DESPITE the perceived glamour and glory, there are plenty of Hollywood stars who have said hooray to a normal life.
Some of the biggest names in showbiz have switched to jobs and careers out of the spotlight, sometimes at the height of their stardom.
Staci Keanan made her TV debut back in 1987.
The actress, now 48, was famous for the NBC series My Two Dads and the ABC sitcom Step By Step.
But after her acting career quieted down, Staci took a step away, earning a law degree at Southwestern Law School in 2013.
She is now a Deputy District Attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Law.
“So, prosecuting basically murder and domestic violence is what I’m handling now,” she exclusively told The U.S. Sun in March.
Staci admitted transitioning from acting to the legal world was no simple feat.
“Looking in the mirror, I am really proud of the woman looking back today in the reflection,” she captioned a series of glam photos.
“For anyone who doesn’t know my law school journey, know this wasn’t easy or handed to me. I failed this exam 3 times in 2 years, but I got back up each time and studied harder and tried again until I did it!!!”
Staci isn’t the only Step-By-Step star to leave the biz behind.
Brandon Call, who played JT on the show, told The U.S. Sun he is now working in the real estate industry.
Step by Step’s Staci Keanan gives lawyer advice to Kim Kardashian after quitting acting to become Los Angeles attorney
Meanwhile, co-star Chris Castle revealed that he has been a high school teacher for the past 12 years.
They all join an ever-growing list of stars who have moved on.
MARA WILSON
Mara Wilson was just 9 years old when she starred as the title character in Matilda.
As a child star, she also appeared in the Miracle on 34th Street remake and Mrs. Doubtfire.
The 36-year-old retired from acting in 2000 after the loss of her mother.
She now works as a writer, insisting it’s something she’s always wanted to do.
Mara previously said, “Writing was always my secret desire. It was always something that in the back of my head I wanted to do.
“Writing I’d always loved. There’s a saying – ‘If you can live without it, you should’. And I found that I could [live without acting].”
FRANKIE MUNIZ
Frankie Muniz sped away from his starring role in Malcolm in the Middle and instead steered over to professional racing.
He made his debut in the Nascar Xfinity Series at Daytona International Speedway earlier this year.
Frankie, now 38, runs the No. 35 Ford Performance Ford Mustang for Joey Gase Racing.
It is a major step up for Muniz, who has driven competitively for years and took part in the entry-level Nascar Arca Series last year.
Last year, he raced the full 20-race Arca schedule and finished fourth despite a number of mechanical problems.
His best result came at Michigan where he finished fifth.
KEVIN JONAS
After enjoying his time as one-third of a world-famous boy band alongside brothers Nick and Joe, the oldest Jo Bro pursued a very different passion.
Kevin, 36, made a surprise appearance on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, where he revealed he was working as a contractor.
On the show, Kevin referred to singing as his previous day job and he has reportedly made a name for himself in the construction industry.
He even launched his own construction company – under the name Jonas Werner Homes.
The singer has been managing the firm since 2014 – running huge construction projects and attracting top-end clients.
NIKKI BLONSKY
Nikki Blonsky went from Hairspray to hairdresser.
The 35-year-old found fame in 2007 as she starred as Tracy Turnblad in the hit musical Hairspray alongside Zac Efron and John Travolta.
While she still continues to audition, she has also solidified her backup plan.
In 2011, Nikki earned a cosmetology license and began working part-time as a hairstylist and make-up artist in her hometown of Great Neck, New York.
The singer came out during Pride Week in 2020 and announced her engagement to her partner Hailey Jo Jenso in 2022.
JEFF COHEN
The Goonies star Jeff Cohen didn’t shuffle off too far from the entertainment business.
The California native is now representing some of Hollywood’s biggest names as an entertainment lawyer.
Jeff, who played Chunk in the ’80s classic movie, revealed to the Daily Mail in 2015 that he was “forced” to quit Hollywood when he stopped being able to put himself forward in the “fat kid roles.”
“It was survival of the fattest,” he told the outlet. “But when I hit puberty, it was a career-ender for me. I was transforming from Chunk to hunk and I couldn’t get roles anymore.”
Since leaving the world of acting behind, Cohen launched his career in law and has become a successful entertainment attorney with an office located in Beverly Hills.
According to the bio found on his firm’s website, “Jeff co-founded Cohen Gardner LLP in 2002 and focuses on transactional representation for clients in the entertainment, media, and technology verticals.”
PETER OSTRUM
What happened to the man who suddenly got everything he wanted? He became a veterinarian.
Peter Ostrum starred as sweet Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in 1971.
Then 12 years old, he starred alongside Gene Walker and Jack Albertson in the children’s classic.
But Peter opted to leave Hollywood soon after and pursue a completely different career as a veterinarian.
“The film industry just wasn’t for me,” the now 66-year-old shared during a November 2016 speech at the University of Missouri.
In 1984, the former child actor graduated from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
He has since been working as a veterinary practitioner in New York, where he currently resides with his family.
