12 Stars Who Walked Away From Hollywood at the Height of Their Fame
11. Peter Ostrum
At 12, Peter Ostrum played Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), one of the most beloved family films ever made. The studio offered him a contract for more films.
He turned it down. Willy Wonka was his only movie. He went on to study veterinary medicine and spent his career as a veterinarian caring for horses and cows in upstate New York.
12. Mara Wilson
Mara Wilson was one of the most recognizable child actors of the ’90s, starring in Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street and Matilda.
As a teenager, she decided she was done with film acting. She became a writer instead, and her 2016 memoir Where Am I Now? looks back on growing up famous. She has also done voice work, including on BoJack Horseman.
Life After Fame
It takes courage to walk away from something most people spend their whole lives chasing. For these stars, family, privacy or a completely different calling mattered more than the spotlight, and most of them never looked back.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons, cropped. Greta Garbo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (public domain). Grace Kelly: Los Angeles Times (CC BY 4.0). Shirley Temple: unknown author (public domain). Doris Day: Universal Pictures (public domain). Gene Hackman: Reagan White House photograph (public domain). Rick Moranis: Kevin Paul (CC BY 4.0). Cameron Diaz: Kevin Paul (CC BY 4.0). Phoebe Cates: Greg Hernandez (CC BY 2.0). Bridget Fonda: Rita Molnár (CC BY-SA 2.5). Jack Gleeson: Miguel Discart & Kiri Karma (CC BY-SA 2.0). Peter Ostrum: Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 3.0). Mara Wilson: Super Festivals (CC BY 2.0).
