15 Celebrities Who Are Having Amazing Second Acts In Their Professional Life

Jeremy Renner flips houses, and Kevin Costner own a casino

Damjan

• Published in Film & TV
• June 14, 2022

There was once a belief that a career was similar to a marriage. Once a person has decided what they want to be when they grow up, they will continue to work in the same company until they retire.

That concept today appears to be so out of date! For most of us, it's impossible to envision doing the same job for the rest of our lives, let alone for the same firm.

In fact, some of us may be looking forward to the second act in our professional lives! A second act is an opportunity for someone who has already achieved success in one field to try out a completely new one.

And it's not just teachers, insurance agents, or nurses who might want to try their luck in a different career path. That's right, some of our favorite celebs have done it.

We're not talking about actors who switch from drama to comedy. No, we're talking about celebrities who have achieved tremendous success in industries unrelated to how they first became famous.

From bodybuilders to politicians to models to chefs, to fitness gurus, to writers, we've got it all. Consider this a source of inspiration for anyone considering a second act.

Let's take a look at the list of celebs who weren't afraid to try something new:

Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson, in addition to performing, is also a businessman (he owns an energy drink line and a production firm) and has even hinted at a career in politics.

Jessica Simpson

For years, it seemed as if Jessica Simpson would always come in second to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in the pop princess battles of the early 2000s. In terms of second-act success, she's arguably ahead of Britney and Christina.

She's made a lot of money with her fashion line, in addition to receiving plaudits for her memoir, Open Book.

Tunde Oyeneyin

Tunde Oyeneyin is one of Peloton's most popular instructors. Tunde is a multitalented woman with Peloton as her second act, in addition to being the queen of wonderful arms.

Before becoming an instructor, she was a successful makeup artist, and now she's embarking on her third act as a writer and podcast host. Her Fitness Flipped podcast just started, and her memoir, Speak, will be released soon.

John Cena

In the early 2000s, John Cena rose to prominence as a professional wrestler, swiftly becoming one of the most popular and successful WWE stars of all time. His second act has seen him break out as a shockingly humorous performer in films such as Blockers and as the cohost of the reality show Wipeout.

Mary Steenburgen

The story of actress Mary Steenburgen's second act is amazing! She had a strange side effect after a minor surgery that required general anesthesia: her brain "was simply music," and she couldn't stop hearing everything as tunes.

She resolved to make peace with her condition by embracing it, despite the fact that she had never been musical or played any instruments previously. She's now gone on to become a multi-award-winning songwriter with over 50 credits to her name.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Few people watching Austrian Arnold Schwarzenegger win the Mr. Universe bodybuilding title at the age of 20 thought to themselves, "Hmm, that man will definitely wind up as the governor of California eventually!" Arnold, on the other hand, went from bodybuilding to acting as an action star to — you guessed it — being a governor.

Maybe The Rock will someday follow in those footsteps?

Neil Young

Many people are familiar with Neil Young as a politically active musician and songwriter, but even fans may be unaware that he has a second job in the model train industry. Not only is he mentioned on seven model train patents, but sections of his train collection have been auctioned for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Chrissy Teigen

Chrissy Teigen was a famous model, with appearances in multiple Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues, but her second act as a cookbook author and builder of a brand empire that now encompasses kitchen equipment, robes, and more has perhaps been more successful.

Jeremy Renner

In his acting profession, Jeremy Renner is living the Marvel movie life, but he also has a second act in something a little more grounded. He's a seasoned home flipper who has completed more than 20 flips in the last 15 years.

Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson is one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but his post-retirement second act has been far more financially successful. He's a successful businessman who owns over 120 Starbucks locations, is a part-owner of a Major League Soccer team, and has a net worth of about $1 billion.

Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu is an American singer-songwriter who has recorded several albums and was a major figure in the late 1990s and early 2000s. She hasn't released a studio album since 2010, in part because she's been preoccupied with her second act: having babies!

She's a certified midwife and a doula.

Al Franken

Al Franken, a former cast member of Saturday Night Live, is another celebrity whose second act was politics. Al was a popular senator from Minnesota from 2008 until 2018, despite being forced to leave due to sexual misconduct claims.

He's now in his third incarnation as a podcast host.

Kevin Costner

Few celebrities have had as many unique tiny second acts as Kevin Costner, who has a second act that includes music or running other enterprises. He's not only co-authored a book, tried to build a machine to clean the ocean, performed in a country band, and founded a bison-themed teaching center, but he's also operated a casino.

He's a busy bee...

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar is well known for her roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Cruel Intentions as the queen bee, but she is also the owner of her own online bakery that focuses on healthier, kid-friendly products. She's also the co-author of a cookbook.

Stacey Abrams

To be honest, Stacey Abrams might not seem like a natural option for this list. Was she first a lawyer, a nonfiction author, or a romance novelist?

Or politician? All we know is that she's running for governor of Georgia in 2022, and her most recent novel was a bestseller, so her second act seems good in any case.

Just because we like a certain actor doesn't mean we'll be able to see them perform for the rest of our lives. Thes simply decide they would rather do something else.

And that's very disappointing. However, there is an upside.

Namely, many celebs from the non-acting world decide to try themselves as actors, and that puts things in balance. You know, people like The Rock and John Cena.

Well, maybe they were no strangers to acting before...Because we all know that the wrestling there is so real...

Damjan