Hollywood icon Michael Douglas is officially stepping away from acting. The 80-year-old Fatal Attraction star reveals he has many personal reasons behind his decision. However, the biggest one is fear.
Michael Douglas recently opened up about his decision to step away from the Hollywood hustle and bustle of acting. He reveals his reasons are not due to illness, scandal, or lack of offers. He admits it is basically because he is afraid of dying on set.
Douglas made his heartfelt announcement during a press conference at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, revealing that he hasn’t worked since 20, and he’s perfectly okay with that.
The film legend claims he wants to focus on the things that he feels are most important to him at this stage in life. Namely, his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and his family. He is well aware that at 80, time is becoming a very precious gift, and he wants to ensure he makes the most of what time he has left.
Michael Douglas Content With His Life
Michael Douglas is closing in on nearly 60 years in the entertainment industry. While he no longer has a desire to act, he doesn’t plan to bail on the family business entirely. He explained that the pace of work had taken its toll and that after so many years of juggling roles, scripts, and the grind of set life, he simply needed to stop.
“I have no real intentions of going back. I say I’m not retired because if something special came up, I’d go back, but otherwise, no,” adding, jokingly, the only role he is “happy” to play nowadays, according to Radar Online.
He added he is “happy to play the wife” to his wife of nearly 25 years, in the spirit of maintaining a good marriage.”I had been working pretty hard for almost 60 years, and I did not want to be one of those people who dropped dead on the set. I have not worked since 2022 purposefully because I realized I had to stop.”
The film icon began his career as Douglas’s assistant director on some of his father’s 1960s films. After roles in several television dramas, he gained notoriety by co-starring with Karl Malden in the 1970s TV series The Streets of San Francisco (1972-1977). He also directed two episodes of the show.
Despite many brief appearances on TV and film, it wasn’t until 1984 that Michael Douglas landed a leading man role in Romancing the Stone. He went on to star in nearly 50 films, garnering him a long, successful, and lucrative career.
Michael Douglas isn’t completely disappearing from the public eye. Instead, he’s gracefully stepping back. Whether this is a final curtain call or just a long intermission remains to be seen. But for now, he seems at peace. And if we never see him on screen again, you can bet that’s exactly how he planned it.
