Celebrities With Regular Jobs Find Out What They Do Off Camera
While many of us mere mortals spend our lives dreaming of becoming rich and famous, some celebrities want to return to normal jobs and normal lives after experiencing time in the limelight. Occasionally the pace, pressure, media, and time traveling overwhelm them. We can understand that, right? So, just who are these celebs that left the fame behind for a more “simple” life and regular job? Read on to find out!
Kirk Cameron
Kirk Cameron got his big break on the 80s hit show Growing Pains. His performance was amazing, and he received two Golden Globe nominations for his work. After the show, he decided to spend more time on his faith: evangelicalism. Currently, he is very active with his church, hosts a TV show about his beliefs, and occasionally makes personal appearances.
Kirk Cameron
Mara Wilson
Mara Wilson was a very talented child actress. She gave incredible performances in films such as Matilda, Mrs. Doubtfire, and A Simple Wish. These films were done very close to each other. Mara enjoyed her time acting but decided early in her life it wasn’t going to be what she does as an adult. She became a writer and a philanthropist. She published a book in 2016 about her experiences acting as a child. She currently works for a non-profit called Publicolor that aims to help disadvantaged teens access the arts.
Mara Wilson
Danica McKellar
Danica McKellar played the beautiful and intelligent Winnie Cooper in The Wonder Years. We definitely had a crush on her! She was always gifted in school and graduated from UCLA summa cum laude. Her passion is math and in her adult life she published quite a few math books. She also has her own math show called Math Bites. She is a beauty with incredible brains. We love you, Danica!
Danica McKellar
Frankie Muniz
Frankie Muniz became hugely popular because of his amazing performance in Malcom in the Middle. His acting was well respected by fans and critics and he received an Emmy and 2 Golden Globe nominations for his work. Not too bad! He decided to pursue race car driving as an adult. He has a few awards under his belt and is actively driving.
Frankie Muniz
Andrea Barber
Andrea Barber played Kimmy on Full House. She is still acting and recently returned to the small screen for the Netflix reboot. In between these shows she decided to go into the world of academia. She attended Whittier College in California where she earned a B.A. in English. She then studied at the University of York. She worked as the director of Whittier’s international studies program for quite a few years.
Andrea Barber
Danielle Fishel
Danielle Fishel was another one of our childhood (and adult) crushes. She played Topanga in the 90s show Boy Meets World. After the show wrapped Danielle wanted to try something different. She spent some time reporting for The Dish and Popsugar. She recently returned to the small screen for the Disney spin-off series, Girl Meets World.
Daniel Fishel
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Freddie Prince Jr. was such a hunk as a teenager! He became famous in many “teen” movies such as I Know What You Did Last Summer and Cruel Intentions. He married Sarah Michelle Gellar and together they found cooking to be their new passion. Since he stopped acting he published his own cookbook that features over 70 original recipes.
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Tony Danza
Tony Danza made a name for himself as a professional boxer before he turned to acting. He is most well known for his role on Who’s The Boss. After the show ended, he decided to become an education activist. He helped create and starred in the reality show Teach: Tony Danza. The show followed him as he taught a 10th grade English class in Philadelphia. The aim was to reveal the real state of education in Ameria. He also made a point that teachers should be more respected.
Tony Danza
Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu became famous for her role on Ally McBeal. She did an amazing job and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy! Aside from acting, she loves visual art. She has created her own work and she often donates some pieces to charity.
Lucy Liu
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey became a huge star with films such as Ace Venture: Pet Detective, and The Mask in the early 90s. He continued to act as time went on but recently he decided to take a break to pursue painting. He actually has his own exhibit at a gallery in Las Vegas. Nice job, Jim!
Jim Carrey
Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal was a martial art instructor in Japan. He was the first foreigner to operate an aikido dojo in Japan. Pretty cool! He then moved back to Los Angeles, California where he was a martial arts instructor. He then turned to acting. In 1988 he made his acting debut in Above the Law. His career took off after that. After many successful films, he decided to retire from acting. It makes sense he then wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement given his past. He served as a reserve deputy sheriff in Lousiana.
