What Happened To Otis On Chicago Fire?
Otis from “Chicago Fire,” played by Yuri Sardarov, was a beloved, pivotal member of the cast for eight seasons, but he has not graced the screen since 2019 — so what happened? Unfortunately, Otis, whose full name is Brian “Otis” Zvonecek, suffered the same fate that so many real firefighters have suffered: he died on the job. If you’ve kept up with the show, you know Sardarov had one of the most dramatic Chicago One exits in the history of the show, at least onscreen. Upon risking his life to extinguish a four-alarm mattress factory fire, Otis was tragically and fatally wounded, later dying in the hospital despite receiving medical attention. (You can hear the hearts breaking everywhere.)
While a number of factors can contribute to a franchise killing a character, including contract disputes and creative differences, that wasn’t the case for Sardarov. According to “Chicago Fire” showrunner Derek Hass, Sardarov’s character was sacrificed for the integrity of the show’s plot. Otis’ death, no matter how tragic, reinforced that, in the real world of firefighting, there are casualties. “But then two, when we decided it was going to be Otis, there was some talk about, ‘Do we make it Ritter?’ but it felt like that was almost not as serious,” Hass explained to TVLine. “It almost wouldn’t be the same situation or effect, because he was such a new character that the audience would think, ‘Oh, we were just doing that intentionally from the beginning,’ because it wouldn’t have had the stakes that it would have if it were a core cast member.” He added, “And then we just decided it would be Otis because he lives with Cruz and Brett, and he’s on Casey’s truck, and he’s in Boden’s house, and he’s best friends with Mouch, and owns a bar with Herrmann…”
Unsurprisingly, fans took Otis’ death really hard. However, Sardarov has done some pretty exciting things since leaving the show.
What Yuri Sardarov has done since Chicago Fire
As Derek Haas explained to TVLine, Yuri Sardarov was refreshingly open to the idea of leaving the “Chicago Fire” cast after he notified him about his shocking character arc. After exiting the show, Sardarov spoke to The Chicago Tribune and revealed he was excited about embracing a new chapter of life, even if the death of his iconic character forced him to embrace the change. “But it’s this weird ‘I am free, I can do whatever I want’ feeling,” he said about his post-“Chicago Fire” emotions. “I have to honor that opportunity.” He continued, “For the past few years I’ve been on-and-off writing. All kinds of writing, whether that’s film and television or maybe a book in the future. That’s always been something that’s tugged at me.” Sardarov also cited an actor’s lack of control on television versus the freedom he’d have to pursue his own creative activities.
In the same interview, Sardarov revealed he and his then-girlfriend were gearing up to move from his “home” of Chicago to Los Angeles because it “was the best option at the moment.” But a change of scenery isn’t all that he’s experienced since leaving the beloved NBC property. For starters, he’s made good use of his time away from the Chicago One universe, proving he’s not an actor Hollywood won’t cast. The “Chicago Fire” alum has appeared in six projects over the past six years, most notably in two episodes of “The Rookie” and one episode of “FBI: International.” He also appeared in 2023’s “Daddy,” a comedy about fatherhood. Sardarov’s most recent credit is a 2024 film called “The Invite,” where he played the role of Sasha.
On the personal front, in 2023, he posed for British Vogue with his new bride, Madi Minju, after they eloped. “Thank you for shooting our elopement and congratulations on being a featured artist in British Vogue,” he captioned the Instagram post.
Actors Who Basically Disappeared From Hollywood
The following article includes brief references to mental health issues and abuse allegations.
On the surface, making it big in Hollywood is a dream come true, and don’t get us wrong, it definitely is. Fame, fortune, and all of the benefits that come with it? Sign us up! However, being a successful Hollywood actor is still a job that requires putting in a lot of time and energy. On top of that, while the paychecks are super sweet, actors run the risk of putting out a project that can lead to some pretty intense criticism of their skills and talents. Even worse, sometimes a movie doesn’t come together exactly as planned, and it can leave a stink that will follow an actor for the rest of their lives. Not fun.
So some screen stars end up making the decision to ghost on the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown either after getting a glimpse at how quickly it can turn on them or after realizing that there’s more to life than waiting around for someone to yell “Action!” Here are some actors who basically disappeared from Hollywood.
Joe Pesci
If you grew up in the ’90s, then there’s a pretty good chance that you know Joe Pesci from his role as one of the main villains in the holiday classic “Home Alone.” But if you’re also a fan of great cinema, then you know that Pesci was a veritable acting force who collaborated with legendary director Martin Scorsese on such classic films as “Raging Bull,” “Goodfellas,” and “Casino.” Pesci also proved himself as a strong leading man with his commanding performance in “My Cousin Vinny.” His career was the kind most actors only get to dream about, but Pesci couldn’t have cared less about the trappings of fame, and in 1999, he walked away.
According to Complex, the reasons for Pesci’s early retirement are murky. While it initially seemed like he decided to pursue a career in music, a look back at Pesci’s interviews over the years shows a man who wasn’t entirely feeling Hollywood and seemed apathetic about his successful film career. Granted, Pesci has popped up in a small handful of films over the past 20 or so years (and an odd appearance in a Snickers commercial), but the actor seems reluctant to relive his glory days. In fact, he’s probably the only person who has no problem telling off Martin Scorsese. (We won’t repeat the words Pesci used.)
Pesci reunited with Scorsese for his 2019 film “The Irishman,” and signed on to play the grandfather of Pete Davidson’s character in the 2023 Peacock series “Bupkis.”
