A YouGov survey found that 53% of Americans believe they would enjoy being famous. However, the spotlight isn’t for everyone, and it doesn’t always align with every career. For instance, if you’re passionate about becoming a nurse or firefighter, having a massive social media following might not be necessary—and in some cases, it could even be a hindrance.
Recently, Redditors have been sharing stories about former celebrities who chose to step away from fame and embrace quieter, more private lives. Whether it’s child actors who pursued different career paths or stars who prioritized their families, the discussion highlights the growing trend of opting for a life away from the public eye. Keep reading for an insightful conversation with Jazz and Jess from the Sis, Let Me Tell You podcast!
#1
President Jimmy Carter. He could have parlayed his Pres gig into big bucks speaking and getting book deals. Instead, he just built houses for lower income people. Never wavered from his core beliefs. As a former Navy Submariner, I always admired how he always kept the values of our Top Secret oath we took as submariners.
#2
Rick Moranis.
PhoneJazz:
He left Hollywood because his wife died, and he wanted to raise his kids.
To gain a deeper understanding of this topic, we reached out to Jazz Steele and Jess Gomez, hosts of the Sis, Let Me Tell You podcast, who are known for their pop culture expertise. “We are twin sisters who have an awful lot to say about a whole lot of things,” they explained. “We focus on Black celebrity gossip, news, and personal stories with a sibling spin. It’s meant to feel like catching up with old friends about the latest and greatest.”
The sisters shared a list of celebrities who have chosen to step away from the limelight. “Geoffrey Owens, who played Elvin Tibideaux on The Cosby Show, is now teaching acting classes and was even seen working at Trader Joe’s,” they noted. “Then there’s Stanley Burrell, aka MC Hammer, who faced legal and financial challenges but has since bounced back and seems content with where he is now.”
#3
Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes, refused to license his work out and retired when the comics were huge at 37. Walked away from potentially hundreds of millions because he thought it would jeopardize the integrity of his art through commercializing it. I think he’s refused any public interview and the only publicly available picture of him is from over 30 years ago.
Lives in a modest neighborhood in Cleveland.
#4
Hayden Christensen did all the Star Wars stuff and then bought a farm outside Toronto. He’s now all about farming.
“Albert Greene AKA Al Green. He is a preacher in the Memphis area,” Jazz and Jess continued. “Karyn Parsons played Hilary Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She’s the founder of the Sweet Blackberry Foundation, which produces animated films and books starring unsung black heroes.”
“Mason Betha AKA Mase. He has turned his life over to God and speaks to crowds to invite others to do the same,” the hosts noted. “Kim Coles played Synclaire James-Jones on Living Single. She is a coach, speaker and teacher for her own academy where she shares her wealth of knowledge and building her ‘Kim-pire.'”
#5
Chunk (Jeff Cohen) from The Goonies became a lawyer.
dfze:
Yup. Apparently he’s a lawyer that represents actors and tries to make sure they always negotiate for fair agreements.
#6
The kid who played Charlie in the original Willy Wonka. He went on to be a veterinarian.
As far as why celebrities choose to do this, Jazz and Jess noted that being in the spotlight is a lot of pressure. “Some people manage to handle it well, while others are consumed by it,” they explained. “Prioritizing your mental health is the number one priority.”
“Other times, it takes you experiencing something such as acting or music professionally to realize it’s not for you. Or you accomplished your goal, now what?” the hosts continued. “Whatever the reason, we only want people at their best. If they are unable to guarantee that then it wasn’t meant to be.”
#7
Enya lives in a tiny Irish village where she’s just one of the locals.
JuryBorn:
She lives in Killiney. It is an affluent suburb in Dublin. 2 members of U2 also live there. She is quite reclusive and lives in a castle.
dasuberblonde:
Enya became a hermit and lives in a castle collecting cats aka living the dream
#8
Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi run a tennis academy in Las Vegas for underprivileged kids.
We also asked the hosts what some of the pros of leaving the industry might be. “It allows people the insight of it being okay to take a risk, try something new and that it’s okay to fail. We took a risk by starting our podcast,” Jazz and Jess told Bored Panda. “We had no experience, no equipment before committing to trying it, and we knew there was a possibility we could fail. Knowing there was no real harm nor foul helped to take that leap.”
#9
Queen’s John Deacon. Lives quietly wherever. Has minimal contact with Queen, though they do run ideas by him as a courtesy.
TwistyHeretic2:
Deacon lives quietly with his wife Veronica, for whom he wrote his first major hit “You’re My Best Friend” when they were newlyweds and expecting their first baby (1975). They’ll be celebrating their 49th anniversary next month. They still live in the house they bought back when the money started coming in. They had six children (5 boys and 1 girl), and now who-knows-how-many grandchildren.
