We all wish to experience fame at some point in time. Looking at famous actors and singers who can have everything they want with their fame makes us envious. From a large house, luxury brand items to decadent travel, fame seems to give a dream life.
However, underneath the glorious life of fame, there are so many complications, fatigue, and even unbelievable scarification. There are many celebrities who surprise us with the fierce stories they experience behind their fame. That’s why many of them gave up fame for normal jobs, while many others are doing anything to earn fame.
In this post, we enlist 15 celebrities who walked away from fame to pursue other jobs. From Oscar winner Geena Davis, remarkable child star Mara Wilson to reality show big star Jon Gosselin, they all have reasons to quit their famous gigs and work a normal job like most of us.
#1 Geena Davis
Source: Instagram
Geena Davis is known for her impressive roles in major movies such as A League of Their Own, Thelma & Louis, etc… She received an Oscar award for her supporting role in The Accidental Tourist (1988). Along with acting, she also tried out for the Olympics, and also became a supporter of the Women's Sports Foundation and an advocate for Title IX, an Act of Congress.
Currently, she has just a few small roles in movies. She focuses on her work in the non-profit sector, running the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.
#2 Kara Keough Bosworth
Source: Instagram
Kara Keough Bosworth was a child actor, she starred in Outbreak (1995) and Implicated (1999). She became more recognizable when she joined the Real Housewives of Orange County. Kara appeared in around 35 episodes, yet she hasn't been in the media since 2013. Since that time, she attended college, married, and had children. She now lives in Florida and holds the position of marketing manager at a large corporation.
#3 Jo De La Rosa
Source: Instagram
Like Kara, Jo De La Rosa is also a star of Real Housewives of Orange County. She also joined a spin-off show that centers around her post-Housewives dating life. Currently, she works in advertising for a brand consulting firm.
#4 Al Green
Source: Instagram
Although Al Green is the author of some of the best baby-making songs ever, especially "Let's Stay Together" and "Love and Happiness". Since 1976, he’s been making his living as a minister. He started and appears to still preach at a church in Memphis.
#5 Mara Wilson
Source: Instagram
Mara Wilson is one of the fortunate child actors who made the transition to adulthood without causing any significant public problems. After appearing in beloved movies like Mrs. Doubtfire and Matilda, she took a break from acting and started writing. She has also penned several essays and a book that has received positive reviews.
#6 Danny Pintauro
Source: Instagram
In a recent interview with People, Danny Pintauro stated that he is "much happier as a person with no secrets". Pintauro, who has come out as gay, is in treatment for drugs and is no longer a child star. And the formerly famous actor, who rose to stardom on the venerable sitcom Who's the Boss?, is currently employed in Texas as a veterinary technician.
#7 Ali MacGraw
Source: Instagram
From the late 1960s until the early 1970s, Ali MacGraw enjoyed great success as an actress, earning two Golden Globe Awards and an Oscar nomination. She decided to give up acting to focus on a career in yoga, releasing several popular yoga DVDs. She currently lives in New Mexico and is an animal rights supporter.
#8 Geoffrey Owens
Source: GETTY
The Cosby Show actor Geoffrey Owens briefly went viral when pictures of him working at Trader Joe's surfaced online several years ago. For that, he got some comments mocking him. This sparked a bigger conversation about how we value work and how challenging it is to succeed as a working actor. Many famous stars came out in favor of Geoffrey, who also earns a living by instructing theater classes, and this helped to rally the public.
#9 Michael Schoeffling
Source: Instagram
Michael Schoeffling is well-known for his role as Jake Ryan in Pretty in Pink. He is now living a private life and working as a furniture maker.
#10 Mike Vitar
Source: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Mike Vitar, one of the endearing child stars from The Mighty Ducks and The Sandlot, was ready to make the leap from child actor to adolescent TV hottie, but in 1997 he gave up acting to work as an EMT and a firefighter.
#11 Erik Estrada
Source: Instagram
In the 1970s and 1980s, Erik Estrada was a prominent TV star, well-known for his role as a police officer in the series CHiPs. He eventually pursued a career in law enforcement, in a case of life mimicking art. He has experience working for three law enforcement organizations and spent eight years in Virginia looking into online crimes against children.
#12 Willa Ford
Source: Instagram
Willa Ford was a pop diva at the height of the Britney Spears/Christina Aguilera/Jessica Simpson era. Willa is no longer living the life of a music video star, but her song "I Wanna Be Bad" is still a terrific banger. She currently owns her own business and works as an interior designer.
#13 Rick Moranis
Source: Ron Galella, Ltd./Contributor/Getty Images
In the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s, Rick Moranis had a hectic acting career, appearing in blockbuster comedies like Spaceballs and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. He gave up acting in 1991, then devoted his whole time to be a single dad to his two kids after his wife passed away from cancer. There are some indications that he might be open to fame once more now that his children are adults. He recently agreed to play a role in the upcoming movie Shrunk.
#14 Vanilla Ice
Source: Instagram
Even though he occasionally makes appearances on reality TV shows like Dancing With the Stars and in concerts, Vanilla Ice primarily earns his income through house restoration and interior design, including developing his own brand of lighting fixtures.
#15 Jon Gosselin
Source: Instagram
Beginning with Jon & Kate Plus 8, Jon Gosselin was for many years one of the nation's most beloved reality TV dads. With his then-wife Kate's high-energy, high-nagging style of marriage and parenting their eight children, he appeared to be the cool one. Then, of course, the marriage broke down, the show was canceled, and Jon and Kate's situation appeared to become quite difficult. Jon now appears to be more grounded and performs side jobs as a DJ while working in IT services for Amazon.