20 popular 1990s celebrities who left Hollywood for good

Jonathan Taylor Thomas was a teen idol during his days on Home Improvement. But the actor didn’t want to continue living in the spotlight, and he quit the show before its official end. Thomas took a path of education instead, studying at Columbia, Harvard, and St. Andrew’s University. 

Michael C. Maronna of The Adventures of Pete & Pete stepped away from the entertainment industry for some time after the series wrapped. He now works as a crew member on sets. 

Danny Tamberelli was also on The Adventures of Pete & Pete, and he even had a role on All That. But after the ‘90s ended, Tamberelli went to college and pursued a more normal life. For a few years, Tamberelli hosted a podcast with his former co-star, Michael C. Maronna. 

After making it big on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Karyn Parsons had trouble finding more work. She starred in a sitcom that she co-created after Fresh Prince, but the show was canceled, and Parsons ultimately moved to New York City and started pursuing other interests. 

Charlie Korsmo was another star who made it big thanks to one project. For Korsmo, it was Hook. However, the actor realized that acting wasn’t something he wanted to pursue full time, so he went to college and eventually became a law professor. 

Rick Moranis left Hollywood when he was at the height of his fame, only returning for a few roles here and there. Moranis wanted to be able to be home with his kids, and he has said that he has no regrets about his decisions. 

Jaye Davidson of The Crying Game fame left acting in the late ‘00s. The actor decided to quit the profession and has stayed pretty quiet since. 

Yasmeen Ghauri was one of the biggest stars on the runway in the ‘90s. But the beauty retired from the industry in the middle of the decade. After having a family, she pursued advocacy efforts. 

Lisa Jakub from Mrs. Doubtfire wasn’t feeling fulfilled by acting, so she got out of Hollywood before she had the chance to take a dark path. Eventually she wrote a memoir called You Look Like That Girl: A Child Actor Stops Pretending and Finally Grows Up. 

Vanilla Ice had a huge music career in the ‘90s, but he struggled after the decade ended. The rapper turned a profit by flipping and selling some of his houses, which led him to pursue construction as an earnest career. 

Josh Saviano of The Wonder Years had some wonder years of his own after leaving Hollywood. The star went to college at Yale and eventually became an attorney. 

Bridget Fonda retired from acting after the ‘90s ended. The actress was supposed to have had a role in The Practice, but she got into a car crash just weeks before filming was scheduled to begin. Another actress took the part, and Fonda retired to a private life.

Jason Zimbler of Clarissa Explains It All is still involved in the entertainment industry somewhat, but not like he was in the ‘90s. After the show ended, the actor went to college and eventually became a theater director. He has also done some work as a software designer for HBO. 

Who didn’t love MC Hammer in the ‘90s? The rapper was an icon of the decade, but he quit rapping after declaring bankruptcy and the death of Tupak Shakur. The events led him to seek out faith again, and he ended up becoming a Christian minister. 

Ross Malinger was the adorable little kid from Sleepless in Seattle. When he got out of Hollywood, he really got out of Hollywood, taking a job in sales instead. 

Mara Wilson will always be famous, thanks to her great work in Matilda and Miracle on 34th Street, but apparently not every casting director thought so. Wilson said she quit acting because she was finished dealing with so much rejection. Instead she began writing, and she does some voice acting, too. 

Some people really are talented. Peter Wingfield, best known for Highlander: The Series, had a month of medical school left when he started acting. But after acting, he went back to med school to finish, and he eventually became an anesthesiologist. 

Liesel Matthew made it big, thanks to her work in A Little Princess. But the eponymous character actor stopped acting at the turn of the century, and she went on to become a businesswoman and a philanthropist. 

Phoebe Cates was huge in the ‘90s, but she stopped working to take care of her family. These days, she’s a businesswoman in New York City. 

Leelee Sobieski from Never Been Kissed wanted to focus on her family, so she quit acting. These days, she does still release art, but as a painter rather than an actress.