15 actors who left acting to live simpler lives

Hollywood is typically considered the pinnacle of success with fame, wealth, and opportunities without end. But not all actors are captivated by the glamour and glitter for eternity. The non-stop pressure, lack of anonymity, and backroom politics get to some.

Others retire to tend to their families, while others find new passions or careers that give them more satisfaction than Hollywood ever could. Leaving isn't always a failure—some of these stars departed at the height of their success, leaving fans and the business in shock. From former child stars who grew too big for the limelight to Oscar winners who discovered joy beyond acting, their tales are as compelling as their bodies of work.

Here are 15 Hollywood stars who walked away from it all to lead simpler, more fulfilling lives. From leaving acting behind for business, or books, or even complete isolation, these stars teach us that fame is not the only key to success it's about being truly happy on one's own terms.

---

1) Cameron Diaz

After being one of Hollywood's leading stars, Cameron Diaz quit acting after Annie (2014). She recently admitted that the industry pressure exhausted her and she needed to be centered on herself. Today, she leads a serene life with her husband, musician Benji Madden, and their kids. Diaz has also been a thriving entrepreneur, opening Avaline, a clean wine company. Although she soon returned for Back in Action (2024), she is true to her simple life, upholding family and business over the glamour of Hollywood.

---

2) Rick Moranis

Most popular for Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Ghostbusters, Rick Moranis retired from Hollywood in the late '90s to raise his kids after his wife's death. Though he made the occasional voice role here and there, he refused to do big-screen returns for decades. Fans were overjoyed when he signed on for a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids sequel, but that project fell through. Moranis lives quietly in New York these days, avoiding the spotlight. In 2020, he made a brief return appearance in a Ryan Reynolds commercial but otherwise insists on living far from the frenzy of Hollywood.

---

3) Bridget Fonda

Bridget Fonda was a star on the rise in the '90s with appearances in Jackie Brown and Singles, but by 2002 had vanished from Hollywood. She retired from acting after a car accident and went on to devote herself to raising a family with film composer Danny Elfman. In contrast to most retired stars, Fonda has absolutely no interest in coming back to the business. Recent public appearances in 2023 showed that she's completely accepted her private, low-key lifestyle, choosing quiet family time over the limelight.

---

4) Phoebe Cates

Phoebe Cates left a lasting impression in Fast Times at Ridgemont High before she walked away from acting in the mid-'90s. She opted for family life with her husband, actor Kevin Kline, and their children. In place of red carpets, she operates a boutique business called Blue Tree in New York, selling one-of-a-kind gifts and high-end items. Unlike most former actors, she's never intimated a comeback, reveling instead in her low-key, business-related life.

---

5) Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman, iconic French Connection and Unforgiven star, quit the game in 2004, wanting more of a simple life than that of the business. He went on to pen a few books of historical fiction. In his 90s, Hackman loved New Mexico life, painting, bike rides, and avoiding Tinseltown. In 2023, glimpses of rare photos appeared, showing him to still be very healthy and active, evidence enough his retirement move was really out of a need for personal serenity and not because his stardom had faded. The actor and his wife, Betsy Arkawa, died an unfortunate death under mysterious circumstances in February 2025.

---

6) Mara Wilson

The popular child stars of Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire struck out on their own after becoming disillusioned with the business. She subsequently voiced concerns about being a child actress and instead pursued writing and activism. Today, Wilson is an author and voice-over actress who regularly speaks out on mental health and body issues. Unlike some of her former peers, she never looks back in anger at Hollywood, enjoying instead the low-key creative work that she has found.

---

7) Freddie Prinze Jr.

A teenage heartthrob once in She's All That and I Know What You Did Last Summer, Freddie Prinze Jr. quit acting to devote himself to cooking and being at home with wife Sarah Michelle Gellar. He's written a cookbook, served as a WWE writer, and enjoyed doing voice work on Star Wars Rebels. Even though he makes an occasional cameo appearance in a minor project, Prinze has indicated that he prefers his serene domestic life over the Hollywood drudgery.

