Legendary Actor Reveals if He Plans to Act Again
Michael Douglas' prolific acting career began in 1966, but in recent years, the two-time Oscar winner has slowed down.
It's understandable, as Douglas is now 80 years old and was previously diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer in 2010. At this weekend's Karlovy Vary international film festival in the Czech Republic, Douglas was asked if he wanted to restart his acting career.
His answer was a pretty clear no.
“I have not worked since 2022 purposefully because I realized I had to stop,” Douglas told reporters Sunday, via CNN. “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 to watch my wife (actress Catherine Zeta-Jones) work.”
Douglas was at the festival to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,” which he co-produced with Saul Zaentz. The film went on to win all five major Academy Awards, including landing Douglas one for Best Producer.
Known for his starring roles in movies like “Wall Street," "Basic Instinct" and “Fatal Attraction,” Douglas' most recent role was as Benjamin Franklin in the Apple TV+ series "Franklin," which was filmed in 2022 and released in 2024.
According to IMDB, the five-time Golden Globe winner has two projects that have yet to be released: a movie, “Looking Through Water,” and a miniseries, “Reagan & Gorbachev."
"I’m not pursuing work. My golf game is getting better," Douglas joked this weekend, via The Guardian.
If Douglas is indeed finished with on-screen work, hats off on an iconic career.