These Celebrities Turned to Normal Jobs After Stepping Out of the Spotlight

If you grew up during the ’90s, there’s a good chance that Home Improvement was one of your favorite shows to watch. And if that’s the case, there’s no doubt that you remember Taran Noah Smith as Mark Taylor, Tim and Jill’s youngest and most sensitive son.

Like many kid stars who grew up in the spotlight, Smith basically spent his whole childhood on the set of Home Improvement as the show started when he was just seven years old and didn’t end until he was 16. By that point, Smith “knew that I didn’t want to act anymore.”

So, what did Smith ended up doing with his life? Well, after he famously sued his parents to gain control of his $1.5 million trust fund in 2002, Smith — along with his then-wife and vegan chef Heidi van Pelt — ended up forming a vegan dairy farm and catering service called Playfood.

Unfortunately, though, neither the marriage nor the business lasted. Then again, we’re not that surprised considering that Smith got hitched at the age of 17 to a woman who was 15 years his senior. In any event, today you can find Smith living on a sailboat in California and aiding disaster relief charities.

In 2009, MTV released Jersey Shore, a reality show that introduced a whole slew of memorable personalities and quotes. If you were a fan of the show, chances are you wanted Angelina Pivarnick to leave just as much as her fellow cast members did. Referred to as the “Staten Island Dump” by the rest of the cast, Angie became infamous during the first episode when she arrived with her personal belongings in garbage bags. It wasn’t long before she started fighting with her housemates to the point that she left seasons one and two early! Perhaps this is also the reason why she didn’t return for the third season.

After leaving Jersey Shore for a second time, Pivarnick wanted to have another shot in the spotlight, which is when she appeared on the reality series Couple’s Therapy for two seasons. Following that, Pivarnick became an EMT.

Those in the New York area having nothing to worry about, though. Being that this career was so short-lived, we can guarantee she won’t be responding to any of your emergencies. Instead, Pivarnick made headlines in 2018 when she filed a lawsuit against the city as well as a former supervisor for harassment. It was also around that time that she returned to television for the reunion series Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.

In 1985, Jeff Cohen became a household name when he played the iconic role of Chunk in adventure-comedy The Goonies. His comedic performance — including the iconic “Truffle Shuffle” dance — was easily one of the most iconic and best-remembered moments in cinematic history during the ’80.

In fact, the dance is still referenced throughout pop culture even though over 30 years have passed. Even with this notoriety and recognition, though, Cohen’s fame wouldn’t last very long and the child actor ended taking a completely different path in life.

After playing Chunk, Jeff Cohen made a few TV appearances here and there, although he basically left acting behind after The Goonies. Once he stepped out of the spotlight, Cohen decided to pursue a career in law while in college. It was actually film director Richard Donner — who directed Cohen in The Goonies — that helped him get involved in the legal profession by showing him the business side of Hollywood.

After graduating from UCLA’s law school in 2000, Cohen spent time working at an entertainment law firm before opening his own practice in Beverly Hills. Aside from attorney work, Cohen also contributes to CNBC and HuffPost.

There’s really no denying that Mara Wilson was one of the most successful child stars during the ’90s. After making her film debut as the youngest daughter in the 1993 comedy-drama Mrs. Doubtfire — starring Robin Williams and Sally Fields — she went on to star in the 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street.

It wasn’t until 1996, though, that Wilson would play the title character in the Danny Devito-directed film Matilda. Although she was quickly rising to stardom, Wilson ultimately stepped out of the spotlight due to personal issues including a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

While Mara Wilson essentially gave up her acting career, she still pursued a career in the arts, specifically writing and even earned a degree from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Since graduating, Wilson has not only written a one-woman show but she’s also penned a memoir about her life and contributed to various different websites.

Although Wilson has gone on to make a few appearances on podcasts and YouTube videos, she has no plans of returning to the entertainment industry full-time. According to Wilson herself, she doesn’t particularly enjoy filming acting because it doesn’t “allow for very much creative freedom.”

Lisa and Louise Burns — while the names may not ring a bell, their faces certainly will. These two played the creepy ‘stop-you-in-your-tracks’ Grady twins in Stanley Kubrick’s horror masterpiece The Shining starring Jack Nicholson. During a 2015 interview with the Daily Mail, the Burns twins explained how they came to be cast in the film.

Being that they had some experience with television work, Lisa Louise’s agent called their mother to tell her that Stanley Kubrick was looking for sisters. Although the legendary director wasn’t initially looking for twins, he ended up casting Lisa and Louise because “twins were just spookier.”

