30 Actors Who Retired Far Too Early

Swedish-born Greta Garbo was known for her beauty as much as for her talent and was once ranked as the most popular female star in the United States. Her star shined brightly during the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s, garnering her Academy Award nominations for “Anna Christie,” “Romance,” and “Ninotchka.” The notoriously reclusive star shunned industry social events and rarely gave interviews, and the spotlight proved too much. She eventually said she was tired of Hollywood and didn’t like her work.

Temple was the biggest child star of the 1930s, with her trademark ringlets, dimples, and uplifting song and dance routines in the Depression era that made her stand out even more. When she reached her teens, she tried more adult roles in films like “The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer,  and “Seabiscuit” – but her popularity had already begun to wane and she made her last feature film, “A Kiss for Corliss,” in 1949.

She then retired from acting and became active in politics, serving as a Republican delegate to the UN General Assembly in 1969 and ’70 and chief of protocol for President Gerald Ford in 1976 and ’77.

In the 1950s, no one was more popular and beautiful than Grace Kelly, winning an Oscar for her role in “The Country Girl” in 1954, and starring in a string of hits for Alfred Hitchcock. But when she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco, she had to give it all up to serve as the country’s princess, and never made another movie.

Grant was one of the silver screen’s most popular leading men, with more than 70 films to his name. But he bid farewell to acting with his final appearance in 1966’s “Walk, Don’t Run.” He said he left Hollywood after the birth of his only child, Jennifer, in 1966, and his focus shifted to raising her, saying, “I discovered more important things in life.”

After playing Charlie Bucket in the original “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” Peter Ostrum declined a three-film contract and left acting at age 13. Until 1990, he refused to talk about his experiences in the film. He opted to pursue a career as a veterinarian, earning his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University.

Schoeffling shot to fame when Samantha Baker’s crush Jake in “Sixteen Candles” and Joe in “Mermaids.” By 1991, he left the business, deciding that crafting furniture was a more lucrative – and fulfilling – business. He lives in Pennsylvania with his family where he hand-crafts furniture.

With memorable scenes in 1982’s “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” Cates became an 80s icon but after her 1994 role in “Princess Caraboo,” she called it quits to focus on raising her children. Happily married to actor Kevin Kline since 1989, she briefly returned to acting in “The Anniversary Party” as a favor for Jennifer Jason Leigh, who directed the picture. She owns a boutique in New York.

Hart made her film debut co-starring with Elvis Presley in “Loving You” in 1957, and for several years was a glamorous leading lady. After several roles playing religious women – including Saint Clare in “St. Francis of Assisi” (1961), she found a vocation and decided to leave Hollywood behind to become a Roman Catholic nun.

His starring roles in “Ghostbusters,” “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” “Spaceballs,” and “Parenthood” shot him to the top of the movie charts, yet in 1997, the Canadian alum of “SCTV” decided that he preferred a home life with his children, and tended to his terminally ill wife. Besides voice-over work in “Brother Bear” in 2003, he shunned the limelight. He was set to star in “Shrunk,” a sequel to “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” which was in pre-production, but it appears to be on hold.

Wilson rose to child stardom in “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Matilda,” but she soon tired of the constant scrutiny the press places on child actors. She left the business at 13, and now focuses on several mediums, from writing – she released a memoir in 2016 – to one-woman shows, some episodic TV series, and voice-over work for audiobooks and a podcast.

After a highly successful film career that saw her win an Oscar for “Shakespeare in Love,” Paltrow has concentrated on Goop, her lifestyle website and company. She has opened up the possibility of returning to acting if her husband, producer Brad Falchuk, is involved in the project.

Amanda Bynes shot to fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s with a string of hits, and even headlined her own sketch comedy show, “The Amanda Show.” Due to struggles with her mental health and substance abuse, her career was derailed. She has lived in a transitional living facility and more recently announced her desire to begin a career as a manicurist.

