What Happened to This ’80s Teen Idol Who Left Hollywood and Turned to Christianity?

He had it everything as a teenage celebrity: fame, money, and a popular television program. However, he made a shocking decision just as his career was taking off. He left Hollywood and took a route that few could have foreseen.

In “Growing Pains,” he played a cherished kid role that made him one of the most well-liked young actors of the 1980s. He was the preferred heartthrob for many fans, and he was featured on the covers of teen magazines. Behind the scenes, though, he struggled with the growing realization that Hollywood wasn’t his true home.

At the height of his popularity in the early 1990s, the celebrity made a decision that shocked many in the business. He abandoned acting and adopted a religious life. His entire worldview changed as a result of this choice, not just his work. What happened to him when he left Hollywood?

From Childhood Aspirations to Accidental Stardom

He had no intention of becoming an actor. As a young boy, in fact, he had an entirely other goal in mind: he wanted to become a doctor. His career path took an unexpected turn when his mother, pushed by a friend, introduced him to acting, despite his initial goal of becoming a surgeon.

Adam Rich was a child actor best known for his performance in “Eight is Enough.” That friend was also Adam Rich’s mother. She recommended that the boy’s mother take him to a commercial agency to try his luck.

His mother reluctantly took the advise, and soon the nine-year-old began landing tiny parts. One of his first acting roles was in a McDonald’s commercial. The young youngster did not like acting, but he found himself working steadily.

He previously said of those formative years, “I was always annoyed having to brush my hair and tuck my shirt in to go drive an hour in traffic to audition.” His acting career took off in spite of his lack of enthusiasm, and he eventually landed his breakthrough performance as Mike Seaver in “Growing Pains.”

His internal conflict increased along with his notoriety. He started to wonder if Hollywood’s plenty was sufficient. Unexpectedly, his religion would ultimately lead him in a totally other route.

From Atheism to Christianity

His family wasn’t religious when he was growing up, and he never heard anyone discuss God. He once said, “We didn’t go to church when I was growing up.”

“If you had asked me, I would have said I would be in the category of an atheist at 16 years old, 17 years old,” he stated.

Those around him, especially his instructors, influenced his atheism. He remarked, “I think I caught my atheism—it was by contagion,” alluding to the impact of his history and science professors who wrote religion down as “just a fairy tale.”

He was totally focused on his Hollywood profession at the time and showed little interest in pursuing spirituality or religion. Nevertheless, a fortuitous meeting would soon alter his opinions in spite of his lack of interest.

His initial reason for attending church was not a profound theological discussion. He accepted a girl’s invitation to go to church with her family since he was attracted to her. “I’ll tell the truth. It had nothing to do with my interest in God. He acknowledged that he had feelings for the girl.

He had no idea how drastically his life would change as a result of this careless choice. His growing faith started to affect his life and job in a noticeable way, which alarmed his Hollywood colleagues.

“Is he getting into something that’s really gonna take him into Looney Town? And if it is, we need to stop that,” he recalled their concerns. He, however, was focused on trying to live out his faith, though he admits that at times, he didn’t handle it as gracefully as he could have.

“I was trying to take the moral high road. I wanted to please God genuinely, and I think sometimes that got misunderstood,” he explained. What was clear, though, was that his priorities were shifting—and Hollywood wasn’t sure how to respond.

The Dark Side of Hollywood

He became increasingly conscious of the concerning practices in Hollywood that were going on around him as his faith deepened. He apparently saw unsettling things over time, which caused him to become even more disengaged from the field.

He remarked, “The evil, the darkness, the twisted sickness of Hollywood has been going on for a long time,” as he reflected on his time working as a child. The former teen idol, who started performing at age nine, remembers being wary of the eerie behind-the-scenes activities while working on “Growing Pains.”

Since he thought that pursuing fame and wealth frequently led people down perilous pathways, he grew even more devoted to his faith and the principles it offered. “When that becomes your God, rather than the God who laid down His life on a cross 2,000 years ago, you’re in for a world of hurt,” he said.

