There are some celebrities who are so etched into our collective consciousness that as time goes by, we don't even realize that, well, they've actually totally disappeared. We remember them, but the entertainment world moves so quickly that they soon slip from our minds and we're on to the next big thing. It's the nature of entertainment and pop culture, but when former child star Jonathan Taylor Thomas of Home Improvement fame resurfaced in some paparazzi photos recently, it got us thinking about what happened to some of the stars who dominated TV, music, and movies at one point or another.
We soon realized that a lot of celebs who once upon a time appeared in hit movies and shows or had chart-topping songs just aren't around anymore. We're not only talking about child stars like Jonathan, either. There are even Oscar winners and nominees whose fame has slipped away, and who are now living life completely under the radar.
Sometimes celebrities step out of the spotlight by choice or disappear after a period of personal drama, while others just seem to lose the favor of audiences over time. From reality stars to pop singers, there are a number of celebs who were once all the buzz, but are now practically nonexistent in the ever-changing world of entertainment. Here are 18 former celebrities who have totally disappeared from the limelight.
Taylor Lautner
Twilight star Taylor Lautner is still just as adorable as ever, but when was the last time you saw him in a movie? Or even on TV? Yeah, exactly. His last IMDB credit is from when he played Dale on the TV series Cuckoo in 2018. He hasn't totally disappeared, though; he actually has more than 6 million followers on Instagram (thanks to Twilight, no doubt), so his fans have clearly been loyal despite his low-key lifestyle.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
In June 2021, former child star and teen heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas was spotted out on the streets of Los Angeles for the first time in the better part of a decade. We'd almost forgotten all about him, and were shocked to see that he's all grown up. Jonathan, who is best known for his role in the '90s sitcom Home Improvement, left Hollywood intentionally to pursue an education. He ended up being an Ivy Leaguer, earning degrees from Harvard and Columbia. But he didn't step away from showbiz entirely — he's made guest appearances on various shows and done some directing throughout the years.
Frankie Muniz
We have to say it — Frankie Muniz doesn't look like he's changed at all over the past decade! Frankie of course starred in the popular TV show Malcolm in the Middle, cementing himself as one of the most successful child actors of the early aughts. But since then, he's mostly been out of the spotlight, never nabbing a starring role in a series or major motion picture again. He has appeared in several B-movies and made-for-TV films, and done some episodic and voice work, but these days he primarily focuses on his family and his various personal interests. He competed as a race car driver for a while, played drums in a couple of bands, and became a small business owner when he bought an olive oil shop in Scottsdale, Arizona. Very eclectic, indeed.
Ryan Cabrera
Haven't heard that name in a while! Early 2000s pop singer Ryan Cabrera seemed to disappear so long ago that we almost forgot him entirely. But man, did we love "On the Way Down" and following his relationship with Ashlee Simpson way back when she had her own MTV reality show. These days, Ryan plays the lounge circuit. He does small shows at restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, and makes the occasional celebrity appearance, but he basically lives a regular life.
Bret Michaels
How we could have ever forgotten about Rock of Love and Bret Michaels, we don't know, but we did. The reality series was such a hit back in the early days of the now ubiquitous TV genre. The former Poison singer largely dropped off the radar after the show ended in 2009, though. But fans of the Masked Singer know he's doing just fine. He appeared as the "banana" on the competition show in 2020.
Nikki Blonsky
Adorable actress Nikki Blonsky rose to fame when she starred in the 2007 film remake of Hairspray, alongside John Travolta and Zac Efron, but she struggled to nab another mainstream movie after that. She ended up trying out several careers in the years following, including makeup artistry. As far as her acting resume, she's done some TV movies, episodic work on shows like Huge and Ugly Betty, and in 2021 she appeared in the reality series Life Unfiltered.
Mara Wilson
Oh, Matilda! Bringing excitement and joy to kids for generations. Actress Mara Wilson, though, kept her distance from Hollywood between the years 2000 and 2011. She ended up attending NYU and becoming a writer. But since 2012, she's returned to the screen doing episodic work on shows including the animated series BoJack Horseman.
The Olsen Twins
From their many, many TV shows and movies to their fashion business, former tween queens Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen seemed to be everywhere in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but we haven't heard a thing from or about the famous twins in forever. They publicly announced that they were retiring from acting in 2014, and eventually launched two fashion lines, the Row and Elizabeth and James, both of which they still own — although there is nowhere near as much buzz about the brands these days compared with when they launched.
