Michael Douglas has 'no real intentions' of going back to acting
The 80-year old actor and producer was speaking during a press conference at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic for the 50th anniversary of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, which he co-produced.
Douglas most recently starred as Benjamin Franklin in the Apple TV+ series Franklin in 2022 and said that unless something "special" came along, it was time for him "to stop".
The actor, who is married to Welsh actress Catherine Zeta Jones, also spoke about how "lucky" he was to have made a recovery from stage four cancer after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment and avoiding surgery that would have impacted his speech and removed parts of his jaw.
He said: "I've had a very busy career. I have not worked since 2022, purposefully, because I realised I had to stop. 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'm very happy with taking the time off. 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, I'm quite happy. Just like to watch my wife work."
Douglas co-produced the film adaptation to Ken Kesey's novel, of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, which explores themes of power and resistance as a rebellious convict arrives at a psychiatric hospital in 1963 where he encourages his fellow patients to take control of their lives and defy the tyrannical head nurse.
Starring Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, the film was nominated for nine Oscars and took home five including the 1975 award for best picture.
When asked about the parallels between the film and current political environment in the US, Douglas said: "I think our president's name has been mentioned enough in the short time that he's been president.
"And I look at it generally as the fact of how precious, how precious democracy is, how vulnerable it is, and how it always has to be protected, and we have to be reminded.
"Right now, our country is flirting with autocracy as some other democracies in this world.
"Democracy is not to be taken for granted, and I think it reminds us that we all need to make our efforts. It's not the job of somebody else.
"And of course, the disappointing thing is, politics now seem to be for profit.
"I myself am worried, I'm nervous, and I just think it's all of our responsibilities, not for somebody else to look out for us, but for us to each look out for ourselves."
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