Meg Ryan
She became the rom-com queen with such hits as “When Harry Met Sally,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” and “You’ve Got Mail,” and also starred in the smoldering drama “City of Angels” back when Nicolas Cage was still lighting up the cineplex. But in 2000, Meg Ryan became the focus of intense tabloid scrutiny when reports began surfacing that she was having an affair with her “Proof of Life” co-star, Russell Crowe, who was taking Hollywood by storm after his breakout role in “Gladiator.” While Ryan continued to work sporadically in Hollywood, her roles were never the same after the affair, and she waited eight years to address the scandal in a 2008 interview with InStyle.
According to Ryan, the affair definitely happened, and even though it affected her public image, she described it as liberating after years of allegedly being cheated on by her husband at the time, actor Dennis Quaid. With her side of the story finally out there, Ryan attempted to bounce back with “The Women,” a film about a cheated-on spouse, but audiences and critics just weren’t feeling it.
Since then, Ryan has mostly ditched Hollywood (save for a handful of roles here and there) for New York, where she’s focused on her children and navigating the pitfalls of love with rocker John Mellencamp — with whom her on-and-off engagement officially ended in 2019. As of this writing, her sophomore directorial effort “What Happens Later,” which she also co-wrote and will star in, is in post-production.
Mike Myers
For a while, it seemed like former “Saturday Night Live” star Mike Myers was the king of the comedy world. After the blockbuster success of the “Wayne’s World” movies and “Austin Powers” franchise, there was no way Myers’ Hollywood star could shine any brighter. And then he became “Shrek” — Myers was unstoppable! Until he wasn’t.
In 2008, “The Love Guru” hit theaters, and it was a huge misstep. With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of just 13 percent, it was the first sign that Myers was no longer a sure-fire hit at the box office. Outside of a brief cameo in “Inglourious Basterds” and 2010’s “Shrek Forever,” Myers seemingly vanished from Hollywood. Was it all because of that one terrible movie?
In a 2014 interview with GQ, Myers talked about his escape to New York, noting that his absence had nothing do with “The Love Guru,” of which he’s actually proud of making. What really happened is this: Myers remarried and welcomed two children with his second wife. He’s also been working on small passion projects that he’s in no rush to complete. However, he said he had five very specific movie ideas that he was kicking around, but he wanted to let them “percolate.” One of those ideas resulted in his 2022 Netflix conspiracy-comedy series “The Pentaverate.” Myers also appeared in 2018’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and 2022’s “Amsterdam,” and reunited with fellow “SNL” alum Dana Carvey in 2021 to revive their “Wayne’s World” characters in an Uber Eats ad campaign.
Gene Hackman
Thanks to a career stretching all the way back to the ’60s, Gene Hackman has starred in at least 79 movies, and those films include such classics as “Bonnie and Clyde,” “The French Connection,” “Hoosiers,” “Unforgiven,” “Crimson Tide,” and a slew of others that have stood the test of time. Plus, who can forget Hackman’s iconic role as Lex Luthor matching wits with Christopher Reeve’s Superman.
In 2001, Hackman gave one of his most beloved performances in “The Royal Tenenbaums,” despite the fact that he was reluctant to do the film, particularly after learning that director Wes Anderson wrote the part specifically for him. So it came as a complete surprise when Hackman starred in the 2004 lackluster comedy “Welcome to Mooseport” and chose that to be his final film. While Hackman never officially announced his retirement, he confirmed he was done with acting in a 2008 interview with Reuters. “I really don’t want to do it any longer,” he explained. And though he admitted that he did miss acting, Hackman noted, “The business for me is very stressful.”
However, this fan-favorite is not finished with the creative world yet, and the former actor is doing a formidable job trying to “hack” it as a writer. (Yup, that joke happened.) He also narrated a couple military documentaries in the late 2010s and appeared in the 2021 docuseries “Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy.” In March 2023, Hackman, then 93, was seen making a rare public outing while some running errands in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Rene Russo
With only a few acting credits to her name, Rene Russo seemingly came out of nowhere and planted herself as a steady fixture in such quintessential ’90s movies as “In the Line of Fire,” “Outbreak,” “Tin Cup,” “Ransom,” and the hot and steamy remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair” with Pierce Brosnan. When the 2000s rolled around, Russo’s output became less consistent, and then, just like that, she vanished for six years after wrapping production on 2005’s “Yours, Mine, and Ours.” She wouldn’t appear on the big screen again until 2011’s “Thor,” where she played Chris Hemsworth’s Viking goddess mom, Frigga — a role she’d reprise two years later in “Thor: The Dark World” and in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.” As of this writing, the latter flick is her most recent onscreen role.
While rumors began to spread that Rene Russo disappeared because of her bipolar disorder, the actor set the record straight in 2014 by telling Showbiz 411 that managing her mental health wasn’t the reason for her temporary absence from the big screen. She said she just genuinely needed a break after acting since age 9. As for what Russo did during her six years off? Gardening. (Hey, when you gotta prune, you gotta prune.) She also added, “And being with my daughter. It was time.”
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Rick Moranis
After making a name for himself on “SCTV,” Canada’s answer to “Saturday Night Live,” Rick Moranis became a staple of ’80s comedy classics, starting with a small little movie called “Ghostbusters.” After that, Moranis had starring roles in “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Spaceballs!” and the Disney franchise “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.” He also continued to steadily work in the ’90s, which included landing the plum role of Barney Rubble in the 1994 live-action remake of “The Flintstones.” It seemed like this guy was going to be a Hollywood mainstay for years to come. And then he was gone.
