A lot of people dream of fame, but the reality is that not many are cut out for it. While being a star might seem like all rainbows and butterflies, often the reality is harsher than that.
And so, sometimes a person who once was on top of the world popularity-wise can fall out of it. Whether it’s by their own choice or the loss of relevancy, the fact that sometimes they end up in the shoes of “common folks” still stands. So, today let’s jump in to read stories about folks exactly like that, shall we?
More info: Reddit
#1
My oncologist used to be the drummer for The Offspring.
Image source: nfortier11, syda_productions
#2
The kid who played Charlie Bucket in the original Willy Wonka is a veterinarian in Lowville, NY… an *extremely* small town in nowhere, USA.
He is pretty tired of talking about it.
Image source: orangejuicenopulp, Wolper Pictures
#3
My 4th grade teacher was the bassist for Joan Jett. When she got into the rock n roll hall of fame he was there. Weird seeing him on tv lol.
Image source: b00biesrfun, Wikipedia
Some people think that fame is the ultimate goal, the key to happiness. And so, they do everything in their power to achieve it, even if that means doing some rather immoral stuff. But in their eyes, the more people learn their name, the better their life will get, so it’s all worth it.
Yet, when they do achieve this goal, they realize the idea of stardom that was sold to them might have been false. Yes, fame can bring happiness for achievements, acknowledgment, love coming from fans, and all these kinds of things. But it can also bring certain hardships that the common folk might have a hard time understanding.
#4
Danny Lloyd who played the kid in The Shining was my biology professor when I was in community college. Great professor, super nice. Doesn’t like talking about his childhood acting.
Image source: toadsarethegoat, Peregrine Productions
#5
The other lead kid from Weird Science (the one who isn’t Anthony Michael Hall) was my medieval literature professor in college .
Image source: adrunkensailor, Movieclips
#6
My small, leafy mid Michigan liberal arts college had requirements in order to get a degree. I put the arts requirement off until my senior year and decided to take intro to theater. The professor turned out to be Jeff Daniels who lived a half hour away in Chelsea. His career was in a lull in the early 2000’s and the boredom was starting to get to him.
Image source: BigODetroit, MS NOW
For example, when you become famous, you basically become a public person. And that entails a loss of privacy. The famous person’s life becomes “content” for public consumption, and every action of theirs becomes scrutinized.
Often enough, celebrities find it challenging to maintain relationships, friendships, and family life due to the lack of privacy they experience. After all, nowadays not only paparazzi can snap a pic of them that is shared all around – anyone who carries a phone with a camera can.
#7
I roomed in college with the kid who was the voice of Charlie Brown for many years. He works for the department of public works in a small town now.
Image source: Main-Video-8545, The Peanuts Tunes Cartoons
#8
Owner of a local bike shop has an olympic gold medal in cycling. Still does repairs on bikes or sells bikes.
Image source: pm_me_vegs, freepik
#9
I used to work EMS in NYC. There was a former jersey shore cast member who was briefly on the job.
Also the keyboardist for Type O Negative is a phenomenal paramedic working in central Brooklyn. Really cool, laid back dude. He also had the Highest tolerance for hot peppers I’ve ever seen.
Image source: sam_neil, freepik
In some cases, the constant attention, both positive and negative, affects the famous person so much that they don’t feel private anywhere. Here, G-Dragon, who is often dubbed the “King of K-Pop,” has talked about how during sensitive periods of his life, he has felt like he was in The Truman Show.
He has even referenced this film in some of his art, like in the song “Divina Commedia (신곡) (神曲)” with a famous movie quote: “In case I don’t see ya / Good afternoon / Good evening and good night.”
#10
Back when it was still a sweet little bar with great gumbo, Great Jones cafe in NYC was my favorite spot to grab a bite and a beer and listen to a quality jukebox. Awesome bartender. Marc was always good for an interesting chat. After years of doing this one day he says he’s gonna be out of town on tour with his band.
“Oh what’s your band called?”
“Sonic Youth”
Edit: correction for the record store nerds it’s Mark (with a k) Ibold better known as the bassist from Pavement. But toured with Sonic Youth in the 2000’s.
Image source: procrastablasta, drobotdean
#11
One of the creators of The Oregon Trail fixed our cable connection at our house in the late 1990s.
Image source: dirtypark, The Oregon Trail
#12
I met Eliza Dushku in my master’s program.
Image source: Doobledorf, Wikipedia
For those unfamiliar with The Truman Show, it’s a 1998 movie about a man realizing his whole life is a reality TV show. So, just imagine how unsafe a person must feel to compare their life to such a scenario.
To make matters worse, the lack of privacy isn’t the only hard thing celebrities deal with. They also feel the pressure to be perfect and relevant, to avoid (even though it’s basically impossible to do so) all criticisms, to ignore the hate, and all things like that.
#13
When I was a store manager for Gamestop, I hired a guy from my hometown that was a former NFL player. He had retired due to injury, but was never a big name. He floated around the league playing for 4 teams in 6 seasons before the injury. He didn’t need the money. He had been smart with his money in regards to investments and savings and our hometown is pretty rural (i.e. poor). He just wanted to get out of his house and do something. He was a huge gamer and he was honestly a great employee. He never asked for special treatment or anything. I still talk to him every now and then even though we haven’t worked together in almost 15 years.
Image source: sarithe, freepik
#14
I went to school with Jake Lloyd, the child actor who played Anakin skywalker. I’m not sure what he does now, last I heard he move to the Carolina’s and was having some mental health issues.
People liked to talk nonsense about him, but he was always kind to me, I think it was mostly just petty highschool bullying type stuff.
