12 Actors Who Stop Performing For Years — And Then Returned

These self-imposed breaks from Hollywood can final for years as these stars deal with their household, pals and psychological well being — however they don’t at all times final eternally. After a while away, these actors have all returned to the purple carpet, recharged and prepared for the place their profession takes them subsequent.

Discover out why these stars stepped away from appearing…

Cameron Diaz stepped away from the highlight for practically a decade to deal with her household and her private life. However in 2022, it was introduced that she could be making a return to appearing in Again In Motion alongside her longtime pal Jamie Foxx.

“I’m again all because of Jamie. I had 10 years of not being attentive to something. Not accepting any advances after which I bought this script and thought that perhaps it was time,” she stated on The Graham Norton Present. “If I used to be going to go away my household for 10 hours a day, I needed to do it with probably the most gifted man within the leisure enterprise.”

She continued, “I liked these 10 years for me and my household. However I believed, ‘If I let this go away, if I don’t have interaction once more, and if I don’t give it an opportunity, I’m a idiot.”

In 2014, Hilary Swank selected to surrender appearing to dedicate time to caring for her ailing father. For 3 years, Hilary didn’t settle for any tasks and as a substitute centered all of her efforts in the direction of her father, who was recovering from a lung transplant.

“I took three years off from my profession. I do know lots of people have been like, ‘Oh my gosh, how will you take that a lot day without work of your profession? Aren’t you fearful about…’ I’m like, ‘Nervous about what?’ I am solely fearful about my dad’s well being. To suppose that your profession might go away or one thing was the least of my issues. Absolutely the final thing,” Hilary shared on CBS Sunday Morning. “I’d have solely regretted not being there.”

Again within the early 2000s, Clint Eastwood shared that he was formally retiring from appearing with a view to solely deal with work behind the digital camera. Whereas he didn’t act for a number of years, he finally made a return when he was approached about Million Greenback Child.

“Since this image [Changeling] was accomplished this yr I’ve carried out one other movie through which I’ve carried out, regardless that I stated I wasn’t going to do this anymore. I believe I began saying that again a couple of years in the past, I stated ‘I don’t suppose I’ll act anymore, I’ll keep behind the digital camera’ after which Million Greenback Child got here alongside and I favored that function. Now I’ve carried out Gran Torino,” Clint shared in 2008.

Daniel Day-Lewis could also be formally retired now however there have been factors in his profession when he beforehand stop appearing after which made a comeback. After dramatically quitting appearing in 1989 in the midst of a efficiency of Hamlet in London, he finally returned to the display screen as soon as once more. Then, after filming 1997’s The Boxer, Daniel went off the grid for 5 years, throughout which he hung out woodworking and shoemaking.

In 2002, he returned to the business for Gangs of New York and continued to behave for 15 extra years till his 2017 retirement. Whereas he alluded to this retirement being everlasting, it seems he could also be making a comeback as soon as once more after being noticed on the set of his son’s upcoming movie Anemone.

“As an actor you be taught, you be taught; you shoot and shoot for a very long time; and then you definately’re canine meat,” Daniel instructed The Irish Occasions in 2002 about his on-and-off profession. “And then you definately understand that you just realized nothing. And that’s a tough factor to stay with.”

Renée Zellweger took a break from appearing between 2010 and 2016, a time frame she says she used to get “wholesome.” She says she additionally bought the prospect to get pleasure from hobbies like writing music, finding out worldwide regulation, constructing a house and rescuing older canine.

“I wanted to. I used to be sick of the sound of my very own voice. Once I was working, I used to be like, ‘Oh, my gosh, take heed to you. Are you unhappy once more, Renée? Oh, is that this your mad voice?’ It was a regurgitation of the identical emotional experiences,” she instructed British Vogue.

After Meg Ryan wrapped filming on her 2015 film Ithaca, she determined to stop appearing for a bit. Throughout her time away from appearing, Meg says she centered on household and the opposite components of her “expertise as a human being [she] needed to develop.” Then, through the COVID lockdown, she had the thought for a brand new romantic comedy. In 2023, Meg made her huge return with the discharge of What Occurs Later, which she directed, co-wrote and starred in.

“Actually, the simplest half was appearing in it. I wish to direct once more simply so I can sit within the chair, as a result of I’m certain there’s plenty of issues I missed. I hadn’t carried out a task in a very very long time, however it was enjoyable with David [Duchovny],” Meg instructed Interview. “Quite a lot of it was carried out in two photographs. I’m pleased with that. I arrange all the pieces beforehand so that when we have been there, it was simply David and I making an attempt to inform the reality.”