By 2015, Moranis had virtually vanished from Hollywood for nearly 18 years, save for quietly taking on some voice-acting roles, but when word got out that he wouldn’t reprise his role as Lewis Tully in the 2016 “Ghostbusters” reboot, he granted a rare interview to The Hollywood Reporter to explain where he’d been. We hope you have some tissues ready.
In 1997, Moranis’ wife, Anne, died of breast cancer. While he originally planned to take a small break, Moranis ultimately devoted himself to raising their two young children, and the actor couldn’t be happier be with the decision. “I was working with really interesting people, wonderful people,” Moranis said. “I went from that to being at home with a couple of little kids, which is a very different lifestyle. But it was important to me. I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. My life is wonderful.”
Dana Carvey
Comedian Dana Carvey rose to prominence in the early ’90s thanks to his breakout performances on “Saturday Night Live,” which included his famous Church Lady character and impressions of then-President George H.W. Bush. Carvey also starred in a notable sketch you might have heard of: Wayne’s World. Alongside Mike Myers, Carvey became the classic sidekick Garth Algar in two hit “Wayne’s World” movies. However, while Myers went on to even bigger showbiz success, Carvey didn’t fare so well.
In 1997, Carvey’s first attempt at a comedy series bombed on ABC, and he began having chest pains, which required bypass surgery on his heart. Afterward, something wasn’t right. Carvey was still having chest pains because the doctor reportedly bypassed the wrong artery. Per ABC News, Carvey successfully sued the surgeon for millions and donated the money to charity. By that time, Carvey had moved his family away from Hollywood to what he described to The Daily Beast as a “small town with trees,” and that’s where the comedian decided to put his focus after his grueling heart ordeal.
During a 2015 appearance on Pete Holmes’ podcast (via Uproxx), Carvey dubbed his disappearance from Hollywood as a “half-way Rick Moranis.” He has done some work of late, such as voicing the basset hound Pops in 2016’s “The Secret Life of Pets,” impersonating President Joe Biden on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” and guest-hosting “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in 2022. While the “SNL” alum is toying with making a comeback, he seems content focusing more on his kids, who are up-and-coming comedians themselves. Party on.
Bridget Fonda
Thanks to her famous dad, Bridget Fonda made her first acting appearance at age 5 in the 1969 classic “Easy Rider,” but it would be a few decades until the actor became a Hollywood fixture. In the early ’90s, she made a big splash in “Single White Female,” but despite working steadily in notable flicks such as “Point of No Return,” “Singles,” and “Jackie Brown,” Fonda’s career didn’t fare so well in the 2000s.
For starters, Fonda had made a name for herself as a film star, so when the lead role for a television series came her way, she turned it down. That show ended up being the smash hit “Ally McBeal,” which rocketed Calista Flockhart to fame. In 1999, Fonda told the New York Post, “I refused to read the script for fear I might really like it. I’ve never wanted to do TV. I love feature films too much.” She added, “I’m not kicking myself for having passed on ‘Ally McBeal,’ even though it’s a huge hit. I’ve been acting long enough to know it could have been a complete dud with me in it.”
Fonda starred in the 2001 box-office bomb “Monkeybone,” and a year later, she quit acting altogether after starring in the forgettable Hallmark channel movie “Snow Queen.” (Think super low-budget “Frozen.”) But Fonda had a good reason to walk away from Hollywood after a solid body of work. She started a family with husband and famous film composer Danny Elfman, and she hasn’t looked back.
Cameron Diaz
After a breakout role as Jim Carrey’s love interest in “The Mask,” Cameron Diaz rocketed to Hollywood “It” Girl status with “There’s Something About Mary” and continued to be a steady force at the box office with “Charlie’s Angels,” “Shrek,” and a respectable turn in the indie flick “Being John Malkovich.” But in 2014, Diaz went on hiatus after starring in a critically panned remake of “Annie.” By 2018, rumors began to swirl about the movie star’s retirement.
According to the Daily Mail, Diaz’s best friend and fellow actor Selma Blair said at Vanity Fair’s Oscars pre-party that Diaz retired from acting to focus on starting a family with her rocker husband, Benji Madden, and was serious about not coming back to Hollywood. (The couple quietly welcomed their daughter via surrogate in 2019). Blair later claimed in a since-deleted tweet that she was just joking. Diaz and her team wouldn’t confirm nor deny these reports, apart from Diaz quipping to Entertainment Weekly, “I’m literally doing nothing. … I’m semi-retired, too, and I am actually retired.” In 2020, Diaz finally shed some light on the perplexing situation.
“It’s so intense to work at that level and be that public and put yourself out there,” Diaz told pal Gwyneth Paltrow in an interview for Goop. “… I stopped, I really looked at my life, and I saw what I had been [missing].” At the time of this writing, however, Diaz is set to make her highly anticipated return to acting alongside Jamie Foxx in Netflix’s aptly titled movie “Back in Action.”
Jack Nicholson
The epitome of Hollywood royalty, for decades Jack Nicholson could be seen front and center during each year’s Academy Awards — sporting his signature Ray-Bans, of course. The Oscars, in fact, had long been Nicholson’s domain — not surprising, considering he’s been nominated for 12 of them, and won three. Known for indelible performances in such film classics as “Chinatown,” “Easy Rider,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “The Shining,” and many more, Nicholson abruptly brought his career to a halt; the most recent entry in his IMDb credits is the 2010 feature “How Do You Know.”
