After nearly six decades in entertainment, Michael Douglas has revealed he is stepping back from acting. The 80-year-old actor said he made a deliberate decision to slow down, explaining that he no longer wants to work nonstop at this stage of his life. Instead, he is enjoying a well-earned break and focusing more on personal time than film sets.
Douglas first earned major acclaim in 1976 when he won an Academy Award as a producer for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a project whose rights were passed to him by his father, Kirk Douglas. He later built a celebrated acting career, winning an Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street. He went on to star in hits such as Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct. More recently, he reached new audiences as Dr. Hank Pym in Marvel’s Ant-Man films, including Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Speaking during the 50th anniversary celebrations of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Douglas shared that he has not worked since 2022 by choice. While he is not officially retired, he has no immediate plans to return unless an exceptional project arises. His most recent role was portraying Benjamin Franklin in Apple TV+’s miniseries Franklin.
Douglas also reflected on his 2010 stage IV cancer diagnosis, which he says reshaped his priorities. After treatment, he feels grateful for both his career and personal life. Now, he is content spending time with family and supporting his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, while embracing a slower, balanced pace.