Why Did This ’80s Icon Leave Hollywood? His Journey from Stardom to Christianity?
He was a teenage star with everything—fame, money, and a hit TV show. But just when his career was taking off, he made a choice that surprised everyone. He left Hollywood and decided to follow a very different path.
As a well-loved child actor on *Growing Pains*, he became one of the biggest young stars of the 1980s. Teen magazines put him on their covers, and he was a heartthrob for many fans. But behind the spotlight, he started to feel that Hollywood wasn’t the right place for him.
He Left Hollywood to Follow His Faith: The Journey of a Former Teen Idol
In the early 1990s, at the height of his fame, this actor made a surprising choice. He decided to leave acting behind and embrace a life of faith. This decision didn’t just change his career; it changed his entire life. What happened after he left Hollywood?
From Childhood Dreams to Unexpected Stardom
As a young boy, he dreamed of becoming a doctor, not an actor. He wanted to be a surgeon, but everything changed when his mother, encouraged by a friend, took him to try acting. The friend was the mother of Adam Rich, a child actor from Eight is Enough. She suggested taking him to an agent to audition for commercials.
Though his mother was unsure, she followed the advice. Soon, at just nine years old, he was landing small roles, including a commercial for McDonald’s. But despite his early success, the boy didn’t enjoy acting.
“I didn’t like brushing my hair and driving in traffic for auditions,” he said about those years. Still, his career grew, leading to his big role as Mike Seaver on Growing Pains.
Finding Faith and Turning Away from Hollywood
As his fame increased, he began to question if Hollywood was really for him. Though he grew up without religion—his family didn’t go to church, and he identified as an atheist—this was about to change.
At 16, he didn’t believe in God, influenced by teachers who said religion was just a fairy tale. But his views shifted after a girl he liked invited him to church. He went, not for faith, but because he liked her. Yet, this visit sparked a transformation in his beliefs.
The Industry’s Reaction to His Faith
By age 17, his growing faith started to affect his work on Growing Pains. The producers and cast noticed and became concerned about how it might impact the show. He recalled their worries, saying, “They wondered if I was going to go off the deep end.” He admits he wasn’t always graceful in how he expressed his beliefs, but his priorities were changing.
He also became aware of the darker side of Hollywood, including inappropriate behavior he witnessed as a child actor. His experiences made him feel Hollywood wasn’t the right place for him.
A New Life Focused on Family and Values
At 20, he married Chelsea Noble, his co-star from Growing Pains. Together, they stepped away from the industry and built a family, adopting four of their six children. Adoption was personal for them since Noble was also adopted. They helped their children connect with their birth families when ready.
In his 2008 movie Fireproof, he refused to kiss any woman other than his wife, showing his strong commitment to his marriage. The filmmakers worked around this by having Noble stand in for the kiss, filming it in silhouette.
Leaving California for a New Start
In 2021, he made another major decision: leaving California. He asked his fans for suggestions on where to move, and he chose Tennessee. The move brought him closer to three of his children and gave him a safer, more family-friendly environment. He also found a strong community there that shared his values.
Cameron appreciated the “freedom mindset” he found in Tennessee, a place he felt was better aligned with his beliefs. He discovered other creatives who, like him, had left Hollywood for a simpler, more grounded life.
Becoming a Grandfather and Continuing His Projects
In July 2024, Cameron and Noble became grandparents. He proudly shared the news of their granddaughter’s birth, writing about the joy she brought to their family. This new role as a grandparent added even more meaning to his family-focused life.
Cameron continued working on projects that matched his values. In 2022, he released the film Lifemark, which focused on adoption—a cause close to his heart. The story was special for him because of his own experience as a father of adopted children and his wife’s adoption story.
A Life of Purpose Away from Hollywood
Although he left Hollywood long ago, Cameron has stayed busy making faith-based films. He focuses on uplifting stories about family and faith. His life today is very different from his teenage heartthrob days on Growing Pains. But for Kirk Cameron, the life he chose has given him a deep sense of fulfillment and purpose.