While Nicholson, who was born in 1937, never officially announced his retirement, that appears to be what’s taken place. In 2017, fans were hopeful for a return to the screen when Variety reported Nicholson was set to star in a U.S. remake of German comedy “Toni Erdmann,” but the star reportedly exited the project the following year. He didn’t disappear completely, though; in the decade-plus since his last film, Nicholson continued to maintain his presence courtside to watch his beloved Los Angeles Lakers, last spotted (as of this writing, that is) attending a game in October 2021.
While there’s been no official reason behind Nicholson’s retirement, sources told Radar in 2013 that he allegedly decided to step away from acting due to memory loss; a subsequent Radar report offered unsubstantiated claims of dementia. In early 2023, sources alleged to the Daily Mail that the then-85-year-old actor would no longer leave his Beverly Hills mansion, with friends reportedly fearing he’ll “die a recluse [after] leading such a colorful life.”
Shelley Duvall
Jack Nicholson’s co-star in “The Shining,” Shelley Duvall’s onscreen credits also include Robert Altman’s acclaimed “Nashville,” co-starring opposite Robin Williams in “Popeye,” and starring in her 1980s TV series “Faerie Tale Theatre.” Duvall continued acting throughout the 1990s until exiting Hollywood completely after appearing in the 2002 feature “Manna from Heaven.”
Duvall reappeared in 2016 — not in a film, but in an episode of “Dr. Phil,” revealing her struggles with her mental health. “I’m very sick, I need help,” she said in a clip (via USA Today). Five years later, she told The Hollywood Reporter she regretted that appearance. “I found out the kind of person he is the hard way,” Duvall said of Dr. Phil McGraw. “My mother didn’t like him, either. A lot of people, like [my partner] Dan [Gilroy], said, ‘You shouldn’t have done that, Shelley.'”
In 2022, Duvall made a long-overdue comeback, when the trailer dropped for the indie horror movie “The Forest Hills.” As Duvall told People in a February 2023 interview, her protracted absence from Hollywood began when she returned to her native Texas after her brother was diagnosed with cancer. “It’s the longest sabbatical I ever took,” she explained, “but it was for really important reasons — to get in touch with my family again.” However, the then-73-year-old star also indicated that she was ready to restart her acting career. “[Jessica Tandy] won an Oscar when she was 80,” Duvall mused. “I can still win.”
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Geena Davis
Known for roles in such big screen hits as “Beetlejuice,” “Thelma & Louise,” “A League of Their Own,” and “The Accidental Tourist” (winning a best supporting actress Oscar for the latter), Geena Davis’ onscreen credits have been sporadic in recent years. During the 2010s, she starred in the short-lived TV series “The Exorcist,” appeared in a recurring role on “Grey’s Anatomy,” guested in several 2019 episodes of Netflix’s “GLOW,” and appeared in the 2020 feature “Ava,” starring Jessica Chastain.
While Davis may have scaled down her acting, that hasn’t necessarily been by choice. As she told The Guardian, roles became scarcer after she entered her 40s. “I fell off the cliff. I really did,” she admitted. Speaking with Interview magazine in 2016, Davis said she’d prefer to wait for a good, meaty part than take whatever’s offered, simply to have a job. “It’s okay if it takes two or three years for something really good to come along, but I don’t want to wait 10 years for something great to come along,” she said, while also admitting how she wasn’t thrilled with the way it had been working out. “It’s maddening,” Davis said. “It’s so frustrating. It’s completely embarrassing.”
However, Davis has other irons in the fire beyond acting. In 2004, the mother of three founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender Media, with a mission to work within the entertainment industry to promote greater gender balance. Then, in 2015, she co-founded the Bentonville Film Festival, championing female, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ filmmakers.
Randy Quaid
Randy Quaid was in his early 20s when he co-starred with Jack Nicholson in “The Last Detail,” his performance landing him an Oscar nomination. After that, Quaid became a sought-after character actor, whose many credits include “Midnight Express,” “Independence Day,” and “National Lampoon’s Vacation” and its many sequels. In recent years, however, Quaid has been AWOL from Hollywood; his latest credit, as of this writing, is the 2018 indie “All You Can Eat.” A decade prior, it was a direct-to-video comedy called “Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach.”
As the New York Post recounted, 2008 was the same year Quaid’s allegedly abusive behavior toward his fellow actors while performing in a Seattle play resulted in an $81,000-plus fine and a lifetime ban from Actors’ Equity. That incident seemingly initiated a downward spiral when, in 2009, he and wife Evi were arrested after checking out of a California hotel without paying their $10,000 bill. After reportedly missing several court dates related to that incident, the pair were again arrested, ultimately settling the case. In 2010, Reuters reported they were booked again, this time for allegedly squatting in a home they once owned. Later that same year, per CTV News, Quaid and his wife were arrested once more, this time in Vancouver, where Quaid asked Canadian immigration authorities to give him refugee protection from “Hollywood star-whackers” he claimed were out to assassinate them.
In 2015, they were arrested in Vermont as alleged fugitives, but were ultimately released. Later that year, the couple settled in Burlington, Vermont, where, in 2022, they purchased a home.
