Life After Child Stardom -- Not by the Numbers

Nov. 24, 2006 — -- Not every child star ends up in rehab or washed up or in jail. The infamous few who have struggled have become a cliche for all young stars, but there can be life after acting.

And two of the biggest sitcom stars of the early 1990s are perfect examples of how to find a second life offscreen. The University of California at Los Angeles is just minutes from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, but it also seems a world away. In the world of academia there, two former child stars found out just how brightly they could shine -- away from the camera lights.

In the early 1990s, Mayim Bialik was known to millions as the eponymous star of "Blossom," one of the highest-rated shows on television at the time. In many ways, Blossom was a role model for millions of kids, helping them navigate through the growing pains and pitfalls of adolescence. She became a household name, but even today, Bialik believes her success was something of a fluke.

"I was always kind of unusual-looking," Bialik said. "I wasn't the generic blond-haired, blue-eyed, McDonald's commercial kind of kid."

But it was those unusual looks that landed Bialik her first big break, playing a young version of Bette Midler in the movie "Beaches," a role that would change her life.

"It kind of exploded from there," she said. "I would not have gotten a series … if I had not been in 'Beaches.' I don't think that would've happened."

"Blossom" premiered in 1991 and ran for four years. When the series ended, Bialik was ready to try something new, and that meant college at UCLA, where her star would rise again, in a very surprising field for an actor: neuroscience.

Bialik is now completing work for her Ph.D., choosing to write her thesis on a strange DNA disorder called Prader-Willi syndrome, which drives its victims to rant, scream, and destroy their homes in a desperate search for food.

"I really felt like, maybe I can bring something novel to it as a neuroscientist, and maybe add something to the field," Bialik said.