Stars Who Left Hollywood Behind Over the Years: Cameron Diaz, Michael Schoeffling and More

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Stars Who Left Hollywood Behind Over the Years: Cameron Diaz, Michael Schoeffling and More

Parting ways. Celebrities such as Cameron Diaz and Rick Moranis rose to stardom in Hollywood — only to leave their acting careers in the past. Diaz got her start with a role alongside Jim Carrey in the 1994 film The Mask. The actress continued to find success with movies including My Best Friend's Wedding, There's Something About Mary, Vanilla Sky, Charlie's Angels and many more. After exchanging vows with Benji Madden in 2015, the Golden Globe nominee confirmed her decision to step away from acting. She welcomed daughter Raddix in 2019 via surrogate. In August 2020, the California native reflected on her decision to hit pause on her career. “I really looked at my life and I saw what I had been — when you’re making a movie, it’s the perfect excuse, they own you — and I realized I handed off parts of my life to all these other people,” she explained during an episode of the “In Goop Health: The Sessions” video series. “They took it. I basically had to take it back and take responsibility for my life.” Diaz later noted that her priorities shifted since she stopped acting. “It's just a different time in my life now,” she told Yahoo Finance in March 2021. “Now I'm here and this is the most fulfilling thing that I've ever done in my life. [To] have a family and be married and have our little nucleus of a family. It's just completely the best thing. … I don't have what it takes to give making a movie what it needs to be made. All of my energy is here." [jwplayer ROsN1rkH-zhNYySv2] Earlier this year, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that the Shrek actress was “still very close” with Drew Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow and more of her friends from the industry. “[They] were both hugely supportive and pleased for her to forge her own career path,” the insider shared. “Naturally they asked if she was certain this was what she wanted, but there was no doubt in their minds that Cameron could always come back if she wanted to. It wasn’t and still isn’t a total forever thing. But once the decision was made, Cameron never really looked back. She’s had numerous offers but politely declined them each and every time.” Moranis, for his part, made a name for himself starring in projects including Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Ghostbusters. The comedian stepped away from Hollywood to focus on raising his children, Mitchell and Rachel, after his wife, Ann Belsky, died of cancer in 1991. The actor offered a rare glimpse into his decision, telling USA Today in 2005, "I pulled out of making movies in about ’96 or ’97. I'm a single parent, and I just found that it was too difficult to manage raising my kids and doing the traveling involved in making movies. So I took a little bit of a break. And the little bit of a break turned into a longer break, and then I found that I really didn’t miss it." Scroll down for more stars who chose to part ways with Hollywood over the years:

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Bridget Fonda

The actress, who is part of the famous Fonda family, retired from the industry in 2002 to start a family with husband Danny Elfman. More than two decades later, Fonda said she had no plans to return to the big screen.

"I don’t think [there’s any chance]. It’s too nice being a civilian," she told the Daily Mail in April 2023.

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Mia Wasikowska

"If I can have the best of both worlds, which is dip in and out of it occasionally, I'd be really happy, but I wouldn't ever be in that place where I was just on a treadmill," the Alice in Wonderland actress told IndieWire in March 2023 about moving to Australia. "I want to do more things in life other than be in a trailer."

She added: "It's great, and there are lots of great things, [but] the perception of it is quite different from the reality, and it didn't suit me as a person. You can really lose perspective because you're treated quite strangely. When that's your only reality, it's quite strange."

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Brendan Fraser

The Indiana native became a household name after appearing in George of the Jungle, The Mummy trilogy and other film roles. Fraser took a step back from acting in the late 2000s amid health problems and personal issues. He returned with TV projects including The Affair, Trust and Doom Patrol.

In 2019, the actor made headlines when he alleged that he was previously groped by former HFPA president Philip Berk. In response, Berk denied the accusations at the time.

Fraser went on to receive critical acclaim for his lead role in Darren Aronofsky's The Whale. The 2022 film scored him a Critics' Choice Movie Award and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

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Cameron Diaz

The Body Book author won people over with her work in romantic comedies and animation. Diaz appeared in films including The Holiday, What Happens in Vegas, Bad Teacher and The Other Woman. Her final project was the 2014 movie Annie.

After taking a step back from Hollywood, Diaz focused on motherhood. In June 2022, the SAG nominee announced her return to the big screen with Netflix's Back in Action alongside Jamie Foxx.

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Michael Schoeffling

Schoeffling rose to stardom after he played Jake Ryan opposite Molly Ringwald in the 1980's film Sixteen Candles. He also booked roles in Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, Vision Quest and Mermaids.

The former actor ultimately chose to move back to Pennsylvania with his family and opened a woodworking shop. Schoeffling's daughter, Scarlet, whom he shares with wife Valerie C. Robinson, has ventured into the modeling industry. The pair also have a son named Zane.

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Karyn Parsons

The California native became a fan-favorite in roles such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Major Payne and The Job.

Parsons' last appearance was in 2002 before she built the Sweet Blackberry Foundation. The non-profit organization produces animated films and books about unsung Black heroes.

Parsons, who has since appeared in 2020's Sweet Thing, also published three children's books. She married director Alexandre Rockwell in 2003 and the twosome expanded their family with daughter Lana and son Nico.  

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Rick Moranis

Moranis scored roles in Spaceballs, Parenthood, The Flintstones and the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids franchise at the height of his acting career.

Following his wife's passing at age 35, the Canada native left Hollywood to raise his kids. Moranis provided voiceover work to Disney's Baby Bear, released music albums and appeared at fan conventions over the years.

Moranis will reprise his role as Wayne Szalinski in the upcoming Shrunk reboot film.

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Daniel Day-Lewis

The England native had a lengthy career in Hollywood with roles in My Left Foot, There Will Be Blood and Lincoln. He also appeared in My Beautiful Laundrette, A Room with a View, The Boxer, The Age of Innocence and more.

Day-Lewis is the only actor to have won three Best Actor Academy Awards and received a knighthood for his services to drama in 2014. Three years later, the Phantom Thread star issued a statement that he would no longer be working as an actor. 

“Daniel Day-Lewis will no longer be working as an actor,” the actor’s spokesperson told Variety in 2017. “He is immensely grateful to all of his collaborators and audiences over the many years. This is a private decision and neither he nor his representatives will make any further comment on this subject. ”

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Phoebe Cates

After delivering an iconic performance in the '80s film Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Cates continued to act in Gremlins and Drop Dead Fred.

The New York native married Kevin Kline in 1989 and the duo welcomed kids Greta and Owen. Cates hit pause on her acting career to focus on raising her children and ultimately decided not to return to the big screen. She opened a New York City boutique titled Blue Tree in 2005.

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Jennifer Stone

The Texas native is known best for playing Harper Finkle alongside Selena Gomez in Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place. Stone continued to act in Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars, Mean Girls 2 and The In-Between.

Since her time on screen, Stone went to university to get her degree in psychology and later nursing. After graduating from school in 2019, Stone documented her time on the front lines during the COVID pandemic.

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Teddy Dunn

Dunn made a name for himself as Duncan Kane on Veronica Mars from 2004 to 2006. He later appeared in Grey's Anatomy, CSI:NY and several films before switching careers.

The Gilmore Girls alum has since become a lawyer and now serves as an Assistant United States Attorney at the United States Attorney's Office District of Columbia.

Dunn married Kendall Morrison in 2019 and they welcomed a son two years later.