Frankie Muniz
As a child actor, Frankie Muniz broke through as star of the 2000 film “My Dog Skip,” and, later that same year, Fox sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle.” By the time the latter concluded its seven-season run in 2006, Muniz had also starred in a few movies, including “Big Fat Liar,” “Agent Cody Banks,” and its sequel, “Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London.”
Post-“Malcolm,” however, Muniz shared the experience of many former child actors when roles dried up as he grew from kid to teen to adult. Reduced to the occasional TV guest spot, Muniz eventually turned to reality TV, competing on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2017 (which led to hosting the short-lived spinoff “Dancing with the Stars: Juniors”), and appearing in a 2022 revival of “The Surreal Life.”
In January 2023, Muniz took to Instagram to reveal he was officially embarking on a whole new career as a NASCAR driver, having previously dabbled in professional racing in the late 2000s. “Ever since childhood, it’s been my dream to pursue racing in NASCAR,” Muniz said in a statement (via USA Today). “I look forward to not only demonstrating my ability on the track and just how serious I am in progressing in my racing career, but also showing my son and family what it is to chase your dreams and re-invent yourself,” he added. Muniz subsequently made his debut at Daytona, where he placed 11th. “Holy moly!!! That was the most insane thing I’ve ever done,” he tweeted in part about the experience.
Jack Gleeson
Jack Gleeson experienced some success as a child actor before landing the role for which he’s come to be best known: Joffrey Baratheon, the sadistic teenage king of Westeros on HBO’s mega-hit “Game of Thrones.” After his “GoT” character’s death in 2014, Gleeson stepped back from acting; his only screen credits post-“Game of Thrones” are two episodes of the British TV comedy “Out of Her Mind,” and the 2021 indie film “Rebecca’s Boyfriend.”
In fact, Gleeson was still starring in “Game of Thrones” when he made clear his intention to quit acting. “It was always a recreation beforehand, but when I started doing ‘Game of Thrones’ perhaps the reality was made too real for me,” he said in a 2013 interview with Independent.ie. “The lifestyle that comes with being an actor in a successful TV show isn’t something I gravitate towards.”
Nearly a decade later, Gleeson hadn’t much changed his stance, but maintained his ties to “Game of Thrones” by appearing at fan conventions. In fact, during one such convention in 2022, held in Los Angeles, Gleeson shot down a rumor that he was constantly being assailed by angry viewers of the show who expressed hatred for both him and his loathsome character. “Thankfully, I’ve never had any negative fan experiences or anything,” he said during a Q&A, as reported by Entertainment Weekly. “There’s still a chance, if anybody wants to throw a punch,” he jokingly added.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas remains best known for playing Randy on the hit ABC sitcom “Home Improvement,” the youngest son of star Tim Allen’s Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor. Thanks to the success of the show, Thomas’ stardom extended to the big screen with the films “Man of the House” and “Tom and Huck” (both released in 1995), the 1998 holiday movie “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and supplying the voice of young Simba in Disney’s animated classic “The Lion King.”
While “Home Improvement” concluded in 1999, the teen idol left a year early to focus on his education (a decision that admittedly annoyed Allen at first). Thomas then appeared in guest spots in such TV series as “Ally McBeal,” “Smallville,” “8 Simple Rules,” and “Veronica Mars.” After co-starring in the 2006 short film “The Extra,” Thomas’ only other screen credit since has been “Last Man Standing,” the sitcom featuring former “Home Improvement” co-star Allen, in the mid-2010s.
Thomas’ eventual exit from Hollywood, he admitted in a 2013 interview with People, had been a long time coming. “I’d been going nonstop since I was 8 years old. I wanted to go to school, to travel, and have a bit of a break,” explained Thomas, who studied at Harvard, Columbia, and Scotland’s St. Andrew’s University after stepping away from the spotlight. “I never took the fame too seriously,” he added. “It was a great period in my life, but it doesn’t define me. … I focus on the good moments I had, not that I was on a lot of magazine covers.”
Josh Saviano
Josh Saviano was just 12 years old when he was cast in “The Wonder Years,” playing Paul Pfeiffer, the best friend of series protagonist Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage). When the series ended in 1993, so did Saviano’s acting career. Instead of pursuing auditions, Saviano instead went to college. According to his LinkedIn profile, Saviano attended Yale, graduating with a BA in political science before getting his law degree, and was admitted to the New York bar in 2004. After more than a decade with the NYC law firm Morrison Cohen LLP, in 2015 he founded Act 3 Advisors, a celebrity and entrepreneur brand consulting firm. Three years later, Saviano co-founded Spotlight Advisory Group, lending his expertise to help actors, artists, and other creative types monetize their talents; as of this writing, he currently serves as the organization’s president.
Back when Saviano was still a freshman at Yale, he became aware of a bizarre rumor making the rounds that he and shock-rocker Marilyn Manson were the same person. While he initially had no idea who Manson was, he eventually found the whole thing to be hilarious. “It became a progressively more entertaining storyline amongst me and my friends,” he said in a 2013 interview with Yahoo!’s “The Yo Show,” recalling that he’d considered — but ultimately nixed — a plan to jump onstage during one of Manson’s shows to prove the hearsay wrong.
