Child Stars Who Left Hollywood Behind—See Where They Are Now
They made it big on-screen, but then decided to leave the spotlight
Child stars often made it huge in Hollywood, some working from birth and others growing up as actors, quickly becoming household names. Likely thanks to their adorable looks and sweet personalities, these children were instant hits on the screen.
But after spending their youth growing up in the limelight, these child stars decided to back away and pursue other passions for one reason or another. See which distinguished child stars left Hollywood and never looked back!
1. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
The Olsen twins were stars from birth — literally. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s career began at the age of six months when they booked the role of Michelle Tanner on Full House, filming for the series beginning three months later and taking up a big chunk of their early childhood.
Before Full House came to an end, the Olsen twins began starring in TV movies like Double, Double Toil and Trouble (1993) and How the West Was Fun (1994), which shot them to superstardom. Following the end of the series, the twins found massive success with their movies, including Passport to Paris (1999), When in Rome (2002) and New York Minute (2004).
But in 2012, the Olsen twins announced their retirement from acting, a shock to everyone, so that they could focus on their careers in fashion. Today they’re successful fashion designers and own their own luxury fashion label, The Row.
2. Amanda Bynes
This child star made it big on Nickelodeon in the late ‘90s on the variety show, All That (1996-2002). Amanda Bynes was such a hit on All That, that she was given her own variety series, The Amanda Show, in 1999. Immediately following those series in 2002, Bynes began booking movies such as Big Fat Liar, (2002), What a Girl Wants (2003) and She’s The Man (2006).
Bynes also scored another series in the form of What I Like About You, alongside Beverly Hills, 90210 star Jennie Garth. That show lasted from 2002 until 2006 and was popular among teenagers. She followed this with Hairspray (2007) and Sydney White (2007).
But after her 2010 role in Easy A, Bynes suddenly departed acting, later sharing it was due to mental health and substance abuse issues. The child actor left her former life behind to care for her own well-being and today she keeps a low profile and is supposedly back in school.
3. Jonathan Taylor Thomas
He was a teen heartthrob all throughout his early career, on the covers of magazines and starring in big productions. Jonathan Taylor Thomas began acting very early on, and in 1991 was cast in the hit TV series, Home Improvement. He soon became the voice of young Simba on The Lion King (1994), as well as Pinocchio in 1996, and his fame skyrocketed.
But after a massively successful early career, Thomas stopped acting to pursue his education and live a different life. “I’d been going nonstop since I was 8 years old,” Thomas shared in 2013. “I wanted to go to school, to travel and have a bit of a break.”
4. Kay Panabaker
This actress got her start in the early 2000s with small roles in shows like ER (2002) and 7th Heaven (2002). She booked the show Summerland in 2004, alongside Full House star Lori Loughlin and Zac Efron. That same year, she landed a part on the Disney show Phil of the Future. In 2007, Panabaker starred in the Disney movie Read It and Weep alongside her sister, Danielle Panabaker.
But in 2012, after starring in Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta, Panabaker retired from acting and opted to get an education. She began school at UCLA, where she studied zoology and as of 2016 has worked as a zookeeper at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom.
5. Peter Ostrum
This child actor made his breakthrough into acting — and then never acted again. Peter Ostrum booked his first film role in 1971 as Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. He was only 12 years old at the time.
But after the successful part, Ostrum ended his acting career because the film industry wasn’t for him. When it came time, he decided to pursue veterinary medicine and studied it at Cornell.
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