When we think of Hollywood actors/actresses, we often think of the incredible life that these individuals must have.
What we often don’t stop to realize, however, is that these are people who are a lot like us. As parents, they want the opportunity to raise their children in an environment where they’re not pre-judged or identified as “privileged” just because of who their parents are.
And when you think about the number of Hollywood stars that have left their careers behind to take care of their kids, it makes you appreciate the “normal” life that we often take for granted.
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest celebrities who ditched their careers to raise their families.
1Dave Chappelle
While Chappelle has always been known for keeping his home life ultra-private, many fans were left in shock when he pulled a disappearing act after cancelling the Chappelle Show in 2006.
Unfortunately, many of the rumors flying around at the time were that Chappelle was battling drugs and/or alcohol and was taking time off to recover.
It turns out, as he told his fans in a surprise special on Netflix in 2018, that he just felt that his fame was becoming a crutch on his ability to raise a family properly.
So he ditched it all to move to a small town in Ohio and raise his family.
And while the legendary comedian has made some appearances here and there throughout the comedy world, he’s mostly stuck to his guns and stayed away from the limelight.
2Robin Wright
Starring in classics such as Forrest Gump and The Princess Bride, Robin Wright has had one of the most illustrious careers of any actress in the last 100 years.
What many people don’t realize, however, is that her roles became extremely limited after having her two daughters with Sean Penn.
Wright moved her family to Northern California where they would be away from the limelight and only chose 1-2 small roles per year that allowed her to work sparingly while raising her daughters.
Now that her children are older, Wright has made her way back to Hollywood and has made a splash by starring in hits like Wonder Woman and House of Cards.
3Julia Roberts
From Pretty Woman to My Best Friend’s Wedding, you’d be hard-pressed to find another actress with the resume of Julia Roberts.
But after having three children with her then-husband Danny Moder, Roberts ditched the Hollywood life to move to New Mexico and raise her family away from the limelight.
Roberts, like fellow actress Robin Wright, has remained extremely picky about the roles that she takes on, even as her children have gotten older.
4Lisa Bonet
As far as her acting career, Bonet is most famous for her role as Denise Huxtable in the hit sitcom The Cosby Show.
But while Bonet’s career was just beginning to take off, her marriage to musician Lenny Kravitz and the birth of her daughter in 1988 caused her to step away from her career entirely to focus on her daughter.
While she chose roles sparingly as her daughter got older, she decided to step away completely after marrying Jason Momoa in 2007 (with whom she now has two children).
5Rick Moranis
Starring in classic films such as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Ghostbusters, and Spaceballs, Rick Moranis was a comedy legend in the making.
But after his wife passed away from cancer in 1991, Moranis became a single father of two children.
After realizing that he couldn’t give his two young children the love and attention they needed as both an actor and single father, he decided to take a break from acting.
And while his initial goal was for that break to be a short one, Moranis has mostly stayed away from Hollywood even as his children have grown.
6Demi Moore
With hits such as Ghost, GI Jane, A Few Good Men, and Indecent Proposal, Demi Moore was one of the most recognizable figures of the 1990s.
But after having her third child with fellow star Bruce Willis, Moore and Willis took a prolonged hiatus from Hollywood and moved to Hailey, Idaho to focus on raising her kids.
While both stars have made their way back into the limelight as their children have become older, their commitment to sacrifice the primes of their careers for their children is commendable.
7Vera Farmiga
Starring in hits like The Departed, Safe House, and The Conjuring movie series, Vera Farmiga has quite the career as an actress.
But, as she has said many times, her job as an actress will never get in the way of her focus on raising her children.
After having her second child, Farmiga moved her family to a farm in upstate New York and is famous for being exceptionally picky about the roles she takes on due to her commitment to her family.
While most of us will never have any idea what it would be like to raise a family in the limelight, it indeed says something that many celebrities have deliberately decided to move away from Hollywood to raise their children.
To me, the lesson here is that we should be thankful for our ability to raise our children in a “normal” manner that allows them to stay grounded.
After all, even some of the most famous people in the world are striving to do the same.
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