Walking away from the glitz and glamour that comes with being a movie star in Hollywood is no easy decision, and sometimes fans of popular actors are left stunned when their favorite performers turn their backs on the industry. From silver screen legends like Grace Kelly and Cary Grant to ’90s child actor sensations like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and Macaulay Culkin, Tinseltown has seen its fair share of celebrities come and go just as their star power was at its brightest.
Beloved comedian and funny man Rick Moranis made headlines in the late ’90s when he retired from acting in order to take care of his young children after the tragic passing of his wife, and blonde bombshell Brigitte Bardot traded film work for animal activism after dominating the cinema during the ’50s and ’60s.
Regardless of what their personal reasons may be, having a beloved actor no longer make films and television shows can often be a major blow to audiences. Let’s take a look at actors who left Hollywood at the height of their fame.
15 Rick Moranis
Endearing actor and comedian extraordinaire Rick Moranis was a constant presence on screens all across the world during the ’80s and the ’90s, delivering delightfully zany performances in unforgettable flicks like Ghostbusters and its sequel, Spaceballs, Little Shop of Horrors, and Parenthood.
His role as the nerdy accountant Louis Tully in Ghostbusters and inventor Wayne Szalinski in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids are arguably two of his most memorable cinematic contributions, and he didn’t lose any steam throughout the 1990s, starring as Barney Rubble in The Flintstones and in Little Giant and Big Bully.
Moranis’ Devastating Personal Loss
Despite serving up side-splitting portrayals and becoming a staple in the comedy genre, Moranis walked away from stardom for arguably the most admirable reason in 1997: he wanted to be their for his children. After the death of his wife Ann Belsky in 1991 from cancer, Moranis began to slowly step back from public life and officially went on an acting hiatus to devote himself as a full-time father.
Though he would lend his voice to the animated film Brother Bear in 2003 and its sequel, Moranis has not appeared in a live-action role in 25 years; this may change if and when production begins on Shrunk, a legacy sequel to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. In a 2005 interview with USA Today, Moranis reflected on his break:
“I’m a single parent and I just found that it was too difficult to manage to raise my kids and to do the traveling involved in making movies. So I took a little bit of a break. And the little bit of a break turned into a longer break, and then I found that I really didn’t miss it.”
14 Evangeline Lilly
Hot off the heels of her impressive performance as Hope Van Dyne A.K.A. Wasp in the MCU’s Ant-Man film series, Evangeline Lilly made the announcement in June 2024 that she was stepping away from acting, with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania serving as her final screen role (at least for now).
Lilly first burst onto the scene when she starred as the tough and resilient Kate Austen in the sci-fi series Lost, and followed up that career-defining performance as Tauriel in The Hobbit trilogy as well as in movies including Real Steel, Little Evil, and South of Heaven.
Lilly Says Goodbye to the Profitable MCU
Lilly reached audiences all across the world when she portrayed the fearless Hope alongside Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas in the Ant-Man franchise, and though she has expressed an interest in the past to live outside of the limelight, it seems as though the actress means business this time.
The often polarizing public figure took to Instagram to announce to her fans that she was “stepping away” from acting for the foreseeable future, wanting to instead devote her energy to humanitarian work and enjoy more time with her family. Lilly posted a heartfelt message to the social media platform, writing:
“I am so filled with joy and contentment today as I live out my vision. Praise God, I feel so grateful for my blessings. Stepping away from what seems like the obvious choice (wealth and fame) can feel scary at times, but stepping into your dharma replaces the fear with fulfillment. I might return to Hollywood one day, but, for now, this is where I belong.”
13 Grace Kelly
Widely regarded as one of the finest actresses of the twentieth century, screen legend Grace Kelly managed to leave an everlasting mark on Hollywood despite only appearing on-screen for seven years. Kelly made her official film debut in 1951’s Fourteen Hours, and swiftly became one of Tinseltown’s most sought-after performers, appearing alongside some of the industry’s most prominent leading men including Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, James Stewart, and Cary Grant.
The blonde beauty starred in three of Alfred Hitchcock’s critically acclaimed thrillers: Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, and To Catch a Thief, further cementing her status as one of cinema’s most dazzling actresses.
Giving Up Her Craft For Love
In 1956, after winning an Academy Award for Best Actress (The Country Girl), four Golden Globes, and having established herself as a fashion icon, Kelly shocked the world when she announced her retirement from film at just 26 years old. Kelly bid farewell to Hollywood when she married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, walking away from the craft in order to fulfill her duties as Princess of Monaco and devote herself to charity work and starting a family.
