8 Celebs Who Decided to Retire Earlier Than We Expected

Becoming a Hollywood star is not easy, and for many people it might be a dream come true. But some actors and actresses who’ve already experienced those waters realized that fame is not all that matters in life but rather health, family, and peace of mind.

We at Bright Side were curious to find out why these 8 stars decided to put an end to their acting career and, we must say, they all had some good reasons.

1. Mara Wilson

The Matilda star retired from her acting career in the year 2000 when she was only 13 years old. After starring in a string of successful movies like Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street, and Matilda, Wilson decided that school would be her focus instead.

She came up with this decision when she realized that her looks don’t match the Hollywood criteria and it became hard for her to get any new roles. And when she was called for a role in a pilot to audition for the “fat girl” she decided to take upon a writing career. “I realized, I don’t fit their idea of what a Hollywood actress looks like, so there’s no room for me here.”

2. Angus T. Jones

Angus is known for his role as Jake in Two and a Half Men, making him the highest-paid child actor at one point. However, after nearly a decade on the show, Angus decided to put his acting career in the past and retired at age 23.

3. Frankie Muniz

Frankie, the popular child star from the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, started his acting career in 1997. At age 19, when the show ended, he decided to put an end to acting to become a full-time race car driver.

4. Cameron Diaz

When Cameron hit 40, she realized that there were many parts of her life that she wasn’t able to “touch” and manage her own life because of her busy career. She revealed that she also didn’t have time and space to make the right decisions about starting a family.

In 2013, Cameron was the highest-paid actress over the age of 40. And after filming the 2014 remake of the movie Annie, at age 42, Diaz gave up acting and became an entrepreneur. Several years into retirement, Cameron doesn’t regret her decision. “I feel whole. I met my husband, we started a family, all those things I didn’t have time for before.”

5. Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel put an end to his 4-decade acting career in 2017 after filming the movie Phantom Thread. He didn’t know the particular reason why he decided on such a bold move, but he believed it was something he had to do. “All my life, I’ve mouthed off about how I should stop acting, and I don’t know why it was different this time, but the impulse to quit took root in me.”

6. Macaulay Culkin

Wanting a normal life out of the public eye, Macaulay retired from acting at age 14 after filming Richie Rich. The Home Alone star is now a publisher and CEO of a pop culture podcast and website called Bunny Ears.

7. Freddie Prinze Jr.

The teenage heartthrob who many of us kept glued to the screen decided to retire at age 41 to be a full-time dad. “I wanted to be a stay-at-home dad. I wanted to cook breakfast and dinner for my kids every day,” he revealed.

8. Bruce Willis

Bruce was recently diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that impacted his cognitive abilities. And even though his career meant so much to him, he didn’t have a choice but to retire from acting permanently at age 67.

Do you think these stars made the right choice? Who would you like to see again on the big screens?