Whether it was a quick hiatus to start up a side business, or a permanent vacation from the pressure, there’s a good reason why these well-known celebs have taken a break from the spotlight.
Jessica Alba
Jessica Albahad quite a run in the 2000s, cultivating her fanbase early with cult favoriteDark Angel, and becoming one of the faces of theFantastic Fourfranchise. So, what happened? It seems that Alba realized her talent was often snubbed since people were almost entirely focused on her beauty.
In 2017, she made it clear that she wouldn’t return to film unless she had control over the project. She toldGood Housekeeping, “If I could develop a film or a series for Netflix, that would be cool. I still have myDark Angelfans, and Hollywood is finally allowing women to star more in action franchises, which is a passion of mine.”
Alba is also the CEO of The Honest Company, and a mother, which we bet keeps her occupied.
Dave Chapelle
Dave Chapelle is a household name in comedy, who has seen significant success with his famedChappelle’s Showand film career. It was shocking when Chapelle walked away from everything in 2005, and fans are still wondering just why he did it. Chapelle hinted that there was a fallout between him and Comedy Central when it came to creatives for his show.
“It’s like, ‘Well, that’s 10 minutes long. It should be five minutes long.’ ‘Why should it be five minutes long?’ I fought very hard. So when I watchKey & Peeleand I see they’re doing a format that I created, and at the end of the show, it says, ‘Created by Key & Peele,’ that hurts my feelings.”
Chapelle recently released two Netflix specials where he speaks on his struggles and personal vendetta against the Hollywood machine.
Mara Wilson
Mara Wilsonhad a very long acting career ahead of her after starring inMatildaandMrs. Doubtfire. Audiences and critics alike were waiting in suspense to see what the talented young star would do next, but what she did surprised everyone…
In 2016, Wilson toldPEOPLE Magazinethat the body-obsessed environment was too much for her to handle, and she just didn’t want to deal with it anymore. She admitted that when she hit puberty, she wasn’t getting offered any roles. When she was finally called in for a role, the name of the role was for “fat girl.”
Wilson decided to immerse herself in her studies and began writing in high school and college while doing theater. She has said that since graduating college, she’s never been better, saying, “Things have gotten a lot better since I left Hollywood – a great weight lifted.”
Jack Nicholson
Heeeereeeeee’s Johnny! Yes, the famousJack Nicholsonhas had quite a successful career, and he is a legend in cinema history. The brilliant actor confirmed in 2017 that he was retiring, and we haven’t really heard from him since.
He’s often considered one of the best talents in Hollywood, appearing in some of the most celebrated films of all time. With a record 12 Oscar nominations and three wins on his mantle, Nicholson has had enough success to cover his career two times over.
There were some reports that his decision to retire was due to memory loss, but these have yet to be confirmed.
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Although it’s not confirmed why Prinze left Hollywood, many believe it was to pursue family life.Freddie Prinze Jr.was famous for nailing the “jock” archetype during the late ’90s and ‘00s and was given the title “young Hollywood’s leading man” byTeen People(a publication that no longer exists by the way).
Although many people assume he walked away from Hollywood entirely with his wife,Sarah Michelle Gellar,he didn’t actually stop working altogether. He took on many different side projects: writing for WWE, voicing video game characters forMass Effect 3andDragon Age: Inquisition, and recently releasing a cookbook,Back to the Kitchen.
Frankie Muniz
Muniz was a household name in the ’90s and ‘00s, starring inMalcolm in the Middle,My Dog Skip,Big Fat Liar, andAgent Cody Banks. WhenMalcolm in the Middleended, Muniz decided to retire from the spotlight to become a professional race car driver. He quickly signed a deal with Jensen Motorsport and competed in championships.
Unfortunately, he suffered injuries to his back, hands, and wrists from a crash in 2009, which limited his abilities. In 2012, Muniz suffered from a mini-stroke at the age of 26, and a year later, experienced a second one.
Muniz has since taken a step back from the track to take care of his health.
Tobey Maguire
Even thoughTobey MaguireandLeonardo DiCaprioare best pals, they’ve seen very different career paths. Before becoming every 2000s kid’s Spider-Man, he appeared inThe Ice Storm,Deconstructing Harry, andPleasantville. Although Maguire’s filmSpider-Man 3, was heavily mocked by critics, there were hopes that he would appear in the fourth installment.
However, Sony chose to reboot the franchise withAndrew Garfield, leaving Maguire in the dust. His last role was narrating the children’s film,The Boss Baby, in 2017.
Although Maguire has taken a break from acting, he has gotten heavily involved in producing with a number of films.
Karyn Parsons
Karyn Parsonsplayed the materialistic Hilary Banks onFresh Prince of Bel-Airbut, believe it or not, she was nothing like her character in real life.
Parsons admitted that while she was filming Fresh Prince, she refused to quit her job as a hostess that she had before getting the role
NPRreports that she recalls the cast members from the show, includingWill Smith, would come by her restaurant and tease her from outside the windows. Parsons decided to dedicate herself to motherhood alongside her husband, directorAlexandre Rockwell. Parsons has also been working on a project called Sweet Blackberry, which features animated films about little-known black heroes.
