10 very famous actors who gave it all up for a different life

Most famous actors either continue working well beyond retirement age, or else the industry freezes them out. Occasionally, though, someone will quit the industry at the height of a successful career in order to take a different path. While some live a life of leisure, spending time at new online casinos like the ones found here, others go on to have entirely different careers. Here are ten extremely famous faces who left it all behind, the reasons why they turned their backs on acting, and what they did next.

Shirley Temple

Like many child actors, Shirley Temple had enough of showbiz at a tender age. Retiring from acting in 1950 at the age of just 22, Temple married businessman Charles Alden Black and eventually became involved in politics. She served as US ambassador to Ghana, and later to the former state of Czechoslovakia.

Gene Hackman

Hackman was already in his 70s when he retired in 2004 for health reasons. It was clearly the right decision, as he is now in his 90s and the author and co-author of several novels. Hackman lives a quiet life with his wife in Santa Fe, where he also enjoys painting and fishing.

Cameron Diaz

Once one of the biggest actors in Hollywood, Cameron Diaz was the star of movies such as There’s Something About Mary, Charlie’s Angels and of course as the voice of Fiona in the Shrek series. Her last movie role was in 2014, as Miss Hannigan in the remake of Annie. While she doesn’t rule out a return, Diaz is now happily enjoying motherhood and running her organic wine company.

Greta Garbo

Garbo was such a high-profile actor that it may come as a surprise that she retired at the age of 36. disappointed by the roles she was offered, Garbo walked away and never looked back. She became an art collector and invested in real estate, and remained a private person until her death in 1990.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the most celebrated actors of his generation, with a career that started when he was just twelve years old. His announcement that he is retiring from acting, after 2017’s Phantom Thread, is not the first time Day-Lewis has made the claim that he will not return.

Freddie Prinze Jr.

In a fit of honesty uncharacteristic of an actor, Prinze Jr. blames 24 co-star Kiefer Sutherland’s lack of professionalism for his retirement. He has since worked for WWE, as well as doing voice work and enjoying life as a husband and father with his wife Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Rick Moranis

A staple of 80s and 90s comedies, memorably the sci-fi comedy caper Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Moranis quit after the tragic death of his wife. Focusing on bringing up his two children, he did some voiceover work and continues to appear at fan conventions. Rumours of a return to acting have recently surfaced.

Jack Gleeson

Best known as the despotic child king Joffrey in the Game of Thrones series, young actor and all-around nice guy Jack Gleeson decided that it was not the life for him. Despite his incredible performance, Gleeson preferred to study at Trinity in Dublin and seems content to stay out of the spotlight.

Audrey Hepburn

Three-time Oscar nominee Audrey Hepburn quit Hollywood in 1967 when she was at the peak of her career. Although she made occasional acting appearances, she focused on family and her role as UNICEF ambassador until her death in 1993.

Frankie Muniz

One of the most famous child actors of the 2000s thanks to his titular role in Malcolm in the Middle, Muniz didn’t stay in acting for long after the series ended. He has since been a racing car driver, among other pursuits.