A lot of child actors do the role of their lives at the age of 6–8, and then they’re never heard of again. Some people may not like how the life of actors turns out, and others may develop different interests in life, like Bridgit Mendler.
Here, we have Paige Tamada, who played brief roles in The Santa Clause, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Mad City.
Debuting in acting at six years old, Paige is a classic child actress who had a lot of opportunities while in the entertainment industry.
But where is Paige Tamada now? And why did she leave the entertainment industry? Here, we’ll reveal everything we know about the child actress!
Here’s What We Know About Paige Tamada’s Life
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Paige Tamada, or Paige Yukiko Tamada, was born on the 11th of January, 1985, making her 40 years old at the time of writing. She was born in Los Angeles, California, and that’s where she likely resides until now.
When she was still a student, Paige Tamada went to a French American School in Santa Ana, California. The school is called the International School of Los Angeles and is often called LILA for abbreviation.
When Paige was done with high school, she went to college at the University of California, Berkeley, and she stayed there until she got her bachelor’s degree. From then on, news about her started becoming scarce.
The last we know about her is that she works as a human resource manager, but we’re not sure whether she career-shifted.
A Rundown of Paige Tamada’s Acting Career
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Paige Tamada’s acting career started earlier than most actresses—she made her acting debut in 1991 when she was only six years old. Her first role on the screen was on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, portraying the role of Jessie.
Only one year later, she earned her second role, playing a character called Marie in Full House.
Despite those roles in hugely popular TV shows, Paige didn’t make her breakthrough until 1994, when she was cast to play the role of Elf Judy in The Santa Clause.
In 1992 and 1993, she played brief roles that didn’t have much significance. One role was playing the role of Eleanor in Evening Shade and the other was playing Tiffany in Home Improvement.
Image source: Google
She also played the side role of a little girl in Hearts Afire and another side role of a child in Untamed Love.
After playing the role of Elf Judy in The Santa Clause, she appeared in another hugely popular sitcom, Seinfeld, playing a character called Clara. That was in 1996, the same year The Fresh Prince on Bel-Air came to an end, which was her debut show.
In 1997, Paige had a brief role in Mad City, and only one year later, she played the role of Young May in Milo.
The child actress’ last role came in 1999 after she played the role of Lily in The Rockford Files: If It Bleeds, It Leads. She portrayed the girlfriend in Ally McBeal during the same year, and that was the end of her acting career.
What Did Paige Tamada Do After Quitting Acting?
In 1999, Paige Tamada decided to retire from acting, though she was only 14 years old at the time. She didn’t even agree to appear in the sequels of The Santa Clause, though it was her most famous role.
Unfortunately, the actress didn’t disclose the reasons behind her departure from the entertainment industry, but it was likely that she didn’t see herself growing up to be an actress.
In 2011, this actress participated in the filming of a biographical short film for Santa Claus. She, along with other actors, revealed the behind-the-scenes story of their filming of this movie.
After quitting acting, she reportedly shifted to a business-oriented career, specifically in the human resources sector.
According to some sources, she studied art at the University of Amsterdam, earning her Master’s degree. Afterward, she got a job at Macy’s as a Human Resource Talent Manager.
Apparently, Paige was comfortable and happy working at Macy’s because she stayed on the job for seven years. After that, she shifted to Lamps Plus, working in the Human Resources sector as well.
Lamps Plus is a private company that specializes in lighting fixtures and home decor, and Paige reportedly still works there until now.
What Is the Net Worth of Paige Tamada?
Since Paige has been out of the spotlight for decades now, her financial information isn’t available to the public. However, some sources suggest that her net worth is somewhere between $1 million and $5 million, likely around $1.3 million.
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The former actress apparently made a lot of money while acting, and her human resource career is the main source of her income now.
Similar Child Actors Who Quit Acting and Led Normal Lives
It’s not uncommon for child actors to walk away from fame and decide to lead normal lives. Paige Tamada isn’t the only one who did this; there’s a long list of child actors who didn’t want the famous life. Here are a few examples:
Jeff Cohen
After a role in The Goonies, Jeff Cohen, who played Chunk, decided that acting wasn’t for him. He appeared in some TV shows and then co-founded a company for entertainment law.
Michael Oliver
Michael Oliver appeared in Problem Child, playing the role of a naughty boy called Junior Healy. After that, he had some uncredited appearances, including a brief, insignificant role in Forrest Gump.
Oliver didn’t pursue an acting career any further after some contractual differences with Universal Pictures.
Image source: Google
Barret Oliver
Barret Oliver played a famous role as Bastian Bux in The Never Ending Story. After that, he played some brief roles in D.A.R.Y.L, Cocoon, and Frankenweenie. However, he decided that acting wasn’t for him, shifting to a career in photography and writing instead.
Final Thoughts
Paige Tamada isn’t the first or last child actor to walk away from fame. The former actress decided to pursue a career in human resources instead, and she hasn’t been seen on a screen since 1999.
Featured image source: Google
