20 huge celebrities from the ‘00s who left Hollywood

Amanda Bynes’ most recent acting role was in 2010’s Easy A. She was magnificent in the film, but she stepped away from acting to pursue a career in fashion, and she’s had some very public mental health struggles in the decade and a half since. 

Brandan Fraser left Hollywood in the late 2000s as he had some health and personal issues to contend with. Like some stars on this list, and unlike others, Fraser did return to Hollywood, and his return was so good that he won an Oscar. 

Frankie Muniz was a sitcom and movie star in the 2000s. He was so big that the average 2000s kid had probably seen at least one, if not more than one, of his projects. But Muniz quit acting and these days is a professional racecar driver. 

Jennifer Stone rose to fame as a Disney Channel star. She worked alongside Selena Gomez on Wizards of Waverly Place, and she had some roles in other projects, too. Stone quit acting and pursued a couple of college degrees. Now, she works as a nurse. 

Daniel Day-Lewis very famously retired from acting at two different times in his career, once in 1997 and again in 2017. The second seemed more permanent, though he did return to the profession for a movie that came out in 2025. He doesn’t appear to have any current plans to return again.

Bridgit Mendler was another Disney Channel star, most famously in the series Good Luck Charlie and the movie Lemonade Mouth. The star quit acting and got degrees from prestigious institutions such as MIT and Harvard, and now she works as the CEO of a satellite data company. 

Cameron Diaz pulled a Daniel Day-Lewis by retiring from acting in 2014. She returned in the mid-2020s for a few roles, but she hasn’t indicated that she’s back in the acting saddle permanently. 

Teddy Dunn was in all sorts of iconic 2000s series like Veronica Mars, Grey’s Anatomy, CSI: New York, and Gilmore Girls. But he eventually quit acting and became an attorney. 

Andy Milonakis had his own show in the 2000s, and it was iconic. The comedian kept working in entertainment after his MTV series was canceled, but he never quite reached the same level of fame he had before. And in 2025, Milonakis relocated to Austin, Texas. 

Jane Sibbett was famous in the ‘90s and 2000s thanks to her acting work, with one of her most notable roles being Carol in Friends. The actor quit working in Hollywood for quite a few years in the 2000s and 2010s, though she did return later in a more limited capacity than before. 

Okay, Michael Doglas has been big in every decade since his career began, but it’s worth noting that he’s done acting … at least for now. The icon would consider returning to the screen if the right project came along, but he has no intentions of doing so at this point in his life. 

Lindsay Lohan never took an extended break from acting (though it did feel like it to more casual fans of her work), but she did physically move away from Hollywood, living in a few different places before eventually settling in Dubai. 

Evangeline Lilly is another star who’s been famous for years and years, but she doesn’t want to be part of the Hollywood scene anymore either. As of now, Lilly is done acting and has no plans for an immediate return. 

Portia de Rossi of Arrested Development fame left the industry in 2018. She no longer wanted to act, so she decided to start a business instead. 

After her hit talk show was canceled after nearly two decades on air, Ellen DeGeneres moved to England. She still does work in the entertainment industry, but she’s behind the scenes working as a writer and producer. 

Eliza Dushku became known for a variety of projects, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Bring It On. These days, though, she’s done with Hollywood and is focused on administering psychedelic-assisted therapy and becoming a counselor. 

Mischa Barton was uber famous in the 2000s, thanks to her work on the hit teen drama The O.C. She’s still working as an actress, but her footprint has gone outside of the United States. She now lives and works in Australia. 

Ian Somerhalder became famous for playing one of the most notable vampires in modern history. But he stepped away from Hollywood to focus on his family and his businesses. 

Lauren Conrad was a huge star in the 2000s, thanks to her work on reality TV. But after The Hills wrapped, she exited Hollywood to focus on her career in fashion. These days, she’s back to her roots, living in Laguna Beach with her husband and children. 

Angus T. Jones of Two and a Half Men fame quit acting years ago. He’s pursued multiple ventures since his acting days, including going to college and working for a multimedia and event production company.