‘American Pie’ star, ‘Vixen’ rocker, ‘80s TV actor among celebrities working ‘normal’ jobs

Former Vixen singer Janet Gardner recalls Ozzy Osbourne’s tour

Janet Gardner, the former lead singer of ’80s glamor metal band Vixen, is now a part-time dental hygienist. In the documentary I Wanna Rock: The 80s Metal Dream, the rocker reflects on her rise to stardom and touring with the Prince of Darkness.

For some stars, Hollywood isn’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to realizing their dreams.

’80s stars like Fast Times at Ridgemont High’s Phoebe Cates and CHiPs’ Erik Estrada both found fulfillment away from the spotlight.

Vixen lead singer Janet Gardner has balanced a career in entertainment with a “normal” job as a dental hygienist.

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Seann William Scott, Janet Gardner and Erik Estrada are just a few of the stars who have worked outside of the entertainment world. (Jon Kopaloff | Jason Davis | Paul Archuleta)

Whatever they do, stars have the same dedication and drive, whether they’re working on or off the screen.

Here’s a look at celebrities who have spoken out about working 9am to 5pm outside of the entertainment world.

Old William Scott

Seann William Scott as Stifler in a scene from 1999’s “American Pie.” (Getty Images)

Seann William Scott is best known for his role as Stifler in the American Pie film series, but it wasn’t an instant hit.

Scott recently announced that he made $8,000 for the first film in 1999, and after filming wrapped he took a job selling churros at the zoo.

“I remember after I bought a used Thunderbird for like $5,000, maybe $6,000, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, baby,'” he said on Peacock’s The Rich Eisen Show. “I don’t know what happened to the other $2,000 because I ended up working as a churro guy at the LA Zoo, so maybe it was even less than $8,000.”

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He joked that he worked at the zoo for two days and “sold five churros.”

After “American Pie,” which grossed $235 million at the box office according to the deadline, Scott’s career took off quickly. He reportedly earned $5 million for the fourth installment in the film series, American Reunion.

Seann William Scott said he made $8,000 for his breakthrough role in “American Pie” and worked at a zoo before his acting career took off. (John Lamparski/WireImage)

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Janet Gardner

American rock singer Janet Gardner of the group Vixen plays bass as she performs on stage at the Poplar Creek Music Theater in 1989. (Getty Images)

Janet Gardner was the lead singer of the glam metal band Vixen in the 80s and toured with Ozzy Osbourne.

But after the band’s heyday, Gardner decided to become a dental hygienist in Connecticut, a thing that runs in the family.

“My grandfather was a dentist,” the singer told Fox News Digital. “My uncles, some of them were dentists. Your kids are dentists now, a few dental hygienists – lots of dentists. And they all had a really good life. They could go about their jobs and have a kind of work/lifestyle balance [that] it was very good.”

Gardner, who also devotes her free time to music, liked the steady job in dentistry. In June, she and her husband, guitarist and producer Justin James, released a new album entitled No Strings.

“I do that three days a week, and then I have four days a week for other things,” Gardner said. “And music is one of those things, and of course my family. I don’t know when I’ll stop. I’ll do it while I can still do it.”

Janet Gardner works as a dental hygienist. (Janet Gardner)

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Eric Estrada

Erik Estrada starred in CHiPs. (Getty Images)

Erik Estrada became a pop culture staple with his role as California Highway Patrol Officer Frank “Ponch” Poncherello on the series “CHiPs” from 1977 to 1983.

Estrada has had dozens of cameos on shows like The Nanny, My Name is Earl, and Scrubs over the years, as well as pursuing other acting work as well.

In 2009, after filming the reality series Armed & Famous in Muncie, Indiana, Estrada became a real backup city cop, working nights to avoid attention.

“First I wanted to be a police officer, then I became an actor and then a television cop. The television thing enabled me to become a reserve officer in Indiana. I became a real cop,” he said. “How many people have this blessing? I have been blessed in this way. I was lucky.”

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After working in Indiana, Estrada spent eight years as an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigator in Virginia.

In 2016, Estrada was sworn in as a reserve police officer in St. Anthony, Idaho, and helped establish an ICAC task force there, according to his website.

His website states that he “has been recognized by the Department of Justice and the United States [U.S. Marshals Service] for his dedication and service in protecting children from online sexual predators.”

Erik Estrada has served as a reserve constable in several jurisdictions. (Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)

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Kevin Jonas

Left to right: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas were teenage megastars in the mid-2000s. (David Livingston/Getty Images)

The Jonas Brothers, Kevin, Nick, and Joe, were ubiquitous in the mid-to-late 2000s and early 2010s, with hits and roles in Disney Channel movies like Camp Rock.

In 2012, the band Jonas Brothers broke up and the brothers went their separate ways professionally.

After a stint on reality TV with his wife Danielle on the series Married to Jonas and a stint on Celebrity Apprentice, Kevin worked as a contractor.

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In 2014, Kevin appeared on an episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey and revealed that he was now working as a contractor and co-owned a construction company in New Jersey.

He also dabbled in the tech industry, launching the now-defunct app Yood, which searched for local restaurants by cuisine.

The band reunited in 2019, but Kevin continues to be active in the app world on the side. The star hasn’t publicly commented on those ventures, but it appears to be a passion of his as he joined virtual playdate app Caribu in 2020 as a strategic investor and advisor, according to Billboard.

Kevin Jonas is shown with his wife Danielle Jonas. Between his breaks with the Jonas Brothers, Kevin worked as a contractor and dabbled in the engineering world. (John Nation/Getty Images)

This year the band will be touring together on what Kevin described as their “biggest tour of all time” in a recent interview with The View.

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Phoebe Cates

Phoebe Cates rose to fame in the 1980s for her starring role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. (Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Phoebe Cates became an ’80s icon with her role as Linda in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

She also starred in films such as Gremlins and Drop Dead Fred before making one of her last films, Princess Caraboo in 1994. She later appeared in The Anniversary Party, the directorial debut of Fast Times co-star Jennifer Jason Leigh.

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Cates married Oscar winner Kevin Kline in 1989 and put her career on hold to focus on raising their two children, Owen and Greta.

In 2005, she opened a boutique called Blue Tree in New York City, where the family lives, selling unique home, gift and apparel items. According to the store’s website, her dream was to “make it like a general store, but loud…” [Cates].”

Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline have been married since 1989 and have two children together. (Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

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Speaking on NBC’s The Big Idea in 2008, Cates said that retailing was a longtime dream and that “acting wasn’t really an option for me. I wasn’t motivated to do it again.”

Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson and Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.