A career in showbiz is not forever, they say.
But thousands of young men and women still dream of getting a big break and experience the life of a celebrity. On the other hand, there are those who are already in show business but choose a different path to live a simple life, away from the limelight.
These celebrities are a source of inspiration to many because they are not afraid to take a leap of faith or move out of their comfort zone and start over again.
Just like Rachel Villanueva, a former member of a local girl group who left the spotlight to be a successful businesswoman.
Get to know these celebrities who bade goodbye to their showbiz careers and found happiness in their regular jobs.
From being a teen heartthrob, Jao Mapa is now an art teacher at Canadian American School in Makati City. The former Gwapings member finished his Fine Arts degree at the University of Sto. Tomas in the early 2000s.
The '24 Oras' reporter left GMA in February 2018 to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot. Unfortunately, Steve got laid off due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the airline industry. In a report by GMA News Online last August 2020, Steve is working as the Public Affairs Manager for AirAsia Philippines.
The former actress left her life in the Philippines when she married American partner, Alister Kurzer. She is currently embracing life as a first-time mom to Baby Girl Aislah Rose.
Curious what happened to 'Former' Amaya star AJ Dee? The hunky actor has since moved to Norway to be with his wife Olga and their two sons, Maximus and Alexandros. AJ is a blogger now based in the Scandinavian country. In his vlog, AJ explained why he decided to leave his showbiz career and go to Norway. AJ said, “The reason why I chose to live here in Norway is that my wife told me Norway is one of the best country to raise a family.”
Teleserye actress Beth Tamayo left the country in December 2008. After leaving her lucrative job as a celebrity, she lived a simpler life in the United States. In her interview with 'Paparazzi Showbiz Exposed' in January 2012, Beth revealed that she works as an office admin staff and also took a job as a babysitter for a Colombian family.
Artista Noon: 'T.G.I.S' actress paired with Dino Guevarra
Trabaho Ngayon: Dialysis nurse in New Jersey, USA.
Artista Noon: 'Idol sa Kusina' host
Trabaho Ngayon: Manila Times columnist and owner of Baked Bites by ABC
Artista Noon: 'StarStruck' Season 2's First Prince
Trabaho Ngayon: Dentist
Artista Noon: Original 'Mulawin' star
Trabaho Ngayon: Business Development Manager at Sharp Insurance
Artista Noon: 'Eat Bulaga' child star
Trabaho Ngayon: Manager, Procurement COE at Viacom
Artista Noon: '90s child star
Trabaho Ngayon: Floor Director in 'Eat Bulaga'
Artista Noon: Star of 'T.G.I.S' batch 3
Trabaho Ngayon: Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google
Artista Noon: TV commercial star
Trabaho Ngayon: Yoga ambassador
Artista Noon: Multi-awarded child actor including Best Child Performer in the 1988 Metro Manila Film Fest and 1989 FAMAS
Trabaho Ngayon: Motivational speaker and executive of a training company
Artista Noon: Prince Cedie of the 1996 film
Trabaho Ngayon: Disc Jockey
Artista Noon: Finalist of 'Eat Bulaga's Little Miss Philippines
Trabaho Ngayon: Corporate Services Responsibility Associate at PTT Philippines Corporation
Artista Noon: Child actor and singer
Trabaho Ngayon: Christian Pastor
Who could forget the iconic Surf commercial featuring Lumen? The woman who gave life to Lumen, Ms. January Isaac, now lives a happy life with her family in America. January is married to Mr. Wade Bodlovic and has two cute kids. She also has a day job as a Front End Lead at Cabella's, an outdoor equipment store. Aside from doing commercials, she was also part of several movies like 'Burador' (1999) and the American movie shot in the Philippines,'Doomsdayer,' in 2000.
Do you still remember EB Babe Ann?
The talented dancer is now working as Eat Bulaga's choreographer and stage director.
Artista at singer noon: Active in showbiz 1994-2003 and 2006; 2010
Trabaho ngayon: Certifed Registered Nurse in the US and now a frontliner in the fight against COVID-19
Artista noon: Started her career in 1984
Trabaho ngayon: Certifed Registered Nurse as America at isa ring frontliner na lumalaban sa COVID-19
Barangay LS DJ Papa Buboy, or Justin Candado II in real life, left GMA-7 in December 2017 to pursue his new passion to become a nurse.
Former Streetboys member, Spencer Reyes is now living a quiet life in Scotland. He is working as a bus driver after taking a series of examinations for his job.
Michelle Madrigal is now happily married with her American husband Troy Woolfolk. After leaving the Philippines and her showbiz career, Michelle is now known as a fitness expert in the US.
Former beauty queen Janina San Miguel was well-known due to a question and answer gaffe that eventually landed her the title Binibining Pilipinas World 2008. Since denouncing her title the same year, Janina has lived a completely different lifestyle away from the glitz and glamour of pageantry. She is now reportedly a call center agent for a multi-national company.
