{"id":2104362,"date":"2025-10-20T21:46:53","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T21:46:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2104362"},"modified":"2025-10-20T21:46:53","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T21:46:53","slug":"20-huge-celebrities-from-the-00s-who-left-hollywood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/20-huge-celebrities-from-the-00s-who-left-hollywood\/","title":{"rendered":"20 huge celebrities from the \u201800s who left Hollywood"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It’s not easy being a celebrity. These 20 mega stars from the ’00s took a break from the Hollywood lifestyle.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Amanda\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAmanda Bynes<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTollin\/Robbins Productions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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Amanda Bynes\u2019 most recent acting role was in 2010\u2019s Easy A. She was magnificent in the film, but she stepped away from acting to pursue a career in fashion, and she\u2019s had some very public mental health struggles in the decade and a half since.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Brendan\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBrendan Fraser<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUniversal Pictures\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
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\"Frankie<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFrankie Muniz<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSatin City Productions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
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\"Jennifer<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJennifer Stone<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnchor Bay Films\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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Jennifer Stone rose to fame as a Disney Channel star. She worked alongside Selena Gomez<\/a> 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
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\"Daniel<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDaniel Day-Lewis<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tParamount Vantage\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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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\u2019t appear to have any current plans to return again.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Bridgit\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBridgit Mendler<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMillennium Films\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
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\"Cameron<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCameron Diaz<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tColumbia Pictures\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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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\u2019t indicated that she\u2019s back in the acting saddle permanently.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Teddy\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTeddy Dunn<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWarner Bros. Digital\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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Teddy Dunn was in all sorts of iconic 2000s series like Veronica Mars, Grey\u2019s Anatomy, CSI: New York, and Gilmore Girls. But he eventually quit acting and became an attorney.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Andy\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAndy Milonakis<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tElement Films\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Jane\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJane Sibbett<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRysher Entertainment\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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Jane Sibbett was famous in the \u201890s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
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\"Michael<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMichael Douglas<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAmerican Entertainment Partners\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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Okay, Michael Doglas has been big in every decade since his career began, but it\u2019s worth noting that he\u2019s done acting \u2026 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
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\"Lindsay<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLindsay Lohan<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBrad Grey Pictures\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
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\"Evangeline<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEvangeline Lilly<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDreamWorks Pictures\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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Evangeline Lilly is another star who\u2019s been famous for years and years, but she doesn\u2019t 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Portia\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPortia de Rossi<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tImagine Television\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
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\"Ellen<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEllen DeGeneres<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVisualized, Inc.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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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\u2019s behind the scenes working as a writer and producer.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Eliza\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEliza Dushku<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMutant Enemy Productions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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Eliza Dushku became known for a variety of projects, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Bring It On. These days, though, she\u2019s done with Hollywood and is focused on administering psychedelic-assisted therapy and becoming a counselor.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Mischa\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMischa Barton<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCollege Hill Pictures, Inc.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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Mischa Barton was uber famous in the 2000s, thanks to her work on the hit teen drama The O.C. She\u2019s still working as an actress, but her footprint has gone outside of the United States. She now lives and works in Australia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
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\"Ian<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIan Somerhalder<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOuterbanks Entertainment\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
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\"Lauren<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLauren Conrad<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPiller\/Segan Company\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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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\u2019s back to her roots, living in Laguna Beach with her husband and children.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
\n
\"Angus<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAngus T. Jones<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tChuck Lorre Productions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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Angus T. Jones of Two and a Half Men fame quit acting years ago. He\u2019s pursued multiple ventures since his acting days, including going to college and working for a multimedia and event production company.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n