Michael Douglas reveals he has 'no real intentions' of acting again: 'I had to stop'
During a press conference at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the "Wall Street" actor, 80, explained why he has stepped back from acting without any current plans to return.
Douglas told reporters that he has "purposely" not worked in a few years because he "realized I had to stop," explaining, "I'd 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."
The actor added that he is "very happy with taking the time off" and has "no real intentions" of going back to acting at the moment.
"I'm not retired, because if something special came up, I'd go back," he clarified. "But otherwise, I'm quite happy. (I) just like to watch my wife work."
The comments were previously reported by Variety.
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Douglas, who has been married to Catherine Zeta-Jones since 2000, has not appeared in a movie since 2023's "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." He has played Hank Pym in the Marvel universe since 2015, but he was not listed as part of the cast of the upcoming "Avengers: Doomsday."
More recently, Douglas portrayed Benjamin Franklin in the Apple TV+ miniseries "Franklin." He is set to appear opposite his son, Cameron Douglas, in the movie "Looking Through Water," which doesn't have a release date set.
Douglas was surprised with a Karlovy Vary Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," which he produced, was screened in honor of its 50th anniversary.
Michael Douglas bets a benjamin on 'Franklin' TV series: How actor turned Founding Father
He discussed his hiatus from acting at the press conference after being asked about his perseverance in the face of health challenges, including a battle with tongue cancer. He quipped that "stage 4 cancer is not a holiday," but said he didn't have "many choices" other than to push through, adding that he was "lucky" that he was able to continue working.
Douglas' "Ant-Man" co-star Evangeline Lilly has similarly stepped away from acting since the release of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." The "Lost" actress shared in 2024 that while she "might return to Hollywood one day," for now, she is on an "indefinite hiatus."
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