During the Daily Mail interview, Lisa and Louise Burns also explained that their roles in The Shining didn’t necessarily help launch their acting careers. On the contrary, their roles as the Grady twins actually ended up hindering them from getting other acting jobs due to the fact that they inevitably became too associated with the film as well as the horror genre.

Still, it doesn’t seem like life for the two of them turned out so badly. Since abandoning acting, Lisa has gone on to become a successful lawyer while Louise is now a published microbiologist.

When director Alan Parker was seeking children to cast in his gangster-musical-comedy Bugsy Malone, he decided to take a trip to a Brooklyn school and asked students to suggest the naughtiest boy in class. Well, that ended up being John Cassisi. Little did anyone know that this moment was a foreshadowing of sorts considering what would happen later in Cassisi’s life.

In any event, Parker ultimately cast Cassisi as Fat Sam in his film. Following that performance, the child actor would go on to star on the sitcom Fish. Although Cassisi’s acting career ended there, he would still go on to appear in one kind of spotlight…

Following his time on Fish, John Cassisi traded in his acting shoes for something a little different. The former child actor began working in the construction industry. Over the years, it seemed as though Cassisi worked tirelessly and was actually successful in his profession considering that he had made his way up to Director of Global Construction for Citigroup by 2012.

Then again, things aren’t always as they seem. In 2015, Cassisi was arrested and ultimately pled guilty to cooperating in a scheme of bribery. Not only was he sentenced to two to six years in prison but he also had to pay half a million dollars.

There’s really no denying that from the moment Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was released in August of 1993, Jason Geiger — professionally known as Austin St. John — became a pop culture icon.

St. John portrayed Jason Lee Scott, the Red Power Ranger and team leader in the first season and a half of the show, reaching his peak of stardom in the process. Although St. John had earned international fame, he and two of his co-stars ultimately left in the middle of the second season due to a pay dispute.

Following his departure from the show, Austin St. John went on to reprise the role of Jason in both film and television, and even made a cameo in the 2017 movie Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel. In 2018, St. John appeared in the TV film Monsters at Large and had a major role in the 2019 drama A Walk With Grace.

Aside from his acting work, St. John actually became a paramedic throughout the Washington D.C. area in the early 2000s. Fans of St. John may be happy to know, though, that he’ll be reprising the role of Jason in a special team-up episode for season two of Power Rangers Beast Morphers.

The 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has easily become one of the greatest classics in cinematic history. Although Peter Ostrum — who portrayed Charlie Bucket — only has this one major acting credit on his resume, it’s undoubtedly a memorable one. According to dialogue coach Frawley Becker, “Peter was a child who acted — he wasn’t a child actor.

He had none of the obvious technique, tricks, or affectations TV kid actors had… He was genuine, and his sincerity as a person shines through in his performance. He was an extremely intelligent kid, who was both self-aware and skilled.”

Although Peter Ostrum’s performance was admired by many, he turned down a three-film contract following the release of the film and ultimately left show business for a different passion. In 1984, Ostrum earned a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

He has since been working as a professional veterinarian in Upstate New York. Although Ostrum has maintained a fairly private life over the years, avoiding most interviews and publicity requests, he has been spotted at a few Wonka anniversary events more recently.

Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, Adrian Dantley — nicknamed AD — was undeniably one of the most accomplished NBA players throughout the ’80s. Not only was he a six-time All-Star and 1977 Rookie of the Year, but he was also a two-time NBA scoring champion in the span of his 15-year career.

After his time as a player ended, Dantley became a coach for high school and college ball. AD also served as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets during the mid-200s and even stepped in as head coach during the 2010 season.

Following his coaching days, Adrian Dantley became a part-time crossing guard for Maryland’s Montgomery County Public Schools and has been doing so since 2013. While that may surprise many to learn, Dantley explained during an interview that “it’s not beneath me to be a crossing guard. I think that’s what the big hoopla is about.”

He added, “Like, ‘Holy cow, what is he doing being a crossing guard? He must be broke or having hard times.’ That’s not the case at all. I just like what I’m doing.”

Charlie Korsmo’s acting career may have been short-lived but there was a point in time where he was a household name. Korsmo became well-known for his portrayal as The Kid in 1990’s Dick Tracy, an action film starring an unforgettable cast.

A year later, in 1991, Korsmo appeared in Hook as Peter Pan’s son — Jack Banning — as well as What About Bob? as the son of Richard Dreyfuss’ character. Although Korsmo appeared in a film in 2019, his last prominent role was as the supporting character of William Lichter in the 1998 film Can’t Hardly Wait.

