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“Completely Abandoned Acting”: 30 People Share Celebs That “Disappeared Out Of Nowhere”
While being in media, music or just on TV means that someone will be in the limelight by default, it doesn’t mean it will always stay like that. Fame can wax and wane, but there are also celebrities who really just don’t want to be celebrities. Indeed, a decent amount of folks just take their fortune and retire young.
People online share examples of celebrities that were household names at one point and suddenly just disappeared from the public eye. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to add your own thoughts in the comments below.
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#1
Rick Morranis.... His wife got cancer at the hieght of his career and he stopped working to beat full time dad till his kids graduated. ❤️.
RELATED:
#2
Geena Davis.
Jetztinberlin: She's been running a non-profit org advocating for better representation for women in Hollywood on & off-camera since 2004.
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 19 hours ago
Her career crashed after the box office atom bomb that was Cutthroat Island (1995). The movie bankrupted Carolco Pictures and blacklisted her and then husband, director Renny Harlin from Hollwood.
#3
Greta Garbo completely abandonned acting and led quite a reclusive life.
#4
Bridget Mendler…now she is a Ph.D. candidate at MIT!
#5
David Caruso. Good riddance. He can't act. He always looks like he's trying to hold in a fart. His voice is fingernails on a blackboard.
#6
The guy who sang Somebody That I Used To Know.
Now he IS somebody that we used to know.
#7
Jon Heder
I thought he was going to be a huge star.
But I heard he sticks to smaller roles.
#8
Danny Lloyd who played Danny Torrance in the Shining only acted in one other small role. He's a professor in Kentucky now.
#9
Charlie Korsmo
Kid from Dick Tracy, Peter Pan's son in Hook, dude was everywhere in the 90s.
Last I know of him he did the smart thing and cashed out for a normal life.
#10
Bobbie Gentry.
She’s still alive, but she stepped out of the spotlight at the height of her career and after a couple of huge hit songs.
She sang Ode to Billy Joe and Fancy.
But she won’t interview. She won’t talk about her career.
#11
Besides Bryan Cranston, like all the cast of Malcom in the Middle.
cadena kuhn 18 hours ago
Frankie is constantly in the news he left acting for racecars and olive oil but is coming back for the revival
#12
One who literally disappeared was Joe Pichler. He was in one of the Beethoven movies. Back in 2006 when he was 18, he disappeared after spending time at his friends house and his car was found the car park of a local restaurant. There was a note in the car, presumably written by him which stated how he wished he was a better brother. Police believe it to be a s*****e note. Despite this, they've never found a body nor any other trace of him. Most likely he's dead by now.
ABC NrTen FCK CENSORISM 14 hours ago (edited)
SUÌCIDE, BP. SUÌCIDE. Fúcking TALK about it instead of tabooing it.
#13
Steve Guttenberg.
Boraxo: This one bothers me. Police Academy 6 left me hanging and I might not ever see a 7
#14
Bridget Fonda.
Sownd_Rum: A good chance Harvey Weinstein ruined her career.
Babs McGurk 14 hours ago
I've seen recent pictures, and she looks nothing like her younger self. If she wants to avoid the public eye, I wish people would respect that and leave her alone.
#15
Bonnie Hunt.
Anonymous: She’s totally dropped off the map. Had a huge crush on her in the ‘90’s.
David 1 hour ago
I wouldn't say "disappeared". Maybe more like slowing down / retiring. Between 1988 and 2024 she was in 32 movies plus a bunch of TV stuff. Most recent was as Mrs Clause in Red One (2024). She is 64 years old and reportedly worth about 12 million. She is basically the same age as me. I'm retired, but I'd feel better about it if I had $12 million. :)
#16
Sabrina Lloyd. I last saw her on Numbers and I know she was in a few things after that but, nothing in 10 years.
#17
Joe Torres, the guy who played Danny on the old show "Hey Dude!" on Nickelodeon.
Literally no one can find him.
Riley Quinn 4 hours ago
Not true. Posts about him on Twitter (10.2024) have present day photos of him.
#18
For me its Martin Lawrence. I feel like I used to see him everywhere but I don't know what he's up to nowadays.
ocean todd 20 hours ago
Just did a Bad Boys movie with Will Smith last year and still doing standup; albeit smaller venues
#19
Dolores Hart, she was on a movie with Elvis and in her way to the A list in Hollywood when she decided to join a monastic community an become a nun. There's an HBO documentary about it named "God is the bigger Elvis".
#20
Action star Michael Dudikoff. Starred in the American Ninja movies in the 80's. Was on track to be as big as the other heros like Arnold, Van Damme and Stallone but faded away.
DadManBlues 4 hours ago
I don't know is he considered disappeared. According to IMDB he had 8 acting roles in the last 10 years.
#21
Leelee Sobieski. She was a bit of a celebrity crush for me back in the day. From the look of her IMDb she’s barely been in anything for the last decade or so. Her last credited movie was a Turkish made for TV movie in 2018.
#22
The guy who played Mitch Kramer in Dazed in Confused.
Also the girl from Matilda and the Miracle on 34th Street remake.
#23
Meg Ryan.
alexmo210: Sad that I think of her I remember When Harry Met Sally/breakup with Dennis Quaid/bad plastic surgery. She was It for a while.
#24
Phoebe Cates
I always thought she was so beautiful.
#27
Brandy. I know she's made music and she's still alive, but I haven't heard anything from her even remotely news worthy since the 1997 Cinderella.
#28
There was a movie called Amazing Grace & Chuck. The young man who starred in it as Chuck, a Little League whiz-kid pitcher who decides to stop playing baseball until there are no more nuclear weapons -- and then his quest goes "viral" and all the kids stop playing their sports, across the world, until no more nukes -- and then when that doesn't work, the kids all stop speaking. Just refuse to talk.
The kid that played Chuck has exactly one movie IMDB credit, that movie.
#29
After that singer for black eyed peas sung the national anthem she went dark.
#30
Christian Hayden.. the one playing Anakin in star wars prequels... now hes gonna be in Kenobi show but after 2005 movie he just went to live off the money he made in his ranch or farm or whatever and just kinda tapped out of acting and public eye.
Note: this post originally had 59images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Poll Question
Do you believe celebrities should maintain media presence for success?
Yes, it's essential
No, personal choice matters
Depends on their field
I don't care
What do you think ?
kissmychakram 17 hours ago
I suspect this list was culled from a UK site or Reddit as a lot of the ones further down were British.
Load More Replies...
Michael Largey 11 hours ago
John Wilkes Booth. One highly unpopular theater appearance, and career over.
kissmychakram 17 hours ago
Wow, this appeared on my feed with Anne Heche as the advertised "celebrity that disappeared" - which is appalling since she died due to a horrible accident a couple of years ago. Seriously BP - you go out of your way to censor the word "pàwn" in case delicate sensibilities are offended, but you let this through?
kissmychakram 17 hours ago
I suspect this list was culled from a UK site or Reddit as a lot of the ones further down were British.
Load More Replies... Michael Largey 11 hours ago
John Wilkes Booth. One highly unpopular theater appearance, and career over.
kissmychakram 17 hours ago
Wow, this appeared on my feed with Anne Heche as the advertised "celebrity that disappeared" - which is appalling since she died due to a horrible accident a couple of years ago. Seriously BP - you go out of your way to censor the word "pàwn" in case delicate sensibilities are offended, but you let this through?
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