9 Inspiring Celebrities Who Chose Ordinary Careers Over the Red Carpet / Bright Side

Even the best of us, at the top of our careers, sometimes question our choices and line of work, wondering if we were put on Earth to do something else. These celebrities seemingly had the same doubts, or simply wanted to be more than just another pretty face on the red carpet. As much as we enjoyed watching them on the screen, it’s great to see them venture forth in new directions and be just as productive. Kudos to them for showing us that things can change as long as you are the catalyst for it.

1. Jennifer Stone

Remember the always-upbeat Harper Finkle from Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place, which also starred Selena Gomez? Well, guess what—Jennifer Stone traded her eccentric “reel” fashion sense for a set of hospital scrubs. These days, she’s a bona fide nurse, taking care of the sick while looking like a million bucks, and she still waltzes into auditions whenever she can.

2. Frankie Muniz

Best remembered as Malcolm, in the hit sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, Frankie Muniz had critics and fans eating out of his hands. Once the show ended and the chaos of being a teenage superstar simmered down, Frankie swapped red carpets for racetracks.

He races for Ford, but along with that, is also a producer and a podcaster. Basically, he’s still in the middle of a lot of things, including fatherhood.

3. Mira Sorvino

Mira Sorvino, the star of The Replacement Killers and Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, was more or less the queen of Hollywood in the late ’90s and early 2000s. With a bunch of awards and accolades, Sorvino decided there were bigger fish to fry than just on the red carpet.

Today, she’s a fierce advocate for social justice and works to help victims of human trafficking, while dabbling in her love for movies and art. Very often, the two go hand in hand.

4. Kal Penn

Kal Penn skyrocketed to “cult” superstardom as Kumar in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, with tons of cultural stereotypes to tackle. At the time, his comedic timing earned him an immense fan following, so much so that any fast-food trip was dubbed a “White Castle run.” More screen time followed before Penn, in a remarkable career, move, decided that political activism was more his cup of Joe.

While he’s back onscreen now, he’s still committed to community engagement, with a sprinkling of humor on it all.

5. Bridgit Mendler

The all-round ray of sunshine, Teddy Duncan from Good Luck Charlie, is (or was) Disney darling Bridgit Mendler. Today, she’s blasting off into outer space—literally. In a cosmic twist of career paths, the 32-year-old singer and actress announced on X (yes, that thing we used to call Twitter) that she’s CEO and co-founder of Northwood Space, a California-based satellite data startup. From Disney to deep space—Good luck, Charlie, indeed!

6. Rick Moranis

From his nerdy but perfect comedic timing in movies like Ghostbusters and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, to his near disappearance from the big screen, Rick Moranis has been a bit of a Hollywood misfit—but one with a great heart. After losing his wife to cancer, Moranis decided to become a full-time dad and quit acting.

Since then, he has dabbled in writing, voice acting, and other personal projects, although you can still spot him on the big screen, from time to time.

7. Drew Barrymore

From being a child actor in E.T. to epic romantic movies like Never Been Kissed, or action flicks like Charlie’s Angels — Drew Barrymore did it all before moving to different, if greener, pastures. Today, she has a talk show, and runs the DREW magazine, along with being an entrepreneur in the beauty industry. Clearly, a woman of many talents—along with a stunning smile!

8. Karyn Parsons

Karyn Parsons played Hilary Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air—the fashion-forward cousin who was always a shopping spree away from maxing out her dad’s credit card. While this character catapulted Karyn Parsons into stardom, she later decided she had a bigger story to tell.

Parsons founded Sweet Blackberry; a nonprofit dedicated to creating animated films about remarkable figures in Black history. Her passion for storytelling and teaching kids is fierce, and she’s now using her comedic talent to inspire little ones far beyond any sitcom set. She’s also an author.

9. Ian Somerhalder

If you are still debating Team Stefan or Team Damon, then you are an ardent fan of The Vampire Diaries, and Ian Somerhalder, aka Damon Salvatore, stole hearts faster than his fangs dropped. This brooding, occasionally snarky vampire became one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces but seems to have traded in his fangs for a passion project: saving the planet by becoming an environmental activist.

He founded the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, devoted to protecting our environment and promoting all things green. Clearly, the real heroes aren’t the ones drinking synthetic blood on screen, but the ones leading the charge for a healthier planet. He’s also an entrepreneur who wears many hats.

From celebrities who chose varied paths to those who have dipped a finger in many pies, your profession doesn’t have to define you. That said, it’s always good to excel in all that you do—just like Bill Gates and his eerily true predictions.