Most actors spend years trying to build a career in Hollywood. A few got there by taking a very different route. Some had already become doctors, decorated soldiers, scientists, or professional athletes before anyone knew their names from movies, while others left acting behind to succeed somewhere completely different. Looking back, it’s hard to imagine these careers belonging to the same people.
Here are 15 actors you didn’t realize had entirely different careers.
Ken Jeong – Physician
Before making audiences laugh in The Hangover and Community, Jeong worked as a licensed physician specializing in internal medicine. He continued practicing medicine even after his acting career began to take off.
Hedy Lamarr – Inventor
Away from movie sets, Lamarr co-developed a frequency-hopping communication system during World War II. The technology later influenced Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.
Danny Trejo – Drug counselor
After overcoming addiction and serving time in prison, Trejo worked as a substance abuse counselor. He landed his first acting job while helping someone on a film set.
Mayim Bialik – Neuroscientist
After starring in Blossom, Bialik earned a PhD in neuroscience before returning to television years later in The Big Bang Theory.
Gene Hackman – Novelist
Hackman retired from acting in the early 2000s and focused on writing historical fiction, publishing several novels during his retirement.
Lisa Kudrow – Medical researcher
Before Friends made her a household name, Kudrow worked with her father on research studying headaches and migraines.
Steve Buscemi – Firefighter
Buscemi served as a New York firefighter before becoming an actor. Following the September 11 attacks, he quietly returned to help fellow firefighters at Ground Zero.
Glenda Jackson – Politician
Jackson stepped away from acting for more than two decades to serve as a Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom before eventually returning to the screen.
Jason Lee – Professional skateboarder
Long before appearing in Mallrats and My Name Is Earl, Lee was one of the most respected professional skateboarders in the United States.
James Doohan – Soldier
Before playing Scotty in Star Trek, Doohan served in the Canadian Army during World War II and fought on D-Day, where he was seriously wounded.
Shirley Temple – Diplomat
After leaving acting behind, Temple represented the United States as ambassador to Ghana and later to Czechoslovakia.
Audie Murphy – War hero
Murphy became one of the most decorated American soldiers of World War II before building a successful acting career in Western films.
Peter Weller – Art historian
Known for RoboCop, Weller later earned a doctorate in Italian Renaissance art history and has taught university courses on the subject.
Dolph Lundgren – Chemical engineer
Before starring in Rocky IV, Lundgren studied chemical engineering, earned a master’s degree, and received a Fulbright scholarship to MIT.
Christopher Lee – Military intelligence officer
Before becoming famous in Dracula, The Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars, Lee served in the Royal Air Force during World War II and later worked in intelligence.