After he gave up his career as an actor, Charlie Korsmo decided to pursue a career in law. In 2000, the former actor earned a physics degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Korsmo then went on to receive his Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School just six years later in 2006.

A year later, after he passed the New York State Bar Exam, Korsmo worked at the law firm of Sullivan and Cromwell for a period of time. He has since served as a professor at both Brooklyn Law School and Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

If you’re a basketball fan, then there’s no doubt that you’ve heard of the name Shawn Kemp. Considering he made headlines for drafting into the NBA right out of high school, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Kemp was a six-time NBA All-Star and a three time All-NBA Second Team member.

Dubbed the “Reign Man,” Kemp was one of the pillars of the Seattle Supersonics. During his final years, Kemp landed in Cleveland for three years before moving to Portland for two and finally ended with the Orlando Magic for the 2002-2003 season before retiring for good.

The first few years after leaving the NBA weren’t the best for Shawn Kemp. Although he attempted a comeback into the league for several years, he was instead twice arrested for substance possession — once in 2005 and a second time in 2006.

Over the years, though, Kemp cleaned himself up and now has turned his focus back to his dearest Seattle, where he actually advocates for the NBA to bring the Supersonics back home as they moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Kemp has also reportedly entered the restaurant business in which he owns and/or operates several businesses in the Seattle area.

The 1999 raunchy comedy American Pie was equally as cringy as it was hilarious. Some of those cringe moments can be accredited to actor Chris Owen who played “The Shermanator.” Around the time that this film came out, Owen was reaching new levels of fame.

Not only did he star in Pie but he also played in films like Can’t Hardly Wait, October Sky, and She’s All That — and this was all in less than a year! After American Pie, though, Owen was basically typecast for every role as the nerdy guy. When he began down to turn down those roles, the offers quickly dried up.

It was the early 2000s — Chris Owen was essentially out of acting work and had basically fallen off the radar. Then, in 2014, he turned back up when the New York Daily News discovered that Owen was working as a waiter at a sushi restaurant.

Before he knew it, Owen started transitioning back into the entertainment industry when he started a secondary career as a photographer. It wasn’t long after, that Owen began landing different acting gigs on both TV — like Criminal Minds — and numerous film projects set for release this year! And he’s engaged to this lovely lady!

Steven Anthony Lawrence is a former child actor that gained popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Although Lawrence had roles in different television shows including That’s So Raven, Married… With Children, ER, Frasier, and The Amanda Show, he’s actually best known as Bernard ‘Beans’ Aranguren in the popular Disney Channel show Even Stevens (2001-2003).

While he also appeared in films like Cheaper by the Dozen and Kicking & Screaming, Lawrence struggled to land acting gigs as he got older. So, what direction did he ultimately go in?

Well, believe it or not but Steven Anthony Lawrence didn’t completely give up on acting. Although Lawrence has had to work several “normal” jobs over the years, he’s still managed to get his name on three different film projects since 2015. Still, Lawrence has bills to pay.

In order to make some extra money, he actually offers acting classes to young students and “anybody that’s hungry,” Lawrence told Business Insider. He also makes occasional public appearances, for instance, when he was a Santa Claus helper at Sun Valley Mall in California.

Lisa Whelchel is an actress and singer especially known for her nine-year portrayal as the preppy and wealthy Blair Warner on the sitcom The Facts of Life. During her time on the show, Whelchel even released a contemporary Christian album All Because of You.

Although she has made a few different appearances over the years, Whelchel basically left acting once her hit show went off the air in the late ’80s. Instead, she found a different calling after becoming a born-again Christian and marrying the pastor of her church in 1988. So, where has life taken Whelchel since?

After Lisa Whelchel took a step back from acting, she went on to build quite a life for herself. While she raised her three children, she began writing about her experiences and eventually published 10 books ranging in subject matter — from motherhood to adult friendships, and more.

In 2012, after Whelchel and her husband got divorced, she stepped back into the Hollywood spotlight to compete on the CBS reality series Survivor: Philippines. Not only did she tie for second place but she was also voted fan favorite.

Erik Estrada was launched into stardom and became a household name when he played the co-starring lead role as California Highway Patrol Officer Frank Llewelyn “Ponch” Poncherello in the police drama TV series CHiPs (1977-1983). Unlike some of the other actors on this list, Estrada managed to land other projects.

Not only is he recognized for his work on Spanish-speaking telenovelas but he’s also made appearances on reality television shows as well as infomercials. In addition, Estrada even does voice acting for the Adult Swim series Sealab. Even with these gigs, though, Estada undertook an additional career in 2009.

It became evident that Erik Estrada’s time on the motorcycle left a lasting impression on him when he began making headlines worldwide in 2009. That same year, Estrada began training and studying to become a real-life police officer.

