8 Former Sitcom Stars Who Left Acting – and What They Do Now

Sitcoms have a way of freezing people in time. A character shows up in reruns for decades, and viewers assume the actor behind it is still out there somewhere, working. Often, that isn’t the case.

Some of these performers walked away at the height of their fame, and others drifted out slowly. What they chose to do next is more varied than you might expect, from law offices to congressional campaigns to submarine training rooms.

Ben Savage

Ben Savage played Cory Matthews on Boy Meets World, and he starred in every one of its 158 episodes across seven seasons from 1993 to 2000. He later returned for the sequel, and appeared in every episode of Girl Meets World until it ended in 2017. After that, his acting work thinned out. His last credit is the 2022 Lifetime movie Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez.

Politics became his next focus. He ran for the West Hollywood City Council in 2022 without winning a seat, then ran in California’s 30th congressional district and lost in the primary. Reporting in 2026 says he keeps working in entertainment by producing and developing inspirational stories. He and his partner, Tessa Angermeier, welcomed their first child in November 2025.

Josh Saviano

Josh Saviano was Paul Pfeiffer, Kevin Arnold’s loyal best friend on The Wonder Years. He appeared in more than 90 episodes between 1988 and 1993, and he walked away from acting once the show ended. The show’s finale had Paul heading to law school, and real life followed a similar script.

He attended Yale, then earned his law degree from Cardozo School of Law. After 12 years at a law firm, he founded a celebrity brand consulting company, Act 3 Advisors, in 2015. He has also spent years knocking down a rumor that he grew up to become Marilyn Manson, which has been debunked for decades.

Taran Noah Smith

Taran Noah Smith played Mark Taylor, the youngest Taylor son on Home Improvement. He didn’t do much acting outside the show, and he quit the business completely at 16, right after the sitcom ended in 1999. That’s a very early exit, even by child star standards.

His path afterward was unusually hands on. According to EW, he started a vegan food company, built installation art for events like Coachella, and made energy efficient water purifiers for the military with his father. SFGate later reported he became a submarine pilot instructor. In July 2026, Patricia Richardson shared an Instagram photo of herself with Smith and Jonathan Taylor Thomas.

Angus T. Jones

For a decade, Angus T. Jones was the kid on Two and a Half Men. At one point he was the highest paid child actor on television, earning $300,000 per episode. That kind of paycheck makes his departure all the more striking.

He left after season ten because the show conflicted with his newfound religious faith. He still returned for a cameo in the 2015 series finale, appeared in one episode of Horace and Pete the following year, and then quit the business for good at 22. Reports describe his interests since then as centered on faith and business, though he keeps a very low profile.

Amanda Bynes

Amanda Bynes was a comedy prodigy who moved from Nickelodeon into film and then a sitcom lead. She played Holly on What I Like About You, which ran four seasons from 2002 to 2006. Her big screen credits included She’s the Man and Hairspray.

Her final acting role was in 2010’s Easy A. Later that year she announced an indefinite hiatus, and she has cited dissatisfaction with her performance and appearance in that film as the reason. She has stayed largely out of the spotlight since, and her legal conservatorship ended in 2022.

Jennette McCurdy

Jennette McCurdy became a household name on Nickelodeon. She starred in iCarly and Sam and Cat before saying goodbye to acting. Her reasons were blunt. She has said she didn’t want to act in the first place, and that by age ten or eleven she was the main financial support for her family.

Writing and directing took over. She now focuses on a podcast, short films, and a live comedy show. Her 2022 memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, became a bestseller and made her a respected author.

Steven Anthony Lawrence

Kids who watched Even Stevens remember Beans, the prankster friend. Steven Anthony Lawrence played him, and many considered Beans the funniest character on the show. The role didn’t lead to a lasting career.

He had some minor film parts, including Cheaper by the Dozen, but significant hair loss in his teens made casting difficult. He eventually left acting, was once spotted working as an elf for a mall Santa, and today teaches virtual acting lessons. It’s a modest second act, and a reminder that leaving isn’t always a clean break.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

The Olsen twins shared one role, Michelle Tanner on Full House. As they grew up, they made a string of Mary-Kate and Ashley films and built an entertainment empire through their production company, Dualstar. That business gave them an early education in how the industry works.

They eventually left acting behind and focused on fashion, creating the luxury clothing line The Row in 2006. Of everyone on this list, they may have made the most complete pivot. Their new industry is fashion, and it’s one where they have built a serious reputation.