'I had to stop': Hollywood icon Michael Douglas says he has 'no real intentions' of acting again as he slams Trump-era politics
The 80-year-old two-time Oscar winner made the announcement at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, where he presented a newly restored print of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to mark the film's 50th anniversary.
Douglas co-produced the classic 1975 film, which went on to win five Academy Awards.
"I have not worked since 2022 purposefully because I realised I had to stop," the son of late Hollywood stars Kirk and Diana Douglas told the audience, as per Variety.
"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 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."
The actor and producer, who previously battled stage four throat cancer, was last seen on screen as Benjamin Franklin in the Apple TV+ limited series Franklin, which wrapped filming in 2022 and premiered in 2024.
He said he's now "very happy" to be spending downtime with his family, including his wife of 24 years, Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and their two children, Dylan, 24, and Carys, 22.
Douglas also shares eldest son Cameron, 46, with ex-wife Diandra Luker.
"In the spirit of maintaining a good marriage," he joked, "I'm happy to play the wife" to Zeta-Jones, 55.
Alongside his career update, Douglas issued a stark warning about the direction of American politics, particularly under the influence of Donald Trump.
"I look at it generally as the fact of how precious democracy is, of how vulnerable it is and how it always has to be protected," he said.
"I hope that what we're struggling with right now is a reminder of all the hard work the Czechs did in gaining their freedom and independence.
"Politics now seem to be for profit. Money has entered democracy as a profit centre. People are going into politics now to make money. We maintained an ideal, an idealism in the US, which does not exist now."
The Fatal Attraction star added that he would prefer "not to go into too much detail" as "the news speaks for itself".
"I myself am worried, I am nervous, and I think it's all of our responsibility to look out for ourselves," he said.
Douglas' political concerns echo those of his son, Dylan, who hosts the SiriusXM radio show 'Young American', which focuses on political issues and youth engagement.
At just 19, Dylan served as deputy campaign manager in a major congressional race and went on to co-found the progressive political action committee 'Make Room', aimed at supporting young and diverse candidates.
In October, the Brown University graduate reflected on his early passion for politics, recalling when his parents pulled him out of school to witness former President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration.
"Our generation is the most politically active, but the least civically involved," he told The Hill.
Despite his involvement, Dylan, a self-described "proud Democrat", has said he has no plans to run for office himself.
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'I had to stop': Hollywood icon Michael Douglas says he has 'no real intentions' of acting again as he slams Trump-era politics
Michael Douglas has declared he has "no intention" of returning to acting, as he speaks out about the state of democracy in the United States under former president Donald Trump. The 80-year-old two-time Oscar winner made the announcement at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, where he presented a newly restored print of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to mark the film's 50th anniversary. Douglas co-produced the classic 1975 film, which went on to win five Academy Awards. "I have not worked since 2022 purposefully because I realised I had to stop," the son of late Hollywood stars Kirk and Diana Douglas told the audience, as per Variety. "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 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." The actor and producer, who previously battled stage four throat cancer, was last seen on screen as Benjamin Franklin in the Apple TV+ limited series Franklin, which wrapped filming in 2022 and premiered in 2024. He said he's now "very happy" to be spending downtime with his family, including his wife of 24 years, Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and their two children, Dylan, 24, and Carys, 22. Douglas also shares eldest son Cameron, 46, with ex-wife Diandra Luker. "In the spirit of maintaining a good marriage," he joked, "I'm happy to play the wife" to Zeta-Jones, 55. Alongside his career update, Douglas issued a stark warning about the direction of American politics, particularly under the influence of Donald Trump. "I look at it generally as the fact of how precious democracy is, of how vulnerable it is and how it always has to be protected," he said. "I hope that what we're struggling with right now is a reminder of all the hard work the Czechs did in gaining their freedom and independence. "Politics now seem to be for profit. Money has entered democracy as a profit centre. People are going into politics now to make money. We maintained an ideal, an idealism in the US, which does not exist now." The Fatal Attraction star added that he would prefer "not to go into too much detail" as "the news speaks for itself". "I myself am worried, I am nervous, and I think it's all of our responsibility to look out for ourselves," he said. Douglas' political concerns echo those of his son, Dylan, who hosts the SiriusXM radio show 'Young American', which focuses on political issues and youth engagement. At just 19, Dylan served as deputy campaign manager in a major congressional race and went on to co-found the progressive political action committee 'Make Room', aimed at supporting young and diverse candidates. In October, the Brown University graduate reflected on his early passion for politics, recalling when his parents pulled him out of school to witness former President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration. "Our generation is the most politically active, but the least civically involved," he told The Hill. Despite his involvement, Dylan, a self-described "proud Democrat", has said he has no plans to run for office himself.
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