Her last leading role was opposite Sinatra and Bing Crosby in the romantic comedy musical High Society that same year, a box office knockout in which Kelly’s role was described by Variety as “perhaps her most relaxed performance.”
12 Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen
Few child actors skyrocketed to worldwide superstardom quite like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who became household names when they shared the role of Michelle Tanner in the wholesome ABC sitcom Full House. The twins were just six-months-old when they were cast as the precocious character, with the fan favorite series airing from 1987 to 1995 and paving the way for the girls’ spectacular Hollywood takeover.
During the ’90s, the Olsens starred in a slew of TV movies and direct-to-video releases such as Double, Double, Toil and Trouble, It Takes Two, and Billboard Dad.
The Twins Choose Fashion Over Acting
Mary-Kate and Ashley also appeared in countless musical mystery videos that captivated young fans everywhere, and in 1998 they returned to the sitcom world to star in the short-lived series Two of a Kind.
By the time the 2000s rolled around, the twins hadn’t slowed down a bit and headlined Winning London, Holiday in the Sun, Getting There, and When in Rome, and their last joint big screen collaboration was in the 2004 teen comedy New York Minute. After quite literally working their entire lives, the sisters largely retired from acting in order to fully focus on their blossoming fashion careers, with the duo launching their successful luxury fashion labels The Row in 2006 and Elizabeth & James in 2007.
11 Ian Somerhalder
Everyone’s favorite vampire Ian Somerhalder first rose to prominence when he appeared as plane crash survivor Boone Carlyle in the groundbreaking sci-fi extravaganza Lost in 2004, portraying the fan-favorite character throughout the drama’s first three seasons.
The spellbinding star would nab his most beloved and popular role of his career when he joined the supernatural teen drama series The Vampire Diaries in 2009, sharing the screen with Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley and stealing hearts as Mystic Falls’s resident bad boy and troublemaker Damon Salvatore, a centuries-old vampire with an attitude problem.
Somerhalder Shifts His Focus
The Vampire Diaries was a massive hit for the network and capitalized on the vampire craze that was taking over both TV and film at the time, with the series becoming the most-watched program on The CW and making its dynamic ensemble cast major stars.
Somerhalder became the engrossing drama’s breakout performer, winning multiple Teen Choice Awards and People’s Choice Awards for his delightfully devilish portrayal of the eldest Salvatore brother. Upon the show’s conclusion in 2017, Somerhalder starred in the Netflix sci-fi horror series V Wars in 2019, which ran for one season.
In January 2024, the talented leading man revealed that he had officially retired from acting in favor of the farm life, wanting to instead spend time with his family and put his energy into his foundations and charity work. In 2020, Somehalder launched a straight bourbon whiskey brand with former co-star Wesley called Brother’s Bond Bourbon, and it seems as though the actor doesn’t regret leaving Hollywood behind. He revealed in an interview earlier this year:
“I love what I did for a really long time. I love making films, I just did it for so long. We had an amazing run.”
10 Bridget Fonda
The daughter of acclaimed actor Peter Fonda and niece of film icon Jane Fonda, Bridget Fonda decided to follow in her famous family’s footsteps and pursue a career on screen, having made her cinema debut alongside her father in the ’60s cult classic Easy Rider. Her first substantial role as an actress came in 1988 when she appeared in the British historical drama Scandal, and subsequently starred in films like You Can’t Hurry Love and Shag.
Her breakthrough performance as journalist Grace Hamilton in The Godfather Part III garnered widespread praise, and she continued dominating the entertainment industry in the ’90s in Singles, Single White Female, and Point of No Return.
A Family Life Away from the Limelight
The actress showed that she was far more than just her family’s name when she worked alongside Quentin Tarantino in his crime drama Jackie Brown, as well as in Lake Placid with Bill Pullman and Kiss of the Dragon opposite Jet Li. Fonda seemed to be steadily taking over the industry by the new millennium, having earned two Golden Globe nods for her impressive film work in addition to a Primetime Emmy nomination for her role in the television movie In the Gloaming.
Fonda’s last acting credit was in the 2002 made-for-TV-film Snow Queen, and that same year she announced her retirement from the industry.