#10
Cameron Diaz.
Raising her kid with one of the Good Charlotte dudes and enjoying life. She made some awesome movies and great friendships. Content to live her life pretty quietly now.
On the other hand, there can also be downsides to deciding to leave fame behind. “Let’s take Geoffrey Owens for example,” Jazz and Jess shared. “He settled back into normal life, and we hadn’t heard much from him in decades. A few years ago, he was spotted working in a New Jersey Trader Joe’s, which started a debate of how work is valued and job shaming.”
“Some people responded extremely negatively to the photo that was captured, while others defended his choice of employment. Geoffrey had to quit his Trader Joe’s gig due to the attention,” the hosts explained. “He had an interview with Good Morning America where he stated, ‘There’s no job better than another…every job is worthwhile.’ People can make you feel like a failure or a quitter or less than when they see you have taken a step back from fame.”
#11
Greta Garbo was the biggest movie star in the world throughout the ‘30s. She made her last movie in 1941, at the age of 36.
She then spent the next 50 years living alone in a New York apartment. She was known for taking daily walks around Manhattan, and “Garbo-spotting” was a popular New York activity in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.
#12
Newt from Aliens (Carrie Henn) is a teacher.
“Her career was full steam ahead until an alleged feud between her and Beyonce caused her to be blacklisted from the industry. Over the years, she has tried to reenter the scene as her and Beyonce seem to be on better terms now, but as of today she has yet to release new music. We would love to see a Keri Hilson reemergence.”
#13
Pheobe Cates.
FyreWyvern:
Fast Times at Ridgemont High, 2 Gremlins movies, a few other things… then retired more than 20 years ago.
Married to Kevin Kline since 1989 and running a little shop in NYC
#14
Danny Lloyd, the kid from The Shining is a professor at a community college in Kentucky.
#15
Bridgett Fonda, loved her then she disappeared. Last year paps found her living a normal life not looking she used too. They were brutal. F**k the paps.
#16
Kate Bush.
Now_Wait-4-Last_Year:
Still quietly making music out of sight like she always did. Apparently Running Up That Hill being featured on Stranger Things made her several million dollars to add to all her other revenue streams.
#17
Erik Estrada, who played officer Francis Llewellyn “Ponch” Poncherello on “CHiPs” became a real-life police officer in Saint Anthony, Idaho.
#18
Daniel Day-Lewis. The man was on the top of his field for many years, but the toll each movie had on him made him choose to go live a normal life with his family.
Anything this guy did was immediatly praised by the Academy. He really went out on top.
#19
Tom from MySpace 😆
Illustrious_Town_163:
I respect him a lot compared to all the other major internet company guys. Wasn’t trying to change the world or farm data or move us into some technocratic future, just made a cool thing, sold it and does what he wants now.
#20
Bill Withers passed away in 2020, but he’s the ultimate example of being on top and just dropping out and living his life.
girlomfire17:
I love Bill. He never fully quit his blue collar job, even when fully immersed in making music because he never trusted the people. And recognized his fame as fleeting. He was great. Probably in my top 5 songwriters
#21
Staci Keanan. Was on two big sitcoms in the 80s and 90s, charming, beautiful. Had amazing prospects. Then she dropped out of the business, went to law school, now she’s a district attorney.
#22
Bobby Sherman was a huge teen heartthrob in the 70s, and then at the height of his career, he left it all behind to become a paramedic.
Follow your heart, I guess, even if others find it weird.
#23
Andre 3000 from OutKast. He was arguably the greatest rapper in the world and gave up the fame to live a quiet private life. The guy literally does his laundry at a laundromat to stay grounded and so he can play his flute in the alley while his clothes dry.
#24
The girl who played Harper on Wizards of Waverly Place is a Registered Nurse now.
#25
Ken Griffey Jr. (baseball) is worth over $100M, and in his retired years, he picked up photography. He’s an on-field photographer for the Philadelphia Eagles, where his father lives. Dude is humble and loves what he does.
#26
It was Rick Astley until we relentless trolled our teachers and friends with the Rick roll circa 2006 ish.
Wolfwoods_Sister:
He said he really hated the music fame machine and just didn’t want to go any further with it.
#27
Jake Ryan on 16 candles.
SeatownSpy:
I think he’s a wood worker now. His daughter Scarlett is a stunner and works in modeling.
#28
Nikki Reed. Decided to farm with Ian Somerhalder.
#29
Phyllis Smith from the Office was actually part of the casting team for the show originally. She moved out of LA several yrs ago, lives a completely normal life in Missouri now.
#30
Nikki Blonsky from Hairspray. She was selling shoes and working as a hairstylist last I read.