Image source: Gillilnomics, Star Wars
#15
Former Olympic gold medal swimmer Beth Botsford used to bartend at the bar next door to my condo. She was a genuinely nice person.
Image source: FScrotFitzgerald, EyeEm
Granted, stardom also grants certain privileges in life, which is something that G-Dragon has acknowledged too. Still, sometimes even the privilege doesn’t help when certain hardships come along.
That’s why some famous people, after some time in the spotlight, decide to leave it all behind and pursue a more “normal” life. So, today, let’s partake in the stories about celebs like that – all of them were shared by people who had a chance of running into them in “the wild.”
Maybe you have some similar stories of your own? Please, share them all in the comments!
#16
Dan Spitz, the former lead guitarist of the thrash metal band Anthrax, retired from music to pursue a career in luxury watchmaking after studying at a Swiss watchmaking school. He is now known for his expertise in crafting high-end timepieces and has even been featured in documentaries about his work.
Image source: SuumCuique1011
#17
Jenette Goldstein who played Vasquez in Aliens and John Connor’s adopted mom in T2 opened a bra store for plus sized women called Jenette Bras. “The alphabet starts at D”.
I did a play with her in 2004. She is rad.
If you’ve got a larger than average bust and live in L.A. go to Jenette Bras.
Image source: Lincoln624, Aliens
#18
My friend Kyra. She played Karen Cooper…the little girl in the basement in the original Night of the Living Dead. She went on to become an art teacher for many years. Now, she sticks to doing the horror convention circuit. She’s a phenomenal artist! She’s also a wonderful human who rescues hard to home animals. I love her dearly ❤️.
Image source: CrazyMildred, freepik
#19
My husband knew Bob Bryar from My Chemical Romance, used to play in bands with him before he got big. Legend has it that after he left the band he became a real estate agent before he passed.
On another note, I am a washed up local celebrity who never made it to the next level and my 34th birthday is tomorrow. This thread has given me a very positive new perspective on “life after fame” that is bringing me a lot of peace. You always hear about people falling off and going insane and I don’t want to end up like that.
Image source: AtlasSims
#20
My chemistry professor was in a punk band in the 80s that was self sufficient for several years. He was one cool dude and made chemistry interesting and fun to learn. I think I still have one of his band shirts he gave to us all.
Image source: SaigonWhoreNoseBiter, Natalie Parham
#21
Lauren Tewes (Julie from *The Love Boat*) worked the fancy cheese section at the Capitol Hill/Broadway QFC (Seattle) when I used to live there. Very pleasant person.
To clarify: I used to live in Seattle, not the fancy cheese section of the Capitol Hill/Broadway QFC.
Image source: TruckerBiscuit, Primetimer
#22
When I lived in Los Angeles, I took yoga glasses taught by the actress who played Libby on Lost, and the actress who played ~~Roz I think was the character’s name~~,Scarlett, who slapped Johnny Depp in ~~each of~~ the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
Image source: TheOriginalJellyfish, Pirates of the Caribbean
#23
I once saw Tommy Lee Jones working at a post office. I don’t remember what he did before that.
Image source: thunder2132, Sony Pictures Entertainment
#24
In the 90s, Darius Rucker painted my grandmothers tv room.
Image source: Needalaph, Wikipedia
#25
I worked at a call center with a very talented UFC fighter. He bought his mom and baby momma a house and a car. A couple times he started having nose bleeds at his desk. Like a spigot. .
Image source: Original_Telephone_2, viarprodesign
#26
Moe Tucker, the innovative drummer for the Velvet Underground was working at Walmart, when I met her in the 1970’s in Douglas, a little rural town in South Georgia. She left music to raise her kids.
I was a fan. She was just ordinary folks.
She later returned to music.
Image source: garyadams_cnla, nomadsoul1
#27
I worked in a restaurant in the late ‘70’s with Peter Tork.
Image source: Picklopolis, The Wool Hat Club
#28
Rogers Stevens, who was the lead guitarist of the band Blind Melon throughout the 1990s (and a few other smaller bands after Blind Melon broke up following Shannon Hoon’s death) is now practicing attorney in Philadelphia.
Image source: The_Prince1513, Rogelio Gonzalez
#29
My chemistry lab partner in college was Olympic skiing medalist Hillary Lindh. It was after she retired. She always came prepared and knew what she was doing, unlike me. Hillary was super nice and helped me a lot.
Image source: donttayzondaymebro, wirestock
#30
The guy who played Ogre in Revenge of Nerds worked at a bar near me.
Image source: guaztronaut, Revenge of Nerds
#31
Not long after mean girls aired, the actor who played Kevin G was one of the actors in the “village” on my class field trip to Pioneer Village in Toronto (if you live here, you know what I’m talking about lol). He was acting as an old timey lawyer, and when they asked if we had any questions, we asked “are you KEVIN G?!” He said yes and we were all screaming 😂.
Image source: sal_036, Mean Girls
#32
The guitarist from Seven Mary Three is a bartender at a little Irish pub in Boston. He’s a cool dude and loves the jukebox playing Cumbersome 15 times in a row.
Image source: KingCharlatan, Marcus Neto
#33
Not my story, but my friend moved to LA to pursue acting. She was working at a restaurant in the city when Zach Woods (Gabe from The Office) comes in to pick up an UberEats order. As in, he was working the delivery.
Image source: madkubrick
#34
If anyone remembers Anya from America’s Next Top Model; I met her at PF Chang on Oahu several years ago. She was our waitress and we kept wondering why she looked familiar, and when we worked up the courge to ask her if she was Anya from ANTM, she said yes, and took a picture with us, and was overall incredibly kind.
Image source: krumblewrap
