From Disney Channel stars to horror movie icons, many child actors have left the spotlight for regular careers. Join us as we explore the fascinating journeys of former child stars who traded fame for more conventional professions. You'll be surprised by the diverse paths these familiar faces have taken!
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00:00Now it's time to be whatever you want to be."
00:03Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the stars that gained fame
00:08as kids only to pivot to pretty regular careers as adults.
00:13I said, I don't really care about like being big and famous and prestigious anymore,
00:16and she goes, isn't that so nice?
00:20Number 30.
00:21Clayton Snyder.
00:22From Disney Channel to Zillow, he's been winning people over for decades.
00:27You know how on the shampoo bottle it has directions, right?
00:30Lather, rinse, repeat.
00:31Yeah.
00:32I don't repeat.
00:34Throughout the early 2000s, Clayton Snyder captured fans' hearts across the nation
00:39with his role as Ethan Kraft in the Lizzie McGuire series.
00:42After leaving Disney, he continued to work in entertainment for over a decade.
00:47He appeared in traditional and online media, including a YouTube series in 2020.
00:52Cut!
00:53To the chase.
00:56I know why you're here.
01:00Free samples!
01:01Exiting the public eye did not stop his career from flourishing.
01:06Now, his focus lies in real estate, where he sells luxurious homes across Southern California
01:12and gives buyers the unique opportunity to purchase from a former teen heartthrob.
01:17People love to be around him because of his charisma and the way that he makes people feel.
01:21He also, like, wants to help people at the same time.
01:24Number 29.
01:26Ross Hull.
01:27While some leave the entertainment industry altogether,
01:30others find ways to incorporate it into their future endeavors.
01:34Welcome, Midnight Society.
01:37It's been a long time since we've convened,
01:39but I had to wait for the right time to tell this story.
01:43Originally, Ross Hull was known for his role as Gary in Are You Afraid of the Dark?
01:47He had a smattering of roles throughout the 1990s and early 2000s,
01:52appearing in various television shows.
01:54After getting his degree in meteorology, Hull traded one audience for another
01:58and joined Canada's The Weather Network in 2005.
02:02You know, I think that every storm is different.
02:05Every, you know, we've been experiencing a variety, you know, in my career,
02:10such a variety in terms of weather conditions.
02:12Since then, he's bounced across several different channels,
02:15informing and entertaining the population for around two decades.
02:19As of 2024, he's based in Toronto and predicts the weather
02:23for several areas of the country, for humans and dogs alike.
02:27This is Charlie.
02:28He watches every night, apparently, with his owner.
02:3210 to 11 degrees tomorrow morning.
02:33Do be prepared for some of those showers.
02:35They should start to clear up by the afternoon.
02:38Number 28.
02:39Tiffany Brissett.
02:40With her career beginning at under 10 years old,
02:43to say Tiffany Brissett grew up behind the camera isn't much of an exaggeration.
02:48She captured viewers' hearts as Vicky the Robot in Small Wonder,
02:52no small feat for her first main role.
02:54The poor nerd thinks you're a real girl.
02:56The word nerd is not in my memory bank.
02:59Well, it should be.
03:01A nerd is the lowest form of life.
03:04And this nerd's got a crush on you.
03:07Crushing me will ruin my circuits.
03:09She continued to get work after the show ended,
03:12but by the time she reached adulthood, that chapter of her life had closed.
03:16After a few roles in the early 90s, she flew under the radar for years.
03:21Later, it was revealed that she worked as a registered nurse in Colorado,
03:25so she went from robot to RN.
03:27I think that that's a tribute to her upbringing,
03:30you know, that she wasn't twisted by the system that can twist some children.
03:37And she seems to be a gorgeous young woman
03:41and ready to take care of her life.
03:43Number 27.
03:45Troy Slayton.
03:46Although his work in Parker Lewis Can't Lose
03:48made him an icon amongst 90s kids across the country,
03:52Troy Slayton's true legacy would begin after leaving Hollywood behind.
03:56I stood at the mirror this morning and I saw the ugly truth.
03:59That you're destined to be who you are.
04:01That affectations are only superficial.
04:03No, that I'm allergic to leather goods.
04:05See?
04:06Ew.
04:08And I do realize that I am who I am.
04:10With his body of work,
04:12Slayton probably could have found a steady career in the entertainment industry.
