There are many actors you’ll likely recognize who left their career in Hollywood and set out on a more traditional career path.
Actors have gone on to become nurses, veterinarians, lawyers and more.
Child actors in particular have ventured on a more traditional career path after starring in a TV show or movie that put them on the map in the entertainment space.
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Below are a handful of actors who have worked traditional jobs since becoming recognizable faces after their time on TV or in movies.
- Jennifer Stone
- Kay Panabaker
- Jeff Cohen
- Bridgit Mendler
- Peter Ostrum
- Noah Schnapp
Bridgit Mendler, Noah Schnapp and Jennifer Stone are all examples of actors who worked regular jobs post-fame. (Getty Images)
1. Jennifer Stone
Jennifer Stone is widely known for her role in the Disney Channel hit show “Wizards of Waverly Place.”
On the show, which aired for four seasons beginning in 2007, she played Harper Finkle, the quirky best friend of Alex Russo, who was played by Selena Gomez.
After her time on “Wizards of Waverly Place,” she was inspired to become an emergency room nurse after her own diagnosis with type 1 diabetes when she was 20 years old.
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“I was like, ‘OK, let me pivot from majoring in psychology to majoring in something that I can further understand myself better and what’s going on with my body and also be able to help people,’” Stone told People.
“I wanted to be somebody that was like, ‘Look, I’ve been where you’ve been, and it gets better,’” she added. “The hardest phase of a diagnosis story is the not knowing what’s going on with your body, not knowing how to treat it. I think that’s the most challenging part.”
Jennifer Stone is now an emergency room nurse but spent several years acting on “Wizards of Waverly Place.” (Eric McCandless/American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)
Stone graduated from nursing school in December 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
As a nurse, Stone still gets recognized from her days on the Disney Channel show.
“I get recognized pretty frequently between the red hair and my weird voice. It’s kind of a giveaway. Even during the pandemic, when I was in full PPE – mask, gown, gloves, completely covered head to toe – people would recognize me. I was very surprised by that,” she told Healthline.
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“No one wants to go to the ER, and so if I can bring somebody a little bit of joy when they’re having a rough day, I look at it as such a gift,” she said.
Stone’s days on “Wizards of Waverly Place” aren’t fully behind her.
Stone played the best friend of Alex Russo (Selena Gomez) in the Disney series. (Craig Sjodin/Disney Channel via Getty Images)
Stone and her “Wizards of Waverly Place” co-star David DeLuise host the “Wizards of Waverly Pod,” where they rematch episodes of the beloved series.
2. Kay Panabaker
You may recognize Kay Panabaker from movies like “Nancy Drew,” “Fame” or the TV movie “Read It and Weep.”
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You may also remember Panabaker from TV shows like “Summerland” and “Phil of the Future.”
Now, you’re not likely to see Panabaker on the big or small screen, as she has shifted her focus to zoology since her acting days.
Panabaker received a degree in history from UCLA, according to Naperville Magazine, and then completed an 18-month animal program at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida.
Kay Panabaker focused on her love for animals after her time acting. (Charley Gallay/WireImage)
She then did an internship with Disney World and was hired by the company, she told the outlet in 2016.
“I get recognized from time to time at work, and the one thing I always impart on people is: life is short. You have to love your job because you spend so much time there,” Panabaker told Naperville Magazine. “So that’s what I’ve done. And I just want people to love what they do, whatever that is.”
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3. Jeff Cohen
When Jeff Cohen was a child, he starred as Chunk in the 1985 treasure-hunting classic, “The Goonies.”
Cohen stayed in the entertainment industry into his adulthood, but not quite in the same way.
Cohen went to UCLA School of Law and became an entertainment lawyer, according to People.
Jeff Cohen still works in entertainment, but as a lawyer instead of an actor. (Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)
In 2002, Cohen co-founded the law firm Cohen Gardner, according to Business Insider.
4. Bridgit Mendler
Former Disney star Bridgit Mendler played Teddy Duncan in “Good Luck Charlie.”
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In the show, her character recorded video diaries throughout her life to share with her younger sister, Charlie.
The show aired from 2010 until 2014.
During this time, she also starred in the Disney TV movie “Lemonade Mouth.”
Bridgit Mendler is now the CEO of a space startup. (Mike Windle/Getty Images for WE Day)
Mendler underwent a complete career change after acting, as she is now the CEO and co-founder of a space startup called Northwood Space, according to CNBC.
“While everybody else was making their sourdough starters [during the COVID-19 pandemic], we were building antennas out of random crap we could find at Home Depot … and receiving data from [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] satellites,” Mendler told CNBC.
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5. Peter Ostrum
Peter Ostrum’s time in the spotlight was short, but the movie he starred in was a classic.
Ostrum played Charlie Bucket in the 1971 film “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory,” the only movie project listed under the actor’s name on IMDb.
Ostrum went on to get his doctor of veterinary medicine degree at Cornell University, according to Veterinary Practice News, and then landed a job at Countryside Veterinary Clinic in Lowville, New York.
Peter Ostrum’s only acting role was in “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.” (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
He stayed there for 37 years before retiring in December 2022, according to the source.
6. Noah Schnapp
Noah Schnapp is one of the core cast members on the hit science fiction show, “Stranger Things.”
Even after he got started on “Stranger Things,” he continued to spend summers working as a lifeguard at a pool.
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“It’s kind of a ‘just for fun thing,’” Schnapp told Flaunt Magazine about his summer job. “I’ve kind of grown up with a normal life and normal friends and stuff outside of ‘Stranger Things,’ so it’s kind of kept me grounded.”