In 2014, Saviano briefly resurrected his acting career while paying homage to his law degree by playing a defense attorney in three episodes of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”
Phoebe Cates
Phoebe Cates catapulted to instant stardom in the early 1980s thanks to her performances in hit movies like “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Gremlins,” and “Private School.” She subsequently starred in the 1984 TV miniseries “Lace,” and its 1985 sequel, with additional starring roles in the 1988 feature “Bright Lights, Big City,” 1991’s “Drop Dead Fred,” 1993’s “Bodies, Rest & Motion,” and “Princess Caraboo” in 1994. After that, Cates’ next film role wasn’t until 2001, in “The Anniversary Party,” with more than a decade until her next credit, a small voice role in the 2015 video game “Lego Dimensions.”
A big part of why Cates retreated from Hollywood has to do with her family. In 1989, Cates wed actor Kevin Kline, 16 years her senior; having met while auditioning for “The Big Chill” in 1982, the couple reconnected a few years later while both were rehearsing for different plays at New York Public Theater. The pair welcomed son Owen in 1991 and daughter Greta in 1994, which shifted Cates’ focus from acting to motherhood. “We have agreed to alternate so that we’re never working at the same time,” Kline explained to Playboy in 1998 (via Entertainment Weekly). “[But] whenever it’s been her slot to work, Phoebe has chosen to stay with the children.”
In 2005, Cates branched out into the world of retail when she opened her gift boutique, Blue Tree, situated in New York City’s Upper East Side.
Craig Kilborn
Craig Kilborn came to prominence while anchoring the late-night edition of ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” a gig he held from 1993 until 1997. In 1996, he was tapped to host Comedy Central’s new offering, “The Daily Show,” remaining until 1998, when he was replaced by Jon Stewart. When host Tom Snyder parted ways with “The Late Late Show” in 1999, Kilborn stepped in, hosting more than 1,900 episodes before deciding to leave in 2004. “I didn’t leave to do anything else, I left to leave,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 2010, admitting he’d become disenchanted with the five-nights-a-week grind. “… I achieved my goals, and it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.”
Meanwhile, Kilborn dabbled in acting, appearing in such films as “Old School,” “The Shaggy Dog,” and “Benchwarmers” — his most recent credit, as of this writing, is a 2020 episode of the sitcom “United We Fall.”
In 2010, he made a brief return to the talk-show format with “The Kilborn File,” which was cancelled after a six-week trial run. Nearly a decade later, Kilborn opened up even further about why he exited late night. “The main reason I left ‘The Late Late Show’ was — creatively I lost interest,” he told The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2019, revealing his primary focus was now social media. “I just developed a specific, aristocratic comedic sensibility that didn’t mesh with late night,” Kilborn explained. “Fortunately, I have an outlet for it with my personal life. And now, it appears, Instagram.”
Greta Garbo
When it comes to walking away from Hollywood, no star has managed to top the disappearing act pulled by screen icon Greta Garbo. After starring in several European films during the 1920s, the Swedish actor was lured to Hollywood to make her first American movie, 1926’s “Torrent.” Garbo ultimately made more than two dozen Hollywood movies, including such classics as “Mata Hari,” “Grand Hotel,” “Anna Karenina,” and “Ninotchka.” Garbo’s films made so much money for MGM that she was able to demand — and receive — a new contract that not only gave her unprecedented creative control, but also reportedly paid her a whopping $270,000 per picture.
In 1941, she starred in “Two-Faced Woman.” It would be her final film before her retirement at age 35 — not just from acting, but from public life. She exited L.A. and moved to New York, where she eschewed the spotlight for the rest of her days. She never acted again. “I have made enough faces,” Garbo famously quipped, per Town & Country.
Despite the brevity of her Hollywood career — a mere 15 years — public fascination with Garbo never waned. According to Variety, “Garbo-watching” became an obsession for paparazzi, who would stake out her apartment building in hopes of snapping a rare pic of the elusive star. When she died in 1990 at 84, her steadfast privacy had left her so shrouded in myth and mystery that she transcended mere celebrity to become a legend.
Actors Who Ruined Their Careers On Social Media
Once upon a time, celebrities were seen, but had a bit more privacy than in today’s social media and paparazzi-heavy climate. If you wanted to know what Will Smith likes to eat for breakfast or what Lindsay Lohan drank on her wild night out with Paris Hilton, you’d have to turn to magazines and newspapers as the best source of information for the latest gossip — tacky paparazzi pics and all. Yes, we could track our stars on various late night chat shows or Saturday morning television — but that was mostly the media-polished, kid-friendly version. These days, if you want to know what Will Smith had for his breakfast or how his marriage to Jada Pinkett is going, just head to Facebook and search “Red Table Talk.” Or better yet, if you want to know how Selena Gomez feels about the Black Lives Matter movement, just tweet her directly.
Stalking celebrities on their Instagram page to find out what area code they are in that day is one thing, but what about the information you didn’t ask for? The kind of tweets you read five times and ask yourself: “did they really just say that?” Or how about that Disney star who ruined your childhood by sharing that extra saucy Instagram snap? It’s a slippery slope between an open conversation with your fans and an overshare that leads to the cancellation of your Fashion Nova deal. These celebrities learned the hard way — sometimes, social media silence is the safest option.
Vanessa Hudgens’ COVID confusion
Vanessa Hudgens won fans around the world with her breakout role as Gabriella Montez in the Disney Channel original movie “High School Musical.” We bopped along as she sang “We’re All in This Together” with fellow teen heartthrob Zac Efron. But when the coronavirus pandemic spread across the world, it seemed like Hudgens was suggesting that we were all in this alone. Well, at least those of us who don’t fit neatly into the Generation Z box. Hudgens seemed distraught after President Trump advised Americans to avoid bars, clubs, gyms and pretty much anywhere crowds gathered.