04:16Instead, he turned his focus to school,
04:18obtaining a degree in English literature before setting his sights on law.
04:22After graduating from Pepperdine University,
04:24he secured a position at a Southern California law firm.
04:27He's also appeared as an analyst on a variety of broadcast news channels,
04:31and even ran for judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court a few times in the 2020s.
04:36I'm running for judge because I have the experience and the temperament
04:40to make sure that justice is fairly and equally applied to everyone,
04:44not just the privileged few.
04:45Number 26.
04:47Lisa Jacob.
04:48She may not have been on our screens for long,
04:50but Lisa Jacob still managed to leave an impact.
04:52This is exploitation.
04:54It's not fair.
04:55Shut up, Liddy.
04:57Yeah, you got us into this.
04:59Ooh, my little ankle biters.
05:01Do I sense dissension in the ranks?
05:04Are we ready for homework, or shall we continue manual labor?
05:07Primarily known for her role as Lydia in Mrs. Doubtfire,
05:10Jacob never went out of her way to be seen as a movie star.
05:13This led to her retiring from acting at just 22 years old,
05:16leaving behind a life of potential stardom.
05:19Since then, she's pivoted towards writing and yoga,
05:22using the latter as a way of discussing her own challenges with mental health.
05:26In 2021, she launched a website so that people could have the resources to help themselves
05:31and others.
05:32We don't usually think,
05:33oh, I just have to do the next thing, and do the next thing,
05:36and do the next thing that's expected of me.
05:38When we've had this really unusual experience to begin with,
05:42and you realize like, oh, I actually don't have to take that well-worn path.
05:46I can veer off, and it can be really valid.
05:49Number 25.
05:51Lori Beth Denberg.
05:52As a child, she delighted a generation with her impressive comedic timing on All That.
05:58Girls, it's a bad idea to fill your bra with water and goldfish,
06:01and then tell people you've invented the double cup aquarium.
06:04In adulthood, she's been able to take that love for entertainment,
06:07and make it part of other people's love stories.
06:10While she has taken on some acting jobs as an adult,
06:13including reprising some of her iconic sketches in an All That reboot,
06:17she's taken on another gig as a wedding officiant.
06:19When she initially got ordained as a minister to help her friend get married,
06:23she soon started offering her services to others as well.
06:26With this position, she's been able to stay connected to the fans
06:29that have loved her since they were kids, and give them the experience of a lifetime.
06:34My work here is done.
06:36Goodbye, everyone.
06:38May all of your information be vital.
06:46Number 24.
06:47Margaret Langrick.
06:48Sometimes all you need is a fresh name to reinvent yourself.
06:52As a teenager, Margaret Langrick found national success in the 1980s,
06:56appearing in comedies and dramas alike.
06:59She pulled away from Hollywood in the mid-90s and started going by Maggie.
07:03She also found a passion for writing.
07:05The wisdom that we earn in life is in us to be shared,
07:10and that for every single one of us, there is a best way to do that.
07:15Besides starting her own publishing company,
07:17she also works as a public speaker and coach.
07:20She's even managed to keep one foot in the entertainment space with her podcast,
07:24The Selfish Gift, where she has authors give their own insights on the craft.
07:29What I really want to do is to take my message to a bigger stage,
07:32and to inspire people, to show them what's possible, and also, I think, to help people
07:39to understand what's necessary if they want to have the impact that they're seeking with their book.
07:44Number 23.
07:46Reed Alexander.
07:47He played one of the most obnoxious villains on Nickelodeon,
07:50but you might not believe it looking at his current career.
07:53Reed Alexander had several roles throughout the 2000s,
07:56but most would recognize him as Neville in iCarly.
07:59I told you I'd get revenge.
08:01No, you said I'd rue the day.
08:03Same thing!
08:06And now your time to rue has come.
08:08Even though he never seriously pursued it,
08:10he's still been able to stay in the public eye.
08:12Besides serving as a media correspondent for Insider,
08:15he's also dabbled in the culinary arts.
08:17He expanded a food blog into a cookbook and website.
08:21He even pivoted to education, working as a lecturer at the University of Miami.
08:25Old fans are surely interested to see where he goes from here.
08:29There is nothing you can do to get us to stop.
08:32Nothing!
08:39Your evil laugh is getting so sinister.
08:41Oh, I learn from the best.
08:43Number 22.
