Most of us have contemplated chucking in our jobs at some point.

Maybe you’ve become fed up with a colleague droning on about their kid’s netball highlights, had it up to pussy’s bow with the day-in, day-out monotony of your role, or caught yourself looking at the barista and thinking, I could do that.

Whatever it is, it’s not unusual to wonder if there’s something else you’d rather be doing. If you’re thinking of escaping your usual grind, there are plenty of high profile examples to draw inspiration from.

Ryan Moloney: soap star to beekeeper

After 30 years playing Jarrod “Toadie” Rebecchi on the Australian soap opera Neighbours, Ryan Maloney said goodbye to Ramsay Street and headed for the hills. Along with his wife, Alison, he operates a sustainable living and beekeeping venture from his off-grid properties in regional Victoria. He also runs a honey production business, Beach Box Honey.

Daniel Day-Lewis: Oscar winner to cobbler

One of the most highly regarded actors alive and a three-time Oscar winner, Daniel Day-Lewis disappeared from the spotlight in the late 1990s for around five years. During this time he and his family moved to Florence, Italy, where Day-Lewis worked in a shoe factory as an apprentice cobbler under master craftsman Stefano Bemer. Day-Lewis has returned to acting off-and-on over the years.

Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis once worked as an apprentice cobbler.

Kevin Jonas: Pop star to property developer

The oldest of the three Jonas brothers, Kevin shot to fame on the Disney Channel alongside Nick and Joe. But when the Jonas Brothers went their separate ways in 2013, he swapped screaming fans and world tours for building sites, co-founding luxury construction and property development company JonasWerner. He even popped up on The Real Housewives of New Jersey as the contractor building cast member Kathy Wakile’s new home. The Jonas Brothers reformed in 2019.

The Jonas Brothers. Kevin Jonas, right, has worked in construction.

Cameron Diaz: Movie star to wine entrepreneur

She was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars for more than two decades, but following 2014’s Annie Cameron Diaz stepped away from acting and eventually found herself in the wine business. She co-founded “clean” wine brand Avaline with entrepreneur Katherine Power in 2020. She returned to acting in 2025 with the film Back in Action alongside Jamie Foxx.

Cameron Diaz stepped back from acting in 2014 and went on to become a wine entrepreneur.

Gavin Wanganeen: AFL great to artist

Gavin Wanganeen was known for his creativity on the footy field, but after hanging up his boots, he found an entirely different outlet for it. The Brownlow medallist and AFL Hall of Famer turned to painting, drawing on his Kokatha and Narungga heritage to create works inspired by Country, family and ancestral stories.

Mark Holden: Music legend to barrister

Mark Holden has reinvented himself more than once over the years. After finding fame as a pop star in the 1970s with hits including Never Gonna Fall in Love Again and I Wanna Make You My Lady, he went on to become a songwriter, record producer and, memorably, an Australian Idol judge. But in 2009 he changed gears again, returning to a law degree he’d set aside years earlier, and eventually becoming a barrister in his mid-50s.

After decades in the entertainment industry, Mark Holden became a barrister in his mid-50s.

Gene Hackman: Oscar winner to novelist

The late Gene Hackman had little left to prove when he walked away from acting after a 40-year career that included two Oscars and films such as The French Connection, Unforgiven and The Royal Tenenbaums. But retirement didn’t mean putting his feet up. Hackman devoted more time to another creative pursuit, writing. He published five novels – three with co-author Daniel Lenihan and two on his own – spanning historical adventure, westerns and crime.

Screen legend Gene Hackman worked as a novelist post-Hollywood.

Erik Estrada: TV cop to real-life cop

Erik Estrada became a household name playing motorcycle cop Frank “Ponch” Poncherello in hit TV series CHiPs from 1977 to 1983. Years later, he made the badge official, becoming a reserve police officer in Indiana before working as a sheriff’s deputy in Virginia, where he spent years investigating internet crimes against children. In 2016, he was also sworn in as a reserve officer in St Anthony, Idaho.

Peter Ostrum: Child star to veterinarian

Peter Ostrum found a golden ticket to Hollywood when he was cast as Charlie Bucket in 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory at just 12. But after his first – and only – movie, Ostrum decided acting wasn’t for him and turned down a three-film contract. Inspired by a vet who treated his family’s horses, he went on to study veterinary medicine at Cornell University and spent decades working mainly with cows and horses in upstate New York.

Nikki Webster: Child star to dance school owner

Nikki Webster became one of Australia’s most recognisable faces at just 13 after flying into the Sydney 2000 Olympics opening ceremony, before cementing her place in pop culture with Strawberry Kisses. But by her early 20s, Webster was ready for a different role. In 2008, she and brother Scott opened Dance @ Nikki Webster, turning her years on stage into a business teaching the next generation of performers. The venture is still going strong, with studios in Sydney and on the Central Coast.

Nikki Webster rose to fame at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 at the age of 13.

Dean Cain: Superman to law enforcement

Dean Cain spent four years fighting crime as Superman in the 1990s series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, before taking his interest in law enforcement into the real world. In 2018, he was sworn in as a reserve police officer in Idaho and has also served as a deputy sheriff. Then, in 2025, he announced plans to join US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in an honorary officer role.

Dean Cain is spruiking the perks of becoming an ICE agent. Photo: Facebook

Thinking of making your own career change?

Starting again is one thing when you’ve got an Oscar, Brownlow Medal or decades of Neighbours royalties to fall back on. For the rest of us, a little more planning may be required.

Work out whether it’s the career you hate – or just the job: Before embarking on a complete reinvention, figure out what’s actually making you unhappy. Career experts have warned the urge to escape a bad boss, burnout or an unsatisfying workplace can sometimes be mistaken for wanting an entirely different career. “Don’t run away from what you have now, run towards what will make you happiest,” career coach Jane Jackson told the ABC.

Find out what the job is really like: That fantasy career might look considerably less appealing once you discover what people actually do all day. The government’s Your Career service recommends speaking to people already in the industry, while career experts suggest job shadowing, short courses, internships or work experience where possible.

Don’t assume you’re starting from zero: A career change doesn’t necessarily mean throwing everything you’ve learnt out the window. Government research has found transferable skills are a key part of successful career changes.

Know what you’re prepared to sacrifice: The government’s Your Career service suggests considering your values, strengths and weaknesses – but also what sacrifices you’re prepared to make. A new career might require study, a temporary pay cut, fewer seniority perks or starting further down the ladder than you’re used to.

Give yourself a financial buffer: Jackson recommends having six to 12 months of living expenses saved where possible, particularly if changing careers means retraining or spending time out of work.

Need a little direction?

If you’re at the “I know I want to do something else, I just have no idea what” stage, the federal government’s Job Switch tool could provide some inspiration. Enter a current or previous job and it suggests other occupations that use similar skills, along with information about demand, training and current vacancies.
Australians aged 45 and over can access the free Career Transition Assistance program, designed specifically to help people identify existing skills, work out how they transfer to another job and understand how to reskill.