Steven Seagal
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar was Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. We love that show! She also appeared in a number of “teen” films alongside her husband in the early 90s including Cruel Intentions. Along with Freddie Prinze Jr., the famous couple found their new passion: cooking. She recently co-founded her own startup called Foodstirs which sells baking kits for children.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice is a rapper who became very famous after the copyright controversy over his song “Ice, Ice, Baby” with David Bowie. In the early 2000s, he appeared on some reality TV shows. These days he is the real estate business. He flips homes. He hosts his own show called The Vanilla Ice Project which shows home renovations.
Vanilla Ice
Peter Ostrum
Peter Ostrum is best known for his epic role as Charlie in Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. Acting was never his passion. He loves animals and wanted to pursue a career that helped them. He got a degree from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. He is currently a practicing vet and mostly treats horses and cattle.
Peter Ostrum
Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt was a child star who continued to act as an adult. Her first major roles were when she was only 10 years old! She is a very talented actress and has earned multiple Academy Awards. These days she prefers to work behind the camera as a producer. She owns her own production company called Hunt/Travel Productions.
Helen Hunt
Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman played Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation. We think the show is absolutely hilarious! Nick does an awesome job. While he is still acting, he does have a normal job: a carpenter. He builds all sorts of things including boats. Pretty cool, Nick!
Nick Offerman
Elizabeth Berkley
Elizabeth Berkley is best known for her role as Jessie Spano in Saved by the Bell. She has also appeared in a number of film and stage productions including in the 1995 film Showgirls. She is currently a writer and wrote a self-help book called Ask-Elizabeth in 2011.
Elizabeth Berkley
Barbi Benton
Barbi Benton is best known for being a beautiful Playboy model. She appeared on the cover 4 times! She started modeling when she was only 16 years old. Besides modeling, she is also an actress and a singer. She has actually recorded 5 albums! She is semi-retired from the world of entertainment to raise her children. She also works in real estate in California.
Barbi Benton
Sharona Alperin
Everyone knows the song “My Sharona.” This song was written for her by her previous boyfriend Doug Fieger. They were together for 4 years. These days Sharona is an L.A. based realtor who has many clients in the entertainment business.
Sharona Alperin
Al Franken
Al Franken is a hilarious actor and writer for SNL. He has a keen interest in politics and decided to run for a Senate seat. He won the Minnesota seat in 2009 and was re-elected in 2014 for a second term. Nice job, Al!
Al Franken
Liam Gallagher
Liam Gallagher is a singer and songwriter best known for his work with the 90s band, Oasis. After Oasis he started his own line of clothing called Pretty Green which is still sucessful to this day.
Liam Gallagher
Roseanne Barr
Roseanne Barr is a comedian who became very famous after the premiere of the sitcom Roseanne. She is no longer acting and is pursuing politics. She hopes to be elected to public office. In the 2012 election, she was a presidential candidate for the Peace and Freedom Party. Since the election, she has appeared on many TV programs discussing politics and sharing her opinion.
Roseanne Barr
Jon Gosselin
Jon was on the TLC show Jon and Kate Plus 8. He divorced Kate in 2009 and he worked a number of jobs since then. He is currently pursuing his passion: music. He is now a DJ performing in his hometown of Atlantic City.
Jon Gosselin
Chris Owen
Chris Owen was “The Sherminator” in the American Pie films. He is the only cast member to appear in all films and projects related to the film. He is currently a waiter at an upscale sushi restaurant in L.A.
Chris Owen
Lark Voorhies
Lark Voorhies played Lisa Turtle on Saved by The Bell. She has taken a few other small acting roles but ultimately decided writing is her passion. She has 3 books published to date!
