Hollywood can be a ruthless industry and there are many celebrities who spend decades of their lives trying to succeed in their careers. There are some celebrities left Hollywood. Some do it because they’re fed up with investing so much of their time and energy into such an unforgiving industy, while others just want to move on to something new.
For example, if you’re a fan of Game of Thrones, then you likely remember Jack Gleeson, who played Joffrey Baratheon. He’s decided to step away from the limelight down to pursue an academic degree. But he’s not the only one.
Have you ever wondered about Danny Lloyd, who played Danny Torrance in The Shining? And what is Kevin Jonas up to today?
Let’s learn about the celebrities who left Hollywood for normal jobs…
CELEBRITIES LEFT HOLLYWOOD #1 JACK GLEESON
Jack Gleeson began studying acting as a child and also performed regularly in youth theatre productions.
He began appearing in feature films when he was 10 – with his first role in the 2002 film Reign of Fire. He also acted in Batman Begins, Shrooms, A Shine of Rainbows, and had a lead role in the 2010 film All Good Children. Additionally, he had a small role in the Irish TV comedy series Killinaskully.
But he really became a star when he appeared as Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones. This remains the character that audiences most identify him with.
In 2020, he appeared in 2 episodes of the BBC sitcom Out of Her Mind. It came as a surprise to many when he decided to put acting aside. He decided to pursue a degree in philosophy and theology at Trinity College Dublin. He’s also working in a small theater company.
Perhaps one day we’ll see him back in show business. But for now, he’s stated that acting was a hobby for him, and he was never interested in pursuing it for the long-term.
Before we tell you more about the celebrities who left Hollywood for normal jobs, please like this video and subscribe to our channel for more pop culture news and interesting stories. Now, back to the video…
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CELEBRITIES LEFT HOLLYWOOD #2 DANNY LLOYD
If you’ve seen the fantastic horror film The Shining, you’ll remember Danny Lloyd who played Danny Torrance. He was chosen for the role because of his ability to concentrate for an extended period.
Perhaps he also had a knack for saying “REDRUM” in the most frightening manner possible. In fact, Danny wasn’t told that he was appearing in a horror film. He was told that he was appearing in a drama film about a family stuck in a hotel. Well, they weren’t too far off with that description!
It seems that Danny Lloyd will forever be remembered as Danny Torrance. The only other time he acted was in the 1982 TV movie Will: G. Gordon Liddy in which he portrayed a young G. Gordon Liddy. He did make a cameo appearance in the 2019 film Doctor Sleep – which is a sequel to The Shining.
He decided to stop acting and became an associate professor of biology.
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CELEBRITIES LEFT HOLLYWOOD #3 KEVIN JONAS
The Jonas Brothers were a phenomenon at the height of their careers. They eventually broke up and went their separate ways, continuing to work in Hollywood and pursue their show business dreams.
However, unlike his brothers, Kevin Jonas decided to pursue a different path. He mainly focuses on creating apps. One of his most popular apps is called Yood. Through this app, you can order food to be delivered to your home. What makes this app unique is that you can read the restaurant’s Yelp! reviews before placing your order.
He and his wife Danielle have also released a children’s book entitled There’s a Rock Concert in My Bedroom.
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FREDDIE PRINZE JR
Freddie Prinze Jr. had a prolific acting career in the 90s and the 2000s. He became known for his roles in films such as I Know What You Did Last Summer and its sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.
His other popular roles were in films such as She’s All That, Summer Catch, Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo 2, Shark Bait, and Jack and Jill vs. The World. He’s also voiced characters in films such as Mass Effect: Paragon Lost and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
He also had a few bit parts and recurring roles on television, including starring in his own short-lived sitcom, Freddie. Today, he’s focusing mainly on writing. He published a cookbook called Back to the Kitchen in 2016.
Cooking has always been his first love and he almost pursued a career in the culinary arts before acting. While we may still see him act on occasion, it seems that he’s more interested in spending time in the kitchen for now.
JEFF COHEN
Remember Chunk from The Goonies? He was played by Jeff Cohen who, arguably, created one of the most memorable child characters in American cinema history! Jeff had experience appearing on game shows and on TV movies.
