TV child actors who changed careers later: Erik Per Sullivan, Angus T. Jones, Ben Hyland, and more

The world of glitz and glam is not for everyone. Many child stars, who rose to fame for their shows and films at a young age, left the entertainment industry behind after growing up. Here are several Hollywood TV stars who were part of some of the most popular shows in their childhood, but now lead completely different lives.

Erik Per Sullivan played the role of Dewey, Malcolm’s younger brother, in ‘Malcolm in the Middle.’ His rise to popularity came from the show, as many praised him for his on-screen performance. After the show ended in 2006, he worked on some other projects till 2010, after which he stopped working as an actor altogether and kept his personal life away from prying eyes. While talking to the ‘Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade’ podcast, co-star Bryan Cranston confirmed that Sullivan would not be appearing on the reunion show. He stated at the time that the former child actor is “actually going to Harvard. He's really, really smart, and he's getting his master's at Harvard right now. He said, 'Oh, God, no, I haven't acted since I was 9 or something. So I'm not into it.’”

Best known for his role in ‘The Wonder Years,' Saviano does not have many acting credits under his belt and has left the entertainment industry very quickly. He went on to study law instead, and attended Yale and the Cardozo School of Law to complete his education. He has been working as an attorney ever since then, and in 2018, he founded a company that is meant to help creative artists discover their life’s purpose.

Brandon Hammond was once one of the most sought-after child actors in the 90s. From landing roles in big projects like ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman’, ‘The Gregory Hines Show,’ ‘Space Jam’, and ‘Mars Attacks,’ the star stepped away from the limelight quite soon. He disappeared from the industry, and it wasn’t until September 2025 that the world got to know what happened to him. In an interview with People, the former child actor revealed that he had stepped away to take care of himself. “I was diagnosed with this super, super rare autoimmune condition called Castleman disease. I had all these chest pains, and my eye was flushed out red, just all types of physiological things were happening to me that we could not explain,” he revealed.

Angus T. Jones was best known for starring as the lead in ‘Two and a Half Men.’ His rise to fame came from the show, after which he worked in a number of other projects; however, later on deterred from acting altogether. After putting a stop to his career as an actor, Jones started working in a live events company with Sean "Diddy" Combs’ son Justin Combs and Kene Orjioke. He last appeared on screen for ‘Bookie’, where he reunited with Charlie Sheen.

Ben Hyland is best known for his role in the 2008 film ‘Marley and Me’, where he played the role of Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson’s son. His debut role helped him land other roles as a child actor, which included ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’, ‘Blue Bloods’, and ‘House of Cards.’ His last acting credit was in ‘The Strain’ in 2014, after which he completely disappeared from Hollywood.