Not every film star makes acting their life-long ambition. There are several actors who quietly left the Hollywood scene far before retirement age. The most famous example of this is the beloved child star, Shirley Temple. Temple was Hollywood's number one box office draw until she withdrew from show-business altogether in her early twenties to pursue her interest in politics. She later found a career as a diplomat, serving as an ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.
When an actor chooses to exit Hollywood, it's typically due to declining health, a passion to work in a different industry, or they simply weren't hireable. From Grace Kelly to Cameron Diaz, here are 10 actors who quietly quit show-business.
10 Grace Kelly
The Rear Window star, Grace Kelly, was one of the most popular actresses in the 1950s. Her work in Dial M for Murder, To Catch a Thief, and The Country Girl made her a household name by 1955. Kelly was forced into an early retirement, however, when she met her soon-to-be husband, Prince Rainier III of Monaco. She lived the rest of her life as a royal princess in a gilded cage.
9 Greta Garbo
One of the biggest stars of the 1930s, Greta Garbo retired at the age of 36. She chose to leave Hollywood after wrapping up her last film in 1941, Two-Faced Woman. She moved to New York City and lived there until her passing in 1990. It’s speculated that Garbo possibly quit acting due to a sense of loneliness. Smithsonian Magazine published several letters that Garbo wrote to her friends, expressing those thoughts.
8 The Olsen Twins
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have been public figures for nearly their entire lives. They started working as child actors at only six-months-old, when they were cast in the beloved sitcom, Full House. After developing several movies, TV shows and practically building an Olsen empire, they stopped acting altogether in the 2010s. They now own their own fashion line, "The Row."
7 Mara Wilson
Another child star, Mara Wilson, acted in several '90s nostalgia pieces, such as Miracle on 34th Street, Matilda, and Mrs. Doubtfire. As she grew up, she left the industry entirely, only appearing in the public eye after publishing her book, “Where Am I Now?” In the book, she explains that as she entered adolescence, she realized her appearance didn’t fit a traditional Hollywood look.
6 Phoebe Cates
Phoebe Cates was a popular actress in the late 1980s and early 1990s, appearing in films such as Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Gremlin, and Drop Dead Fred. She mostly withdrew from acting after 1994, appearing in only one film since her retirement. Cates now owns a boutique in New York City called "Blue Tree."
5 Jack Gleeson
The infamous Game of Thrones character, Joffrey Baratheon, was portrayed by the talented Jack Gleeson. It’s widely speculated that Gleeson stopped acting due to his role on Game of Thrones. His performance as a villain was so convincing, he was generally hated by the show’s fans. However, he told Entertainment Weekly in 2014, “I just stopped enjoying it as much as I used to.”
4 Rick Moranis
The '80s movie star, Rick Moranis, retired after making the cult classic comedies Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, and Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. Sadly, Moranis’ wife died of cancer in 1991, and he made the personal choice to retire from Hollywood to raise his children. “I’m a single parent, and I just found that it was too difficult to manage raising my kids and doing the traveling involved in making movies,” he told USA Today in 2005.
3 Portia De Rossi
It’s long been rumored that Portia De Rossi quit her long-running acting career because of her wife, Ellen Degeneres. In reality, she felt as though it was her time to leave. On her wife’s talk show, she revealed, “I was approaching 45, and I just kind of … was wondering is there something that I could tackle now that I've never done before.”
2 Daniel Day Lewis
The multi-Academy Award-winning actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, is known for taking long hiatus’ throughout his career. As a method actor, Day-Lewis would spend months or even years preparing for a role, fully embodying his character until the project was finished. His last film was Phantom Thread, a romantic drama about the fashion industry in 1950s London. In an interview with W Magazine, he reveals that the making of Phantom Thread threw him into a depression, one that convinced him to stop acting.
1 Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz was the early 2000s it-girl, starring in popular films like Charlie’s Angels, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and There’s Something About Mary. After starring as Miss Hannigan in the Annie remake, Diaz quietly retired from acting. She revealed at the Good Wellness Summit in 2017 that her career as an actress wasn’t fulfilling. “I just went, ‘I can’t really say who I am to myself.’ Which is a hard thing to face up to,” she said. “I felt the need to make myself whole.”