Hollywood legend Michael Douglas drops career bombshell

Veteran screen star Michael Douglas has dropped a major announcement for fans.

After decades in the business and with dozens of films under his belt, Michael Douglas has “no intention” of acting again.

The 80-year-old delivered the sad update for fans during a press conference at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival where he was presenting a newly-restored print of Miloš Forman’s classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, according to Variety.

“I have not worked since 2022 purposefully because I realised I had to stop,” Douglas told the audience in the Czech Republic.

“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 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.”

Douglas with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones at the 2021 Emmys. Picture: Rich Fury/Getty Images

The actor was joined by Zeta-Jones and their daughter Carys at Cannes in 2023. Picture: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

The Wall Street and Fatal Attraction star, who was diagnosed with throat cancer 15 years ago, but later revealed it had actually been tongue cancer, also talked about his health battle.

“Stage 4 cancer is not a holiday, but there aren’t many choices, are there?” Douglas said.

“I went with the program, involving chemo and radiation, and was fortunate. The surgery would have meant not being able to talk and removing part of my jaw and that would have been limiting as an actor.”

Douglas in a scene from The In-Laws.

And with Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction.

It comes after Douglas, who is now cancer-free, told Deadline that he was “enjoying” his break from being in front of the camera while focusing on his personal life and producing films.

Throughout his lengthy career, Douglas has earned plenty of accolades, including an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Gordon Gekko in 1987 film Wall Street.

He also produced the Jack Nicholson-led One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest in 1975, which went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars.

His other notable on-screen roles include in Romancing The Stone, Fatal Attraction, The War of the Roses, Basic Instinct, The American President and Solitary Man.

Douglas is married to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, with whom he shares a son and a daughter, and also has a son, Cameron, with ex-wife Diandra Luker.

Originally published as Hollywood legend Michael Douglas drops career bombshell