08:45Shirley Temple.
08:46This young star was an icon before she even hit double digits.
08:50Throughout the Great Depression,
08:52Shirley Temple provided multiple generations with a sense of escape from their financial woes.
08:56On the good ship, lollipop.
09:00It's a night trip.
09:02Into bed you hop and dream away.
09:07On the good ship, lollipop.
09:10Despite having such an impact at such a young age,
09:12her career ultimately faded as an adult.
09:15This caused her to disappear from the public eye, seemingly for good.
09:19She re-emerged in the late 1960s, this time to pursue politics.
09:23After an unsuccessful run for Congress, she turned to foreign diplomacy instead.
09:28She served as an ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia,
09:32and was even the first woman appointed as chief of protocol of the United States.
09:36What I've been doing the last eight years is to take that experience
09:40and work with another foreign service officer,
09:43and we train new first-time ambassadors before they go overseas at the ambassadorial seminars.
09:50Number 21.
09:52Bridget Mendler.
09:53If anyone deserves to be called a girl boss, it's her.
09:56Although she got her start in the mid-2000s,
09:58Bridget Mendler became a household name once she started appearing on the Disney Channel in the 2010s.
10:03Okay, look, I know you still have feelings for me.
10:06I get it.
10:07I have that effect on people, but really, it's time to move on, okay?
10:12Between Good Luck Charlie and Lemonade Mouth,
10:15she became a familiar face on many families' TV screens.
10:18She then tried her hand in music before ultimately turning towards academia.
10:22Mendler obtained a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2020.
10:28She then started working on her doctorate at MIT,
10:31while simultaneously pursuing a law degree from Harvard, which she finished in 2024.
10:37As if all of that wasn't enough,
10:39she founded a satellite data startup called Northwood Space in 2023.
10:43This current project is something that we spun up in the past four months,
10:47getting everything wired up and up and running.
10:50Now we've just been doing some additional testing on the receive and transmit functionality.
10:55Things are moving.
10:57Number 20.
10:58Michael Oliver.
10:59After being spotted in a Chevron commercial,
11:02Michael Oliver landed the titular role in 1990's Problem Child.
11:06You see, Mr. Peabody, the child is incorrigible.
11:09I'm what? Why you speak English, lady?
11:12Oliver's performance as the mean-spirited junior Healy,
11:16who terrorizes his adoptive parents, made him a familiar yet frightening face.
11:21He returned the following year for the sequel,
11:23and made sparse appearances in projects such as Forrest Gump and Drexel's Class.
11:28These hands want to get into your pants real bad.
11:32But Oliver pretty much vanished from the screen after 1996,
11:36following a legal dispute between his momager and Universal Pictures
11:40over his Problem Child 2 salary.
11:42If you do the work, we might give you a free glass.
11:48Okay.
11:48Since then, he's opted for a more quiet life,
11:51taking a 9-to-5 job in tech support that has admittedly been more fulfilling for him.
11:57Good to know he's now solving problems instead of causing them.
12:01Number 19.
12:02Ross Bagley
12:03In the mid-90s, Ross Bagley enjoyed great success as a child actor on the big and small screen.
12:09Bagley first rose to prominence with his screen debut as Buckwheat on The Little Rascals.
12:19This led to what is arguably his more popular role to date
12:23as Nikki Banks in the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
12:27In the same year that the show ended, Bagley reunited with Will Smith in Independence Day.
12:42Although he made a few appearances on the small screen afterwards,
12:45Bagley seems to be done with Hollywood.
12:48These days, he still resides in Los Angeles,
12:50but he now works in the real estate business and DJs occasionally.
12:55Number 18.
12:56Kay Panabaker
12:58Kay Panabaker was only 14 when she got her breakthrough on the short-lived series Summerland.
13:03If you hurt my brother, if you even scratched him!
13:05Throughout the rest of the 2000s, Panabaker was booked and busy,
13:09landing roles in shows like CSI Crime Scene Investigation and Disney Channel's Fill of the Future.
13:15You must be new.
13:16I'm Debbie Berwick.
13:18What am I supposed to do with that?
13:21Shake it, silly!
13:22She also starred in the 2009 remake of the musical Fame.
13:25However, in 2012, Panabaker decided to quit acting.
13:29According to the former actress, she lost passion for the job,
13:33particularly after a producer on a show she was working on told her to lose some weight.
