Many famous actors get their big break when they’re youngsters. And while some continue their careers into adulthood, others choose to step back from the limelight. Here are the former child stars who retired from working on TV and movie sets for good:
1.
To start, Mara Wilson rose to fame after starring in Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street, and Matilda. At 13, she took a hiatus from acting after appearing as Lily in Thomas and the Magic Railroad in 2000. But after a decade of not working on camera, she returned in 2011 with credits in shorts and TV shows.
2.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas made a name for himself with leading roles in The Lion King, Home Improvement, and I’ll Be Home for Christmas. By the early ’00s, he decided to limit his acting roles. “I’d been going nonstop since I was 8 years old,” he said. “I wanted to go to school, to travel, and have a bit of a break.” His last major acting credit was Last Man Standing in 2015.
3.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen became household names after appearing in Full House, It Takes Two, and Two of a Kind. By the early ’00s, they switched gears from acting. The twins lacked passion for the work and wanted to pursue other opportunities, including college education and the fashion industry. “What we did know was that we wanted to take that time to take a break from what we were previously doing and to explore things that interested us, and explore what life has to offer (creatively),” said Ashley. “We wanted to explore making something of ourselves.”
4.
Jake Lloyd portrayed Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in 1999, but he stepped back from acting shortly after. In 2008, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and a neurological condition called anosognosia. “The experience I’ve had with the fans is immediately therapeutic,” he said. “Right now, it’s still therapeutic. It’s helpful for people and healthy. It isn’t something I’d shy away from.”
5.
Danny Lloyd gave a spine-chilling performance in The Shining, but his acting career quickly shuddered after as he pursued a more “normal” life.
6.
Jeff Cohen had his big break as Chuck in The Goonies, but his acting took a permanent pause by the early ’90s. “My first love was acting, but puberty had other ideas. It was a forced retirement,” he said. “I didn’t give up acting. Acting gave me up.”
7.
Peter Ostrum was a one-hit wonder in Hollywood after starring as Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory in 1971. “Being in the film industry as a child was hard, and I couldn’t keep it going,” he said. “But in the end, leaving was the right decision.” The former actor went on to work as a veterinarian.
8.
In 1984, Barret Oliver landed one of his most famous roles as Bastian in The NeverEnding Story. He quit acting by 1989 and went on to have a successful career in printing and photography.
9.
Carrie Henn had her first onscreen role as Newt in the 1986 film, Aliens. She never intended to be an actor, and only auditioned after a casting intern came to her elementary school in England. “They don’t understand that [acting] wasn’t my passion. It wasn’t my dream,” she said. “Did I enjoy it? Yes. Was it an amazing experience? Absolutely. Would I do it again? Of course.” She stepped out of the limelight after that breakout role and eventually became a teacher — her true dream job.
10.
Jonathan Lipnicki started his acting career with roles in Jerry Maguire, Stuart Little, and Like Mike. But by the ’00s, he wasn’t booking as many jobs as he wished. “Acting is this thing that I’ve always loved, and sometimes it just doesn’t love you back,” he said. “And there was a span where I didn’t work for a while, and I was pursuing it.” Since then, he’s acted on and off, and his most recent role was Woody in Anywhere.
11.
Charlie Korsmo began his acting career in the ’90s, appearing in Hook, Dick Tracy, and Men Don’t Leave. After his role as Jack in Hook, he took a seven-year break from acting until he returned to portray William Lichter in Can’t Hardly Wait. Since then, he embarked on a legal career and earned his degree from Yale Law School in 2006.
12.
Ross Bagley largely retired from acting after having major roles in The Little Rascals, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Independence Day. He had sporadic roles by 1999 and went on to split his time working in real estate, DJing, and finance.
13.
Skandar Keynes retired from acting after starring as Edmund Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia franchise. He had his final film credit in 2010 and went on to pursue a career in politics.
14.
Jason Zimbler left acting in 1994 after starring as Ferguson Darling in Clarissa Explains It All. Three decades after leaving TV, he made a rare appearance in New York in 2025 and was last known to be working in software development.
15.
Alisan Porter took an eight-year break from acting after starring in Curly Sue. “It wasn’t fun for me anymore. There was no joy in it for me,” she said. “I just wanted to be doing ‘normal’ kid things. I went to high school, I had a boyfriend who was on the soccer team, I went to parties.”
16.
Willow Smith appeared alongside her dad Will Smith in 2007’s I Am Legend and was set to play the lead in the 2014 remake of Annie. She ultimately turned the part down and stepped back from acting. “I saw at a very young age the dark path I could have gone down,” she said. “I knew I needed to be a kid.” Now, she focuses on her music career and has released various studio albums since 2015.
17.
Liesel Matthews got her first role as Sara Crewe in 1995’s A Little Princess. She only had two more roles before leaving the entertainment industry in 2000.
18.
Ariana Richards appeared as Lex in Jurassic Park and quickly became a sensation in Hollywood. “I was suddenly catapulted into being known worldwide overnight, and that’s when I felt like my life really shifted in a big way, and I didn’t have a private life anymore,” she said. While she has booked a few roles since the late ’90s, her main focus is painting, and she now works as an artist.
19.
And finally, Erik Per Sullivan has no plans to reprise his role as Dewey for the Malcolm in the Middle revival. He starred in the original series from 2000–2006, and largely left Hollywood after the show wrapped to enjoy a more private life and to focus on academics.
Who’s your favorite former child star? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
