Sarah Michelle Gellar – Author, Cook
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star got her start in Hollywood at five years old. By the time she was 21, Gellar was the star of a hit TV show and had played roles in memorable horror flicks I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Scream 2.
Gellar has been away from acting for several years making cameo roles in the Big Bang Theory as herself in 2019 and reprising her role as Kathryn in the 2016 failed television series, Cruel Intentions. She has turned her focus to other business ventures including writing her own cookbook, Stirring Up Food with Fun, in 2017.
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Gene Hackman – Writer
Believe it or not, Hackman made his on-screen debut in 1961 in a movie called Mad Dog Coll when he was 31 years old. The now 90-year-old has starred in several classics from The French Connection, to Hoosiers, to The Royal Tenenbaums — among other hit films from the decades in-between.
Hackman called it quits officially in 2017 with his last credited role as a narrator in a television documentary titled We, The Marines. Hackman is now a novelist with five books written to his name.
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Danielle Fishel – Reporter
Fishel is best known for playing the resident ‘girl next door’ in the popular sitcom Boy Meets World. Fishel played the role of the quirky and likable Topanga Lawrence with flawless precision. Though the show did quite well, and Fishel’s performance was often impressive, her career didn’t take off in the manner many originally hoped it would.
Fishel starred in several low-budget productions before finally resurfacing in the spiritual successor to BMW with Girl Meets World. She stayed busy in other ventures during the break from playing Topanga, working as a reporter for the media company PopSugar.
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Jon Gosselin – DJ, Line-cook, Stripper
Jon of Jon & Kate Plus 8 was one-half of the married couple whose lives at home with eight kids were featured on a reality show broadcast on TLC. Following a heated divorce, Gosselin was taken off the show and became estranged to his eight offspring.
During the time off the show, Gosselin took up many jobs. He first began installing solar panels while working for GreenPointe Energy. He took up a waiting job in Pennsylvania. To pick up some extra dough, Gosselin has also worked as a DJ, a line cook, and even, a stripper.
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Ali MacGraw – Activist
When Ali MacGraw played the iconic role of Jennifer Cavalleri in 1970’s Love Story, it was automatically assumed that she was destined for a career of stardom. The then 31-year-old took an interesting swerve, taking a step away from her acting career and choosing a low-profile style of living.
MacGraw only took a handful of acting jobs for the remainder of her career, and decided to battle for many worthy causes instead. She became a strong voice in the fight for animal rights, and also took up working as a yoga instructor.
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Kirk Cameron – Minister
Cameron’s acting career was already several years old by the time he earned the role of Mike Seaver on ABC’s Growing Pains, but it’s the role most would come to know him by. Cameron would play the role of the charismatic Mike for eight years, literally “growing” as both a person and as an actor in front of America’s eyes.
After a failed spin-off and a couple of other blunders, Cameron had basically left acting entirely by the time he was 30 years old. Cameron’s career is now as a minister within the Christian church.
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Jack Gleeson – Student
Every great show needs to have a villain the audience loves to hate. Look no further than Gleeson’s unforgettable rendition of King Joffrey Baratheon on HBO’s Game of Thrones as an example. Gleeson’s character was an evil menace and fans tuned in each week in hopes of seeing Joffrey’s ultimate downfall. When his character’s arc had finally ended, audiences rejoiced when the King met his demise.
Gleeson’s portrayal of the cruel sociopath was magnificent and truly showed off the young actors skill to play such an unlikable character. Unfortunately, Gleeson hasn’t shown much interest in continuing his acting career at the moment. Gleeson retired from acting to continue his studies at Trinity College in Dublin.
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Dylan Sprouse – Brewer
The kid who was left at Adam Sandler’s doorstep in Big Daddy was actually played by two actors who went on to have a fairly powerful career together. After sharing the role in Big Daddy, Dylan and Cole Sprouse furthered their celebrity by co-starring on Disney’s The Suite Life of Zach and Cody. Cole, who played Cody on the show, has stayed in the acting world most notably playing the role of Jughead on Riverdale.
Dylan, on the other hand, hasn’t been nearly as active of an actor as his brother. He prefers a more low-key lifestyle as a brewery owner in New York.
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Phoebe Cates – Shop Owner
An 18-year-old Cates took the world by storm as one of the breakout stars in the 80s flick Fast Times at Ridgemont High. She continued her relevance in the decade with a starring role in Gremlins and its sequel. Following her appearances in a few low-budget films as well as on Broadway, Cates quietly stepped away from acting during the mid-1990s.
Since her exit, Cates has devoted her time to raising a family. She has been married to fellow actor Kevin Kline since 1989 and the couple have two children together. Cates also operates and owns her own boutique store in New York City.