It was both what she said and how she said it that ticked off social media. “Even if everybody gets it, like yeah, people are going to die, which is terrible … but inevitable?” she moaned on Instagram Live. Well, in any case, you know you’ve made it when journalist and professional provocateur Piers Morgan writes a whole MailOnline column slamming you as a “selfish” millennial. One Twitter user predicted her career would be dead afterward, but Hudgens made a groveling apology to her staggering 43.4m followers. However, she’s been given the social media side-eye ever since.
Kathy Griffin and the severed head protest art
Donald Trump: Love him or loathe him, he’s a supposed billionaire — who, with no political background or experience whatsoever, became the leader of the free world. He literally had the codes to release nuclear weapons! Enter comedian/actress Kathy Griffin, who is no stranger to poking the bear and shaking the table when it comes to making fun of celebrities or touching upon hot-button issues. But when she held up a prop that resembled the severed head of Trump and tried to pass off the stunt as some type of protest art, the world of social media turned against her.
Trump tweeted that his 11-year-old son Barron was particularly traumatized by the gruesome image. Griffin apologized profusely for the stunt, admitting that it went too far. The Emmy winner lost her longstanding gig as a host on CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live.” Even her friend and co-host Anderson Cooper turned his back on her. Griffin was blacklisted and subjected to death threats and even a federal investigation by the Justice Department. The “My Life on the D-List” star also told the Irish Examiner that she was put on Interpol’s watch list.
Amanda Bynes’ unusual pick-up line
In the late ’90s and early 2000s, Amanda Bynes was that girl. Bynes was only 12 years old when she landed her very own skit series, “The Amanda Show.” It was only up from there, after she landed roles alongside Colin Firth in “What a Girl Wants” and Channing Tatum in “She’s the Man.” But by 2012, the girl once named one of Teen People’s “25 Hottest Stars Under 25” was displaying troubling behavior. The star announced she was retiring from acting and was involved in a series of DUIs and fender benders. As many started to voice their concerns for Bynes’ well-being, the “What I Like About You” star was adamant she didn’t have a drinking problem. She even went so far as tweeting President Obama to fire the cop who arrested her.
The former child star’s every thought and inclination were being shared by her via Twitter. Who could forget her infamous tweet about Canadian rap star Drake and her private parts? She then sported pierced cheeks and began wearing numerous wigs out in public. The bizarre tweets kept coming, with Bynes claiming Chris Brown attacked Rihanna because she was “ugly.” She was soon dropped by her management team, and her once-blossoming career lay in tatters. It was later revealed that Bynes was suffering from bipolar affective disorder, and her attorney denied reports that she was abusing drugs or had “drug addiction issues.” She publicly apologized for the things she tweeted.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Drake Bell refuses to call Caitlyn Jenner by her name
When Caitlyn Jenner shared with the world who her soul always told her she was, the last person we expected to have a problem with it was Nickelodeon’s Drake Bell. The child star rose to fame in hit shows such as “Drake & Josh” and starred alongside Amanda Bynes in “The Amanda Show.” The unproblematic teen idol was funny and cute, and he even had his own band. But after Jenner proudly posed on the cover of Vanity Fair in a white corset dress with the caption, “Call Me Caitlyn,” Bell refused to do that. Instead, he defiantly tweeted: “Sorry … still calling you Bruce.”
After being called out by the LGBTQ community, Bell doubled down on his statement. “I’m not dissing him! I just don’t want to forget his legacy! He is the greatest athlete of all time! Chill out!” But the fact that Bell referred to Caitlyn as “he” and “him” only incensed social media even more. It wasn’t long before Bell deleted his tweets and apologized for his “thoughtless insensitive remarks.” If Bell was having trouble shaking off his child star image and wanted to venture into more adult roles, this incident certainly didn’t help increase his fan base.
Ashton Kutcher accidentally defends the indefensible
“That ’70s Show” star Ashton Kutcher learned the hard way that a little bit of context before you tweet your rage to millions goes a long way. In 2011, Joseph Vincent Paterno’s once-glittering career as head coach of Penn State’s Nittany Lions ended in disgrace. It emerged that Paterno, alongside several aides, covered up the grotesque crimes of child abuse by assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Their aim was to protect Penn State’s celebrated football program and avoid legal trouble. But for an apparently clueless Kutcher — who happened to catch a headline on television where Paterno was rightly fired — he reacted with fury. “How do you fire Jo Pa? #insult #noclass as a hawkeye [the University of Iowa football team] fan I find it in poor taste.”
Oh, Kutcher was dragged. He was dragged up, down, right, and left all over Twitter and back again, leading the “Two and a Half Men” star to quickly backtrack and delete the tweet. “Heard Joe was fired, fully recant previous tweet! Didn’t have full story.” He then further went on to explain and apologize for his tweet on his personal blog. But the damage was unfortunately done. Unable to take the bombardment of Twitter trolls coming for him, Kutcher handed over his account to his management team.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
James Franco’s creepy messages to a 17-year-old fan
James Franco was once the darling of Hollywood. In 2002, he won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of James Dean and even co-hosted the Academy Awards in 2011 with Anne Hathaway. Okay, so it wasn’t the best received Oscar hosting gig of all time, but at least he got to dress up as Marilyn Monroe. Despite scoring rave reviews in such films as “Pineapple Express” and “127 Hours,” rumors of Franco’s off-set behavior began circulating online. Busy Philipps, Franco’s co-star on “Freaks and Geeks,” alleged in her memoir — “This Will Only Hurt a Little” — that he physically assaulted her on set. The tide began to turn against Franco in 2014, when he was caught messaging 17-year-old Lucy Clode, a Scottish student.
