10 Child Stars Who Left Fame Behind

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at stars who reached high levels of fame at a young age, only to step away once they reached adulthood. Which former child actor do you think has the most normal life now? Let us know in the comments below.

Ross Bagley

How do you top acting with the Fresh Prince? In the 1990s, it seemed as though Ross Bagley had a promising acting career ahead of him. Getting his start portraying Nicky Banks on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, he was catapulted to higher levels of stardom after securing a supporting role in the blockbuster “Independence Day”. It seemed like he might go on to become Hollywood’s next big thing–until he suddenly pulled away from the profession in the 2000s. He opted for a private life, limiting his online presence and choosing to pursue an occupation in real estate instead. He got to experience fame and fortune, then live a relatively normal life–proving that some child stars get to live the best of both worlds.

Kay Panabaker

Disney is well known for producing future stars. Kay Panabaker went a different route, but didn’t entirely leave the Mouse behind. She became an instant favorite among viewers, starring in original television movies like “Read It and Weep” and appearing in several popular shows on the Disney Channel. She also found success on other channels, receiving acclaim for her performance in The WB’s “Summerland”. But after lending her voice to the third “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” film, she retired from entertainment to focus on her education, eventually obtaining a diploma in zoology from UCLA. In a full circle moment, she ended up returning to Disney–this time to work as a zookeeper at Disney World.

Charlie Korsmo

Some people are truly a jack of all trades. During his short tenure in the industry, Charlie Korsmo proved to have plenty of talent, earning accolades for his work in “Dick Tracy” and Steven Spielberg’s “Hook”. It was clear he could’ve found even more success in Hollywood – but instead he pivoted to very different professions. After earning a physics degree from MIT and working with the Environmental Protection Agency, he went into law out of Yale. As if that weren’t enough, he now teaches corporate law at Case Western Reserve University. It’s clear that Korsmo excels no matter what he does. He’s set up for a potentially huge comeback should he ever get the itch to act again.

Jeff Cohen

Although his list of acting credits is short, his impact within the industry is undeniable. Jeff Cohen had several smaller parts in various TV shows, but his true defining role was Chunk in the 1985 classic “The Goonies”. He discovered his passion for work behind the scenes shortly afterwards, using his previous connections to transition into entertainment law. He quickly became a notable name, opening his own firm not long after obtaining his degree. Cohen’s retirement from performing doesn’t mean he’s lost touch with his old castmates. He even negotiated the deal for Ke Huy Quan for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, helping him secure a successful comeback. The Goonies still got to stick together.

Jennette McCurdy

Unfortunately, not every child star has a positive experience on-set. From the constant pressure from adults and long working hours, Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy has gone on to advocate for herself in adulthood. While her character in “iCarly” was carefree, she was suffering behind the scenes. She began to pull back as she reached adulthood and ultimately retired in 2018. McCurdy put her focus into writing, starting out with online articles. She published her heartbreaking memoir in 2022, detailing the horrific effects of fame on her health and relationship with her mother. Following her book’s success, she landed a contract with a Penguin Random House subsidiary. So hopefully we’ll be seeing more of her writing soon.

Mara Wilson

Even childhood icons can grow weary of the spotlight. Mara Wilson’s work in “Mrs. Doubtfire” introduced her to the world, but it was her work as the precocious titular character in “Matilda” that secured her status as one of Hollywood’s rising stars. While it was clear she had the talent to continue acting into maturity, she slowly withdrew from fame as she grew older. In recent years, she’s expressed her disillusionment of the industry, from calling out the lack of creative freedom to writing about how adolescent stardom can have permanent consequences in adulthood. While she still sometimes appears in small roles, it’s clear her days on the silver screen are over–and she appears to be much happier for it.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

In the 1990s, Jonathan Taylor Thomas had the world in the palm of his hand in the. After becoming a mainstay on the sitcom “Home Improvement” and voicing Simba in “The Lion King”, he wasn’t just accomplished. He was practically a cultural phenomenon. Thomas was primed for a lucrative career in the industry, until his sudden and genuinely shocking retirement in 2005. Had he continued acting, he could’ve become one of the biggest stars of his generation. Instead, he focused on his education, before slipping away from the public eye. Besides a few chance sightings, he remains elusive to this day, and is hopefully still enjoying the fruits of his previous labor.

Angus T. Jones

Growing up in the public eye is never easy, even if you’re television’s highest-paid actor. At age 10, Angus T. Jones secured a main role in the long-running sitcom “Two and a Half Men”, which catapulted him to fame. He proved to be a solid scene partner despite his age, showing off his comedic chops. But while the show was still running, he became serious about his religious beliefs. This led to him not just denouncing the sitcom, but quitting entirely in 2014. It seemed he had written off entertainment entirely–but he returned to TV in 2023, reuniting with past onscreen uncle Charlie Sheen on Chuck Lorre’s “Bookie”.

Peter Ostrum

Some people just know how to go out on top. As a kid participating in community theater, Peter Ostrum was selected for the lead in one of the most beloved musicals of the ‘70s. His performance as Charlie in “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” was well-received, and led to him being offered a multi-film contract as a teenager. Shockingly, he turned it down, and even distanced himself from his defining role. He kept his head down and found a passion for veterinary work instead, earning his degree in 1984, and working until 2023. His time on the big screen is now a distant memory and a collection of funny stories – and he seems to be perfectly content with that.

Shirley Temple

She wasn’t just a child actor– she was a national sensation. First put in front of a camera at three, Shirley Temple went on to spend her entire youth performing. She quickly became a sought-after star, appearing in several projects every year throughout the 1930s. After her on-screen career began to wane in adulthood, she officially left the limelight in 1950. She returned to the public eye over a decade later with goals of succeeding in politics. After an unsuccessful run for Congress in the late ‘60s, she ended up becoming a U.S. ambassador for Ghana and Czechoslovakia. She never returned to entertainment before passing away in 2014, but she still remains one of the industry’s biggest icons.