Hollywood actors who walked away from the big screen
Dame Julie Andrews claims she has "retired" from acting on screen as she announced she won't be returning for The Princess Diaries 3.
The Final Cut: Hollywood Legends Who Retired From Acting
Dame Julie Andrews claims she has "retired" from acting on screen as she announced she won't be returning for The Princess Diaries 3.
However, she is far from the only Hollywood icon to walk away from the industry – although some couldn't resist the temptation to return.
Daniel-Day Lewis
The three-time Oscar winner has retired from acting on two separate occasions – but has been lured back both times.
He first stepped away in the 1990s when he trained as an apprentice shoemaker in Italy before being tempted back by a role in Martin Scorsese's 2002 movie Gangs of New York.
Day-Lewis, 69, retired again in 2017 but once again made a comeback for the 2025 picture Anemone, which was directed by his son Ronan Day-Lewis.
Jack Nicholson
A fellow three-time Oscar winner, Nicholson hasn't appeared in a film since the 2010 romantic comedy How Do You Know.
The 89-year-old star – whose credits include The Shining, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and A Few Good Men – has never formally announced his retirement but has said that his decision to step back was fuelled by a desire to not "be out there anymore".
Bridget Fonda
The Single White Females star made the decision to quit acting at the peak of her fame.
Fonda, 62, never formally retired but made her last movie appearance in the 2001 movie The Whole Shebang.
When a reporter asked if she would ever return to acting, the Singles star said in 2023: "I don't think so, it's too nice being a civilian."
Sir Michael Caine
After a prolific career spanning eight decades and over 130 films, The Italian Job star confirmed his retirement after appearing in the 2023 picture The Great Escaper.
Caine, 93, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I keep saying I'm going to retire. Well I am now.
"I've figured, I've had a picture where I've played the lead and had incredible reviews... What am I going to do that will beat this?"
Ke Huy Quan
After finding fame as a child star with roles in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies, Quan left the acting industry for over two decades after struggling to land meaningful parts.
After a period in which he worked as a stunt choreographer and assistant director, the Vietnam-born actor made a remarkable return in the 2022 movie Everything Everywhere All at Once.
In one of Hollywood's greatest comeback stories, Quan ended up winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the picture.