13:38No, look, stop it, okay?
13:39Can you just leave me alone?
13:40Just leave me alone!
13:41She returned to school afterwards and bagged a degree in zoology.
13:45Panabaker may still work for Disney today,
13:48but in a much different capacity, as a zookeeper at Animal Kingdom.
13:53Success is joy and freedom and friendship.
13:59And success is love.
14:01Number 17.
14:02Lisa and Louise Burns
14:04The Shining remains one of the scariest horror films Hollywood has ever produced,
14:09for a variety of reasons.
14:11Chief among them is the Grady twins, played by real-life twin sisters Lisa and Louise Burns.
14:16Come play with us, Danny.
14:18With their matching blue dresses and spooky voices,
14:21the girls were a terrifying sight to behold, for just about anyone.
14:26But the once-in-a-lifetime role soon proved to be a stumbling block for their acting careers.
14:31The sisters were reportedly rejected from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art,
14:35as they were deemed professional actresses due to their appearance in The Shining.
14:39Lisa went on to study literature and became a lawyer,
14:42while Louise now works as a microbiologist and is a published scientist.
14:47Number 16.
14:48Angus T. Jones
14:50Even before he was a teenager, Angus T. Jones was already a household name.
14:57For over a decade, the Texas-born former actor starred as half-man
15:02Jake Harper on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men.
15:05In 2012, while in their 10th season, Jones declared that he had become born again
15:10and would like to depart the show as its explicit themes went against his religious beliefs.
15:20After making an appearance on one episode of the web series Horace and Pete in 2016,
15:27Jones seemed to say goodbye to Hollywood for good.
15:39Since then, he's branched out into the business world,
15:42teaming up with rapper Sean Combs' son Justin to found their own event planning company called
15:47Tonight.
15:49Number 15.
15:50Ashley Brio
15:51Ashley Brio is known for one role, the popular cheerleading captain Kate Sanders,
15:56on the Lizzie McGuire series and its subsequent theatrical movie.
16:03But it's not like Brio had starred in other projects that weren't just as successful.
16:08In fact, other than a guest appearance in the TV show One on One,
16:12the only credits to her name are for the Kate Sanders role.
16:18After Lizzie McGuire ended its run in 2004, Brio seemingly left acting behind.
16:28She attended the University of Denver, where she attained a law degree,
16:31and has worked as a criminal defense attorney ever since.
16:35Many hoped to see Brio back on their screens for the Lizzie McGuire reboot,
16:38but those hopes were dashed when the show was cancelled.
16:42Number 14.
16:43Danielle Spencer
16:44To date, Danielle Spencer is still recognized for her performance as the audacious Dee Thomas
16:50on ABC's What's Happening.
16:53While on the show, Spencer was involved in a serious car accident
16:57that claimed the life of her stepfather and left her severely injured.
17:09She returned for the three-season sequel series What's Happening Now
17:13while studying veterinary medicine at the University of California, Davis.
17:21Spencer soon focused on her new profession, although she found a way to merge both fields
17:26by appearing as a veterinarian on the 1997 Oscar-winning film As Good As It Gets.
17:31Sadly, Spencer has continued to suffer health challenges as a result of her 1977 car crash,
17:37which admittedly has changed the way she approaches treating animals.
17:41It helped me to be able to relate to animal pain even more so.
17:45It made me want to try to arrive at maybe the source of the animal's pain.
17:50Number 13.
17:51Stacey Keenan
17:52I guess I won't be showing my face in public anytime soon,
17:56for I am the daughter of schmutz.
18:01In 1987, the then-12-year-old Stacey Keenan
18:05won a Young Artist Award for her work on the first season of My Two Dads.
18:09Hey Cory, ready for a date?
18:13She appeared on the show for two more seasons before landing a role on the ABC
18:18and later CBS sitcom Step by Step.
18:21In the 2000s, Keenan transitioned to the big screen,
18:24starring in multiple projects while earning a law degree from the Southwestern Law School.
18:28Why am I wasting my time on you?
18:31You're nothing but a drooling, illiterate imbecile.
18:35Hey, it's better than being a stuck-up man-hating know-it-all.
18:38You may know her as Stacey Keenan,
18:40but these days she goes by her birth name, Anastasia Sargoski,
18:44and works as a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County.
