AfterTaxi Driver , Jodie Foster notably took a break from move to look Yale . At the time , citizenry said it was a " bizarre break " that would impact her future as an worker . When she returned to Hollywood after graduation exercise , she won two Oscars .
1.First,Anna Chlumskyhastalked abouthow important it was for her to take a break from acting followingMy GirlandMy Girl 2in the ’90s, in order to pursue her education. She became a fact checker for Zagat and an editorial assistant at an imprint at Harper Collins before she eventually returned to acting, most notably withVeep. Her work as Amy onVeepearned her six Emmy nominations.
2.Ke Huy Quanhas beenvery transparentabout how he struggled to find acting roles after his early success inIndiana Jones and the Temple of DoomandThe Goonies. After moving to working behind the scenes as a stunt coordinator and stepping back from acting, he made a big return by playing Waymond inEverything Everywhere All at Oncein 2022.
4.When he was younger, Jason Bateman notably starred inLittle House on the Prairie, The Hogan Family, andTeen Wolf Toountil he largely took a break from acting in the ’90s. Jasonsaidhe consciously took a break “to catch up with all these inabilities [he] had as a kid, because [he] was always working.” Then, Jason really returned withArrested Developmentin 2003 and went on to win an Emmy Award for directingOzark, which he also starred in.
5.After acting consistently on Disney Channel while she was growing up, Selena Gomez hit pause on her acting career to focus on music,executive producing, her beauty line,her health, and more. Aside from some voice acting roles, Selena didn’t return to TV until 2021 when she began starring as Mabel Mora onOnly Murders in the Building.
6.After starring inBlossomfor five seasons, Mayim Bialik largely did voice acting and small TV roles but kind of stepped back from Hollywood andearnedher PhD in neuroscience. Fifteen years afterBlossomended, Mayim landed her notable role as Amy Farrah Fowler onThe Big Bang Theory.
7.After starring in movies likeFinding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,The Spiderwick Chronicles, and more all before he was 16 years old, Freddie Highmoretook some time offto study. He even worked in a law firm at one point. His choice to take a small break from Hollywood was his way of making “acting as an adult an active decision, one chosen out of a desire to perform.” In 2013, Freddie returned with his critically acclaimed role inBates Motel,and he’s been starring inThe Good Doctorsince 2017.
8.When he was just 13 years old, Alfred Enoch began starring as Dean Thomas in theHarry Potterfilms. After the movies wrapped in 2011, he took a short break andattendedQueen’s College, Oxford, where he studied Spanish and Portuguese. In 2014, Alfred notably landed the role of Wes onHow to Get Away with Murderopposite Viola Davis.
9.Natasha Lyonne starred inPee-wee’s Playhousein 1986 when she was seven years old. She went on to star in theAmerican Piemovies,Slums of Beverly Hills, But I’m A Cheerleader,and more before she took a break from acting after a series of arrests and a mandate tocompletecourt-appointed rehab in 2006. After her recovery, Natasha landed a role onOrange Is the New Black,Russian Doll,andPoker Face, with all three roles earning her Emmy Award nominations.
10.Tyler James Williams landed his breakout role onEverybody Hates Chriswhen he was 13 years old. After the series ended, he consciouslymade the decisionto step back from acting after he realized he “didn’t like the road [he] was on.” He said, “I decided to stop and pivot. I got with a really good acting coach and I turned down every single thing I was offered.” Tyler returned with appearances inThe Walking DeadandDear White Peoplebefore landing the role of Gregory onAbbott Elementary.
12.Jodie Foster rose to fame as a child appearing in numerous Disney movies, before landing her breakout role inTaxi Driverat 14 years old. Then, in 1981, Jodie put heracting career on holdto attend Yale, with many saying it was a “bizarre interruption” to her promising career. When Jodie returned to Hollywood she earned two Academy Awards forThe AccusedandThe Silence of the Lambs.
13.Robert Downey Jr. started his career appearing in his father’s films, “Brat Pack” movies, and more before receiving critical acclaim forChaplin,which earned him an Academy Award nomination. Shortly after, Robert faced multiple drug charges,went to jail, wasfiredfromAlly McBeal, and entered court-appointed rehab. Robert’s big acting comeback came in 2008 when he starred as Tony Stark inIron Man, a movie that kicked off the MCU. He’s alsobeendrug-free since 2003.
14.Brooke Shields reached widespread notoriety as a child model and for starring inPretty BabyandThe Blue Lagoon. However, in the early ’80s, she took a break from Hollywood and attended Princeton University, which shesaid, “changed the entire trajectory of the way [she] looked at [her life].” After returning to acting with minor roles, she eventually landedLipstick Jungle,a short-lived show that earned her two Golden Globe nominations.
15.Miranda Cosgrove made a name for herself at a young age by starring inSchool of Rock,Drake & Josh, andiCarly, and then shedecided to goto college, where she majored in film. While she notably continued to do voice work for theDespicable Mefilms, Miranda didn’t do much live-action work until she reprised her role as Carly Shay in the recentiCarlyrevival series.
16.Quvenzhané Wallis was nominated for an Academy Award at just nine years old for starring inBeats of the Southern Wild. After starring inAnniein 2014, Quvenzhané didn’t appear in much and shesaidshe spent “a lot of time just living and being young.” Then, in 2021, she began starring inSwagger, with many people praising her performance on the show, which is loosely inspired by Kevin Durant’s life.