It wasn’t long before the actor became a full-time deputy sheriff in Bedford County, Virginia. In 2016, Estrada began serving as a reserve police officer in St. Anthony, Idaho. As of today, the superstar splits his time between enforcing the law and soaking in the spotlight.

When we think of Al Green, the first thing that comes to mind is the 1971 hit “Let’s Stay Together.” With songs like that and “Take Me to the River,” it’s no wonder that he was one of the most popular soul singers during the 1970s and was eventually inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

Often referred to as “The Last of the Great Soul Singers,” Green has been beloved by many since his first album was released in the late ’60s. Aside from his career as a musician, though, where has life taken this legendary man?

Al Green may have been known for his soul hits throughout the majority of his career. Still, he kept himself busy recording a number of gospel albums, one of which won Green his first Grammy Award. It wasn’t until Green was faced with a personal trauma that he turned towards the church and ultimately became an ordained pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle.

Although today most people know him as Reverend Al Green, the singer made a comeback by returning to the stage after seven years when he performed at The Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia in 2019.

Geoffrey Owens may not be the biggest name in Hollywood but it certainly was a popular one back in 1985 when he was cast as Dr. Elvin Tibideaux on the NBC hit sitcom The Cosby Show. Owens made his debut during the second season as Sondra Huxtable’s boyfriend.

The characters would soon go on to get married and by 1987, Owens became a regular character, appearing on the series — 44 episodes — until it ended 1992. While the role led to various other opportunities, Owens never really made it big after that.

Even after The Cosby Show ended, Geoffrey Owens managed to stay afloat for quite a while thanks to syndication deals. Still, Owens’ royalties inevitably dried up after the show was pulled from the air due to dozens of allegations against Bill Cosby.

In 2018, Owens was spotted and essentially “job shamed” after he was discovered working as a cashier at Trader Joe’s. Fortunately, hundreds of actors came out in support of Owens finding honest work in order to make ends meet and it wasn’t long before the acting jobs started to roll back in.

Angus T. Jones may have started acting at the age of five years old but he didn’t gain wider recognition until he was cast as Jake Harper on the CBS hit sitcom Two and a Half Men. Jones starred alongside Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer, as well as Ashton Kutcher, for the series’ entire run from 2003 to 2015.

Outside of the show, Jones never really pursued other roles aside from a small part in a television series called Horace and Pete. So, where is Jones now?

Not only was Angus T. Jones just ten years old when he landed the Two and a Half Men gig but the show also ran for 12 years. With that being said, we think it’s safe to say that fans of the show legitimately watched Jones grow up right before their eyes. Once the show ended, Jones pretty much retreated from the spotlight.

Being that he had been the highest-paid child actor on television, Jones can easily take a little hiatus from acting. Instead, he was reported to have partnered with Puff Daddy’s son, Justin, in an event planning business.

If you grew up in the ’70s or ’80s, then there’s a pretty good chance you recognize the name, Phoebe Cates. Cates was essentially launched into stardom in 1982 thanks to the iconic pool scene from a film we all know as Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

After the release of that coming-of-age movie, Cates landed other roles in teen comedies and small budget films. It wasn’t until Cates married her now-husband — Kevin Kline — that she stepped out of the spotlight to adopt a more traditional lifestyle.

While Phoebe Cates met award-winning actor Kevin Kline in 1983, the two wouldn’t get married until 1989. Once the lovebirds settled down and started a family together, motherhood became a big enough responsibility for Cates that she decided to quit acting altogether.

Today, the former actress is still happily married. She also owns and operates a boutique store called Blue Tree. The shop is located in New York City on the Upper West Side and it sells everything from women’s clothing to jewelry and more…

Gene Hackman is a retired actor that, after years of struggling with small-time roles on television and Broadway productions, eventually earned wider recognition for his role in the movie Lilith. It was this film that led Hackman to other opportunities including an Oscar-nominated role in the biographical film Bonnie and Clyde.

Before retiring from acting in 2004, Hackman would not only go on to star in 100 films but he would also win an Academy Award for The French Connection. What we’re wondering, though, is what Hackman got up to after he stepped away from acting.

There’s no denying Gene Hackman’s talent. After all, the actor earned two Oscars and garnered five Academy Awards during a career that spanned six decades. Still, while Hackman may have thought he found his true calling in acting, he ended up discovering a new passion — writing.

Hackman has written three historical fiction novels including Wake of the Perdido Star, Justice for None, and Escape from Andersonville. It was until 2011 that Hackman’s first solo effort, titled Payback at Morning Peak, was released. Pursuit, a police thriller, followed in 2013.