But it was his role in The Goonies that made him a star. He was so committed to the role that he hid the fact that he had chickenpox – afraid that this might cause him to lose the role. Apparently, if you rewatch the film – you’ll notice that he did, in fact, have chickenpox which were visible during the famous “truffle shuffle” scene.
Despite enjoying acting and making a name for himself with The Goonies, he decided to give up acting as an adult. He pursued a law degree and is now a practicing attorney. He serves as an entertainment lawyer and also ocassionally writes legal-related articles for prominent publications.
PETER OSTRUM
As a child, you probably loved the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. You’ll likely be wondering what happened to young Charlie Bucket.
Charlie was played by Peter Ostrum. His role in the film was the only film he ever appeared in. He decided not to pursue acting after his work on the film. While he enjoyed the experience, he had other ambitions.
For several years, he didn’t feel comfortable talking about his role publicly. However, he had a change of heart in the 90s. He regularly gives interviews and talks about his role and how he feels about the film.
But what has he been doing with his life? He decided to pursue a career as a veterinarian. After he finished filming Willy Wonka, his family had bought a horse. He grew attached to the horse and became very interested in how to to care for it.
He’s now a practicing veterinarian in New York.
KARYN PARSONS
You’ll remember Karyn Parsons as playing Hillary Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The character was so popular that she also played Hillary in an episode of Blossom and in an episode of Out All Night.
She mostly had bit parts on other TV shows such as The John Laroquette Show, Melrose Place, and Static Shock. She had lead roles in the short-lived TV sitcoms Lush Life and The Job.
Also, she had a short film career. She had roles in films such as Death Spa, Class Act, Major Payne, Mixing Nia, The Ladies Man, and 13 Moons.
She’s moved away from acting for the time being but is still involved in creative pursuits. She created Sweet Blackberry – which is a series of animated films that showcase lesser-known black heroes. She’s also published a few children’s books.
But for most of us, she’ll always be Hillary Banks!
NIKKI BLONSKY
You’ll remember Nikki Blonsky from the 2007 film version of Hairspray. She studied theatre as a teenager and appeared in many school plays. These plays included Les Miserables, Kiss Me Kate, and Carmen.
Nikki also grew up loving the original Hairspray film directed by John Waters. She auditioned for the remake and won the role of Tracy Turnblad. She received lots of media attention for her role in the film and she received praise for her performance.
Following her role in Hairspray, she continued to act. She had a few bit parts in TV shows, but she mainly focused on independent films. She had roles in films such as Harold, Waiting For Forever, The English Teacher, Geography Club, and The Last Movie Star. Her most recent acting role was in the 2019 film Ghost in the Graveyard.
She mainly focuses on her video blogging series on social media. She’s particularly active on both Instagram and TikTok.
While she hasn’t appeared in a film or TV show since 2020, we may see her return to Hollywood one day. For now, you want to catch her on social media…
MARA WILSON
Mara Wilson is easily one of the most famous child stars of the 90s. You’ll remember her from films such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Matilda, and A Simple Wish.
These were the films that she was most known for, and she’s still remembered for them today. She also had a few bit parts in TV shows in the 90s. These included Melrose Place, Pearl, and Batman Beyond.
As an adult, she had a cameo appearance in the comedy series Broad City. She also had recurring roles in BoJack Horseman and Big Hero 6. She’s also appeared in many web series – mostly making cameo appearances as herself.
Most recently she appeared as herself in the web series The George Lucas Talk Show in 2020. But she’s mostly stepped away from acting to focus on her writing career.
She wrote a successful autobiography about her life as a child actress. She’s also involved with the charity Project UROK that focuses on helping teenagers who suffer from mental illness. In addition to advocating for treatment for mental illness, she’s also been outspoken about the issues that child celebrities face.
As an accomplished writer, we’ll hopefully see more works from her soon!
Are you a fan of any of these celebrities? Now, we’d like to know your opinion:
Do you think that they made the right choice for leaving Hollywood? Or do you think that their talents still belong in show business and they should make a comeback?
Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments.
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