People love seeing smart, funny child actors in major roles in films and TV shows. However, child stars are often at greater risk for abuse or mistreatment by family—or even their costars. Here are ten child stars who quit acting for one reason or another.
Angus T. Jones
Two and a Half Men star Angus T. Jones appeared on the show for ten years before calling it quits in 2013. He quit acting altogether in 2016, citing his newfound religious faith and saying he viewed the shows he’d formerly worked on as “filth.”
Jeanette McCurdy
Jeannette McCurdy of iCarly fame quit acting in 2018 when she was 25 years old. She later revealed that her mother forced her into acting against her will, and, in an incendiary memoir titled I’m Glad My Mom Died, McCurdy laid out how abusive and horrible her years as a child actor were.
Ashley Olsen
Ashley Olsen first appeared on-screen alongside her twin sister, Mary-Kate, in 1987 as Michelle Tanner on Full House. The two were both cast in order to give them reduced time in front of the camera while continuing the shoots uninterrupted. The twins then appeared in numerous films together throughout the late 90s and early 2000s. Ashley Olsen’s final acting credit came in 2009, a minor spot in The Jerk Theory.
Mary-Kate Olsen
Mary-Kate Olsen, meanwhile, had a few recurring appearances on Weeds in 2007 and an appearance in Beastly in 2011. As adults, the twins are co-designers at their own fashion label, The Row, which has been tremendously successful. Their younger sister, Elizabeth Olsen, portrays Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Kay Panabaker
Actor Kay Panabaker appeared in tons of Disney Channel Original Movies and played Debbie Berwick in Phil of the Future. Interestingly enough, she’s still working for Disney these days—just not in front of a camera. After she retired from acting, she became a zoologist working at the Animal Kingdom in Disney World.
Ross Bagley
Fans of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air likely remember Nicky Banks, the youngster who appeared in the show’s final two seasons. Actor Ross Bagley portrayed him, as well as Buckwheat in The Little Rascals in 1994. However, he’s had very few roles following a small part in Independence Day, and these days works as a realtor.
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes was a breakout child star on Nickelodeon’s sketch comedy series All That. She was so popular that she got her own spin-off, The Amanda Show, and starred in a slew of movies throughout the 00s. She retired from acting in 2010 and reportedly struggled with self-image issues and substance abuse throughout the 2010s. She says she’s now interested in returning to acting, but has no projects lined up.
Ross Malinger
Ross Malinger appeared in a number of films in the 90s, including Kindergarten Cop, Sleepless in Seattle, and Sudden Death. He was also in numerous TV shows, like Who’s the Boss? and Seinfeld. His final role was an episode of Without a Trace in 2006, and he now works at car dealerships around Los Angeles.
Jeff Cohen
Jeff Cohen, who starred as Chunk in The Goonies, had only minor TV roles after his big breakout in the beloved 80s flick. He has stated that he didn’t quit acting, and instead that hitting puberty ended his career because he was typecast as Chunk. He now works as an entertainment lawyer—and he famously negotiated Ke Huy Quan’s contract for his role in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Read on for more on that story.
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Ke Huy Quan (Kind Of)
Ke Huy Quan appeared in Goonies as Data and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as Short Round, but then received only scattered roles throughout the 80s and 90s. He retired from acting in 2002, citing a lack of meaningful roles for Asian actors. He returned to the big screen in 2021 and won an Oscar in 2022 for Everything Everywhere All At Once.
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