Actors who quit acting to do something else

[claws]

After giving birth to her first child Cristina Raines quit acting in the mid 1990s and became a nurse.



1970s exploitation actress Linda Haynes' final movie was Brubaker in 1980. She called it the quits to overcome a drug addiction. She then got married, had children and worked as a secretary for a law firm until retirement.



Anitra Ford's final movie was The Longest Yard (1974). She left Hollywood for good and became a real estate agent together with her husband.

[chainsaw midget]

Audrey Hepburn became a UNICEF Ambassador.

Frankie Muniz from Malcolm in the Middle became a racecar driver.

[lester1/2jr]

[Trevor]

Laurie Zimmer, so great in Assault On Precinct 13, quit to become a teacher.

[Gabriel Knight]

Laurie Zimmer, so great in Assault On Precinct 13, quit to become a teacher.

I absolutely loved her in that movie. I was really bummed to know she never did anything else except some other obscure film.

[ralfy]

Wyatt of Weird Science became a Professor of Medieval Studies.

Paul of Wonder Years became a top attorney in NYC, while I read somewhere that Wayne invested in video games (including Fallout, which I use for my avatar, and wrestling companies).

Tommy from Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore finished Engineering at Stanford and became a software developer for banks.

Newt from Aliens became a teacher but wanted to go back to the franchise.

[Archivist]

Gerry Sont, Australian soap actor billed at Gerard Sont in the early 90s adult soap-drama Chances, left TV to become a real estate agent, but returned to TV in 2000.

Kerry Noonan had numerous bit parts in the 80s, including a role in a Friday the 13th movie. She starred at Charity in an 80s Twilight Zone episode, A Message From Charity. She left acting to pursue academia, and is a professor at Champlain College.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Noonan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_vlqX0uEpo

[claws]

Jeannine Taylor thought she wasn't pretty enough to be an actress. After making her acting debut in Friday the 13th (1980) she did a bit part in a TV movie and then "retired" from acting. She then worked as a marketing manager for a magazine.



Stage actress Anita Skinner was nominated for a Golden Globe for her debut in the critical acclaimed Girlfriends (1978). She only did one more film after that, the horror movie Sole Survivor (1984). It is said she didn't feel comfortable doing movies and returned to theater.

[ralfy]

Linda from Fast Times owns a boutique.

Charlie from Willy Wonka became a vet.

Rocky Horror's creation became an antique dealer.

Chunk from Goonies became a lawyer.

Lex from Jurassic Park became a painter.

Jake from Sixteen Candles became a furniture maker.

[ER]

The guy who played Joe the convent caretaker in Mermaids walked away from a movie deal after the film to become a furniture maker.

Louise Brooks quit acting too, after a falling out with studio bosses. Sorry, has she been listed?

Jay North went into the navy rather than take the chance to transition into older roles after his career as a child actor ended, though he did try a mainstream comeback and was in a Gary Coleman film around 1980 before apparently doing some "adult" stuff and finally quitting the profession altogether. He was once voted child star most likely to become famous as a grown up actor.

Hugh Grant says he's quit acting because it's no fit profession for a grown man.

Emily Lloyd left the profession; she's struggled with mental health, I believe.

[claws]

Mia Farrow's younger sister Tisa quit acting in 1980. According to the Internet she then worked as a nurse.



Bridget Fonda's last acting job was 20 years ago (Snow Queen, 2002). She never made an official statement as to why she quit acting.



Sybil Danning was forced to retire as a leading action actress she was known for in the 1980s after injuring her back doing one of her own stunts. After recovery she returned to acting, but mostly playing small roles or to make a cameo.

[ER]

Ann B. Davis left acting to become what almost amounted to a Protestant nun.

[ralfy]

Susie from Loving You (which also starred Elvis) also became a nun.

[Jim H]

Angela Mao quit making kung fu movies to run restaurants.

Amy Yip retired to run food and beverage stuff.

[claws]

Jenny Wright quit acting in the 1990s. She was best known for playing the female lead in Katherine Bigelow's Near Dark (1987). In the mid-2000s images of her and a team of people trying to save farmland appeared on social media. They needed money for a new tractor (if memory serves) and were asking for donations. Jenny Wright did a few ironic hollywood-style poses (in dirty work clothing) for the camera to get people to donate.

According to IMDb she now makes appearences at horror conventions.