When Eddie Murphy determined to take a break from appearing in 2010, he was at a low level. He had simply received the Razzie for worst actor of the last decade, which adopted a string of flicks that bombed on the field workplace. Eddie says he felt that he wanted to reassess issues. Though he solely meant for his break to final a yr, it ended up being quite a bit longer.

“I used to be making s—-y films. I used to be like, ‘This s–t ain’t enjoyable. They’re giving me Razzies… Motherf—er gave me the ‘worst actor ever’ Razzie. [So I thought], ‘Perhaps it is time to take a break.’ I used to be solely gonna take a break for a yr, then impulsively six years go by, and I’m sitting on the sofa and I might sit on the sofa and never get off it, however I don’t need the final bunch of s–t they see me do [to be] bulls–t,” Eddie stated on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast.

Within the early 2000s, Rachel McAdams was on high of the world with blockbuster films — however she determined to take a step again from all of it. She moved again dwelling to Canada and turned down function after function, together with components in The Satan Wears Prada, On line casino Royale, and Iron Man. She spent her time biking round Toronto, hanging together with her household, and recentering. Whereas she admits there are roles she needs she’d taken, she says she is aware of she made the correct selection.

“I felt responsible for not capitalizing on the chance that I used to be being given, as a result of I knew I used to be in such a fortunate spot. However I additionally knew it wasn’t fairly jiving with my character and what I wanted to remain sane,” she defined to Bustle. “There have been positively some anxious moments of questioning if I used to be simply throwing all of it away, and why was I doing that? It’s taken years to know what I intuitively was doing.”

Ke Huy Quan started his profession when he was only a youngster, touchdown roles in movies like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies. However whereas he had success as a toddler star, the years that adopted have been a battle. He couldn’t discover roles for Asian American actors and he finally determined to cease appearing and go to movie college. He labored behind the digital camera for many years however in his late 40s, he determined to present appearing one other strive. He was solid in All the pieces In every single place All at As soon as — which was life-changing for him.

“My journey began on a ship. I spent a yr in a refugee camp and in some way I ended up right here on Hollywood’s greatest stage,” he stated throughout his Oscars acceptance speech. “They are saying tales like this solely occur within the films. I can’t imagine that is taking place to me. That is the American dream.”

Joaquin Phoenix has stop appearing greater than as soon as throughout his profession — though one time was a joke. In 2010, he starred in Casey Affleck’s mockumentary I’m Nonetheless Right here through which he pretended to retire from appearing with a view to pursue a rap profession. Whereas followers finally came upon it was a joke, he did find yourself taking a step again from appearing as a result of he simply wasn’t .

“I didn’t work for some time as a result of there was nothing I used to be actually thinking about. After which there have been 4 tasks that I used to be thinking about. There wasn’t any grand design. It simply labored out that means,” he stated at a press convention.

Tyler James Williams bought his begin as a toddler actor, showing on exhibits like Sesame Avenue and  All people Hates Chris. However as a teen, he realized the transition into grownup roles could be powerful. One producer even instructed him that after All people Hates Chris he’d “by no means see [him] as anything and [he’ll] most likely by no means work once more.” Although it might have been a joke, Tyler says it modified his plans for the longer term.

“I noticed at 17 that I didn’t just like the street I used to be on,” he instructed GQ. “So I made a decision to cease and pivot. I bought with a very good appearing coach and I turned down each single factor I used to be supplied.”

When he felt prepared, he made his huge return and now stars on Abbott Elementary.

Matthew McConaughey stop appearing for an prolonged time frame whereas making an attempt to transition his profession. After years of starring in rom-coms, Matthew needed to be taken extra severely and be solid in additional intense roles. Whereas he wasn’t certain if Hollywood would take him again, he finally began touchdown the roles he needed.

“It was scary. I had lengthy talks with my spouse about needing to discover a new vocation. ‘I believe I’m going to show highschool lessons. I believe I’m going to review to be a conductor. I believe I’m going to go be a wildlife information.’ I actually thought, ‘I stepped out of Hollywood. I bought out of my lane.’ The lane Hollywood stated I ought to keep in, and Hollywood’s like, ‘Effectively, f–k you, dude. You must have stayed in your lane. Later,’” he instructed Interview Journal.