According to a research conducted a few years ago, the average person will see roughly 5,000 movies throughout their lifetime. It implies we spend over a year on average viewing movies, and that doesn’t include the time we spend watching TV shows. It’s comprehensible that we care about our favorite celebrities and look forward to their upcoming films. However, some of them have opted to stop performing for good and devote their time to other pursuits.
We have compiled a list of 12 performers who have chosen to retire from performing in order to pursue other interests.
1. Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz made her breakthrough step in the comedy picture The Mask, starring alongside Jim Carrey, when she was just 21 years old. She continued to participate in a variety of films, varying from romantic comedies to dramas, until her most recent role in the 2014 film Annie.
Cameron decided to stop acting forever shortly after that because she wanted to focus on other things. The former actress has lately established herself as an entrepreneur and a self-help author, having released two books on the subject
2. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
The twin actresses got their start in television with a shared role in Full House. The most recent time Mary-Kate and Ashley shared the screen together was in the 2004 film New York Minute, in which they played teenage Long Island twins.
Mary-Kate Olsen later went on performing without her sister for a few years until retiring from the business permanently in 2011. The twins have been running a very successful fashion firm that they launched in 2006 since they stopped acting.
3. Amanda Bynes
Source: © Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection/East News, © Easy A/Screen Gems and co-producers
Amanda Bynes’ first appearance in the movie industry was in the comedy Big Fat Liar in 2002, and she acted in her last film, Easy A, only eight years later. She quit acting when she was only 24 years old, tweeting that she didn’t ‘enjoy it anymore’. Amanda opted to go to fashion school a few years later.
4. Mara Wilson
Source: © Matilda/TriStar Pictures and co-producers, © LCLA /Broadimage/Broad Image/East News
Mara Wilson is well recognized for her portrayal as the titular character in Matilda when she was only nine years old. She last starred in a film in 2000 and then took a decade off before returning to star in a few web series. Mara presently works as a writer and hosts her own podcast.
5. Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow had her screen debut in High, a TV drama directed by her father, although critics say her first major performance was in Se7en, a thriller starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman.
She most recently appeared in the film Avengers: Infinity War as Pepper Potts. Paltrow shared in an interview that she had just lost interest in acting and that she had no desire to return to the screen in the future. At the moment, she’s more concentrated on her lifestyle business named Goop.
6. Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman portrayed a cop in his debut movie Mad Dog Call, and his most recent appearance was in the 2004 film Welcome to Mooseport, in which he played the major character. He stopped acting permanently at 74 due to health issues. Gene has since established himself as a prominent novelist, having released five books in all.
7. Danny Lloyd
Source: © The Shining/Warner Bros. and co-producers, © Doctor Sleep/Warner Bros. and co-producers
Danny Lloyd rose to fame as Danny Torrence in The Shining, but at the age of 14, he opted to abandon his career as a child actor. Later in life, he selected a career that was far removed from the spotlight, becoming a biology professor at a community college. He did make a cameo in the sequel to The Shining Doctor Sleep, but this time he wasn’t cast in the starring character.
8. Meghan Markle
Source: © General Hospital/ABC and co-producers, © Suits/Hypnotic and co-producers
Meghan’s first appearance was as a nurse on General Hospital for two episodes, and she departed the show Suits after seven seasons in 2018. Shortly after Prince Harry‘s engagement to Meghan Markle was revealed, the former actress declared her retirement from acting to focus on royal engagements.
9. Freddie Prinze Jr.
I Know What You Did Last Summer was Freddie’s breakout role and one of his most well-known appearances. He continued to appear in additional films such as She’s All That and Scooby-Doo.
After performing in Jack and Jill vs. the World as his last movie, he decided to retire from acting. Freddie said in 2017 that he would not desire to continue acting, though he did take voice-over work. Instead, he’s been focusing on his passion, cooking.
10. Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar first appeared in the film called An Invasion of Privacy when she was just four years old. Her last major film part was in Possession in 2009, though she has continued to accept voice-over work and modest roles in sitcoms in recent years. Sarah, on the other hand, has been concentrating on other endeavors, such as philanthropic work and running a startup.
11. Taylor Momsen
When Taylor Momsen played Cindy Lou Who in the family film How the Grinch Stole Christmas, she became a well-known name. She was later cast in Gossip Girl, but after the program finished, she decided to leave acting behind and concentrate on her music career. Since its inception in 2009, Taylor has been the lead singer of the rock band Pretty Reckless.
12. Bruce Willis
Source: © Moonlighting/ABC Circle Films and co-producers, © lev radin/Shutterstock.com
Bruce Willis announced his retirement from acting in 2022 due to health concerns. He began his acting career in the 1980s with little roles, eventually rising to the top after landing the lead role in the TV sitcom Moonlighting. John McClane in the Die Hard franchise and Butch Coolidge in Pulp Fiction are two of his most well-known roles.