Ali MacGraw first gained attention for her Golden Globe Award winning-portrayal in the 1969 film Goodbye, Columbus. Just a year later, MacGraw was nominated for an Academy Award and won another Golden Globe for her performance in the 1970 movie Love Story.

This newfound fame helped the actress land starring roles in popular action and comedy films. With all of this success in such a short amount of time, MacGraw’s Hollywood career was undoubtedly promising, that is until something else called her name…

Despite the fact that Ali MacGraw was already 30 years old by the time she landed her first Hollywood gig, the actress was launched into the spotlight the minute she made her mark. Throughout the 1980s, MacGraw starred in several different films and television series.

Then, tragedy struck when McGraw’s Malibu house burnt down in a wildfire in 1993. It was at that point that MacGraw moved to New Mexico and actually began utilizing yoga throughout her workout routines. Yoga quickly became a passion in which MacGraw was even featured in a video with yoga master Erich Schiffmann. Today, MacGraw is a full-time yoga instructor.

If you were an ’80s or ’90s kid, then we can assume that The Sandlot was one of your favorite movies. Benjamin “Benny the Jet” Rodriguez, played by Mike Vitar, was a character beloved by all. We mean, let’s be real here — every gal wanted to date him and every guy wanted to be him.

In any event, this coming-of-age baseball film was a box office hit that ultimately helped Vitar become a successful child actor. Not only did he star in The Mighty Ducks sequels but he also appeared in television series’ including NYPD Blue and Chicago Hope.

After playing the baseball-obsessed hero in The Sandlot and finding success in other acting gigs, Mike Vitar decided to step out of the spotlight and go in a different direction. That’s when the child actor trained and was accepted into the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Still, even with this accomplishment, things haven’t always been smooth sailing for Vitar. In 2015, after getting charged for attacking a man on Halloween, Vitar was sentenced to a year of anger management courses and 90-day community service.

Vanilla Ice may as well be apart of the dictionary at this point considering that everyone from baby boomers to millennials easily have heard of the name. It’s thanks to his Billboard chart-topping “Ice, Ice Baby” that Vanilla Ice became a household name.

Still, it wasn’t long after this newfound success that Ice revealed his regrets about his business arrangements with record producer SBK who published fabricated biographical information without Ice’s knowledge. Although this made Ice nearly take his own life, he was still able to turn things around, though his career would never be the same…

Vanilla Ice basically became a one-hit wonder in the music business after blaming his management company, SKB, for the over-commercialized look and style of his music. Luckily, the royalties from his hit “Ice, Ice Baby” song were enough for the artist to try his hand out in other business ventures.

Today, Ice primarily flips houses — buying rundown or foreclosed homes, fixing them up, and reselling them for higher value — on the Discovery Channel show The Vanilla Ice Project.

Remembered for his wild and energetic stage persona, David Lee Roth was the leading man of popular ’80s rock band Van Halen. Although they had become one of the most successful rock acts, Roth often clashed with guitarist Eddie Van Halen and ultimately left the group in 1985 to pursue a solo career.

In 1996, Roth briefly reunited with Van Halen but it was only in 2007 that this arrangement had become more permanent. During the next nine years, the band not only went on three tours but they also released a studio album and live concert recording.

Aside from rocking out with the band, what else does David Lee Roth do? Well, in 2012, the singer-songwriter began broadcasting a video webcast — called The Roth Show — on both his YouTube channel and iTunes. In the show, Roth speaks about a range of different topics from making music videos with Van Halen to tattoos.

In 2018, Roth partnered with tattoo artist Ami James to create INK the Original, which is a full line of skincare products to protect tattooed skin. Roth got the idea after spending more than 300 hours getting tattooed in Japan between 2013 and 2014.

Stanley Kirk Burrell may not ring a bell but anyone and everyone that knows anything about pop culture has heard of the name, MC Hammer. With hits like “U Can’t Touch This,” the multi-award-winning rapper was able to reach the peak of his success during the ’80s and ’90s.

Today, Hammer is considered a pioneer and innovator of pop-rap. Aside from music, Hammer has been associated with various other business ventures and is known as a popular web mogul and activist.

MC Hammer is known to frequently post about his life and activities via his blog, which is called “Look, Look, Look.” He also posts on other social websites including Facebook, Twitter, and even MySpace. Hammer describes himself as a “super geek” who’s actively consulting for or investing in eight different technological companies.

According to the rapper himself, he spends 10 to 12 hours a day working on his technology projects and is known to tweet as much as 30 to 40 times a day.