Fonda withdrew from the acting world after becoming engaged to composer and singer Danny Elfman, with the actress wanting to focus on starting a family away from the limelight despite starring in many critically lauded hits. In April 2023, when asked by a photographer if she would ever return to the entertainment industry and move back to Hollywood, Fonda was quick to dismiss the idea and frankly stated: “No. I don’t think so. It’s too nice being a civilian.”
9 Cameron Diaz
After making her spectacular film debut at just 21-years-old in the smash hit comedy The Mask, Cameron Diaz became one of the industry’s most bankable stars and a certified sex symbol in the ’90s, starring in an assortment of lively movies including My Best Friend’s Wedding, There’s Something About Mary, and Being John Malkovich.
Adored for her fearless approach to comedy and her bubbly personality, Diaz dominated Hollywood and tackled roles of every shape and size, working with Martin Scorsese in Gangs of New York, in the action comedy Charlie’s Angels, and voicing Princess Fiona in the blockbuster Shrek franchise.
Diaz Grows Tired of the Hustle and Bustle
In the 2010s, Diaz continued taking on comedic roles and shined in flicks like What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Knight and Day, and The Other Woman, with her last screen credit being Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie in 2014. That same year, she decided to take a break from acting and seemingly retired, having grown tired of the constant traveling that came with the job and opting to be more present at home with her family.
While many of her fans believed that was it for the charming actress when it came to Hollywood and starring in movies, Diaz made headlines and caused excitement within fans when it was announced that she would return to the screen alongside Jamie Foxx in the upcoming Netflix comedy Back in Action after nearly a ten-year absence. In March 2024, news hit that Diaz would also be filming the Apple Original Film Outcome, working opposite Keanu Reeves.
8 Cary Grant
Touted as one of the Golden Age of Hollywood’s most charismatic leading men, the brilliant Cary Grant was beloved for his debonair style and demeanor, laid-back atittude, and signature Mid-Atlantic accent, and for over four decades he was one of the industry’s most profitable performers.
From crime dramas like Blonde Venus to trailblazing screwball comedies such as The Awful Truth, His Girl Friday, and The Philadelphia Story, and romantic pictures including Indiscreet and Charade, Grant was one of the studio’s most dependable and profitable actors who could handle any genre and character given to him.
Hollywood Begins to Lose Its Luster
Grant developed a close working relationship with Alfred Hitchcock in the ’40s and ’50s, collaborating with the legendary director in four of his most sensational films: Suspicion, Notorious, To Catch a Thief, and North by Northwest.
The suave movie star romanced some of Tinseltown’s most beguiling starlets on-screen during his unparalleled cinema reign, working alongside phenomenal actresses like Katharine Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, and Ingrid Bergman. Grant began to grow concerned over appearing too old for his leading ladies, feeling insecure when he starred opposite Audrey Hepburn in 1963’s Charade and fretting that he would be seen as a “cradle snatcher” in the role; regardless of his hesitations, the romance mystery was a critical and commercial triumph.
He starred in just two more films after Charade, Father Goose and Walk, Don’t Run, and in 1966 after the birth of his daughter Jennifer, Grant decided to retire from Hollywood at 62 to provide his child with stability and be there for her as she grew up.
Grant became disenchanted with moviemaking in the ’60s and felt it was his time to walk away, retrospectively remaking about his decision: “I could have gone on acting and playing a grandfather or a bum, but I discovered more important things in life”.
7 Phoebe Cates
Phoebe Cates became a certified teen heartthrob when she famously appeared in the 1982 coming-of-age comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High, notably portraying bombshell Linda Barrett in the undisputed classic.
The fun and raunchy flick helped launch the career of Cates as well as Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Judge Reinhold, and is regarded as one of the greatest high school movies of all time. In the film, Cates was the focus of what Rolling Stone called “the most memorable bikini-drop in cinema history” and the widespread exposure helped the budding actress nab roles in a slew of popular films.
Cates Settles Down with Kevin Kline
Cates followed up her work in Fast Times with the teen sex comedy Private School and TV miniseries Lace, before starring in the most profitable film of her career: the summer blockbuster Gremlins. In the iconic horror comedy, the actress appeared as Kate Beringer alongside then-unknown Zach Galligan, with the pair’s palpable chemistry during their screen test helping them land the lead roles.
Cates would continue to find success in Hollywood in the films Bright Lights, Big City, Heart of Dixie, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, and Drop Dead Fred, with her last screen credit being as the titular character in 1994’s Princess Caraboo.