18:48She has also taken up lecturing,
18:51having returned to her alma mater as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Law.
18:56Number 12.
18:58Carrie Hen
18:58Newt, are you okay?
19:01It's no small feat to make your screen debut in a major Hollywood blockbuster.
19:05That was the reality for Carrie Hen, who, at age nine,
19:09was cast as Rebecca Newt Jordan on James Cameron's Aliens.
19:16While many may see such an opportunity as a great launching pad
19:19for a successful acting career in Hollywood, Hen felt quite the opposite.
19:24She wasn't too enthusiastic about her sudden fame
19:26and instead chose to live a normal life, close to her family.
19:30You were natural. You didn't come from kid movie world or TV world, did you?
19:35No, not at all. I was actually discovered in my school cafeteria.
19:38After graduating from California State University
19:41with degrees in Liberal Studies and Child Development,
19:44Hen fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming a teacher.
19:47Nevertheless, she remains grateful for her Aliens experience,
19:50appearing at Comic-Con for the film's 30th anniversary in 2016.
19:54I teach fourth grade.
19:56Come on, man, you teach nine-year-olds.
19:58Which is ironically the age I was when I did Aliens, right?
20:01I know!
20:02Number 11.
20:03Barrett Oliver
20:04Decades after its original release,
20:06the never-ending story has held up as one of the most fascinating
20:09children's adventure films ever.
20:11It starred Barrett Oliver as Bastion Balthazar Bucks,
20:15a young boy who is drawn into the fantasy world of a book he finds.
20:25The performance shot Oliver to fame and landed him major roles
20:29in 80s films like Daryl and Cocoon.
20:32By the 90s, Oliver stepped away from the spotlight
20:35and has now taken up a career as a photographer and photography historian.
20:44His co-stars from the never-ending story seem to have followed in his footsteps,
20:48with Noah Hathaway becoming a tattoo artist
20:50and Tammy Stronach pivoting to professional dancing.
20:54Have a little childhood, then if you want to get into the business,
20:56start acting, find a good class, get into a theater company, do the work.
21:02Number 10.
21:03Ross Malinger
21:04Ross Malinger was a prolific actor from age six.
21:08His big break came when he played Tom Hanks' son
21:11in the rom-com classic Sleepless in Seattle.
21:14You must be Jonah.
21:18Hi.
21:18There were many more projects from there,
21:21including the lead role of T.J. in the Disney animated series Recess.
21:25Hey there, Bob, your majesty, sir.
21:27This is, uh, Gus Griswold.
21:29He's, uh, well, he's, uh, I'm a new kid.
21:32But Malinger ultimately left the pressures of Hollywood in his early 20s,
21:37following in his father's footsteps into sales.
21:40He has become a seasoned automotive dealership salesman
21:43and manager in the greater Los Angeles area.
21:46It's a much less public job than the one he had as a kid.
21:49You know what, Dad?
21:50We ought to start camping more often.
21:52You're right.
21:53Camping is good.
21:54But Malinger has found his perfect leading role on the show floor.
21:58Number 9.
21:59Josh Saviano
22:00The classic sitcom The Wonder Years didn't just follow Fred Savage's coming of age.
22:05It's called a yarmulke, and for your information, it happens to be a very big deal.
22:09I get to stand up in front of all my friends and my whole family
22:13and say prayers and make this big speech and stuff.
22:15Josh Saviano captured audiences for six seasons,
22:18with the trials and triumphs of Kevin Arnold's nerdy best friend, Paul Pfeiffer.
22:23I feel like such a jerk up there.
22:26No, you're good.
22:28He had this big thing hanging from your nose, but you were good.
22:32Unlike his castmates, Saviano didn't follow the entertainment industry into adulthood,
22:37at least not directly.
22:39He went to Harvard, of course. Studied law.
22:45He's still allergic to everything.
22:47As a partner at the law firm Morrison-Cohen,
22:50he specialized in artists' intellectual property disputes and other financial transactions.
22:56But over time, you develop a secondary persona.
23:00You know, what would Paul do?
23:02And there did come a time when there was a distinction between what would Paul do
23:06and what would Josh do.
23:07He eventually used his expertise in creative entrepreneurship
23:10to found the startup companies ACT III Advisors and Spotlight Advisory Group.
23:16Saviano may no longer be in the spotlight himself,
23:19but he is dedicated to handing it to a new generation of artists.