Lark Vorhies
Ariana Richards
Ariana Richards was a child actress in the 80s. She is best known for her role in Jurassic Park as Lex Murphy. She changed careers and decided to pursue art. She went to Skidmore and Art Center College of Design in Pasadena to study art. After this, she completed a number of paintings and won first place in the National Professional Oil Painting Competition. She is now a professional painter in Oregon.
Ariana Richards
Tommy Rettig
Tommy is well known for his role on Lassie. His true passion is computers and after the show, he went to school to become a software engineer. He worked with computers until he dies in 1996.
Tommy Rettig
Mackenzie Rosman
Mackenzie Rosman played Ruthie Camden in 7th Heaven. She was very young when she started her role on the show. After the show wrapped she wanted to do something totally different. She became a devout philanthropist focusing on helping children with cystic fibrosis.
Mackenzie Rosman
Jonathan Bennett
Jonathan Bennett is best known for his role as Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls. His acting career took off after the film. He then appeared in Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and the Van Wilder sequel. He is currently the host of the Food Network’s show, Cake Wars. He also is a spinning instructor at a gym in L.A.
Jonathon Bennett
Maia Brewton
Maia Brewton became famous after the film Adventures in Babysitting premiered in 1987. She realized acting was not her passion and instead became a lawyer. She is currently practicing.
Maia Brewton
Leanna Creel
Leanna Creel is a triplet and is best known for her role as Tori on Saved by the Bell. In 1994 she started to get into the production side of things. In 1998 she started her own production company called Ignite Entertainment. She is currently married to Rinat Greenberg. They have been together for over 10 years.
Leanne Creel
Brittany Ashton Holmes
Brittany Ashton Holmes became famous after playing Darla in Little Rascals. Her acting career was short-lived and she decided she didn’t want to be an actress as an adult. She is currently working on a degree in political science in L.A. and is a barista.
Brittany Ashton Holmes
Josh Saviano
Josh Saviano is retired from acting and has no plans to return to it. He became very famous for his charming role on The Wonder Years when he was a teenager. After the show, he went to Yale and earned a degree in political science. He then decided to pursue a law degree and graduated from Cardozo. He worked as a lawyer for many years at Morrison Cohen LLP and currently owns a consultant company.
Josh Saviano
Jeff Cohen
Jeff Cohen played “The Chunk” in the film The Goonies. After the film, he decided to get into shape and joined his high school football team. He then went to Berkeley for college and then to UCLA for law school. He is currently a very fit lawyer. Awesome!
Jeff Cohen
Taran Noah Smith
Taran Noah Smith is well known for his role as Marcus “Mark” Jason Taylor on Home Improvement. In 2001 he got married to a vegan and became a devout vegan himself. Together they established a brand of vegan cheese products called Playfood. He divorced his wife recently and has no plans to return to acting.
Taran Smith
George Foreman
George Foreman was a very famous, successful boxer. After he retired he started promoting the George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine. Currently, it has sold over 100 million units! He is probably set for life financially from its sucess. He has earned over $200 million!
George Foreman
Charlie Korsmo
Charlie Korsmo is best known for his roles in Hook and Can’t Hardly Wait. After retiring from acting, he attended MIT and then to Yale for law school. He spent some time practicing law and working for the government. He is currently a professor of law at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. We are definitely impressed!
Charlie Korsmo
Michael Maronna
Michael Maronna was famous in the 90s for his role as the older Pete on The Adventures of Pete and Pete. After he stopped acting he became an electrician. He works on many sets for popular series such as Nurse Jackie.
Michael Maronna
Linda Kozlowski
Linda Kozlowski’s big break was in 1986 when she played the female lead opposite Paul Hogan in Crocodile Dundee. They two started a romantic relationship after they met on the set. Her acting career took off after that, but after many years she decided to take a break. She married Paul Hogan in 1990 and together they have a son. They divorced in 2013.