His choice to retire from acting was cemented by his increasing disenchantment with Hollywood. But his life was about to take another significant change, one that would put a greater emphasis on his faith and family.

Life After Hollywood

With his exit from Hollywood, Kirk Cameron started a new phase of his life. He married actress and “Growing Pains” co-star Chelsea Noble when he was barely 20 years old, and the two began establishing a life apart from the entertainment business. Four of the six children they welcomed into their family were adopted.

Given that Noble was adopted herself, adoption was a cause that was dear to both Cameron and Noble. When the time came, they assisted their children in reestablishing contact with their biological relatives and made sure they were aware of their origins.

This emphasis on family and his dedication to upholding a solid moral foundation were essential aspects of Cameron’s life. One of the most notable instances of his commitment to family values occurred while he was filming his 2008 picture “Fireproof.”

Cameron plays a firefighter in the movie who is attempting to keep his marriage intact. But Cameron only kissed his real-life wife when it came time to film a kissing sequence with the actress portraying his wife.

The filmmakers circumvented this by dressing Noble as the film’s female star and shooting the sequence in silhouette in order to respect his marriage vows. “I have a commitment not to kiss any other woman,” Cameron later clarified, demonstrating how seriously he took his convictions.

Now that Hollywood was behind him, Cameron’s life was more about upholding his core beliefs than it was about becoming famous. However, he soon made another significant choice that would significantly alter the trajectory of his life, so his journey was far from ended.

Leaving California Behind

Cameron just made yet another audacious choice in his life: he left the place where he had spent the most of his life and established his career. Cameron announced his plan to depart California on social media at the beginning of 2021.

“I asked on social media what states people recommend for a Californian looking to relocate, and the top responses were Tennessee, Florida, and Texas,” he wrote on his Facebook page. In the end, he fell in love with Tennessee.

He explained why he made the change in later interviews. Cameron yearned for a place that accepted more of the “wholesome values” he cherished because he believed that California had become unsafe.

In addition to being captivated to its way of life, he moved there for another important reason: three of his children now resided there. It gave the chance to appreciate Tennessee’s slower pace and sense of community while still being nearer to relatives.

In addition, Cameron talked about the “healthy freedom mindset” he discovered in Tennessee, which contrasted sharply with what he said were California’s increasing constraints. Additionally, he referred to Tennessee as a “hub for Christian projects.”

He found a group of like-minded people in Tennessee, including other creatives who had left Hollywood. The state’s expanding entertainment sector has even attracted a number of California “refugees,” providing a new beginning for individuals looking for a more grounded way of life.

In addition to finding a new home, Cameron discovered that Tennessee more closely matched the ideals he had accepted. His love of family, religion, and storytelling hasn’t diminished, though, even after he left California and Hollywood.

Becoming a Grandfather and New Projects

Although Cameron has experienced several significant events in his life, becoming grandparents with Noble in July 2024 is one of his most treasured memories. In an emotional statement, Cameron excitedly announced the arrival of their granddaughter, Maya Jeanne Noble Bower, on social media.

“Our hearts are filled to overflowing,” the writer stated. “Our beautiful baby girl just had a beautiful baby girl, and we can hardly wait to spend every minute with her and shower her with love.” Cameron’s family-centered existence is made even more joyful and meaningful by this new chapter in his life as a grandparent.

Apart from commemorating his expanding family, Cameron kept up his enthusiasm for endeavors that are consistent with his beliefs and principles. His film “Lifemark,” which was released in 2022, examines the importance of life and the beauty of adoption.

Given that he is the father of four adopted children and that his wife also underwent adoption, the film held special significance for him. Cameron talked on how excited he was for the movie and how much the tale meant to him.

Cameron is still actively producing faith-based movies and media that represent his views, despite having long since distanced himself from Hollywood’s mainstream. His post-Hollywood work has been distinguished by his emphasis on uplifting, positive tales that honor faith and family.

Cameron’s life now is very different from his adolescent days as a heartthrob on “Growing Pains,” as he has a growing family and a constant flow of projects that reflect his views. However, Kirk Cameron feels a great sense of purpose and joy from the route he has chosen.