10 Actors Who Disappeared From Hollywood After One Major Role

Hollywood doesn't forgive. One moment you're on top, then you're not. In some instances, though, the downslide shouldn't surprise anyone, as all it takes is a string of rotten performances or a mega box office bomb to blacklist a star from the industry. Still, how do you explain the actors who disappear from showbiz after a major breakout role then? That's where it gets interesting and complicated.

Even though the world of glitz and glamor appeals to the outside audience, it isn't always as remarkable for the people on the inside. Success comes in different shapes and forms for others, and that's okay because life would be boring otherwise. In some instances, actors lose interest in Hollywood and all it has to offer. It could be that they wanted to experience a slice of normality, or grew sick and tired of playing political games to secure parts, so they choose another path to take. Other times, performers struggle to be seen as anything more than the popular characters they portrayed on screen; it isn't that they turn their backs on the entertainment industry, rather that the industry does it to them.

It's quite the conundrum, because do we consider the actors to be tapping out at the peak of their popularity or vanishing before reaching another potential level of stardom? Debate away as we look at the 10 actors who disappeared from Hollywood after one major role.

Based on the classic Stephen King novel, Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" sees haunted writer Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) terrorize his family at the spooky Overlook Hotel. One of the standout performers of the 1980 film is Danny Lloyd, who plays Jack's young and telepathically gifted son, Danny. Yet, after starring in what's widely considered one of the most important horror films of all time, Lloyd faded away from the limelight. He accumulated one more acting credit before retiring from show business, only returning for a background part in "Doctor Sleep," the 2019 sequel to "The Shining."

So, what happened to Lloyd? Nothing sinister. He simply struggled to secure other parts and decided to call it a day when he became a teenager. "I wouldn't say it was upsetting," Lloyd told The Guardian in 2017. "I always enjoyed [acting]. It was exciting. But as I got a little bit older, it got kind of boring. Then I had to tell my parents that I was ready to quit. Which they were fine with."

Lloyd pursued a regular life, becoming a biology professor at a Kentucky community college as well as a father to four children. Funny enough, "The Shining's" Danny wasn't allowed to see the full movie until five years after filming. While most people might think that shooting such an unsettling film would have traumatized Lloyd, he confirmed it was the opposite and an incredibly fluid and pleasant experience.

"Rocky V" might not be the most beloved entry in the boxing franchise, but the 1990 film is an important cog in Rocky Balboa's (Sylvester Stallone) arc. After suffering a head injury, Rocky decides to retire from competition, but the passion for the sport runs deep and he agrees to train upcoming Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison). Tommy turns his back on Rocky, leading to a memorable street fight between the pair.

By the time "Rocky V" went into production, Morrison was a rising star in boxing. He paused his sporting ambitions to film the movie before heading back to the ring where he defeated the likes of George Foreman and won the WBO heavyweight championship in 1993. Due to his success in the sport, he dedicated himself to it, choosing it over movies. In 1996, though, Morrison retired from boxing at the age of 27 after he tested positive for HIV. In the years thereafter, he had several run-ins with the law.

A decade after his retirement, Morrison mounted a comeback, declaring he'd now tested negative for HIV. He fought in the ring again and dabbled in mixed martial arts, but he retired once again in 2011. Morrison passed away two years later. In 2024, his widow, Trisha, told World Boxing News, "I was with Tommy until his last breath. Tommy's cause of death was cardiac arrest, septic shock, septicemia, and multi-organ failure on September 1, 2013, at 11.50 pm."

Angus T. Jones delights as Jake Harper in "Two and a Half Men." As Alan's (Jon Cryer) son and Charlie's (Charlie Sheen) nephew, Jake brings the laughs with his low-effort approach to life and goofiness. Jones stuck around for 10 seasons before his religious beliefs at the time saw him leave the sitcom in an acrimonious way. Everyone would kiss and make up, though, paving the way for him to return for the series finale.

Angus T. Jones' life after "Two and a Half Men" has been largely out of Hollywood's limelight. He studied at the University of Colorado, which he told People afforded him "a normal existence" where he "wasn't the center of everyone's attention." In 2016, he started a live events company with Diddy's son Justin Combs, but the status of that venture remains unknown, especially since Diddy played a heavy part in its early marketing and now finds himself embroiled in serious legal issues.