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Macaulay Culkin – Singer, Website CEO
Culkin became one of the most famous kid actors in the world after playing Kevin McAllister in Home Alone. The celeb-over-night treatment wound up being harmful to Culkin, as he spiraled in the public eye and saw his acting career take a major tumble.
Now 39 years old, Culkin has done a fairly solid job of rehabilitating his image and showing he has talents and interests in several other areas. He’s the CEO of a successful website called Bunny Ears and also served as a vocalist in a band named the Pizza Underground.
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Mara Wilson – Playwright
Wilson’s first credited movie role was a memorable one, playing the role of young Nattie in the 1993 Robin Williams-led classic Mrs. Doubtfire. A few years later, Wilson starred opposite Danny DeVito as the title character in Matilda. Those two films made Wilson one of the biggest child stars of the 90s, and like many child stars before her Wilson elected to step away from the acting world at young age and pursue other interests.
Wilson took up writing as a career after calling her acting career quits. She’s written for several websites and even penned her own play which was featured at the New York International Fringe Festival.
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Taran Noah Smith – Business and Restaurant Owner
Perhaps best known for his role playing the youngest son of Tim “the Toolman” Taylor on Home Improvement, Smith was in front of the public eye from a very young age. Smith was just seven years old when he took the role of Mark. The show ended in 1999 and Smith had appeared in 201 episodes. By the time the show had concluded, Smith had essentially called his acting career quits.
Since being away, Smith founded his own company and even opened up a vegan restaurant named Playfood. He also works as a technical manager for the Community Submersibles Project where he teaches people how to pilot submarines.
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Angus T. Jones – Media Company Management Team
Jones of Two and a half Men fame took on the role of Jake Harper in 2003 and appeared in 11 of 12 seasons of the hit show before it finally concluded in 2015. Jones has just over 10 acting credits to his name despite being active within the world since he was just five years old in 1999.
Following his run on the show, Jones attended the University of Colorado Boulder to further his studies. He eventually joined the management team at a multimedia company named Tonite — which was founded by Justin Combs, the son of rap mogul Sean “P Diddy” Combs.
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Danny Lloyd – Biology Teacher
Danny Lloyd freaked everyone out when he shined as young Danny Torrance in the film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining. Lloyd had incredible gifts — both his character in the movie and as a a child actor — playing the son of famed actor Jack Nicholson. His short but memorable acting career would end after The Shining, as he has just one other credited film role to his name.
Before making a cameo appearance in Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep — 38 years in between acting roles — Lloyd has found work as a biology teacher at a community college in Kentucky.
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Vanilla Ice – House Flipper
“Ice, Ice, Baby” was a popular song in the 90s and played on radios across the country. The artist behind the catchy tune was Vanilla Ice, an edgy Texas-based rapper whose unique style made him stand out among the sea of artists during the time. Ice wound up releasing six studio albums over his musical career, but was never able to follow up the success of his original smash hit.
The infamous one-hit wonder floundered towards the latter part of his career after releasing several unsuccessful records and making poor life choices. Realizing his downfall within the industry, Ice chose to pursue another career and began studying real estate and became a house flipper.
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Lisa and Louise Burns – Lawyer and Scientist
The ghostly twins were downright terrifying during their brief appearances in Stephen King’s The Shining. However — much like every other cast member who wasn’t named Jack Nicholson — Lisa and Louise Burns didn’t exactly branch off and become big stars following their roles. In fact, The Shining is the last ever credited role for either twin, as they decided to step away from acting and follow other paths in their careers.
Today, the 52-year-old twins mostly keep to themselves and keep a relatively low-profile across social media. However, if you want to keep tabs on them you can find updates of Lisa and Louise on their joint Twitter account which they opened together in 2013.
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Mike Vitar – Firefighter
Every kid wanted to be like Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez growing up. He was great at baseball, effortlessly cool, and had immaculate style — from the Dodgers cap to the patented P.F. Flyers sneakers. Vitar played the role of “The Jet” in 1993’s The Sandlot, a classic baseball film which has withstood the test of time as one of the all-time great sports movies. Vitar would go on to act just four more times — two of those credits including starring in sequels of the Mighty Ducks series — before making his last appearance in 1997 on the television series Chicago Hope.
Since 2002, Vitar has been a member of the Los Angeles Fire Department. In 2015, Vitar was charged with a misdemeanor for battery after him and a group of neighbors assaulted (and later subdued) a man named Samuel Chang on Halloween night. The group of offenders claimed that Chang was handing out candy laced with drugs to children on the block. Vitar later pleaded no contest and faced no jail time.