BB Gandanghari, formerly known as Rustom Padilla, is reportedly an Uber driver in the United States as stated by a news article by The Filipino Times. In one of her vlogs, BB was also see doing an office job. The celebrity transgender is very active on social media and regularly updates her fans through different platforms like YouTube that has now gained more than 50K subscribers.
Former matinee idol Leandro Munoz has not completely shunned away from the limelight since he makes TV appearances once in a while. However, he is completely busy working as an entrepreneur in the United States and is a full-time husband and father to his wife Sheryl and their son Mason.
After 12 years of working as an actor, the former Be Bench runner-up Ron Morales and his family decided to migrate in Prince Edward Island, Canada. He he now enjoys his job as a cook at a local restaurant.
Sexy actress Jinri Park described that her new life in Australia took a wild turn as she has been diligently working as a trainee for a restaurant to become a waitress. She said, “I felt like I was back to zero with not knowing what career path I'd want to take.”
She added that she has a plan but would like to gain the experience so she can save up and go back to school. Adding, “I need to earn my tuition fee to get a degree for the job I want in the future.”
Although she's not done being an actress yet in the Philippines, Rich Asuncion has traded her glamorous life to become a waitress in a restaurant while she's stuck in Australia due to the coronavirus pandemic. Aside from being a waitress, she was also offered a full-time job at a daycare center so she can be close to her daughter Bela.
You might remember him as Jang from the boy group Down To Mars, but Nasser Amparna has built another life in Singapore after his group disbanded in 2014. Nasser currently works as a lab specialist in an all-girls government-run school in Singapore. Despite working now in the education sector, Nasser is able to do his other passion projects like vlogging and, from time-to-time, he is still asked to sing the theme songs of several popular Korean and Thai series shown in the Philippines.
After joining StarStruck and doing several Kapuso series such as That's My Amboy, Alyas Robin Hood, Meant To Be, and My Love From the Star, Princess Guevarra decided to temporarily leave her showbiz career and fulfill her dream to become a cabin crew for an international carrier.
In the meantime, Kapamilya actress Ylona Garcia traded her long gown for a fast-food uniform after flying back to Australia last July 1, 2020. The young actress flaunted her McDonald's uniform on Instagram and encouraged her fans to visit while she's currently employed there.
Although she hasn't exactly retired, veteran actress Tessie Tomas has found her home away from home in the Isle of Man where her husband, Roger Pullin, has opted to retire. Tessie has found solace in vlogging her life in the little island, just 191 miles away from England.
Actress and model Cindy Kurleto had reportedly quit showbiz in 2007. She is now a stay-at-home mom to her children Noa and Lima. Last year, she made a short visit to the Philippines to promote her multivitamins endorsement.
Former T.G.I.S. actor and '90s heartthrob Red Sternberg is now living in Florida with his family. During his stint in 'Eat Bulaga's Bawal Judgmental, he shared that he is currently a hotel's general manager.
Actor Joshua Dionisio said that he left the limelight because he wanted to focus on his studies, especially during college.
Chubi del Rosario has left the limelight for more than a decade. While he isn't a full-time actor, fans may catch him in several theater plays and events. He is also a businessman and a fitness trainor.
Actress Lindsay Custodio has left the limelight after tying the knot with her husband, Julius Caesar Platon II, who died in 2018. She is now a stay-at-home mom.
Known for his killer smile, Rainier Castillo is now busy with the business he and fellow 'StarStruck' contestant Mark Herras has put up in Quezon City. He also vlogs from time to time.
Former actress and beauty queen Rhea Nakpil is now a full-time flight attendant and mom to her beautiful daughter.
Jan Manual left show business after he and his wife have tied the knot and decided to focus their efforts on their church ministry. He is now a preacher who often heads his group's bible study.
Former reality star Alec Duñgo pursued his dream of becoming a doctor by completing his medical degree at the University of Santo Tomas, where he graduated cum laude in 2019. In 2020, he was among the 3,500 students who passed the Physician Licensure Examination.
Teen actress Angeli Gonzales also strived for her dream to become a doctor after passing the Physician Licensure Examination in November 2020. She graduated from the De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute in 2019.
Former child star Makisig Morales left the limelight to become a chef in Australia. He is now married to Nicole Joson Morales, an Australian-Filipino beauty queen. The two marked their first wedding anniversary in January 2020.
Former 'Kirara' star Erika Ann Luna, who happens to be an alumna of Little Miss Philippines has left the limelight 14 years ago. She now works as a Marketing Manager of a food retail company.
According to a report by PEP.Ph, model and 'PBB: OTSO' runner-up Andre Brouillette is now working at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Hawaii. The Kapamilya talent returned to his hometown Hawaii last August 2020.
Rachel Villanueva is a former member of Viva Hot Babes who turned out to be a successful businesswoman. She is now a car salesperson and already made a name in the world of high-end automobiles, at one time selling 30 units of luxury cars in three months. She also owns a beauty and wellness clinic.
Filipina actress Krista Ranillo left the limelight to pursue a degree in law. Currently, she's living in the U.S with her husband Niño Jeff and their five kids. The lovely couple now own a Filipino supermarket chain.