Jones also announced that he was a musician in 2020, though that appeared to go nowhere beyond the release of a single track. In terms of acting, he popped up in the Louis C.K. web series "Horace and Pete" and made an appearance in the comedy show "Bookie" alongside his former "Two and a Half Men" castmate Sheen. However, the early success that Jones achieved as Jake in the popular sitcom never translated into a long-term Hollywood career.

James Cameron's "Aliens" sees the return of Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), who not only needs to deal with the pesky Xenomorphs again but also the shenanigans of the crooked true enemy of the franchise, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. On the LV-426 colony, Ripley finds a young girl, Newt (Carrie Henn), and protects her from the acid-happy alien creatures.

Newt doesn't survive the space trip after "Aliens," as revealed in "Alien 3." Regardless, the role immortalized Henn in the franchise's mythology. Despite holding a special place in the hearts of fans and starring in one of the best alien movies ever, Henn retired from acting after the 1986 feature. She went on to become an elementary school teacher and started a family.

Does Henn have any regrets of not pursuing a Hollywood career? Not at all, because acting wasn't her passion — it was teaching, which she ultimately pursued. Her role in "Aliens" was even something of good fortune, as Henn's father's Air Force job saw the family stationed in England for a while. Henn was discovered by a casting intern at a London school and auditioned for the part of Newt in "Aliens." After the film wrapped, Henn's family moved from England back to America. "I contemplated going back into doing something with acting because I live in California now," Henn told AvPGalaxy, "but I wanted to be a normal child and I'd lived in England since I was about two."

Robert Rodriguez's "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D" didn't light the world on fire nor make a lot of money upon its release in 2005. That didn't stop it from becoming a cult classic in the years thereafter, though. Taylor Lautner, who plays Sharkboy in the movie, soared to greater heights after playing Jacob Black in the "Twilight" films, while much was also expected of his co-star Taylor Dooley, who appears as Lavagirl.

Dooley's career trajectory didn't follow Lautner's. She struggled to find roles after "Sharkboy and Lavagirl," with her most notable part being in an episode of "House." So, what happened to her? According to Dooley, puberty. The actor wrote her own bio on IMDb, explaining how she had every intention to continue acting after Lavagirl, but life had other plans. "Then as fate would have it, I hit a big growth spurt and at age 13, I looked like an 18 year old," Dooley stated. "After a few years of getting down to the end on roles and ultimately being told 'my age and essence played too old,' I decided to take some time away."

Dooley headed off to college to study psychology and started a family. The actor claimed she was ready to return to acting, but her only major role since then has been her appearance in the 2020 "Sharkboy and Lavagirl" sequel, "We Can Be Heroes."

Based on Roald Dahl's seminal novel, Mel Stuart's 1971 film "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" turned Peter Ostrum into a star as the protagonist Charlie Bucket. Ostrum starred alongside the formidable Gene Wilder, who played the eccentric Willy Wonka, and more than held his own in the film. Yet, after the role, Ostrum disappeared from the entertainment industry altogether.

It wasn't for the lack of Hollywood trying to keep him, though. Paramount Pictures' studio executives offered Ostrum a three-picture deal after filming "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," but he turned it down. He's spoken positively about the experience and working with the likes of Wilder, though acting wasn't his calling. Instead, Ostrum chose to dedicate his life to helping animals.

Speaking to the American Veterinary Medical Association's journal, Ostrum discussed how his family bought a horse not too long after he wrapped "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory." Instantly, the child star grew close to the animal, but he developed an equal fascination for how the veterinarian treated the horse. He explained how he didn't think he would make it into veterinarian school so he kept a return to acting open as an option. Eventually, he got into Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. "Acting was fine, but I wanted something more steady," Ostrum said, "and the key is to find something that you love doing, and that's what my profession has given to me."