23:23Number 8. Charlie Corsmo
23:26Hey kid, what's your hurry? Where are you going?
23:29Stop him!
23:29Take it easy!
23:30Charlie Corsmo stole the show in several cult classics of the 90s.
23:34Jesus, this is incredible! What are we waiting for? Let's go!
23:37He is particularly known for his award-nominated roles
23:40as the title character's protege in Dick Tracy and Peter Pan's son in Hook.
23:46You are the Pan.
23:48He'll Peter Pan.
23:49But just when it seemed like he was going to blow up in the new millennium,
23:52Corsmo decided to change direction in college.
23:55He graduated with a physics degree from MIT
23:58and worked in the public sector before completing his law studies at Yale.
24:03Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Professor Charles Corsmo.
24:12Corsmo has become an esteemed legal scholar,
24:15even being nominated to the Barry Goldwater Scholarship's Board of Trustees by Barack Obama.
24:20Settling in Cleveland as a corporate law professor,
24:23Corsmo has followed his interests into a successful career.
24:27Number 7. Taron Noah-Smith
24:30Throughout the 90s, audiences watched Taron Noah-Smith grow up as Mark Taylor,
24:35the youngest son on the hit sitcom Home Improvement.
24:38Look at all the wires in there.
24:42You know what all those wires do?
24:44Yeah, of course.
24:45By the time the show ended, he knew that acting wasn't for him,
24:49and was excited to decide for himself what to do with his life.
24:52It's like having this one huge family that you go and see every day.
24:56Smith built a career on his own terms as an entrepreneur,
24:59forming the vegan cheese brand Playfood, among other enterprises.
25:04In mid-2022, he became an integration technician for SpaceX.
25:08Smith may have left Home Improvement behind him, but he still built a lot with his own hands.
25:13The Home Improvement star is now fixing homes in real life.
25:17It is very strange. I'm now doing tool time for real.
25:20Number 6. David Dorfman
25:22David Dorfman had an intense childhood, both on screen and academically.
25:28Come on, we shouldn't be in a room.
25:31It's not a room anymore.
25:33The child actor broke out as Naomi Watts' son
25:36in the American remake of The Ring and its sequel.
25:39Why did you draw that house?
25:41She told me to.
25:43Who?
25:44Who told you to?
25:48The little girl.
25:48He also appeared in a number of other movies and TV shows.
25:52But his tenure on CBS's Family Law foreshadowed his ultimate ambition.
25:57A UCLA student at just 13 years old,
26:00Dorfman was a valedictorian graduate and Harvard Law student by 18.
26:05He was still acting regularly when he began an illustrious law career,
26:09but with multiple offices in the U.S. House of Representatives,
26:12Dorfman now definitely has his hands full.
26:15Talk about scary success.
26:18Number 5. Peter Ostrom
26:20A one-time actor achieving stardom is a rare treat.
26:24Peter Ostrom had that luck when he was recruited from a children's theater in Cleveland
26:28for the starring role of Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
26:33Look, everybody, look, I've got it! The fifth Golden Ticket is mine!
26:36You're pulling our legs, Charlie.
26:38Ostrom's infectious wonder enchanted audiences alongside Gene Wilder's iconic antics.
26:52The 13-year-old was an overnight star, but had other priorities.
26:57His family had bought a horse, sparking Ostrom's interest in veterinary work.
27:02Since getting his doctorate from Cornell,
27:04he's become a highly successful vet and dairy consultant in New York.
27:08Between this fulfilling work and the occasional return to the spotlight
27:12to discuss his brief but memorable acting career,
27:14it looks like Ostrom got everything he ever wanted.
27:17Hey, try this, Grandpa!
27:19All right, Charlie, wait for me!
27:25Number 4. Jeff Cohen
27:27Jeff Cohen spent his formative years during the 80s in the public eye.
27:31My name's Lawrence. Sometimes people call me Chunk.
27:35Chunk!
27:37His breakout acting role as the clumsy but ultimately heroic Chunk in The Goonies
27:42made him an icon of the decade.
27:44Chunk!
27:45No, Captain Chunk!
27:47But rather than use this credit to build his acting resume,
27:51he cultivated a network on the business and legal side of the industry.
27:55By 1991, Cohen retired from acting to study law at Berkeley and UCLA.
28:00As far as, like, the sequel, um, I think it's great.
