Ten Celebrities Who Threw In The Towel Too Early

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Can you imagine being at the height of your popularity, and then deciding to just throw in the towel? Just tossing your hands up and moving on without warning, just when your star was about to rise higher than it had ever been? For us puny mortals,  it is hard to fathom that. Having the whole world in your hands and just walking away from it without a second guess. The glaring reality behind is it that there are often multiple reasons celebrities decide to throw in the towel early, and we decided to do some research and compile a list of some of the most noteworthy examples.

From King Joffrey to Rick Moranis, here are ten celebrities who threw in the towel too early (by our standards, anyway).

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Jack Gleeson

Can you imagine being on one of the biggest shows ever, and just wanting to walk away? Well, when Game of Thrones ends, King Joffrey actor Jack Gleeson intends to do.

He is pursuing an education, and knows not where life will take him, but makes it clear the glitz and glam of Hollywood life and super fame are not that appealing to him. In other words, he is the exact opposite of the horrible person he plays on that show. Kudos, Jack Gleeson. That takes a lot of courage.

Also, he is probably sick of being heckled in public for being so mean on the show. You know that probably happens on a daily basis.

Natalie Dormer, Jack Gleeson. photo: Helen Sloan

Dave Chappelle

Dave Chapelle

A lot of people were shocked when Dave Chapelle walked away from his fame at the height of his fame, but much like Jack Gleeson mentioned prior, Chapelle did not like the way the Hollywood machine worked.

As a matter of fact, he has gone so far as to hint that the Illuminati rumors we all hear are actually true. Just the fact that WordPress just made me capitalize Illuminati sort of proves that, huh?

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Jonathan Taylor Thomas

Okay, okay, so maybe it was just teen girls who were losing their mind when this heart throb walked away from the business when his run on the show Home Improvement had ended. Truth is, he wanted an education and a normal life. Still, he seemed like a cool, and we wonder what could have come of his career had he chose to have one. So the pursuit of an education, huh?

That seems to be the running theme for this list, actually.

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"The Conspirator" New York Premiere

Phoebe Cates

When Phoebe Cates made Fast Time at Ridgemont High, she was pretty much the most wanted woman in the country. Fast forward, she makes a few more movies (Gremlins for the win!) and decided she would much rather raise her family and let husband, Kevin Kline, take the spotlight.

Years later it seems she is quite happy with that choice. But we can’t help but wonder what could have been had she made a few more films. Oh, she did, Drop Dead Fred. You know what, that is a pretty amazing movie to retire on. We can’t even be mad at that.

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Michael Jordan Announces his Return to Basketball

Michael Jordan’s Hiatus from the Chicago Bulls

Though we have focused on Hollywood stars for most of the list, technically, it is a list of “celebrities” who threw in the towel too early. In that sense, no one better to bring up than Michael Jordan, who walked away from the Chicago Bulls while still very much a remarkable player.

Granted, he went on to play baseball and golf, and return to hoops, neither had the impact his basketball career did. Honestly, walking away when you are still the best at something is a tough move, but a great way to ensure people always remember you like a superhero. That, my friends, is the kind of status Michael Jordan has, so it looks like it was a wise choice on his part (at the time).

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Closing Ceremony - 6th International Rome Film Festival

Debra Winger

This case is so interesting, there is a documentary about it called Searching for Debra Winger. In it, the actress claims she did not walk away because of pressure, hype, or even gender expectations at the time. She just wanted to focus on a personal life that she felt her career caused her to neglect.

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Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas

Rick Moranis

As odd as it may sound, this is the one story on the list that hits me right in the feels. We all loved Rick Moranis in the 80’s and few can argue that he made some of the best 80’s films of all time (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Ghostbusters, and Spaceballs for the all-time nerd win!) but it was right in the middle of being so beloved that he walked away. But why?

Rick’s wife died of Cancer, and he decided to take his children away from Hollywood and focus on raising them right, the way his wife would have wanted.  Rumor is that, with his children grown and doing well, Moranis may be working his way back to Hollywood. That news makes me very happy. Also, this story proves what a genuinely great guy he is.

(Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images)

2013 US Open - Day 13

Sean Connery

Yes, Sean Connery was already old when he retired. That is fair to say. But don’t you think it’s fair to say we all would have loved to see him do some more acting? From that accent, to just how steely and intense he can seem, we were all sad to see Sean Connery leave the business.  Personally, I blame the awful film, League of Extraordinary Gentleman.

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards - Show

Shirley Temple

You may not know the name, but the generation older than us (baby boomers) sure do. In the 1930’s and early 1940’s, it was Shirley Temple’s innocence and talent that helped people get over the depression and the war, so when she retired from film in her 30’s, people were saddened.  The way I see it, she had been acting her whole life and pretty much earned her retirement. As you can see from the above photo, Hollywood has gone on to recognize just how important she was.

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Hilary Duff Signs Copies Of "Elixir"

Hilary Duff

Another example of a teen starlet at the height of her fame choosing to raise a family over parading around in the limelight. Though she has authored books and does some behind-the-scenes work, Duff has mostly remained true to her wishes, and is all about her young family.  Good to see there are still some celebrities left in Hollywood who seem to know that family and education are the most important things in the world. I guess this list could also be called “stars who had their heads on straight.” We all know how rare that is in Hollywood these days.

(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

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