’90s Fitness Star Susan Powter Details Work as Uber Eats Driver

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For Susan Powter, the insanity did stop—but not in the way she expected.

The fitness personality who became famous in the 1990s with her high-energy TV ads and the phrase ‘stop the insanity’ – encouraging people to ditch quick-fix diets – is now delivering food for Uber Eats in Las Vegas. This comes after she lost the fortune she built over many years.

She said on the Today show on November 18th that she’s willing to do any job, no matter how small. “I will work, I will do anything,” she explained.

Even though she was a regular guest on late-night TV during her most popular years, Powter faced financial difficulties. Poor business decisions and her divorce from Nic Villarreal led to her filing for bankruptcy in 1995.

She stated she was completely at fault. She admitted she hadn’t bothered to verify if the funds were present, explaining that the issue wasn’t a lack of money itself.

I remember him explaining that there was some money involved, but nowhere near the amount it eventually made. He just decided to step away, completely and on purpose. He really walked away from it all, and he made that decision very deliberately.

After quietly living away from public life for thirty years, relying on Social Security and moving between different homes, Susan Powter is returning to the spotlight with a new documentary called Stop the Insanity: Finding Susan Powter, which will be released on November 19th.

She told Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin on Today that she feels completely different now. She explained that she has real hope and sees possibilities she didn’t before, and she’s proud to have survived, as she wasn’t sure she would.

In fact, she’s found support in Jamie Lee Curtis, who executive produced the film. 

You know, Jamie Lee Curtis actually said something to me that really stuck with me: ‘You’re alive. You survived.’ And honestly, it’s given me such a boost! I’m feeling really positive about getting my career back on track. I’m hoping to recapture that same magic I had before – it felt pretty incredible the first time around, a real turning point, and I’m determined to make it happen again.

She added, “And this time it would be properly managed.”

For more celebrities with a side hustle and offscreen jobs, read on.

Nev Schulman, the host of Catfish, got his real estate license in New York. In September 2025, he announced he was starting a career as a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Warburg, just like his father who has been a broker there for many years.

As a longtime follower, it’s been tough watching Kate Gosselin deal with the financial fallout from her divorce with Jon. She’s talked about how much money went to legal fees, which is heartbreaking. But it seems like going back to work as a nurse has really been a positive thing for her, and I’m happy to see her thriving again.

In an August 2025 TikTok, Kate, a registered nurse working in pediatric home health, explained her approach to visiting patients. She currently works with one family, and she makes sure the patients are already familiar with her before she arrives. They know her name and a little about her, which helps put them at ease and makes her visits smoother.

What she knows, though, is that helping others is quite fulfilling.

Kate added that the job has been incredibly fulfilling and enjoyable. She explained that it allows families with a child needing significant medical care to have time with their other children and focus on other important aspects of their lives.

Drew Barrymore has always been a dedicated worker. While she now hosts The Drew Barrymore Show, she had to work hard to support herself from a young age. When she became emancipated from her mother, Jaid Barrymore, at just 14, she immediately took on jobs to cover her expenses.

The actress explained in her 2015 memoir, Wildflower, that she needed a job near where she and her friend were renting. Her friend worked at a coffee shop in the area, and the actress didn’t have a driver’s license at the time.

She described the early 1990s as a time when coffeehouses were the popular gathering places, recalling her work at a trendy Los Angeles spot called the Living Room, where crowds would spill out onto the street each night. However, she admitted she wasn’t very good at her job, or much of anything else, having only ever pursued acting and lived a somewhat chaotic life.

She served up the tea on one tense experience in her book. 

My boss, who’d hired me mostly as a quirky novelty – a former child actor working behind the counter – was understanding of my mistakes, but also clearly frustrated. I remember him walking in on me while I was washing dishes and snapping, ‘Don’t use the scrubby side of the brush! You’re scratching and clouding up the pastry cases, so customers can’t see what’s inside!’

Leah Kateb, who appeared on Love Island USA, has a career outside of reality TV. She’s the Chief Creative Officer at the fragrance company Skylar, a role she took on in July 2025, and considers herself a key leader in revitalizing the brand.

Lifeguard on duty!

Noah Schnapp, known for his role in Stranger Things, also works as a lifeguard during the summer. In a 2022 interview with Flaunt magazine, he shared that he enjoys working at his local pool when he’s not filming.

He described it as a hobby, something he does for enjoyment. Having a typical life and close friends outside of the show Stranger Things has helped him stay balanced and down-to-earth.