28:05Uh, I think I'm better off being a lawyer.
28:07As the head of his own Beverly Hills law firm,
28:10he has become a renowned Hollywood dealmaker.
28:12Though Chunk will live on as a slapstick icon,
28:15Cohen's much sharper business shuffle is just as legendary.
28:19Captain Chunk's desk! Let's get the hell out of here!
28:22Number 3. Juliana Rose Moriello
28:25The popular children's show LazyTown was not so lazy when Stephanie showed up.
28:30Hi, Uncle Milford!
28:31Oh, hello, Stephanie! Nice to see you!
28:35Her cheerful energy and dancing talents inspired young audiences to stay active,
28:40and made actress Juliana Rose Moriello a household name.
28:48She ended her run with the show in 2008,
28:50leaving Stephanie to be played by Chloe Lang in the series' 2013 revival.
28:55Meanwhile, Moriello retired from acting
28:58and went on to get her master's degree from Columbia University.
29:02Seriously, where are all the kids and where do they play?
29:05Who is she? What is she talking about?
29:08Though many may be surprised that she is not working in performing arts,
29:12she's still dedicated to children's physical and mental health.
29:15Moriello is now a pediatric occupational therapist in Los Angeles,
29:19where she uses her many talents to support the activity of kids who need it most.
29:242. Mara Wilson
29:27You know that book, Stuart Little?
29:28Yeah, it's one of my favorites.
29:30Mara Wilson gained instant recognition as the adorable daughter in Mrs. Doubtfire
29:35and the 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street.
29:39You're a very good Santa Claus.
29:41Your beard's stuck on real tight.
29:4490s kids may remember her most as the magical, mischievous Matilda
29:48in the cult classic film of the same name.
29:50According to a constitutional law book I read in the library,
29:54if you don't have one, you could lose your job or even go to federal prison.
29:58Wilson was poised to be one of Hollywood's breakout stars for the new millennium.
30:02However, the tragic death of her mother in 1996
30:05left her feeling overwhelmed and longing for a more normal life.
30:09And she was like the first girl character that I was just like,
30:11she is so cool and that is who she wants to, that is who I want to be.
30:14Yeah.
30:14And I did get to be her.
30:16She's also said that she wanted more creative freedom,
30:19and she seems to have found it, becoming a writer across multiple media.
30:23This career has carried her back into the public eye
30:26as an advocate for progressive causes and mental health.
30:29She even takes on the occasional acting role for fun.
30:32Okay, I'm gonna do the pan-roasted turbot with fennel pollen aioli,
30:36prosciutto, burlotti beans, parsnips, turnips, and carrots.
30:39So the turbot.
30:40Yeah.
30:41Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
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30:57Number 1.
30:58Danny Lloyd
30:59Six-year-old Danny Lloyd made his acting debut
31:02in what he thought was a standard family drama.
31:05Did your mother ever say that to you?
31:08That I would hurt you?
31:11No, dad.
31:14You sure?
31:15Yes, dear.
31:16He was in fact playing Danny Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining,
31:20one of the greatest and scariest horror movies ever.
31:24Come play with us.
31:31Come play with us, Danny.
31:33Lloyd's performance was praised alongside his veteran castmates.
31:37But after his sophomore role in a TV movie about Watergate,
31:40he opted for a less public coming of age.
31:43Danny's not here, Mrs. Torrance.
31:47Lloyd has been a biology professor in Kentucky since 2004,
31:51reluctant to share his claim to fame with his students.
31:54He's still glad to meet fans of The Shining though.
31:57He even returned to the screen for a cameo in the 2019 sequel, Doctor Sleep.
32:02Oh, watch this kid.
32:03Number 19.
32:04That kid is a natural.
32:06He hits the ball every time, like he can read the picture of mine.
32:11Dr. Lloyd otherwise feels he shined enough in the one role,
32:15and is equally proud of his career in academia.
32:18Red rum!
32:20And rum!
32:22Red rum!
32:23Danny, what's the matter, hon?
32:24Red rum!
32:25Which ex-child star do you think has had the hardest pivot from the entertainment industry?
32:31Let us know in the comments.
32:32Oh my god, you are guy from show!
32:37I love you so much.
32:39I am biggest fan.
32:40Do you agree with our picks?
32:41Check out this other recent clip from MsMojo,
32:44and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.