When every James Bond actor is ranked, it's more than likely that George Lazenby features at the bottom of everyone's list. It's not because Lazenby was terrible in 1969's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" — quite the opposite — but he was a one-and-done 007. It also didn't help that he replaced Sean Connery, who is widely regarded as one of the best Bond actors, so it's all too easy to be swallowed by his shadow. Lazenby didn't enjoy his stint as the spy either, complaining about the film and turning down the chance to return for sequels.

The actor's career failed to kick off after this. Lazenby struggled to secure roles, often being relegated to B- or C-grade films. It got to the point of desperation that he took out an advertisement in Variety, offering his services to anyone who was willing to cast him. While Lazenby continued to work and find the odd role, he never reached the A league of Hollywood again.

In 1978, Lazenby admitted to the Los Angeles Times (via Yahoo) that he's to blame for his career collapse, though he hoped to change people's perception about him. "I admit I acted stupidly. It went to my head, everything that was happening to me," he said. "Now what I've got to do is live down my past; convince people I'm not the same person who made a fool of himself all those years ago."

The "Gotham" television series turned its actors into recognizable stars. Camren Bicondova, in particular, grabbed the attention as the young Selina Kyle — not only because of her pitch-perfect portrayal, but also due to her uncanny resemblance to Michelle Pfeiffer, who played the same character in 1992's "Batman Returns." Bicondova played Selina for the show's five-season run, but she decided against returning for the "Gotham" series finale in 2019; instead, Lili Simmons stepped into the role. Regardless, Bicondova remains remembered for her turn as Catwoman in the Batman prequel series, even earning herself a Saturn Award nomination in 2015.

Considering the widespread appeal of "Gotham," many fans expected Bicondova to turn the goodwill into a superstar acting career. It didn't happen that way, as the actor's next notable role was in the 2024 Tubi zombie film "Festival of the Dead." Two years earlier, Bicondova took a jump into another entertainment-unrelated venture: Opening an açaí bar with fellow filmmaker Alejandro Soto in Los Angeles.

Even though Bicondova didn't stay in the limelight, she's grateful of her time on "Gotham." Speaking to IGN in September 2024, she said, "In 20 years, I'm still going to be talking about it. I'm going to be that annoying person that's like, yeah, when I was 13, I was on the show, and normally people are like, shut up. No one cares. But no, that show changed my life. I will continue talking about it forever."

Joyce DeWitt was one half of the trio that turned "Three's Company" into an unmissable sitcom. As Janet Wood, she left her mark on audiences around the globe during the show's sensational run from 1977 to 1984. After "Three's Company" wrapped up, DeWitt appeared in an episode of the drama series "Finder of Lost Loves," then took her leave of absence from acting altogether.

According to the actor, she initially wanted to take off half a year to gather her thoughts and figure out what her next steps would be, but it turned into a longer stretch of time. She returned to acting in 1991, appearing in a theater production before heading back to the world of television and film thereafter. However, she never rediscovered the fame or level of success from her "Three's Company" days, largely being relegated to guest appearances in sitcoms, such as "Cybill" and "Twist City," and low-budget film affairs. That said, DeWitt continued to find work in theater.

In 2023, she appeared in the Davisson Brothers Band's music video for the track "Home." The video features a lot of imagery of and tribute to West Virginia, which is where DeWitt grew up.

"The Crow" is often remembered for the tragedy that resulted in the loss of Brandon Lee's life, but it's a film jam packed with grand performances. In the Alex Proyas-directed movie, Rochelle Davis puts in a highly commendable shift as Sarah, the young girl who formed a close bond with Eric Draven (Lee) and Shelly Webster (Sofia Shinas) before their deaths.

Lee's on-set accident deeply impacted Davis, who revealed on her website that she walked away from the industry for many years because of the event. Since then, she has worked as a voice actor, photographer, and abstract artist, while appearing in a few low-budget horror movies.

In a 2017 interview with Dash Jordan, Davis disclosed that she has a son and is living an ordinary life outside of Hollywood. "I've been living a somewhat normal life," she said. "I do a podcast on YouTube and also trying to get around to the conventions that I can handle doing throughout the year to meet fans." Davis made minor headlines in 2024 when she criticized "The Crow" remake, specifically the aesthetic of Bill Skarsgård's Eric.