---

8) Michael Schoeffling

Best recognized as Jake Ryan in Sixteen Candles, Michael Schoeffling retired from acting in the early '90s and disappeared into obscurity. Rather than pursue further fame, he opened a woodworking and furniture company in Pennsylvania. Unlike most actors who retire, he has kept himself entirely out of the public eye, never considering a return to Hollywood. Fans still search for him, but Schoeffling has no desire to revive his old life, demonstrating he really did want a quieter existence.

---

9) Jack Gleeson

Jack Gleeson's acting as King Joffrey in Game of Thrones catapulted him to stardom, but he lost interest in Hollywood very soon. He quit acting to pursue his education and theater ventures, opting for a low-key life. Over the past few years, he has done the occasional small role but is still far away from the limelight of the industry. Unlike most former child stars, Gleeson never felt compelled to come back, enjoying his simple and studious life.

---

10) Danny Lloyd

Danny Lloyd gained fame as the psychic kid in The Shining (1980), but in contrast to most child stars, he had no desire to pursue a career in acting. By his late teens, Lloyd had left Hollywood, eventually becoming a biology professor in Kentucky. He has reflected well on his early acting experience, stating his parents protected him from the stresses of fame. In 2019, he appeared in a cameo role in Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining, but has no intention of going back to Hollywood. Today, he leads a peaceful life, devoted to teaching and family.

---

11) Greta Garbo

Greta Garbo was Hollywood's most mysterious star, enthralling the public in the 1920s and '30s with movies such as Camille and Grand Hotel. Yet, in the prime of her career, she stunned the industry by retiring at age 35. While other directors attempted to entice her back, Garbo stuck by her quiet way of life. She devoted her later years to painting, art collecting, and world travel incognito. Even in death in 1990, she is the gold standard for the actors who left.

---

12) Kevin Jonas

Conversely, Kevin Jonas found his calling outside music and Hollywood. After the 2013 split-up of the Jonas Brothers, his focus shifted to business and family life, launching a construction and real-estate company. He sometimes reunites and tours with his brothers but finds joy and comfort in his business and in raising daughters. Kevin seems to have effortlessly walked away from the limelight in a good sense and has thus tremendously transitioned into a calmer and richly grounded lifestyle without even the slightest inclination for a Hollywood comeback.

---

13) Sean Connery

Sean Connery dominated Hollywood for decades, both into the past and in the beginning of 2000s, he was quite disinterested to attend the post-production. After the past one, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), Connery announced a holding because he was fed up with such conflicts behind the scenes of the shoots. So, he moved to the Bahamas, where he spends most time playing golf, reading, and having a quiet life away from the Hollywood clamor. He did not resurface in any of the lucrative offers for lead roles, including that in Indiana Jones 4.

---

14) Angus T. Jones

At one time, Angus T. Jones was television's highest-paid child actor due to his role as Jake Harper on Two and a Half Men. Yet, as he matured, he grew disillusioned with Hollywood, degrading the content of the show and abandoning his acting career. He later went on to study religion and became dedicated to quiet, low-key living. In contrast to most child stars who try to make a comeback, Jones has stayed away from the limelight. Although he returned briefly for the series finale, he still holds on to his own principles and to a simpler, more fulfilling life.

---

15) Taylor Momsen

Taylor Momsen began as a child star, appearing in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and later playing the role of Jenny Humphrey on Gossip Girl. But by her teenage years, she had become fed up with acting and chose to go after her true love, music. She started the rock band The Pretty Reckless and became a huge hit in the rock world. Unlike most other former child actors who have trouble adjusting careers, Momsen welcomed her new persona wholeheartedly. She has no intention of going back to Hollywood, demonstrating that sometimes, abandoning the spotlight results in a more satisfying and real existence.