It ’s not all brashness and glamour in Tinseltown .
The film industry is mercilessly demanding, and sometimes, actors reach a breaking point. Between hectic schedules, questionable business ethics, and the pressure of being in the public eye, many actors take hiatuses for the sake of their sanity. Others quit Hollywood altogether.
These seven actors completely retired from the industry, perhaps resurfacing for a role or two as a special favor:
Daniel Day-Lewis, widely considered one of the greatest actors of our time, unexpectedlyannouncedhis retirement in 2017. He was known to be incredibly picky with his roles, likely due to his penchant for method acting.
Cameron Diazdropped her lucrative acting career to be a mother. She claimed she wasn’t always a fan of the tiresome, challenging Hollywoodlifestyle.
Michael J. Foxretired for goodin 2020 after watching a scene in the filmOnce Upon a Time in HollywoodwhereLeonardo DiCaprio’s character struggles to remember his lines. Fox faced a similar issue while tapingThe Good Fightand decided it was time to quit.
Karyn Parsons will forever live in our hearts as Hilary fromThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, even if she retired from acting in the early 2000s. As an avid writer and history buff, she founded a nonprofit calledSweet Blackberryto share little-known stories of African American achievement.
The late Sean Connery announced his retirement after a sour experience on the set of his final live-action film, 2003’sThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Shelley Duvall, known for iconic roles in films likeThe Shiningand 1980’sPopeye, tapped out of the Hollywood lifestyle in 2002. The decision was sparked byseveral factors, including a diminishing selection of movie offers and her brother’s spinal cancer diagnosis.
Cinema legend Joe Pesci (Goodfellas,My Cousin Vinny,Casino) retired from acting in 1999. He’s since made a handful of exceptions, returning for films like 2019’sThe Irishman.
These 11 actors semi-retired or took hiatuses for varying reasons:
In 2009,Harold & Kumarstar Kal Penn went from White Castle to the White House, working with theObama administrationfor several years. His acting hiatus didn’t last long, and he’s since returned to our TV screens in multiple projects.
Despite once being a prominent figure in Hollywood, a hectic work schedule and a2003 assaultmade Brendan Fraser a recluse. He slowly stepped away from the spotlight, only to return in one of the most buzz-worthy movies of 2022.
Jane Fondaofficially announcedher retirement from acting in 1991 after marrying media mogul/CNN co-founder Ted Turner. Their divorce would lead her back to Hollywood 15 years later.
Ke Huy Quanhad notable roles in two massive films (Indiana Jones and the Temple of DoomandThe Goonies) as a child. In the early 2000s, he chose to step away from acting when his optionsran dry. The few roles available for Asian actors at the time were underwhelming and stereotypical.
Terrence Howard momentarily retired in 2019 before being bitten by the acting bug again. However, on the red carpet for the Peacock seriesThe Best Man: The Final Chapters, he insisted that he’ll retire soon — for good.
It’s hard to believe that one-time rom-com king Hugh Grant experienced a rough patch in his career. The mid-’00s weren’t kind to him, leading to amulti-year hiatusfrom Hollywood.
The legendary Audrey Hepburn was inescapable in the ’50s and ’60s. After 1967’sWait Until Dark, she left the industry for almost a decade before resurfacing in 1976’sRobin and Marian. She then appeared in a handful of movies before her death in 1993.
In an interview forEssence, Daniel Kaluuya revealed toJordan Peelethat he almost quit acting. Feeling disillusioned with the industry, particularly its well-documented racism, he took a hiatus for a year and a half.
Dylan Sprouse all butditched Hollywoodafter his Disney days. The child star disappeared from the spotlight to go to college (NYU) and open ameaderyin Brooklyn.
Beloved ’80s/’90s star Rick Moranis slowly faded from the film scene in 1991 after the death of his wife, Ann Belsky. Hesemi-retiredin 1997. After 2008, he practically disappeared for the better part of a decade.
Tom Hollandwas the latest major celebrity to take an acting hiatus. While he won’t be retiring soon, he opted for a year-long break after his work as Danny Sullivan inThe Crowded Roomtook a toll on his mental health.
