Hollywood has always been known as the springboard to superstardom and opulence. Therefore, many celebrities choose acting as their lifelong profession and work in the biz for their entire career - Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are prime examples. By contrast, many promising actors who shot to fame during childhood decided to put a hold on their blossoming acting careers and stay out of the spotlight, either to pursue other new fields or simply because they are no longer interested. Here are 10 actors who have called time on their careers and switched to completely different professions.

Born on September 8, 1981, Jonathan Taylor Thomas first burst into the public eyes at age nine when he played Kevin Brady on The Bradys. His shot to stardom came when he became the child actor in the popular sitcom Home Improvement. Aside from acting, Thomas was also famous as the voice actor for young Simba in The Lion King and Pinocchio in The Adventures of Pinocchio. In 1998 - still in his teenage years, Thomas decided to quit acting to focus on academics.

Since his break from Hollywood in 1998, Thomas has been leading a normal life and largely avoided the limelight. In 2000, the American ex-actor enrolled at the prestigious Harvard University to study philosophy and history, before graduating from the Columbia University School of General Studies in 2010. Despite no longer starring on the screen, Thomas is focusing on his directing career.

Born on July 24, 1987, child actress Mara Wilson shot to fame when she played the titular character in the 1996 film Matilda. Prior to that, she was already experienced in acting, having her on-screen debut in 1993 with Mrs. Doubtfire. Wilson quickly became a sensation following Matilda and earned another nine more roles before she decided to retire from the silver screen in 2000.

21 years fresh from her early break from Hollywood, Wilson is still leading a relatively high-profile life as a celebrated author, journalist, and sometimes voiceover actor. Since graduating from New York University in 2009, Wilson has been focusing on writing and has published a memoir titled Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame. Her writing can also be found on Elle, McSweeney's, The New York Times, Reductress, and Vanity Fair.

Born on October 8, 1993, Angus Turner Jones was a famous child actor who debuted in the 1999 film Simpatico. His most famous role as an actor came from 2003 to 2012 when he was cast as Jake Harper in the favorite sitcom Two and a Half Men, which earned him two Young Artist Awards and a TV Land Award. In 2010, the American actor became the highest-paid child star in TV history at the age of 17. Despite his early fame, Jones soon grew a distaste for his own golden egg as its values conflicted with his religious views. He took a break from acting in 2012 at the pinnacle of his fame.

In 2016, Jones made headlines as he partnered with Justin Combs - the son of famous record executive Sean Combs to form Tonite, a multimedia company that hosts parties and extravagant events.

Born on April 1, 1939, Ali MacGraw was one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry in from the late 1960s to the late 1990s. The American actress shot to fame in 1969 with her role in the hit Goodbye, Columbus, which earned her the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. Her career reached its pinnacle one year later after MacGraw starred in the 1970 film Love Story and earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.

At the turn of the century, MacGraw, then in her 60s, decided to leave Hollywood after a glittering career and a string of ill-fated love affairs. Since her retirement, the veteran has been pursuing other professions, most notably for social causes. She is a big supporter of animal rights and is currently the U.S. Ambassador for animal welfare charity Animals Asia. Besides, MacGraw is also a devoted yoga instructor, credited for raising the practice's popularity in the U.S.

Born on October 8, 1966, Karyn Parsons rose to fame in the 1990s thanks to her appearance in several TV and films, such as Late Nights, Major Payne, and The Ladies Man. Her most notable role that catapulted Parsons into the limelight was as Hilary Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which ran from 1990 to 1996. The show also introduced Will Smith - one of the biggest names in Hollywood now.

Despite never officially retiring, Parsons has largely been devoting her life to Sweet Blackberry, a non-profit organization she founded to bring 'little-known stories of Black achievement to children everywhere'. Besides, Parson is also a celebrated author, having written a popular middle-grade novel - How High the Moon (2019).

Born on December 5, 1985, Frankie Muniz was once the most popular teen in Hollywood with various hits under his belt. Taking up acting at age twelve, Muniz was most famous for playing the title character in his landmark Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, which ran from 2000 to 2006. His other acting credits include Deuces Wild (2002), Big Fat Liar (2002), Agent Cody Banks (2003), and Racing Stripes.

Fresh from his retirement, Munez has followed various pursuits, including racing, music, and business. Most recently in 2018, the former actor and wife Paige Price bought Outrageous Olive Oils & Vinegars, a small specialty shop in Arizona. The couple sold the shop in 2020, however, as a result of declining sales due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

American actress Doris Day was one of the most prominent actress between the 50s and 60s - during the Golden Age of Hollywood. First rising to fame as a big band singer in 1939, Doris Day later achieved substantial commercial success as a solo artist, releasing more than 650 songs from 1947 to 1967. What shot Day to superstardom, however, was her acting career. She was most famous for starring in the 1959 film Pillow Talk, which earned her a nomination for Academy Award for Best Actress. Her other notable films include Move Over, Darling, The Thrill of It All, and The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Day's interest in animal rights dated back to her teenage years when she lost her dog Tiny to a car crash. During her pinnacle, Day famously refused to work on the film sets where animals for the film were not receiving proper treatment. In 1971, she co-founded Actors and Others for Animals before founding the Doris Day Pet Foundation, a non-profit organization that funds other non-profit organizations in the U.S to support animal rights. Despite her death in 2019, Day's legacy continues to live on.

Born on April 14, 1977, Sarah Gellar first burst into the public eye at age 6 when she starred in the TV film An Invasion of Privacy (1983). Her exceptional performance earned her the follow-up leading role in the teen drama series Swans Crossing (1992). Gellar shot to stardom with her role as Buffy Summers in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and as Daphne in Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.

While she has never officially called it quits, the 45-year-old actor has been spending time on other entrepreneurial pursuits. In 2015, she co-founded a company named Foodstirs with fellow entrepreneur Galit Laibow. The startup food crafting brand adopts e-commerce as its major selling platform, providing easy-to-make plant-based and regenerative baking mixes and kits for thousands of stores across the US, including Starbucks.

Born on September 27, 1977, Michael C. Maronna was most famous as 'Big Pete' Wrigley on the TV series The Adventures of Pete & Pete and as Jeff McCallister in the popular comedy films Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. His last acting credit dated back to 2013 when he starred in the short film On Edge.

After retiring from acting, Maronna has still been working in Hollywood as an electrician on film and TV sets - the job he first tried his hand at in the late 90s. He was the base camp generator on many Netflix hits, including Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist.

Born on November 1, 1957, Peter Ostrum was a famous child actor. His most notable, and also only acting credit was as Charlie in the fantasy film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The film's success catapulted Ostrum into the limelight and earned him a three-movie deal offer, which he later declined.

After his early retirement from acting, Ostrum developed an interest in horses. He is now a large-pet veteneranian at the Countryside Veterinary Clinic.