The '90s It Girls who walked away from Hollywood and never looked back

Bridget Fonda was a '90s favourite with star performances in Single White Female and The Godfather Part III. With credits spanning acclaimed dramas and tense thrillers, as well as her famous surname, a lifelong career in the limelight seemed unavoidable.

 After a car crash in 2003 prompted the actress to take a break from acting, she decided to step away from the industry altogether. Bridget last appeared on screen in 2002's Snow Queen and is now enjoying a reclusive life as mother to son Oliver and wife of composer Danny Elfman.

Leelee Sobieski was a '90s teen superstar who co-starred with Hollywood A-listers like Tom Cruise, Drew Barrymore and Josh Hartnett. She appeared in classic films like Eyes Wide Shut and Deep Impact but decided to step back permanently from Hollywood in 2016.

She most recently appeared in The Last Film Festival - which was filmed in 2010 but released in 2016 - alongside Dennis Hopper, but had started scaling down her roles prior to her full-time retirement in around 2012. 

Karyn Parsons joined the cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as the eldest Banks sibling, Hilary. Her success continued with starring roles in shows like The Job and guest appearances on Melrose Place, but the star has only worked on. five full-length projects since 2000. 

Instead, she's focussing her energy on children's non-profit Sweet Blackberry which aims to share untold stories from Black history. Karyn herself is a mother of two, shared with director Alexandre Rockwell.

Phoebe Cates found success in the '80s which carried through into the early '90s, returning for Gremlins 2: The New Batch and starring in cult comedy Drop Dead Fred. 

While she initially stepped away to raise her two children, who are now adults. Today, Phoebe focuses on running her successful New York City boutique, Blue Tree, which she opened on the Upper East Side in 2005.

Amanda Bynes quickly found overlapping fame in the '90s and '00s, starring on The Amanda Show between 1999 and 2002, as well as regularly appearing on musical show All That. 

Since she found TV and movie success with hits like She's the Man, Amanda has moved away from the spotlight, focussing on earning her manicurist license. She also recently released an EDM track developed with friends in April 2026, titled 'GIRLFRIEND'. 

Lisa Jakub rose to fame on Robin Williams classic Mrs Doubtfire, The Beautician and the Beast and Independence Day but ultimately decided that a career on screen wasn't for her. 

Instead, Lisa is focussing on a career in writing, having released two books, You Look Like That Girl and Not Just Me: Anxiety, Depression, and Learning to Embrace Your Weird, and helping others manage their mental health.