Black Child Stars Now Working Regular Jobs (Where Are They?)

Many former child actors step away from sets and soundstages and build everyday careers far from the spotlight. Some move into licensed professions that require years of training while others take on steady work in fields like real estate or security. Their paths show how early fame can give way to practical choices and second chapters. Here is where several Black child stars landed after leaving the industry.

Gary Coleman

Best known for his child stardom on ‘Diff’rent Strokes’, Gary Coleman later worked multiple non-entertainment jobs to maintain steady income. He held shifts as a security guard and took other hourly work between occasional media appearances. He also pursued public service efforts and side ventures to stabilize finances. His later years reflected a transition to reliable paychecks outside Hollywood.

Ross Bagley

Ross Bagley who played Nicky on ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ pivoted into real estate after his early acting run. He earned professional credentials and began representing buyers and sellers in the Los Angeles area. Client work included showings negotiations and transaction paperwork typical of residential agents. He has continued to balance property work with selective appearances tied to his nostalgic fan base.

Danielle Spencer

Danielle Spencer who starred as a child on ‘What’s Happening!!’ trained to become a veterinarian after leaving acting. She completed the required academic coursework and clinical hours to qualify for practice. Her work has included small-animal medicine with responsibilities such as exams diagnostics and preventive care plans. This career shift placed her in a licensed medical role serving community pet owners. She unfortunately died in 2025 at the age of 60.

Shavar Ross

Shavar Ross known from ‘Diff’rent Strokes’ moved into faith and community service roles after his youth acting career. He founded a ministry and took on responsibilities typical of pastoral leadership such as outreach and youth mentorship. He also built small business ventures and creative projects that operated outside mainstream Hollywood. His post-show path centered on local service entrepreneurship and family life.

Billie Thomas

Billie Thomas the child actor behind Buckwheat in ‘Our Gang’ later served in the U.S. Army and then built a behind-the-scenes technical career. After military service he worked for a major film laboratory handling processing tasks that keep motion-picture workflows running. The job focused on precision equipment quality checks and deliveries for studio clients. His adult life was anchored by stable technical work rather than on-camera roles.

Vanessa Baden

Vanessa Baden who appeared as a child on ‘Gullah Gullah Island’ and ‘Kenan & Kel’ stepped into professional roles off camera in adulthood. She developed writing and production skills that translated to office-based work managing schedules budgets and scripts. Between creative projects she held day-job responsibilities common to media operations including team coordination and deliverables tracking. Her career illustrates a move from acting to structured roles that keep content pipelines moving.

Rodney Allen Rippy

Rodney Allen Rippy who became famous from fast food commercials as a child built a career in marketing and public relations. He took roles coordinating community outreach advertising placements and promotional events for businesses. His work included account management budget tracking and vendor coordination typical of campaign operations. He also launched small business ventures that handled branding projects for local clients.

Allen Hoskins

Allen Hoskins known as Farina from ‘Our Gang’ later served in the U.S. Army and then moved into medical support work. He held positions at a veterans hospital where duties involved patient care assistance equipment handling and ward procedures. He also participated in community programs that supported children with disabilities through workshops and advocacy events. His adult career centered on steady institutional roles within healthcare and social services.

Sunshine Sammy Morrison

Ernest Morrison a pioneering Black child star from ‘Our Gang’ transitioned to industrial work after his screen career. He joined a major aerospace manufacturer in an assembly and technician capacity focusing on parts fabrication inspection and shop safety protocols. The job required shift work adherence to production schedules and coordination with quality control staff. He later held other unionized roles that provided stable wages and benefits outside entertainment.

Ralph Carter

Ralph Carter who performed on ‘Good Times’ as a teen shifted to faith and local community work in adulthood. He served as a church music leader with responsibilities such as arranging rehearsals scheduling performances and managing choir administration. Outside the arts he pursued real estate activities that involved property showings contract preparation and client follow up. His professional life emphasized consistent community engagement and licensed transactional work.

Share who else you have seen switch from childhood fame to everyday careers in the comments.