After a remarkable career spanning almost 60 years, Michael Douglas recently stunned fans by announcing he is stepping away from acting. The 80-year-old shared at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival that he has purposely not worked since 2022 because he realized he needed to stop before it became too much. He doesn’t want to be one of those performers who “drops dead on set.”
Douglas first gained recognition as a producer with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in 1976 and went on to become famous for complex roles such as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street. His last major role was Dr. Hank Pym in Marvel’s Ant-Man series. Though he hasn’t officially retired, Douglas says he would only return if an exceptional project came his way.
He looks forward to spending more time with family, especially supporting his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones. Douglas also reflected on his battle with stage four cancer, where chemotherapy and radiation helped preserve his ability to speak—a vital part of his craft.
