Michael Douglas, 80, announces retirement from acting after almost 60 years in sad update

Michael Douglas has announced his retirement from acting after an almost 60-year career in a devastating update to his loyal legion of fans. The Hollywood icon revealed he has no intention of getting in front of the camera again as he explained his extensive hiatus. The film star, 80, said: "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," the dad-of-three explained, according to Variety. The two-time Oscar winner added: "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," he said before cheekily joking that the only role he is "happy" to play nowadays.

The Fatal Attraction star has faced a significant health battle with stage four throat cancer, which he was diagnosed with back in 2010. At the time, he underwent a gruelling course of radiation and chemotheraoy and was given an 80% chance of recovery.

Douglas has since spoken out about how the diagnosis and recovery impacted his life, including his outlook on life and his marriage to Catherine Zeta-Jones who tied the knot back in 2000.

The actor hasn't appeared in a movie since 2023's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The star 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 also set to appear opposite his son, Cameron Douglas, in the movie Looing Through Water which doesn't yet have a release date.

It comes after Douglas was surprised with Karlovy Vary Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest which he produced, was screene in honour of its 50th anniversary.

At the press conference he discussed his hiatus from acting after being asked about his perseverance in the face of his difficult health challenges.

He joked that "stage 4 cancer is not a holiday" but added that he didn't have "many choices" other than to push through, adding that he was "lucky" that he was able to keep working.

Douglas' co-star Evangeline Lilly has similarly stepped away from the spotlight following the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The Lost star announced in 2024 that while she "might return to Hollywood one day," for now, she is on an "indefinite hiatus".