In 1994, Cates stepped away from acting in order to raise her two young children whom she shares with fellow actor and husband Kevin Kline, only briefly returning to the cinema in 2001 as a favor to close friend and former cast mate Jennifer Jason Leigh. Cates appeared in Leigh’s dramedy The Anniversary Party and has not acted since, instead opening and running her upscale New York City boutique, Blue Treet, in 2005.
6 Meghan Markle
Before she was known all across the world as the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle was an ambitious actress trying to make her way in Hollywood just like everyone else, having made appearances on shows like Deal or No Deal, 90210, and Fringe before landing her big break.
In 2011, Markle was cast as paralegal Rachel Zane in the fan-favorite legal drama Suits, portraying the headstrong character for the hit show’s first seven seasons and making a name for herself in the industry. The compelling actress also starred in Hallmark original films like When Sparks Fly and Dater’s Handbook before making the choice to leave the entertainment industry upon the conclusion of her tenure on Suits.
Markle’s Famous Royal Union
Similarly to Grace Kelly, Markle retired from acting in 2018 after marrying Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and together the couple had two children together. Meghan and Harry caused quite a stir when they stepped down as working royals in 2020 in favor of living in the actress’ native Southern California, where they established the Archewell Inc., a charitable business organization.
While no one knows whether or not Markle will wade back into the acting waters anytime soon, she and her husband did appear in the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan and in April 2023, she signed with the talent agency WME; only time will tell what career path Markle pursues and if she will find her way back to Hollywood.
5 Jack Gleeson
Portraying one of the most detested characters on television is no easy task for even a seasoned actor, and doing so at just 19 years old is even more of a daunting task, yet Jack Gleeson completely nailed it when he starred as the vile Joffrey Baratheon in the HBO juggernaut Game of Thrones.
Gleeson received international recognition and appreciation when he took on the role as the sadistic Joffrey, attracting rage and frustrations from fans due to his extremely believable and delightfully devilish portrayal, a role he masterfully performed from 2011 to 2014.
Intense Fans Outrage A Lot to Handle
When his time as the small screen’s public enemy number one came to a violent end during the groundbreaking show’s fourth season, Gleeson had been subjected to some major fan backlash and hate as a result of his stellar performance. The gifted star decided to retire from acting in 2014 to pursue academia, expressing to Entertainment Weekly shortly after the shocking (and fitting) fate of his character Joffrey was revealed for devoted viewers:
“I’ve been acting since age 8. I just stopped enjoying it as much as I used to. And now there’s the prospect of doing it for a living, whereas up until now it was always something I did for recreation with my friends, or in the summer for some fun. I enjoyed it. When you make a living from something, it changes your relationship with it. It’s not like I hate it, it’s just not what I want to do.”
While Gleeson did in fact take a major step back from Hollywood upon the conclusion of Game of Thrones, he began to venture back into the entertainment world six years later in 2020 when he appeared in the BBC sitcom Out of Her Mind as well as in Sex Education and The Famous Five.
Most recently, the gifted actor worked with Liam Neeson in the 2023 action thriller In the Land of Saints and Sinners, and Gleeson is also slated to headline the upcoming crime drama series Safe Harbor and as Puck in the second season of the Netflix fantasy The Sandman.
4 Brigitte Bardot
French actress and culture icon Brigitte Bardot was celebrated for portraying sexually liberated characters throughout her illustrious cinema career, and she became one of the most well-known activists during the sexual revolution of the ’60s and ’70s.
Bardot attracted international recognition when she starred in the 1956 French romantic comedy And God Created Woman, and dazzled moviegoers with performances in The Truth, Le Mépris, Viva Maria!, and Les Femmes; Bardot was given her signature nickname “sex kitten” by French intellectuals and became adored for her distinct style and confidence.
Celebrity Becomes Too Much to Handle
In 1973, after starring in the erotic drama Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman and the comedy The Edifying and Joyous Story of Colinot, Bardot left the glamorous world of acting behind at just 40 to completely devote herself as an animal rights activist and to create the Brigitte Bardot Foundation; the silver screen legend wanted to retire from filmmaking as “a way to get out elegantly.”
In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Bardot cited fellow actresses like Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe (whom she said both died alone), as reasons for leaving the industry and that she wanted to get out while she could:
“I know what it feels like to be hunted. The majority of great actresses met tragic ends. When I said goodbye to this job, to this life of opulence and glitter, images and adoration, the quest to be desired, I was saving my life. This worship of celebrity … suffocated me.”
