15 Celebrities Who Gave Up Acting and Why They Left

Hollywood’s glitz often seems like a dream, but for some, the spotlight comes with costs that outweigh the fame. Many actors, despite success, choose to step away, trading red carpets for quieter lives or new passions.

Here are 15 celebrities who left acting behind, each with their own reasons for turning their backs on the screen. From personal priorities to disillusionment, their stories reveal why they chose a different path.

Amanda Bynes

Amanda Bynes lit up the ‘90s with ‘The Amanda Show’ (1999-2002) and films like ‘She’s the Man’ (2006). But after personal struggles, including mental health challenges and substance abuse, she stepped away in 2010.

Bynes has since focused on recovery and studying fashion at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. She’s expressed openness to acting again but prioritizes her well-being and new creative outlets.

Bridget Fonda

Bridget Fonda, part of the Fonda acting dynasty, starred in ‘90s hits like ‘Single White Female’ (1992) and ‘Jackie Brown’ (1997). She quietly left acting in 2002, choosing a private life with her husband, composer Danny Elfman.

Fonda’s decision stemmed from wanting to escape Hollywood’s pressures and focus on family. She’s avoided the spotlight since, embracing a low-key life away from Tinseltown.

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz was a ‘90s and 2000s icon in films like ‘The Mask’ (1994) and ‘There’s Something About Mary’ (1998). She retired in 2014 to focus on her personal life and family with husband Benji Madden.

Diaz told Kevin Hart in 2021 she wanted control over her life, feeling acting consumed her. She’s since written books and launched a wine brand, though she returned briefly for ‘Back in Action’ (2025).

Cary Grant

Cary Grant, the suave star of classics like ‘North by Northwest’ (1959), retired in 1966 at 62 to focus on fatherhood. He felt the roles offered, like grandfathers or bums, lacked the excitement of his earlier career.

Grant chose family over fame, prioritizing his daughter’s upbringing. He never returned to acting, finding greater fulfillment in his personal life.

Danny Lloyd

Danny Lloyd played young Danny in ‘The Shining’ (1980), unaware it was a horror film during shooting. At six, he left acting after this iconic role, choosing a normal childhood over Hollywood.

Now a biology professor in Kentucky, Lloyd told The Mirror in 2013 that acting wasn’t his passion. He’s content with his quiet life as a veterinarian and educator.

Freddie Prinze Jr.

Freddie Prinze Jr. ruled teen films with ‘She’s All That’ (1999) and ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ (1997). He left acting in the early 2000s to explore wrestling production with WWE and later cooking.

Prinze released a cookbook, ‘Back to the Kitchen’ (2016), and focuses on family. He told Cosmopolitan in 2016 that he preferred creative control over acting’s unpredictability.

Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman, an Oscar winner for ‘The French Connection’ (1971), retired after ‘Welcome to Mooseport’ (2004), a flop that soured his love for acting. He was tired of uninspiring roles for older men.

Hackman now writes historical fiction, like ‘Escape From Andersonville’. His friend Michael Caine told The Telegraph in 2019 that Hollywood stopped offering him compelling parts.

Greta Garbo

Greta Garbo, an Old Hollywood legend, starred in ‘Ninotchka’ (1939) before retiring at 35 after ‘Two-Faced Woman’ (1941) flopped. She felt the studio mishandled her comedic shift, crushing her confidence.

Garbo chose a reclusive life, avoiding public appearances. She told friends the industry ‘dug her grave’ with poor roles, preferring privacy over fame.

Heather Donahue

Heather Donahue became a star with ‘The Blair Witch Project’ (1999), but its success typecast her. She struggled to find meaningful roles and felt disconnected from acting’s impact.

In her 2012 memoir ‘GrowGirl’, Donahue shared she left to pursue marijuana farming in California. She found more fulfillment in this unconventional path than in Hollywood.

Jack Gleeson

Jack Gleeson’s chilling Joffrey in ‘Game of Thrones’ (2011-2014) made him a star, but he hated the celebrity lifestyle. After his character’s death, he quit acting to study philosophy and theology.

Gleeson told Woman and Home in 2024 he’s open to returning but prefers academia’s quiet life. Fame’s pressures didn’t suit him, and he values personal growth over stardom.

Jennette McCurdy

Jennette McCurdy, known for ‘iCarly’ (2007-2012), left acting after feeling embarrassed by her roles. She told her ‘Empty Inside’ podcast in 2021 that childhood pressures and a lack of fulfillment drove her exit.

McCurdy now writes, including her memoir ‘I’m Glad My Mom Died’ (2022), and explores directing. She’s open to acting if she can create her own projects.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

The Olsen twins, stars of ‘Full House’ (1987-1995) and ‘New York Minute’ (2004), quit acting to focus on fashion. They told Allure in 2013 that acting involved too much compromise and lacked creative control.

Their brand, The Row, has become a fashion powerhouse. The twins prioritize design, leaving acting to their sister Elizabeth, who stars in Marvel films.

Michael Schoeffling

Michael Schoeffling was a teen heartthrob as Jake Ryan in ‘Sixteen Candles’ (1984). He quit acting in 1991 after roles in ‘Mermaids’ (1990), tired of Hollywood’s grind and limited opportunities.

Schoeffling now runs a handmade furniture business in Pennsylvania. The Washington Post noted in 1991 he sought a quieter life with his family, avoiding fame entirely.

Peter Ostrum

Peter Ostrum played Charlie in ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’ (1971) and never acted again. He told The Mirror in 2013 that the film’s lukewarm reception made him see acting as fleeting.

Now a veterinarian in New York, Ostrum chose a stable career over Hollywood’s uncertainty. He’s content with his grounded life, far from the spotlight.

Rick Moranis

Rick Moranis, beloved for ‘Ghostbusters’ (1984) and ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ (1989), stepped away in 1997 after his wife’s death from cancer. He prioritized raising his kids as a single parent.

Moranis told USA Today in 2005 that acting’s travel demands were too much. He’s since done voice work but prefers his low-key life over Hollywood’s chaos.

Which star’s exit from acting surprised you most, or is there another who left the screen for good? Share your thoughts in the comments!