9 Actors Who Quit Acting Forever

The demands of being an actor can sometimes be more than one wants to deal with, leading many great stars to simply walk away from the job.

It’s not necessarily the constant public scrutiny that drives an actor away — thought hat does seem to at least be a factor — as roles can often be mentally and emotionally taxing.

Sometimes the passion just seems to die and an actor realizes that they have other things they want to prioritize.

Below, we have curated a list of actors who decided to give up the A-list lifestyle and quit for good. Scroll down to read more!

Sean Connery

Starred in: The Rock, Highlander, and Entrapment

Without question, Sean Connery is an acting legend. He’s been in numerous classic films that are still revered today, and he is widely recognized as one of the greatest actors of all-time.

The mega-star grew tired of the limelight however, opting to step away from the Hollywood life after the 2003 movie, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Gene Hackman

Starred in: Bonnie & Clyde, The French Connection, Superman: The Movie, and Unforgiven

Much like Sean Connery, Gene Hackman is undeniable a Hollywood icon. He starred in many award-winning films throughout his acting career, even garnering several for himself.

In 2001, Hackman appeared in the dry-wit dramedy The Royal Tenenbaums — a film that has been included on numerous Greatest Films lists — before going on to appear in Runaway Jury and Welcome to Mooseport.

Shortly after the release of Welcome to Mooseport, Hackman gave an interview to Larry King, announcing that he had retired from acting.

He has since gone on to begin a new career as a novelist.

Rick Moranis

Starred in: Strange Brew, Ghostbusters, Spaceballs, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and Little Giants

The film career of Rick Moranis is quite fascinating, as he starred in a number of films that went on to become well-beloved comedy classics, but he rarely gets credit for his roles in them.

In the late ’90s, Moranis gave an interview where he explained that he had taken an acting hiatus.

“I’m a single parent and I just found that it was too difficult to manage to raise my kids and to do the traveling involved in making movies. So I took a little bit of a break,” he said to USA Today at the time. “And the little bit of a break turned into a longer break, and then I found that I really didn’t miss it.”

The actor would go on to do some minor voice roles but has not appeared in a live-action acting role since 1997.

Bridgette Wilson

Starred in: Last Action Hero, Mortal Kombat, Billy Madison, and House on Haunted Hill

Bridgette Wilson got her acting start by starring in shows like Santa Barbara, Murder, She Wrote, and Saved by the Bell.

She would later go on to star in major motion pictures, such as The Wedding Planner and Shopgirl, but opted to step away from acting after the 2008 film Phantom Punch.

Wilson has been married to tennis superstar Pete Sampras since 2000, and the couple have two children.

Bridget Fonda

Stared in: The Godfather Part III, Single White Female, Point of No Return, and Jackie Brown

The daughter of legendary actor Peter Fonda (above middle), Bridget Fonda (above left) was already Hollywood royalty from birth.

Her grandfather was Academy Award-winner Henry Fonda, and her aunt is Grace and Frankie star Jane Fonda (above right).

She earned her way into the spotlight and starred in many big box office hits during the ’90s, but walked away from acting after the 2002 made-for-TV movie Snow Queen.

Michael Schoeffling

Starred in: Sixteen Candles, Vision Quest, Mermaids, and Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken

Michael Schoeffling did not spend long in the Hollywood life, but he did star in a handful of films that are still beloved today, such as the aforementioned Sixteen Candles and Mermaids.

In 1991, Schoeffling announced his retirement from acting, moving on to begin a career in woodworking.

Jack Nicholson

Stared in: Easy Rider, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Shining, Batman, A Few Good Men, As Good as It Gets, and The Departed

Jack Nicholson is undeniably a household name, a status he has more than earned with his many award-winning roles.

The acting legend has been mostly inactive lately, having only starring in a total of seven films during the first decade of the 2000s, and not having appeared anything since the 2010 romantic-comedy How Do You Know.

Jack Gleeson

Stared in: Reign of Fire, Batman Begins, and Game of Thrones

Joffrey Baratheon will very likely go down in history as one of the most despicable and despised characters in all of pop-culture, due in part to the brilliant performance of Jack Gleeson on the HBO series.

In 2012, Gleeson revealed that he would be leaving acting in order to pursue other career options.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Stared in: My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, Gangs of New York, and There Will Be Blood

Even though he only starred in a little over 20 major films during his career, Daniel Day-Lewis is generally regarded as one of the greatest living actors.

Following the filming of 2017’s Phantom Thread, the three-time Oscar-winner announced that he was retiring from acting for good with no plans to return.