Erik von Detten was a teen heartthrob in the late 90s and early 2000s, starring in movies like Escape to Witch Mountain, Brink!, and The Princess Diaries. After a final acting role—a voice part in Toy Story 3 in 2010—he shifted careers and entered the world of finance.

I remember when acting work started to dwindle in my early twenties, thankfully I found something else! I started working with a finance company when I was around 25, and I’ve been there ever since. I’ve really worked my way up, and now I’m in a management role – it’s been a fantastic career move for me.

Years after appearing in the 2007 film Hairspray, actress Nikki Blonsky, who was nominated for a Golden Globe, surprised people when news broke that she was working as a makeup artist at a salon on Long Island.

Okay, so, everyone thinks I’m just a ‘normal’ makeup artist at Superstar Salon, and honestly, I am working there and it’s great I can contribute and pay my bills! But let me tell you, it doesn’t mean I’ve given up on my bigger dreams – not for a second! I’m still chasing them, always. It’s just…life, you know? I posted that on Twitter way back when, but it’s still totally how I feel.

Erik Estrada, best known for playing Ponch in the TV show CHiPs (1977-1983), later pursued a career in law enforcement. He became a reserve officer with the Muncie Police Department in Indiana, and then moved to Virginia, where he investigated internet crimes against children. In 2016, he returned to police work as a reserve officer in St. Anthony, Idaho.

Ethan Craft serving as your real estate agent? That’s what dreams are made of!

Clayton Snyder, who played a popular character on Lizzie McGuire, decided to leave acting when the show finished. He preferred to concentrate on playing water polo and eventually competed for Pepperdine University in California.

In a 2022 interview with TopMob News, Snyder said he was actually relieved when the show finished. He explained, ‘It felt like a weight off my shoulders, heading into high school. I was ready for a fresh start and to see what came next.’

These days, Snyder works in real estate in Los Angeles, but people still sometimes mention his time as a child actor.

He explained he hopes people choose to work with him because of his expertise, and enjoys it when clients recognize him from other work, calling it a nice bonus. However, he emphasized that he wants to be valued for his skills, not just his public profile. He’s had clients excitedly discover who he is mid-search, but he’s glad they ultimately chose him for his professional abilities.

Did you know that during The Jonas Brothers’ eight-year break, the oldest brother, Kevin Jonas, actually ran his own construction business in New Jersey? He also became a co-CEO of The Blu Market, a company that works with social media influencers.

Charlie Korsmo, the actor who starred in films like Hook and Can’t Hardly Wait, traded Hollywood for a career in law. He’s now a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, teaching corporate law and finance.

In 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Korsmo to the Board of Trustees for the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

Yep, Charlie gave up the chocolate factory.

Peter Ostrum is best known for playing Charlie Bucket in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Surprisingly, this was his only acting role. After earning a veterinary degree from Cornell University in 1984, he became a practicing veterinarian.

Jennifer Stone, known for her role as Harper Finkle on Wizards of Waverly Place, became a registered nurse in 2019. She then joined healthcare workers battling the coronavirus pandemic, swapping her character’s colorful style for scrubs.

I realized today is #worldhealthday, and it got me thinking about my own journey! A friend reminded me that on this day a few years ago, I started out as a volunteer, then became a student nurse, and now I’m an RN resident. It’s incredibly humbling, and I’m really looking forward to joining all the amazing healthcare heroes on the front lines and contributing the best I can.

Ross Bagley, who many remember as Buckwheat from The Little Rascals and Nicky Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has transitioned from acting and is now working as a real estate agent in Los Angeles.

So long, Truffle Shuffle, hello, habeus corpus.

Jeff Cohen, best known for playing Chunk in the 1980s film The Goonies, left acting and became a lawyer. He now works as an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles.

Following his role as the intense Duncan Kane on Veronica Mars, Teddy Dunn pursued a career in law and worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in Washington, D.C.

Phoebe Cates became famous for her roles in movies like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Gremlins, and Drop Dead Fred. In the 1990s, she stopped acting after starting a family with her husband, actor Kevin Kline, and they had two children together.

Cates went on to open Blue Tree, a gift boutique on New York City’s Madison Avenue, in 2005.

After playing Nevel on the Nickelodeon show iCarly, Reed Alexander pursued a career in journalism, contributing to publications like Business Insider and the Wall Street Journal.

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2025-11-19 02:48