Remember him? This ‘90s heartthrob ditched Hollywood for a cushy 9-5 and doesn’t regret a thing

Fabulous A ’90s dreamboat who captured teen hearts for his role in The Princess Diaries has revealed why he ditched Hollywood for a reliable 9-5. Erik von Detten rose to fame after playing Anne Hathaway’s dreamy crush in the 2001 Disney movie, but he left it all to focus on family. Heartthrob Erik von Detten, seen at a 2024 premiere, has ditched Hollywood for a 9-5 Credit: Getty In 2001, Von Detten played Josh Bryant in The Princess Diaries alongside Anne Hathaway Credit: Alamy The former actor, now 43, was looking toward a bright future after starring in movies like Escape to Witch Mountain and Toy Story in 1995. He reprised his role as the villainous Sid Phillips in 2010 for Toy Story 3, but has only had one small cameo since he focused on a U-turn career shift. Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank you! Now, von Detten is working in sales at a finance company as a manager and raising two children with his beloved wife Angela, who’s a real estate agent. In 2021, the former flame gave a rare glimpse at why he made the decision to step away from the silver screen. “Since I was a kid, I wanted to have a large family. And, in Los Angeles, that requires a consistent realistic income,” he told E! News. “So, the fickle nature of employment as an actor just wasn’t consistent enough for me. “Luckily, simultaneously when things started to slow down in acting in my early 20s, another opportunity presented itself for me with a company that I started working with at age 25. “And I’ve been with that company ever since.” Most read in Lifestyle Von Detten said his wife still gets comments on social media from fans whenever she posts a picture of their family, but she doesn’t mind the attention. “It’s all very positive. I think it helps business – and she gets a kick out of it,” he explained. Von Detten, seen with his wife Angela von Detten and their two kids, is now a proud husband and dad Credit: Getty He captured teen hearts for his role in the 2001 Disney classic Credit: Alamy The former actor admitted he hasn’t been good at keeping up with former co-stars like Hathaway or Julie Andrews, but he isn’t opposed to a reunion. Von Detten said life as a husband and dad has been more than fulfilling, but he hasn’t completely closed the door on acting. “Someone wrote a cameo for me for a Netflix pilot, like a year ago. It was just one day of shooting, and it was fun,” he said. “So, if there’s a script with a role that doesn’t require an arduous audition process, I’m definitely open.” Von Detten, seen in 2004, said he hasn’t completely closed the doors on acting Credit: Getty Comment now