Franco slid into her DMs after she tagged him in a selfie after watching him perform in “Of Mice and Men” on Broadway in New York. Although the age of consent is 17 in New York, the actor drew criticism for asking the young girl if he should “rent a room” for them. He later issued an apology on “Live with Kelly and Michael,” telling the hosts: “I’m embarrassed … I’m just a model of how social media is tricky.” In 2018, Franco was accused by five women of sexual misconduct, which he has denied.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Skai Jackson’s secret Instagram account
Skai Jackson won our hearts as the cheeky yet adorable Zuri Ross in the Disney sitcom “Jessie.” But her sweet, girl-next-door image was put under scrutiny after a number of social media scandals. A “finsta” is known as a fake Instagram account where you fail to disclose your real name. The finsta account gives the user free rein to say whatever they like, without their good name being drawn into controversy. According to viral star turned rapper Bhad Bhabie, Jackson shared on her finsta account that she was attracted to the rapper NBA Young Boy — who just happens to be Bhabie’s ex. This ticked off Bhabie — real name Danielle Bregoli — as Jackson had apparently slammed her for getting a tattoo of his name on her face. Bhabie took to her Instagram stories to blast Jackson as a “Disney Thot.”
Jackson was forced to get a restraining order after Bhabie threatened to beat her up but later dropped the case. A few months later, former Kardashian insider Jordyn Woods shared a cryptic message online — blasting someone for coming for her little sister, Jodie. Many assumed it was Jackson, as rumors circulated that Jodie was dating Jackson’s ex, Julez Smith. He just happens to be Beyoncé’s nephew. Jackson denied the allegations, but many started giving her the side eye, especially after a TikTok user accused her of bullying her at dance school.
Jason Biggs’ inappropriate tweet
Who didn’t have a soft spot for the doe-eyed Jason Biggs after he suffered for his art and became intimate with a warm all-American pie? Biggs has continued to play the hapless underdog in several movies and TV shows such as “Orange Is the New Black” and “Mad Love.” But in a case of art imitating life, the actor has been very open about his own sexual misadventures. His wife, Jenny Mollen, revealed in her memoir — “I Like You Just the Way I Am” — that she hired a prostitute for Biggs for his birthday. However, he admits it didn’t go as planned. It “took three ladies over the course of different days … let’s just say that I didn’t complete the mission,” he sheepishly revealed on “The View.” But it’s what Biggs said on Twitter that caused him to land in hot water — with kids channel Nickelodeon, no less.
In 2012, Biggs was getting his politics on by watching the Republican National Convention. But it wasn’t the high-octane speeches that got him hot under the collar. The “Loser” actor made some highly inappropriate and sexualized comments about Ann Romney and Janna Ryan in a series of deleted tweets. At the time, Biggs had just signed on to voice Leonardo in Nickelodeon’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” series. In a strongly worded statement, the network wrote: “Nickelodeon does not support or condone the use of graphic or vulgar language on any of our platforms.”
Gilbert Gottfried’s highly offensive tsunami tweets
If you enjoyed Disney’s “Aladdin,” you would have heard the voice of Gilbert Gottfried as Iago the parrot. Gottfried is well known for his fantastically over-the-top and high-pitched voice. His comedic talents landed him a role on Season 6 of “Saturday Night Live,” alongside stars like Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo. Comedy is, of course, subjective. Yet most would agree that Gottfried missed the mark completely when he made fun of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in 2011. The natural disaster claimed the lives of almost 20,000 people.
Not long after the incident, Gottfried sent out a host of inappropriate tweets. He later apologized for his outrageous comments but was fired from his role as the voice of the Aflac duck for the supplemental insurance company. In 2017, Gottfried caused more social media outrage when TV talk show host Wendy Williams accused a certain comedian of groping her live on set. It didn’t take internet detectives long to put 2 and 2 together and point straight at Gottfried.
Armie Hammer’s cannibal fantasies
With his pretty boy looks and his deep family history that includes singers and movie production owners, Armie Hammer was destined for a role on the silver screen. He won rave reviews when he played the role of both Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss in David Fincher’s “The Social Network.” Hammer secured an Oscar nomination playing the dreamy Oliver opposite Timothée Chalamet in “Call Me by Your Name.” But rumors of the “real” Armie Hammer were starting to emerge. On his verified Twitter account, Hammer was seen “liking” various BDSM posts. A scathing Buzzfeed article titled “Ten Long Years of Trying to Make Armie Hammer Happen” questioned whether his “white male” privilege awarded him numerous chances after a series of box office bombs.
In early 2021, an Instagram account leaked shocking messages Hammer had sent various women — while he was still married to the mother of his two kids, Elizabeth Chambers. The “Birth of a Nation” star spoke candidly about his love for BDSM, cannibalism, and rape. Fans also noticed he was following certain BDSM hashtags such as “knifeskills” and “shibari.” A woman Hammer dated for four months also came forward and claimed he branded her by carving his initial in her skin. In March 2021, a woman accused the actor of rape – something he has strongly denied. Hammer was dropped by his management team and forced to bow out of the film “Shotgun Wedding” alongside Jennifer Lopez.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).