Known as a “Disney Dreamboat,” Erik von Detten left movies for a job in finance and the life of a family man. In a 2021 interview with Eonline, von Detten said he would consider a role that doesn’t require an “arduous audition” process, but sounded lukewarm on a return to the screen. Acting, he said, is “just not a consistent career.”

Momsen abruptly quit her role in “Gossip Girl,” and decided to retire from acting. She felt pressure to remain in the business, having started when she was just three, and realized she could forge her own path, choosing to focus on her passion and enter the world of music. She currently performs with her band, The Pretty Reckless, where she is the frontwoman.

In a 2014 interview with People, Jones disparaged the hit show, “Two and a Half Men,” saying it conflicted with his religious beliefs. At the time, he said he was involved with the World Harvest Outreach Church and was a follower of the Seventh Day Adventist Church (of which he is no longer a member). He went on to attend college at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

After appearing in many hit movies, Panabaker told fans that she lost her love of acting. It was her continued passion for animals that led her to study zoology at UCLA in 2012, and she now works at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida.

Twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen skyrocketed to fame playing the adorable Michelle Tanner on “Full House.” They were two of the biggest child stars of all time and after the show ended in 1994, they continued acting in movies, starring in more than a dozen films (“The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley”) and had a short-lived TV series. By the mid-2000s, the twins wanted to focus on fashion, opting for college and eventually started their own high-end fashion house, The Row, as well as Olsenboye (created exclusively for JC Penney), Elizabeth and James, and StyleMint.

After starring roles in “So Weird” and “Boston Public,” Cara DeLizia found her career slowing to a trickle of a few voiceovers and guest appearances. She now works with a group that helps children in Haiti.

Richards landed some rather large roles before she decided to quit acting to pursue her passion, art. She earned a BS in Drama and Art from Skidmore College and continued to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. She operates an art gallery in Portland, Oregon, and has studios in the U.S., South America, and Europe.

After playing the evil Joffrey Baratheon, Gleeson didn’t feel as passionate about acting, partly a result of the toxicity of fans towards his character, and retired before he even completed the role. By all reports, he’s a nice guy and the opposite of his character. He recently returned to acting, in the role of Wentworth in the BBC series, “The Famous Five”.

Diaz has an extensive résumé that ranges from comedy and action to drama but decided to retire and focus on her children. She now writes books on aging and health, and founded an organic wine brand, Avaline, in 2020. Although she’ll return to screens with her Netflix movie, “Back in Action” this November.

Working since the age of eight, Jonathan Taylor Thomas had a notable TV and screen career but decided it was time for a break to pursue other interests. He attended Harvard, Columbia, and St. Andrew’s University in Scotland. He last appeared with former co-star Tim Allen in a guest appearance on “Last Man Standing” in 2015.

Opting to focus on her family (she has two children), Sobiekski left the bright lights and fame of Hollywood for a quieter life. She is now a professional artist in New York City’s Upper East Side with her own studio and debuted her work in 2018.

After playing Denise Huxtable on “The Cosby Show” and its spinoff, “A Different World,” Lisa Bonet went on to star in movies (“Enemy of the State” and “High Fidelity”). After a recurring role in “Ray Donovan,” Bonet left acting to raise her children, which included actress Zoë Kravitz.

McCurdy decided she no longer wanted to act, stating that she only went into showbiz to support her family and found the roles unfulfilling.

Amurri, the daughter of actress Susan Sarandon, unfollowed her mother’s footsteps in favor of her lifestyle blog, Happily Eva After. She said she prefers dealing with online trolls than the “auditions with slimy people.”

After winning an Oscar for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis called it quits at the relatively young age of 60. (He is the only actor to win three Academy Awards.)

de Rossi decided to leave acting after the fourth season of “Arrested Development.” As for her future beyond acting, de Rossi mentioned starting a business, but nothing more definite than that.

The one-time rom-com queen left acting because she felt burned out. Playing everything from a helicopter pilot to an alcoholic left her little time for herself, Ryan said. But she hasn’t ruled out a return to the silver screen.