Michael Douglas alluded to his retirement, saying he has “no real intentions” to return to acting.
The two-time Oscar winner made the revelation Friday while speaking at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic. The event celebrated the 50th anniversary of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” which Douglas, 80, co-produced. Speaking to the press, Douglas said that, unless “something special came up” for him, he would not act again, according to The Guardian.
Douglas last starred as Benjamin Franklin in the Apple TV+ series “Franklin,” filmed in 2022 and released in 2024.
“I’ve had a very busy career. Now, I have not worked since 2022, purposely, because I realized I had to stop,” he said.
“I’d 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,” he added.
“I’m very happy with taking the time off. I have no real intentions. But I say 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 [actor Catherine Zeta-Jones] work.”
Last year, Douglas revealed plans to semi-retire and spend half a year in Spain.
“It is an honor to receive this award in Mallorca, where I have been coming for 35 years and where I enjoy my time like nowhere else,” he said during his acceptance speech for Master of Cinema 2024 at the Atlantida Mallorca Film Festival, according to The Mirror.
“I speak terrible Spanish, but I love this place more and more. Now I plan to stay here for six or seven months a year, although that doesn’t mean I have retired,” he added.
“What happened is that at the end of 2022 I finished filming the series Franklin and then I didn’t work. I continued resting in 2022 and was very happy. But I haven’t gone, I have instructed my agent to only call me if a very special role comes up.”
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