Phoebe Cates
Although she hasn't acted in quite a long time, '80s icon Phoebe Cates (of Fast Times at Ridgemont High fame) is still just as gorgeous as ever. She gave up her career in Hollywood decades ago to be a full-time mom to the children she shares with husband and accomplished actor Kevin Kline. Once her kids were old enough, she opened a clothing boutique in Manhattan called Blue Tree, which is still where she spends her time.
Taran Noah Smith
Jonathan Taylor Thomas' Home Improvement costar Taran Noah Smith voluntarily stepped away from showbiz when the series ended in 1999. He was 16 at the time. He worked on the successful show for 10 years, and used the money he made to open a vegan restaurant and catering company that he ran for a while. Then he spent some time volunteering, but very little has been heard from him since.
Amanda Bynes
We miss her! Amanda was of course a child star and one of Nickelodeon's biggest success stories who managed to parlay that into a thriving movie career in the oughties, but she started to struggle around 2012. She had a DUI and was charged with two hit-and-runs resulting in three years of probation. Her troubles with the law continued long afterward, and it eventually became clear she was suffering from some mental health issues. Much like Britney Spears, she ended up under a conservatorship.
Meg Ryan
Actress Meg Ryan served up some of America's best and most memorable romantic comedies, and then one day she seemed to just disappear. She didn't really disappear, though. She just prefers to keep a lower profile these days, and does most of her work behind the camera as a producer and a director.
Rick Moranis
The bespectacled face of Rick Moranis seemed to pervade the TV screens of most '90s kids' homes — whether you preferred Little Shop of Horrors, Ghostbusters, or Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. And then he too just seemed to fall off the face of the Earth. He stopped working on screen before the turn of the century, though he did continue to do voice-over work for years. His wife died of breast cancer in 1991, and he ended up quitting acting so he could stay home and take care of his kids. But he did hilariously resurface in 2020 in this commercial with Ryan Reynolds.
Willa Ford
Admit it: You remember her name. And more importantly, her biggest hit, "I Wanna Be Bad." Willa Ford was the budding pop star with the overly sexy image who emerged on MTV way back in 2001. She made her mark on the charts, but only ever released one studio album. When her fame faded, she became an interior designer and a married mom of one.
Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis spent decades making incredible movie after incredible movie, collecting multiple Oscars for his performances in titles including There Will Be Blood and Lincoln. Then in 2017, he was just done. He announced that he would be retiring from acting. Just before the last film he made — Phantom Thread — was released, he explained in an interview with W magazine: "I need to believe in the value of what I'm doing. The work can seem vital. Irresistible, even. And if an audience believes it, that should be good enough for me. But lately, it isn't." And that was that.
Ricki Lake
Whatever happened to Ricki Lake? She dominated daytime talk TV in the late 90s and had quite a successful career in movies and scripted television, originating the role of Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 version of Hairspray and starring alongside Johnny Depp in 1990's Cry-Baby. She continued to work for years and years, and then we just stopped seeing her pop up. In 2008, she hosted and narrated a really interesting documentary about natural childbirth titled the Business of Being Born, she did a stint on Dancing With the Stars in 2014, and then in 2019 she too appeared on the Masked Singer. But otherwise, she's devoted most of her time in recent years to quietly raising her kids (now grown) and pushing for better reproductive health care.
Lindsay Lohan
Much of actress Lindsay Lohan's later career was plagued by troubles, including family and substance abuse issues. After several failed attempts at a Hollywood comeback, the Parent Trap star ended up stepping away from the spotlight. Then in 2020, she resurrected her Instagram account, released a new single, and did an interview with Lights Out With David Spade, revealing that she's been living in Dubai for six years and hasn't been back to Los Angeles in a decade. So her absence was definitely intentional. She seems to totally have herself together now, though, and Netflix announced in May 2021 that she's been tapped to star in an upcoming romantic comedy for the streamer.
The Hogans
They're still out there! They're just no longer peddling hokey reality shows. Hulk Hogan and crew, which of course includes his two kids, Brooke and Nick, are all doing OK. Nick had that awful car accident in 2007, which ended the family's reality TV ambitions, and then Hulk and his wife, Linda, got divorced in 2009. Hulk does celebrity appearances and sells his own merch, Brooke is an interior designer, and Nick's a DJ. As for Linda? Well, she's kind of riding the wave. She wrote the memoir, Wrestling the Hulk: My Life Against the Ropes in 2011, and since then, other than some controversial tweets, she's largely stayed under the radar.
