10 Beloved Actors Who Suddenly Left Hollywood Behind

Acting isn't forever. It is not uncommon for an actor to quietly exit Hollywood because of stress, illness, boredom, or just wanting to try something new.

Some actors even come back after a healthy break or become more selective with time. As fun as acting looks to us watching movies and shows, it must get exhausting after a while.

For this slideshow, 24/7 Tempo relied on entertainment sources and news clippings surrounding each actor. Each slide lists information on the actor, why they quit, and their top films/shows. Click through the slideshow for 10 beloved actors who suddenly left Hollywood behind.

• Birthday: April 18, 1953
• Hometown: Ontario, Canada
• Years Active: 1976–present
• Top Films/Shows: "Ghostbusters" (1984), "Little Shop of Horrors" (1986), "Honey I Shrunk the Kids," "The Flintstones," and "Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves"
• Reason for Leaving Hollywood: Grief caused Rick Moranis to step away from the limelight. His wife, Ann Belsky, passed away in 1991, leaving Moranis as a single father to two. He first took a long hiatus to care for his children, but after many years, he didn't come back, citing that he liked the lack of pressure. Technically, he hasn't fully retired. He's starred in a few things since his hiatus in 1997, but it's a huge slowdown from how many movies he was in during the 1980s and 1990s.

• Birthday: July 12, 1991
• Hometown: Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.
• Years Active: 1998–2010
• Top Films/Shows: "Malcolm in the Middle" (2000-2006), "Joe Dirt" (2001), "Finding Nemo," (2003) and "Christmas with the Kranks" (2004)
• Reason for Leaving Hollywood: Not everyone likes acting, even child actors. This was the case for Erik Per Sullivan, who played Dewey in "Malcolm in the Middle." He stopped acting at 18 in 2010, instead deciding to go to school for Victorian literature. He's missed cast reunions from the show but is supportive of his past cast members. Now, he's studying at Harvard University.

• Birthday: January 27, 1964
• Hometown: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
• Years Active: 1987–2002
• Top Films/Shows: "You Can't Hurry Love" (1988), "The Godfather Part III" (1990), "Lake Placid" (1999), and "Snow Queen" (2002)
• Reason for Leaving Hollywood: Bridget Fonda retired after 2003, surprising fans as she'd been in so many great films and was young. However, she retired to focus on herself and her growing family. She was also in a painful car accident that left her with back issues.

• Birthday: December 30, 1980
• Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
• Years Active: 1992–2017
• Top Films/Shows: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1998–2003), "Angel" (2000–2003), "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" (2001), and "Tru Calling" (2003–2005)
• Reason for Leaving Hollywood: Eliza Dushku stopped acting back in 2017 to pursue a degree and career in mental health. She now holds a Master's degree and is a certified psychedelic-assisted therapist.

• Birthday: March 5, 1974
• Hometown: Miami, Florida, U.S.
• Years Active: 1996–2014 and 2021
• Top Films: "Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror" (1998), "2 Fast 2 Furious" (2003), "Ghost Rider" (2007), and "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans" (2009)
• Reason for Leaving Hollywood: Eva Mendes is willing to come back from retirement for the right role, but hasn't found it. She lost passion for acting and was exhausted fighting for roles. She's also stated previously that she didn't quit acting but does stay home with her kids, focusing on motherhood.

• Birthday: September 29, 1970
• Hometown: London, England
• Years Active: 1986–2016
• Top Films: "Wish You Were Here" (1987), "Cookie" (1989), "A River Runs Through It" (1992), and "When Saturday Comes" (1996)
• Reason for Leaving Hollywood: Emily Lloyd missed out on a lot of large movie roles, including for the film "Pretty Woman," because of declining mental health. This continued to affect her career until she took a step back to work on herself. In 2013, Lloyd published the autobiography, "Wish I Was There."

• Birthday: September 11, 1979
• Hometown: Healdsburg, California, U.S.
• Years Active: 1987–2001 and 2013
• Top Films: "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" (1988), "Jurassic Park" (1993), and "Switched at Birth" (1991)
• Reason for Leaving Hollywood: Ariana Richards was a busy child actress, so when she got older, she stopped acting and instead pursued art. She is now a successful painter but is willing to come back to acting for the perfect role. Acting just isn't a priority anymore.

• Birthday: September 8, 1981
• Hometown: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S.
• Years Active: 1990–2006 and 2013–2016
• Top Films: "The Lion King" (1994), "The Adventures of Pinocchio" (1996), "The Adventures of Spot" (1989–1993), and "Home Improvement" (1991–1998)
• Reason for Leaving Hollywood: Technically, Jonathan Taylor Thomas didn't fully retire from Hollywood as he's involved in some projects, but he's pretty much stopped acting. When asked why he doesn't act as much, Thomas has stated that he just wanted to try new things.

• Birthday: June 25, 1974
• Hometown: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
• Years Active: 1983–1991
• Top Films: "The Goonies" (1985), "Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School" (1988), and "Perfect Harmony" (1991)
• Reason for Leaving Hollywood: Jeff Cohen is another child actor who gave up the Hollywood life for a new career. He's now a lawyer and is a founding partner of the law firm Cohen & Gardner.

• Birthday: June 13, 1986
• Hometown: Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
• Years Active: 1987–2012
• Top Films/Shows: "Full House" (1987–1995), "Double, Double, Toil and Trouble" (1993), and "It Takes Two" (1995)
• Reason for Leaving Hollywood: Child actors have it rough. While it might start out as fun, after over a decade of acting and not living a childhood, who wouldn't quit? Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, twins known for a long list of films, stopped acting to pursue other passions like fashion. They also wanted privacy and lost passion for acting.