Show business may seem dreamy from a distance, but the intense pressure isn't every celeb's
cup of tea.
Whether it was because of constant scrutiny, family life, or just some bad luck in the
industry, these stars ditched the limelight for more low-key, everyday jobs.
Freddie Prinze, Jr.
In the '90s and early 2000s, Freddie Prinze, Jr. was every teenage girl's dream dude.
While he still does some acting here and there, his primary job these days is as a chef.
The actor and father of two even wrote a cookbook, Back To The Kitchen, in 2016.
Regarding his choice to leave acting, he told GQ,
"I wanted to be a stay-at-home dad.
I wanted to cook breakfast and dinner for my kids every day."
"That's when you kind of realize, 'Hey, I don't think I have the passion for this.'"
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Like her husband Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar transitioned from acting into
the food business.
The Buffy The Vampire Slayer star co-developed a non-GMO, organic baking mix company called
Foodstirs in 2015, and released her book, Stirring Up Fun with Food in 2017.
The mom of two told People of her new gig,
"For the longest time [my kids] thought I got my hair and makeup done for a living and
thought that was a job.
Now they watched us have an idea, create it, make it a tangible product and now when they
go to the stores that we shop in all the time, they see it on the shelves, and that's incredible
to me."
"I like to think of it as sort of my second act."
Al Green
Soul singer Al Green has won 11 Grammys, sold millions of records, and was inducted into
the Rock and Roll, Gospel, and Songwriters Halls of Fame — and while he still records
and performs occasionally, he left the bulk of his crooner past behind to devote his life
to religion in the late '70s, becoming a Baptist preacher at the Full Gospel Tabernacle for
more than 40 years.
When asked about his career change, Green told K.H.O.U.,
"There's some things I'd like to do, maybe [play] three or four cities of the United
States and then go back to the house and read some more of the [Bible].
I'm not hankering for anything, not really."
Angus T. Jones
Two And A Half Men star Angus T. Jones left the hit CBS series because its storylines
conflicted with his Christian beliefs.
"If you watch Two and a Half Men, please stop watching Two and a Half Men.
I'm on Two and a Half Men, and I don't want to be on it."
In 2016, Jones co-founded Tonite, an event production company, with Sean "Diddy" Combs'
son, Justin.
Speaking to Billboard about the venture and his career change, Jones admitted that making
the move into music was a big jump — and suggested he'd softened his stance somewhat
regarding his sitcom past, saying,
"I am now fully understanding what people meant when they told me that Two And A Half
Men was one of the best jobs ever if not the best job ever.
That was the opportunity of a lifetime and everyone's always told me that."
Andrew Shue
After leaving Melrose Place, actor Andrew Shue turned his efforts toward the internet.
The actor, who's married to Good Morning America anchor Amy Robach founded CafeMom, one of
the first-ever "mommy blogs," in 2006.
He told NJ.com,
"As rewarding and rich as that time of life is, being a mom can be isolating because no
one has any idea how overwhelmed each mom is, how conflicted they are about performing
all their roles well.
Moms don't think they do anything well."
Aside from wanting to help mothers at a difficult time, Shue was tired of the Hollywood grind,
and revealed,
"I didn't like having to promote myself, and to constantly make myself interesting to people."
Kathryn Dennis
Southern Charm star Kathryn Dennis went from being a debutante and reality starlet to working
retail as a stylist at Gwynn's department store.
Gwynn's owner Marshall Simon told Page Six,
"Kathryn is freelancing for us...
She has a good eye for apparel and styling people, putting outfits and entire looks together."
"People will be surprised at how easy going and normal that I can be."
Jon Gosselin
While Kate Gosselin continued her reality TV stardom with Kate Plus 8, ex-husband Jon
opted for a more low-key life post-divorce.
The former TV patriarch now works as a DJ and occasionally cooks at TGI Fridays, which
he calls a "hobby," noting that he donates his paychecks to charity.
He told Entertainment Tonight,
"I only work there eight hours a week, because I like to do it.
Why can't I work at a restaurant?
I like to cook...
My buddy needed help so I said 'OK, why not?
I'll saute!'"
"Because I work at TGI Fridays?
Who cares?
What if I was a plumber, would you knock me down then?
What if I was a firefighter, would you knock me down then?"
However, he quit after a photo of him at the restaurant leaked.
He told a Dallas radio station,
"I'm not going to work there anymore because now the trust and the teamwork is gone.
Because now someone took a picture of me and sold it to TMZ.
Thanks a lot, man!
Now I gotta go through all of this stuff and now I gotta leave a job that I was passionate
about."
Still, he may go back, though he hopes if he does, we don't hear about it.
Thanks for watching!
Click the Nicki Swift icon to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Plus check out all this cool stuff we know you'll love, too!