20 celebrities who made unexpected career pivots

Trisha Yearwood grew to fame through her country stylings. She’s won multiple awards for her western tunes, and she’s gone on bestselling tours with her husband, country superstar Garth Brooks. But later in her career, she surprised fans by pursuing another passion and starting the cooking show Trisha’s Southern Kitchen on Food Network. 

It’s not uncommon for musicians to transition to acting, but The Weeknd’s transition came as a surprise because he went from having a cameo in Uncut Gems and doing some voice work here and there to co-creating and starring in the unsuccessful HBO series The Idol. 

Brie Larson was well on her way to becoming a famous actress in the early ‘00s when she switched gears and recorded an album. Her music stint wasn’t very successful, however, so she returned to acting and found major success upon her return. 

Never forget that Mark Wahlberg’s first introduction to celebrity was as the lead of the hip-hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. It doesn’t seem so odd now, but his switch to acting was a surprise at the time. 

Ken Jeong started his career in medicine, but he switched gears and got into entertainment in the late ‘90s. Now, the star is best known for his work in films like The Hangover and Crazy Rich Asians. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger is proof that you can do whatever the heck you want. The man started as a bodybuilder, moved into acting, and then became the governor of California. 

Here’s your casual reminder that Rihanna hasn’t released an album since 2016. The Grammy-winning singer took a step back from music the following year to pursue her beauty empire, Fenty Beauty. The decision made RiRi a billionaire, but it’s left fans deprived of her musical talents. 

Ronald Reagan is known for his political career, most notably being the freakin’ President of the United States, but before he entered politics, Reagan was in the entertainment industry. He served as president of the Screen Actors Guild and acted in film and television. 

Before Vera Wang was an iconic wedding dress designer, she had a very promising career as a figure skater. After failing to make the cut for the 1968 Winter Olympics, Wang turned her attention to fashion and has been involved in the industry in some way since. 

Michael Jordan will forever be best known for his basketball career, but in 1994, he left the NBA to play professional baseball. The switch didn’t last long, and by 1995, he had signed with the Bulls again. 

Jennifer Stone rose to fame thanks to her work in Wizards of Waverly Place. After the series ended, though, she realized she didn’t want to pursue acting and went to nursing school. Now, Stone has a career as a registered nurse. 

Peter Ostrum is the original Charlie Bucket. He played the role in the iconic 1970s film and was then offered a contract to star in multiple movies. Ostrum declined the offer and went on to become a veterinarian. 

Jessica Simpson is one of the pioneers of celebrity women, moving from a career in entertainment to a career in business. After finding success in music and film, Simpson started her eponymous brand in the mid-2000s and has been killing it ever since. 

It’s not uncommon for child actors to leave the industry as they age, but it is uncommon for popular ones to do so. Kay Panabaker starred in several films as a child, but she eventually switched careers to become a zoologist. 

Valerie Bertinelli took a page out of Trisha Yearwood’s book when she took a turn from acting to star in the Food Network series Valerie’s Home Cooking. The series has since ended, and Bertinelli has returned to her acting roots. 

Gwyneth Paltrow, a literal Oscar winner, quit acting to start a lifestyle and wellness brand called Goop. What many people saw as a midlife crisis has turned out to be an incredibly successful venture for Paltrow. 

If you’re a popular enough athlete, you can find work in the entertainment industry, too. Just ask Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who transitioned from professional wrestling to professional acting. 

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen had nearly every young girl in America in a chokehold in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s thanks to their ubiquitous acting projects. But the twins decided acting wasn’t their passion, and they focused their efforts on starting their wildly successful fashion brand, The Row. 

Anymore, it’s commonplace for actors to switch gears to starting a business, but when Jessica Alba did it, it wasn’t quite as typical. Alba turned from her acting career to start The Honest Company, and it was a very good move for her financially. 

John David Washington, the son of Denzel Washington, followed in his father’s footsteps and pursued a career in acting, but not until after his professional football career ended. He’s been working steadily in the industry since 2015.