3 Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Anytime a Hollywood actor can be referred to simply by their initials and be instantly recognized, is a pretty good indicator of their overwhelming star power. When Jonathan Taylor Thomas began portraying mischievous middle child Randy Taylor in the spectacular sitcom Home Improvement in 1991, young fans quickly became infatuated with Thomas and he swiftly emerged as a teenage TV heartthrob.
He starred as the smart and sarcastic Randy from 1991 to 1998, and during that period Thomas also famously voiced a young Simba in Disney’s 1994 masterpiece The Lion King, further elevating his status in the industry.
Thomas Becomes a Bona Fide Teen Idol
While Home Improvement and The Lion King were Thomas’ most notable projects, he also dubbed the English version of the Studio Ghibli film Pom Poko and appeared in Man of the House, Tom and Huck, and I’ll Be Home For Christmas. Thomas crafted a brilliant resume in a short amount of time and the teen idol was everywhere during the decade, yet shockingly left Home Improvement and Hollywood in 1998 to focus on his academics.
Thomas studied at both Harvard and Columbia University, where he graduated in 2010, and though he has had a few TV roles in the early 2000s in 8 Simple Rules, Veronica Mars, and recently Last Man Standing, he has largely left acting behind. Thomas told People in 2013:
“I’d been going nonstop since I was 8 years old. I wanted to go to school, to travel and have a bit of a break … I never took the fame too seriously. It was a great period in my life, but it doesn’t define me. When I think back on the time, I look at it with a wink. I focus on the good moments I had, not that I was on a lot of magazine covers.”
2 Greta Garbo
Heavily regarded as one of the greatest film stars of classic Hollywood cinema, Swedish-American actress Greta Garbo was revered for portraying tragic and somber characters, launching her fantastic career in 1924 in the Swedish romantic drama The Saga of Gösta Berling.
Garbo relocated to the United States and Tinseltown the following year, becoming an international star with exceptional roles in Flesh and the Devil, A Woman of Affairs, The Kiss, and Anna Christie. The illustrious actress masterfully transitioned from silent films to talkies, continuing her stellar cinema run with Mata Hari, Anna Karenina, and Camille.
Garbo Yearns for a Reclusive Life
After being deemed “box office poison” like many of her fellow stars in 1938, Garbo overcame the negative publicity and bounced back with the 1939 comedy Ninotchka, for which she received her third Academy Award nomination.
After acting in 28 films, Garbo retired from movie-making in 1941 at 35 years old and largely retreated from the public eye and instead began collecting artwork. Garbo was offered numerous projects in the 1940s but turned them all down, and she notoriously refused to explain her specific reasons for retiring to her friends and family. Four years before her death in 1990 at 84, the reclusive actress told Swedish biographer Sven Broman:
“I was tired of Hollywood. I did not like my work. There were many days when I had to force myself to go to the studio … I really wanted to live another life.”
1 Macaulay Culkin
Hands down one of the most prolific and buzzed-about child actors of the 1990s, Macaulay Culkin starred in the fan-favorite Christmas classic Home Alone and its equally enjoyable sequel, winningly portraying the devious and savvy Kevin McCallister in the blockbuster flicks.
Culkin had previously appeared alongside John Candy in Uncle Buck and in the romantic comedy See You in the Morning opposite Jeff Bridges and Drew Barrymore before striking fear in the hearts of burglars everywhere with his career-defining performance in the holiday staple.
Culkin Becomes Disenchanted with Acting
Culkin earned a Golden Globe nomination and won an American Comedy Award for his performance as Kevin McCallister, and went on to star in the coming-of-age dramedy My Girl and thriller The Good Son, as well as the comedy Richie Rich.
Culkin effectively retired from acting in 1995 despite being one of Hollywood’s most sought-after young performers, doing so because he had grown tired of the profession and his tumultuous relationship with his father as a result. The actor allegedly told his parents upon announcing his retirement: “I’m done, guys—hope you all made your money because there is no more coming from me.”
He would go on to attend a private school in Manhattan in hopes of having a more normal life, and spent nearly a decade away from the entertainment industry in favor of pursuing academics and music. Culkin returned to the big screen in 2003’s Party Monster and subsequently appeared in Saved!, Sex and Breakfast, and Changeland, and in 2021 starred as Mickey in American Horror Story: Double Feature, which garnered widespread praise from fans and critics alike.
