20 Child Stars Who Ended Up With Surprisingly Normal Jobs As Adults
20. Michael Oliver
The Problem Child movies would never be the same without Michael Oliver as Junior Healy. His mischievous acting and destructive tendencies gave the movie its flair. However, a salary dispute saw him distance himself from the sequel never to be seen acting again. He is now working in tech support leading a satisfied life.
19. Ross Bagley
The show Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was primary focused on Will Smith but Bagley gained a lot of spotlight as the youngest cousin of Will Smith in the show. He also had another role as Buckwheat in 'Little Rascals.' Bagley, who is a resident of Los Angeles, is a prominent real-estate agent and a part-time DJ.
18. Kay Panabaker
Kay Panabaker was once a famous face on Disney shows- 'Read it and Weep' and 'Phil of the Future'. She stills works as with Disney, although in different role from her previous ones. Panabaker is currently a zookeeper with Disney for the 'Animal Kingdom.' According to Panabaker, the negative experiences she had with producers took away her passion for acting and she switched to Zoology.
Lisa and Louise Burns
Fans of 'The Shining' definitely remember the iconic duo which invited Danny to play. The Grady twins were played by Lisa and Louise Burns, however, it was their only role in Hollywood. The twins went their separate ways and Lisa became a lawyer after studying literature, whereas, Louise is now a microbiologist.
16. Angus T. Jones
The famous sitcom, 'Two and Half Men' would be incomplete without the 'half', Jake Harper. Angus T. Jones earned a lot of spotlight as a child actor during his time on the sitcom. But, he did not want to stay on the show anymore due to clashing beliefs. He famously left the show in 2012 and started his own business.
15. Ashlie Brillault
Who would've thought that the mean, sharp-tongued, popular girl in the show 'Lizzie McGuire' would make a complete turnaround in her life. After the show ended, Ashlie ended up leaving Hollywood in favor of education. She attended the University of Denver and now, she is a criminal defense attorney after earning her law degree.
14. Danielle Spencer
The 1970s sitcom, 'Whats Happening!' featured Danielle Spencer in the role of the wise, sassy younger sister, Dee Thomas. However, while pursuing acting, she was also studying veterinary medicine. She ended up changing her career and switched to become a veterinarian for decades. Unfortunately, she lost her life at the age of 60.
13. Staci Keanan
Staci was able to make her mark early on, starring in two famous sitcoms of her time. She was a part of 'My Two Dads' and 'Step by Step'. She now goes by her birth name, Anastasia Sagorsky, and has earned a law degree from Southwestern Law School. She works as a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County and also as an adjunct professor of law.
12. Carrie Henn
As a child actor, Carrie Henn only ever had one role in Hollywood. She was sole survivor in the movie- 'Aliens'. Even though she was a part of a blockbuster movie from a very young age, the fame that came alongside never really appealed to her. She wanted to stay away from the spotlight and became a teacher.
11. Barrett Oliver
Amazingly, Barrett Oliver was actually the protagonist of the only movie he ever did. He starred as the main character, Bastian Balthazar Bux, in the beloved 1980s fantasy classic The NeverEnding Story. Similar to others, he also chose forfeit the spotlight in favor of artistic passion. He is now a professional photographer and a respected photography historian, specializing in 19th-century techniques.
10. Ross Malinger
As a child actor, Malinger played Tom Hanks's earnest son, Jonah, in the romantic-comedy classic 'Sleepless in Seattle'. He decided that following in his father's footsteps was a better idea than continuing in Hollywood. Malinger became an automotive dealership salesman and manager in Los Angeles.
9. Josh Saviano
Paul Pfeiffer, was played by Josh Saviano in the American sitcom, 'The Wonder Years'. He was the nerdy and often allergic best friend to Kevin Arnold. Saviano made rapid progress after leaving Hollywood. He went to Harvard and then earned a law degree. He became a partner at a law firm and later founded his own startup advisory companies, Act Three Advisors and Spotlight Advisory Group, to help other artists.
8. Charlie Korsmo
Charlie played Jack Banning, the son of Peter Pan in 'The Hook'. He also had a memorable role as 'The Kid' in 'Dick Tracy'. Similar to some other high achievers on our list, Korsmo chose academics instead of Hollywood. He went on to gain a physics degree from MIT and a law degree from Yale. He is now an esteemed legal scholar and corporate law professor.
7. Taran Noah Smith
Taran Noan Smith grew up on screen as Mark Taylor from the 90s sitcom, 'Home Improvement'. After the show ended, Smith became an entrepreneur, most notably forming a vegan cheese brand. In 2022, he took on a new high-tech job as an integration technician for SpaceX.
6. David Dorfman
While other child actors were earning praise as adorable dumplings, David was out there scaring the wits out of people as 'Aidan'. But more than that, he was a child prodigy in academics. He attended UCLA at the age of 13 and by 18 he was already a student of Harvard Law. He now has a highly successful law career and has held positions in the US House of Representatives.
5. Peter Ostrum
His one and only role in acting was in the 1971 movie, 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'. He was the good-natured and kind-hearted Charlie Bucket in the movie. But Ostrum was not passionate about acting. He turned down a three-movie deal because of his family's purchase of a horse. He earned his doctorate from Cornell University and has had a long, fulfilling career as a large-animal veterinarian in New York.
4. Jeff Cohen
He played the food loving Chunk in the 80s adventure movie, 'The Goonies'. Cohen retired from acting and used his industry connections to build a new career. He studied law at Berkeley and UCLA and is now one of in-demand entertainment lawyers and dealmakers in Hollywood, running his own firm.
3. Juliana Rose Mauriello
She was an inspiration to the children as the active heroine Stephanie in 'LazyTown'. She retired from the role and earned a master's degree from Columbia University. Even after she left the show, she continued her efforts to help children, working as a pediatric occupational therapist in Los Angeles.
2. Mara Wilson
Mara Wilson is among the biggest child actors of the 90s. She featured in multiple shows, starring in Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street, and as the title hero in Matilda. After her mother's passing, she wanted more creative freedom and stepped away from acting. She has since built a successful career as a writer, author, podcaster, and advocate for mental health.
1. Danny Lloyd
Danny Lloyd is extremely famous for his debut as the child psychic in Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece of horror story, 'The Shining'. Lloyd was actually protected by Kubrick and not allowed to watch his films until he was of age. He was told that he was acting in a 'family drama'. He has been a biology professor in Kentucky since 2004, though he made a brief cameo in the 2019 sequel, Doctor Sleep.