Linda Kowoloski
Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck is not done with acting but is taking an extended break. Did you know he owns a 60-acre farm that grows avocados? That is what is filling up his time these days. We get it, avocadoes rule!
Tom Selleck
Nikki Blonsky
Nikki Blonsky is best known for her role in “Hairspray.” She decided a life in the limelight wasn’t for her. She is currently working as a hairstylist in New York.
Nikki
Jessica Sierra
You might remember Jessica Sierra from season 4 of American Idol. She was a finalist! Despite her success, she decided to not continue a career in the music industry. She is currently working at a Hooters in Florida.
Jessica Sierra
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell, aka MC Hammer, had a very successful music career. He somehow accumulated 13 million dollars of debt and then decided to switch careers. He now does quite a few things including developing apps for Apple.
MC Hammer
Tiffany
Tiffany Renee Darwish blew up in the 80s! She also did a bit of acting. She decided to leave the spotlight to open a vintage store in Tennessee. She named it “Tiffany’s Boutique.” We would totally shop there if given the opportunity.
Tiffany
Kevin Kennedy
Kevin Kennedy decided to leave acting. Beginning in 2014, he began giving Corrie tours to devoted fans around Manchester. He is still doing that now and apparently loves it!
Kevin Kennedy
Jack Gleeson
You might know Jack Gleeson from his role of King Joffrey on Game of Thrones. He decided acting isn’t what he wants to do with his life, so he is taking a break and is a full-time student.
Jack Gleeson
Rebecca Ritters
Rebecca Ritters is a well known Austrailian soap star. After quitting acting, she enrolled in the University of Melbourne where she is a full-time student. She is still taking classes and we wish her luck!
Rebecca Ritters
Kevin Jonas
Kevin Jonas is the oldest of the Jonas brothers. He left the band to launch a food searching app called “Yood.” He has stated he plans to continue a career in high-tech and has no plans of returning to the music industry.
Kevin Jonas
Jeremy Renner
Jeremy Renner quit acting to pursue endeavors in real estate. He is currently flipping houses with his partner, Kristoffer Winters. Their business is doing great! Nice job, guys!
Jeremy Renner
Daniel Day Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis is a gifted and well-known actor. He decided to leave the profession to accept an apprenticeship with the Italian cobbler, Stefano Bemer. He is currently designing his own fashion line. Interesting!
Daniel Day Lewis
Dylan Sprouse
Dylan Sprouse is known for his role in “Big Daddy” where he acted alongside Adam Sandler. He announced in 2011 he was leaving Hollywood to pursue his education. He is currently a full-time student at NYU.
Dylan Sprouse
Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu is not only a talented artist but also an official doula. If you don’t know a doula is a woman that helps other women with labor and after they give birth. She stated in interviews that she already has helped with over 40 births and really enjoys it.
Erykah Badu
Kevin Costner
The Gulf Oil Spill prompted Kevin Costner to take a break from Hollywood. He started a company called Ocean Therapy Solutions and it does environmental clean-ups.
Kevin Costner
Cote de Pablo
Code de Pablo is a beautiful Chilean-American actress and singer. She best known for her role as an Israeli Mossad officer turned NCIS agent on the show NCIS. She suffered several injuries while on the set of NCIS. Since 2016 she decided to take a break from acting and is living a simple life in Los Angeles.
Cote De Pablo
Corey Harrison
Richard Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison is best known for his role as a cast member on the reality TV show “Pawn Stars.” He became a celebrity but works a normal day to day job. He manages the shop and is in charge of 30 employees. In season 6 of the show, he told his father and grandfather he is leaving the job if they don’t give him a 10% stake in the company. He was given a 5% partnership with the promise of more in the future.
Corey Harrison
Gary Dourdan
Gary Dourdan was on CSI for 8 years! His character was killed off at the beginning of season 9 shocking fans. These days he collects classic cars and is pursuing a DJing career.
Gary Dourdan