cooper on the series,
The Wonder Years. After
The Wonder Years rapped
up, McKellar focused on her degree. The actress studied at UCLA and
graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with honors. In
addition, McKellar has written four non-fiction books that are aimed at
giving middle school and high school girls confidence and the ability to
succeed in mathematics. The books are entitled,
Math Doesn’t Suck, Kiss My Math, Hot X: Algebra Exposed and
Girls Get Curves: Geometry Takes Shape. Even though McKellar is busy with writing, the actress has still managed to guest star on shows like
How I Met Your Mother and
The Big Bang Theory.
2. Kirk Cameron
Kirk Cameron is famous for his role as Mike Seaver on the show
Growing Pains, as well as the films,
Like Father Like Son and
Listen to Me. When Cameron was 17, he became a born again Christian. After
Growing Pains was
cancelled, Cameron decided to start a new life away from the
entertainment industry that better fitted his newly found religious
beliefs. Today, Cameron, along with fellow evangelist Ray Comfort,
trains Christians in Evangelism. The two founded the ministry of
The Way of the Master.
In addition, Cameron spends his time spreading his religious beliefs by
having debates and handing out pamphlets. In April 2012, Cameron was
honored by Indiana Wesleyan University as a world changer.
1. Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman
has had an extremely successful career as an actor. The star has been
nominated for five academy awards (two of which he won). In addition,
Hackman has won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs. In July 2004, in an
interview with
Larry King,
Hackman announced that he believed his acting career was over and was
therefore retiring. But that didn’t stop the former actor from excelling
in another field. Hackman has written three historical novels with
archaeologist, Daniel Lenihan. In 2013, Hackman released his first solo
novel entitled
Pursuit. The novel tells the story of revenge and romance in the Old West.
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