Stars who walked away from Hollywood at their peak

The only actor to have won three Academy Awards for Best Actor, Daniel Day-Lewis is known as one of the greatest method actors in history. He had renowned roles in projects like My Left Foot (1989), There Will Be Blood (2007), and Lincoln (2012), and even received a knighthood in 2014. The notoriously private star shocked fans in 2017 when he announced he was quitting Hollywood, shortly after his critically-acclaimed turn in Phantom Thread (2017).

“Daniel Day-Lewis will no longer be working as an actor,” his spokesperson revealed to Variety, adding that he was “immensely grateful to all of his collaborators and audiences over the many years." The actor recently made a shocking return to the industry to star in Anemone (2025), which he co-wrote with his son Ronan Day-Lewis, the film’s director.

An it girl of the nineties and noughties, beloved for her roles in Charlie’s Angels (2000) and The Holiday (2006), Cameron Diaz’s exit from Hollywood was something no one saw coming. After the release of Annie (2014), the actress announced she was going on hiatus in 2015 (which later became retirement in 2018). She instead spent her time writing a book, investing in health startups, and launching her wine brand, Avaline. 

We have Jamie Foxx to thank in part for Cameron’s eventual return to Hollywood. He shared on The Graham Norton Show he "very humbly" asked if she would star in a Netflix comedy flick alongside him – aptly titled Back in Action – and "grace us with her incredible talent." The film was released in 2025, and since then, Cameron’s confirmed she’ll reprise her role as Princess Fiona in Shrek 5 (2027) and is also set to star in the upcoming Bad Day.

While she was a familiar face in blockbuster franchises like Ant-Man and The Hobbit, Evangeline Lilly announced on Instagram in 2024 that she was taking a step back from Hollywood after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to focus on her family.

“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 fulfilllment,” the star wrote, alongside video footage from 2006 in which she shared her vision to retire from the industry one day. “I might return to Hollywood one day, but, for now, this is where I belong."

With countless blockbuster hits in the ‘80s, including Ghostbusters (1984), Spaceballs (1987), and Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989), Rick Moranis became one of the biggest names of his generation. However, the actor made the decision to step away from the spotlight in the late ‘90s after his wife passed away, in order to dedicate his time to raising his two children.

After decades away from the industry, Rick shocked fans by confirming he’d appear in the long-awaited sequel Spaceballs 2 (2027), marking his first major film role in nearly 30 years. 

Born into acting royalty as Peter Fonda’s daughter and Jane Fonda’s niece, Bridget Fonda soon showed she’d inherited the family’s talent after starring in The Godfather Part III (1990), Single White Female (1992), and A Simple Plan (1998). After becoming engaged to composer Danny Elfman in 2003, Bridget made the choice to step back from acting to concentrate on family life.

Bridget is notoriously private, but she told the Daily Mail in 2023 that she didn’t think she’d ever return to acting, adding that “it’s too nice being a civilian."

Best known for starring as the titular character in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mia Wasikowska went on to captivate audiences in blockbusters like Jane Eyre (2011) and Crimson Peak (2015). While she hasn’t taken a definitive step back from acting, the star moved back to her native Sydney in the late 2010s in favor of a quieter life, lending her skills to more indie projects.

Mia told IndieWire in 2023 that she was “pretty content” with her new life, and that the Hollywood lifestyle ultimately “didn’t suit me as a person." She’s set to appear on screens again in the upcoming film adaptation of David Walliams’ Fing alongside Taika Waititi.

The Vampire Diaries might have made Ian Somerhalder a household name, but the TV star left acting behind in 2019 to focus on raising his family alongside his actress wife Nikki Reed, as well as work on his career behind the scenes.

The star now lives on a farm outside of Los Angeles, telling E! News, “I loved what I did for a really long time…I just did it for so long. We had an amazing run." A passionate environmentalist, Ian filmed footage and served as an executive producer on the documentary Kiss the Ground (2020) and its sequel Common Ground (2023) alongside his wife.

Once one of Hollywood’s biggest actors after George of the Jungle (1997) and his role as Rick O'Connell in The Mummy trilogy (1999–2008), Brendan Fraser’s step back from the industry in the 2000s was prompted by a series of personal difficulties, the actor explained at a later point in his career.

In a profile with GQ in 2018, Brendan not only revealed that years of stunt work had made it difficult for him to perform, but that he’d also experienced harassment by former HFPA president Philip Berk, which reportedly led to his subtle blacklisting.

The actor has since made a triumphant return to the industry with his Oscar-winning performance in The Whale (2022) and is set to reprise his role as Rick in the upcoming The Mummy sequel opposite Rachel Weisz.