12 Actors Who Quit Acting For Years -- And Then Returned


12 Actors Who Quit Acting For Years -- And Then Returned

2/2/2025 “If I let this go away, if I don’t engage again, and if I don’t give it a chance, I am a fool.” Sometimes, even the biggest stars need a break from the spotlight. While starring in films and attending A-list parties may seem like a dream to most people, the pressure of being famous can get overwhelming and their personal lives can suffer. That’s why some celebrities choose to take a step back from their careers to focus on what’s really important in their lives. These self-imposed breaks from Hollywood can last for years as these stars take care of their family, friends and mental health -- but they don’t always last forever. After some time away, these actors have all returned to the red carpet, recharged and ready for where their career takes them next. Find out why these stars stepped away from acting… Cameron Diaz Cameron Diaz stepped away from the spotlight for nearly a decade to focus on her family and her personal life. But in 2022, it was announced that she would be making a return to acting in Back In Action alongside her longtime friend Jamie Foxx. “I am back all thanks to Jamie. I had 10 years of not paying attention to anything. Not accepting any advances and then I got this script and thought that maybe it was time,” she said on The Graham Norton Show. “If I was going to leave my family for 10 hours a day, I wanted to do it with the most talented man in the entertainment business.” She continued, “I loved those 10 years for me and my family. But I thought, ‘If I let this go away, if I don’t engage again, and if I don’t give it a chance, I am a fool." Hilary Swank In 2014, Hilary Swank chose to give up acting to dedicate time to caring for her ill father. For three years, Hilary didn’t accept any projects and instead focused all of her efforts towards her father, who was recovering from a lung transplant. “I took three years off from my career. I know a lot of people were like, ‘Oh my gosh, how can you take that much time off of your career? Aren’t you worried about…’ I’m like, ‘Worried about what?’ I'm only worried about my dad’s health. To think that your career could go away or something was the least of my concerns. The absolute last thing,” Hilary shared on CBS Sunday Morning. “I would have only regretted not being there.”