Michael Douglas reveals why he stepped away from acting, clarifying that he is not retired but has no immediate plans to return. During a recent film festival appearance, the veteran actor opened up about his decision to take a break from acting. He also discussed his health journey and what might bring him back to the screen.

Here’s what Douglas shared about his hiatus, future outlook, and life beyond Hollywood.

Michael Douglas does not intend to return to acting

Michael Douglas is stepping back from the spotlight with no current plans to return to acting. Speaking at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the Oscar-winning actor said he has “no real intentions” of resuming his career after nearly 60 years in the industry.

Douglas explained, “I have not worked since 2022 purposefully because I realized I had to stop,” adding, “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.” Michael Douglas emphasized, “I’m not retired, because if something special came up, I’d go back, but otherwise, I’m quite happy. I just like to watch my wife work.”

His most recent role was in the Apple TV+ miniseries Franklin, where he portrayed Benjamin Franklin. Prior to that, he appeared in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as Hank Pym. Michael Douglas will also star alongside his son, Cameron Douglas, in Looking Through Water, which currently lacks a release date.

During the press conference, Douglas also addressed his health history, recalling his stage 4 tongue cancer diagnosis in 2010. He said, “Stage 4 cancer is not a holiday but there aren’t many choices, are there?”

He said he chose chemotherapy and radiation over surgery, which would have removed part of his jaw and impaired his speech. Douglas appeared at the film festival to present a newly restored print of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which he co-produced. The event also honored him with the Karlovy Vary Award.

Douglas stated he’s “very happy with taking the time off” and joked that in the interest of his marriage, he’s now “happy to play the wife” to Catherine Zeta-Jones, whom he married in 2000.