Actors Who Swapped Fame for Normal Jobs

Plenty of performers step out of the spotlight for a while, but some make a real pivot—trading sets and red carpets for day jobs that look a lot like everyone else’s. The reasons vary: family, new interests, or just the pull of a different kind of work. What’s striking is how many of these shifts became long-term careers rather than temporary detours.

Below are actors who moved into everyday professions—from veterinary medicine and law to carpentry and cosmetology—and built solid second acts. Where helpful, you’ll see the projects that made them recognizable before they changed lanes.

Peter Ostrum

Best known as Charlie Bucket from ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’, Peter Ostrum left acting after his debut and chose veterinary medicine instead. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and has practiced for decades at Countryside Veterinary Clinic in Lowville, New York, focusing largely on dairy cattle and farm practice.

Ostrum has spoken to students about career changes and sometimes participates in agriculture-focused education. Outside occasional interviews about ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’, his professional life centers on herd health, production medicine, and the day-to-day work of a rural veterinarian.

Danny Lloyd

Danny Lloyd, who played Danny Torrance in ‘The Shining’, stepped away from acting as a child and later pursued academia. He teaches biology at Elizabethtown Community & Technical College in Kentucky.

Lloyd’s work involves undergraduate instruction, labs, and student advising rather than film sets or fan conventions. He rarely engages in media appearances about ‘The Shining’, keeping his focus on teaching and campus life.

Jeff Cohen

After playing Chunk in ‘The Goonies’, Jeff Cohen went to law school and became an entertainment attorney. He co-founded the Los Angeles firm Cohen Gardner LLP, representing writers, directors, and performers.

Cohen’s legal work includes contract negotiations, rights deals, and career guidance for clients across film and television. His career occasionally intersects with his past—he has represented fellow former child actors—yet his full-time role is unequivocally on the legal side of the industry.

Michael Schoeffling

Michael Schoeffling, remembered as Jake Ryan from ‘Sixteen Candles’, left acting and built a career in woodworking. He runs a small furniture business in Pennsylvania, producing custom, handcrafted pieces.

Rather than publicity tours, Schoeffling’s schedule revolves around sourcing lumber, joinery, finishing, and commissions. His work travels by word-of-mouth and local clientele, and he keeps a notably low profile outside the workshop.

Josh Saviano

Josh Saviano, who played Paul Pfeiffer on ‘The Wonder Years’, became an attorney after graduating from college and law school. He practiced corporate and intellectual-property law in New York.

Saviano later launched Spotlight Advisory Group, a consulting firm that helps artists, creators, and brands with business strategy and partnerships. While he occasionally appears in media tied to ‘The Wonder Years’, his day-to-day is client work, deal structure, and brand development.

Lisa Jakub

Known for roles in ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ and ‘Independence Day’, Lisa Jakub stepped away from acting to focus on writing and mental-health advocacy. She’s authored books about navigating life after child stardom and anxiety.

Jakub is also a certified yoga teacher and has led workshops centered on mindfulness and well-being. Her work involves teaching, speaking, and community programs rather than auditions or set calls tied to ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ or ‘Independence Day’.

Nikki Blonsky

After leading ‘Hairspray’, Nikki Blonsky trained as a cosmetologist and has worked as a hairstylist and makeup artist. She’s taken appointments at salons on Long Island and freelanced for events and photo shoots.

Blonsky still pops up for the occasional screen or stage project connected to ‘Hairspray’, but her primary professional activity has included coloring, cuts, styling, and makeup services for everyday clients—classic cosmetology work outside showbusiness.

Ariana Richards

Ariana Richards, who played Lex Murphy in ‘Jurassic Park’, shifted into fine art and established herself as a professional painter. She studied art formally and runs a studio practice, exhibiting portraits and landscapes.

Richards sells original works and commissions, participates in juried shows, and maintains client relationships through galleries and private collectors. While people remember her from ‘Jurassic Park’, her full-time focus is the craft and business of painting.

Phoebe Cates

After roles in ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ and ‘Gremlins’, Phoebe Cates stepped back from acting and launched Blue Tree, a boutique on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The shop carries gifts, accessories, and curated fashion.

Cates handles buying, curation, and the daily operations associated with retail—inventory, merchandising, staff, and customers. Though fans know her from ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ and ‘Gremlins’, her work life is anchored in storefront retail and small-business management.

Charlie Korsmo

Charlie Korsmo, seen in ‘Hook’ and ‘Dick Tracy’, earned a law degree and transitioned into academia. He is a law professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, teaching subjects like corporate law and securities regulation.

Korsmo has also served in public-policy roles and worked in legal practice. His routine is centered on scholarship, lectures, advising law students, and committee work rather than casting calls related to ‘Hook’ or ‘Dick Tracy’.

Michael C. Maronna

Michael Maronna—Big Pete from ‘The Adventures of Pete & Pete’—built a career as a professional electrician in New York. He’s worked on commercial sets and in the grip/electrical departments that keep productions running safely.

Maronna’s responsibilities involve power distribution, lighting setups, and on-site safety—trade skills that support shoots without putting him in front of the camera. While he still engages with fans of ‘The Adventures of Pete & Pete’, his day job is technical, hands-on work.

Andrew Shue

Andrew Shue, known for ‘Melrose Place’, shifted into entrepreneurship and nonprofit leadership. He co-founded DoSomething, which supports youth volunteerism, and later co-founded media and community platforms in the digital space.

Shue’s roles have included fundraising, organizational strategy, and product development—tasks typical of founders rather than actors. The work is operational and mission-driven, separate from his recognition tied to ‘Melrose Place’.

Share the names you’d add to this list in the comments!