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Geena Davis – Activist
Davis was all over film screens during the 1980s. She began gaining steam co-starring opposite Jeff Goldblum in 1986’s sci-fi/horror The Fly. Her immediate next film role was playing Barbara in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice. That very same year, Davis struck gold again playing the role of Muriel Prichett in The Accidental Tourist — she would later be awarded the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role. Davis would go on to receive another Academy nomination for her role as Thelma in Thelma & Louise.
Davis has stayed active throughout the years, most notably appearing in 13 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy over the years. However, Davis seems to prefer using her time as an activist. The star of A League of Their Own founded a foundation called SeeJane.org which was built to help build awareness and promote gender equality within sports and entertainment.
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Peter Ostrum – Veternarian
Ostrum found the golden ticket when he was awarded the role of Charlie Bucket in the timeless 1971 classic, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Ostrum was just 12 years old when he was selected for the role, and had minimal acting experience leading up to the part. After the film was done, Ostrum opted to decline signing a contract to appear in more films, completely removing himself from the film business entirely.
Ostrum’s first and last film made him a child star, though he didn’t seem to appreciate the limelight all too much. He has mostly shied away from interviews as it pertains to the film, and only opened up about his role when a remake of the film was released in 2005. The retired actor became a large animal veterinarian instead.
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Nikki Blonsky – Hair Stylist
Blonsky burst onto the scene when she overwhelmed audiences with her powerful vocals as Tracy Turnblad in the 2007 musical Hairspray. Her performance was widely praised as Blonsky received multiple awards and nominations including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. Most impressively, Hairspray was Blonsky’s first ever credited role in film.
And, wouldn’t you know it? The former Hairspray actress is now a hair stylist residing in New York. She previously used to work as a stylist in between jobs, but with her acting opportunities dwindling she decided to take it up as a full-time career.
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MC Hammer – Minister
1989 was ‘Hammertime’ after Oakland rapper MC Hammer (real name Stanley Kirk Burrell) dropped one of the biggest hits of the decade, “U Can’t Touch This.” The up-beat track spawned a cultural wave as people adopted the catchphrase and began using it all across the country.
Hammer rode the wave for quite some time and had some other successful records along the way, but eventually fell on hard times and even filed bankruptcy at one point. Today, Hammer has picked himself back up and become a minister. In 2010, Hammer produced and co-starred in a film titled 1040, which detailed the growth of Christianity in Asian countries.
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Freddie Prinze Jr. – WWE Producer, Author
This 90s heartthrob seemed destined for stardom after several leading roles prior to the New Millenium. Prinze Jr. shined in I Know What You Did Last Summer, She’s All That, and Scooby-Doo. However, after a few bombs in the box office, Prinze decided to shift to more of a television focus and did some voiceover work on a couple of animated series.
Prinze decided that a role behind the scenes suited him better than a leading spot. A devout pro wrestling fan, Prinze snagged a job at the WWE as a producer for one of its top shows. He worked there for five years before leaving. Since the WWE, Prinze has entered the culinary world and even released his own cookbook.
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Karyn Parsons – Novelist
Parsons played the high-maintence and always fashionable Hilary Banks on the classic sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Parsons appeared in all six seasons of the hit show which ended in 1996. Following the show’s ending, Parsons didn’t exactly shine in her roles which proceeded. She landed a couple of lead roles in failed television shows, and appeared in a handful of lower-budget films before exiting the acting world in 2002.
Today, Parsons is the mother of two children with her husband Alexandre Rockwell. In 2019, Parsons published her first novel titled How High the Moon.
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Josh Saviano – Lawyer
Saviano is best known for his role as Paul Pfieffer, the book-smart best friend of Kevin Arnold on the late 80s/early 90s coming-of-age show The Wonder Years. Turns out, The Wonder Years would wind up being just one of a few projects Saviano would ever work on as an actor. Following the show’s run, Saviano took 12 years off before starring as himself in a documentary. In 2014, he finally made his return to acting appearing in three episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Saviano lived up to his character Paul’s brainy persona as he went on to study political science at the prestigious Yale University. He worked as a paralegal before joining the Morrison Cohen LLP law firm. He would go on to leave Morrison Cohen in 2015 and founded two start-ups — JDS Legal and Act 3 Advisors.
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Charlie Korsmo – College Professor
After playing the aptly-named character Kid in Dick Tracy, Korsmo hit it big securing the role of the lovable Jack in the 1991 film Hook. The young Korsmo’s impressive performance earned him heaps of praise. Though Korsmo appeared ready for even bigger roles, he stepped away from the acting world and appeared in just one movie in-between his role in Hook and his 2019 reemergence in Chained for Life.
Korsmo hasn’t struggled to find work elsewhere. Korsmo earned a degree in physics from MIT and later went to Yale University to become a lawyer. He’s now a professor of corporate law and finance at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland.
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