Don’t listen to the rumors, Kevin Arnold’s best friend is an attorney and not Marilyn Manson.
There was a persistent rumor that abounded in the ’90s, secretly passed from one kid to the next, in which the actor who played Paul in “The Wonder Years” grew up to be Marilyn Manson. Apparently, something bad happened to poor Paul. He was twisted by fame and as he grew older decided to take on a more sinister identity.
He put on the mantle of Marilyn Manson in an effort to show America the price of its extravagance, like a distorted mirror. Admittedly, that is a great story, but it is simply not true. The reality is actually much more mundane. Josh Saviano, who played Paul, grew up and now works as a corporate lawyer. If you want, you can follow him on Twitter.
Peter Ostrum
The "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" star went from working with Oompa Loompas to working with animals.
The classic movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" is a hit among children of all ages even now, decades after its initial release. Gene Wilder played a wonderful and goofy Willy Wonka, but he was perfectly complemented by inexperienced young actor Peter Ostrum who played Charlie Bucket. Following the release of the film, the Ostrum family purchased a horse, much to young Peter’s delight.
He must have really loved that horse, because soon after he quit acting and decided to become a veterinarian. He graduated from veterinary school in 1984 and is still working as a vet in Upstate New York, primarily with cows and horses.
Vanilla Ice
From rapper to home renovator and real estate investor.
Vanilla Ice was a huge name in music for a very short while, but when his musical career took a dive, he made a drastic change. He started a real estate website with tips about how to make a profit from flipping houses.
Van Winkle talks about how his new career came to pass: “When ‘Ice, Ice Baby’ was selling a million records a day, I bought several properties: a home next to Michael J. Fox in L.A., a palace in Miami, and a mountain cabin in Utah; then, a few years later, I took a break from touring, saw that my properties had cobwebs, so I sold them, and to my surprise, I made a huge profit.”
Kirk Cameron
Was born again as a Christian book author.
Kirk Cameron rose to fame on ABC’s beloved sitcom "Growing Pains" but found religion on set. Now, he focuses on writing books and starring in Christian films such as "Saving Christmas," "Mercy Rule," "Unstoppable," "Monumental," and "Fireproof."
Kirk did not grow up religious but found Christianity at 17 in what he refers to as a "life-changing encounter with Jesus".
Rita Wilson
The "Sleepless in Seattle" actress now focuses on her writing for Harper’s Bazaar.
Rita Wilson, born Margarita Ibrahimoff, has been acting for decades. She has appeared in dozens of classic TV shows like "The Brady Bunch," "M*A*S*H," "Three’s Company," and "Fraiser." She even did a short stint on Broadway playing Roxie Hart in a revival of "Chicago."
These days she is acting less and spends her time as a contributing writer to Harper’s Bazaar. We guess that as the wife of Tom Hanks, a little time away from the spotlight is probably a nice change.