"It's too nice being a civilian." 12 famous actors who walked away from Hollywood.

Hollywood stars have it all, don't they? Good looks, huge pay packets, lavish lifestyles... sounds pretty perfect to us. 

But perhaps it's not always all it's cracked up to be. There are plenty of actors who had it all and decided to walk away. Here are just 12 of them: 

Mara Wilson.

If you grew up in the, 90s chances are you fell in love with the children’s film Matilda based on the book by Roald Dahl. A big driver of Matilda's success came down to the utterly perfect casting of the main character - it's hard to imagine anyone other than Mara Wilson doing it justice. However, in the wake of the film's success, Wilson was on a trajectory to become one of the biggest child stars in the world and she walked away from it all.

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In an article written for The Guardian, Wilson opened up about making the big decision to follow a different path outside of the confines of Hollywood. "I didn't know who I was without film sets, casting directors and constant rejection, and I needed to find out," she wrote.

Wilson has now pursued a career as a writer and podcaster with no plans to return to acting in a professional capacity.

Meghan Markle.

If you were a fan of Suits, a young actress named Meghan Markle spent years being best recognisable as Rachel Zane. Of course, we all know her now as the Hollywood starlet who became a Duchess after she married Prince Harry. 

In 2017, she walked away from her acting career to focus on life as a senior royal. After becoming engaged to Prince Harry she opened up to the BBC about her new trajectory away from Hollywood.

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"I don't see it as giving anything up. I just see it as a change," she said. "It's a new chapter. And also keep in mind I've been working on my show for seven years. So, we were very fortunate to have that sort of longevity on a series. For me, once we hit the 100 episode marker, I thought, 'I have ticked this box and I feel really proud of the work I've done there and now it's time to work as a team with you [Harry].'"

In 2020, Meghan stepped back from royal duties which led many to question whether she might be ready to dip back into acting. 

"No, I'm done," she said in an interview with Variety. "I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not."

Gwyneth Paltrow.

At the height of her career Gwyneth Paltrow had an Oscar on her mantlepiece and was receiving millions of dollars to star in movies. And then, she gave it all up to follow another passion project. To be fair, we had a hunch her heart wasn't in acting anymore when she famously forgot she ever starred in a Spider-Man film.

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After stepping away from set-life, the now 51-year-old went on to pursue a career in the wellness industry. In 2008 she launched Goop, a lifestyle brand that focused on giving advice on all things beauty, health and wellness. What started as a weekly digital newsletter has quickly evolved into a website, a beauty brand, wellness videos, a book club and even a ‘Goop Cruise’ which all value the company at US$250 million.

With that kind of revenue, it looks like Gwynnie sure knows a thing or two about slinging vagina-scented candles.

Daniel Day-Lewis.

When you think of the great actors of our time, it's hard to go past Daniel Day-Lewis - one of the most infamous method actors in the industry. Because of his finely tuned craft he would often find it hard to step back into the real world. 

In fact, his experience on the set of Phantom Thread rocked him so much, he retired from acting.

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"Before making the film, I didn't know I was going to stop acting," he said in an interview with W Magazine. "I do know that Paul [Thomas Anderson] and I laughed a lot before we made the movie. And then we stopped laughing because we were both overwhelmed by a sense of sadness. That took us by surprise: We didn't realise what we had given birth to. It was hard to live with. And still is."

Then in 2017 he walked away from it all. In a statement released to Variety, it read: "Daniel Day-Lewis will no longer be working as an actor. He is immensely grateful to all of his collaborators and audiences over the many years. This is a private decision and neither he nor his representatives will make any further comment on this subject."

Apparently the 66-year-old is now living a Hollywood-free life and splits his time between New York and Ireland with his wife and sons.

Bridget Fonda.

If your aunt is Jane Fonda, it's easy to see how you'd get a nice little step up into the Hollywood high society. For Bridget Fonda, rubbing shoulders with the glitz of movie sets came as the norm for her from a young age when she starred in her first film at age four.

Watch: The auditions that scored actors their leading roles. Post continues after video.

Throughout the 90s she started to carve out a name for herself, starring in films like Jackie Brown and Single White Female. But then in 2003 she gave it all up. She married her husband Danny Elfman and began to focus on a life outside of the spotlight raising her son.

In 2022 she was spotted by paparazzi and asked if she’d ever return to acting. "No," she said in a video. "It's too nice being a civilian."

Jennifer Stone.

Hollywood can be a pretty harsh place, especially if you're a fledgling thespian working as a child actor. For many they step away from the bright lights after brushing too close to the darker sides of the industry. However, for one Disney star she decided to give up acting in order to focus on her health.

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Jennifer Stone first became famous when she starred as Harper Finkle opposite Selena Gomez in the Wizards of Waverly Place. She was 20 years old when she was diagnosed with latent autoimmune diabetes also known as type 1.5 diabetes.

In order to better understand her disease she went back to school to study nursing. Since graduating she has become an emergency nurse at a hospital in California. While she might not be acting anymore, she still finds time for catching up with her old buddy, Selena.

Cameron Diaz.

Tthroughout the 90s and 2000s, Cameron Diaz was one of the most in demand actresses, starring in The Mask, There's Something About Mary and Charlie's Angels - she was box office gold.

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However, in 2018 she decided to retire from acting to focus on her personal endeavours. In fact, she hadn't acted on set since 2014 with her role as Miss Hannigan in the Annie remake marking her last time on set. In 2015 she married Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden at their home in Beverly Hills. Then in 2019 she and Benji welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Raddix.

In 2022 it was announced that she would be making her big Hollywood comeback in the Netflix film Back in Action starring alongside Jamie Foxx and Glenn Close - we don't know when that will be released, but safe to say we're excited.

Michael J Fox.

Throughout the 80s Michael J Fox emerged as one of the most talented young actors to grace the screen. Having cut his teeth on the set of sitcom Family Ties, he went on to star in 10 feature films including his star-making turn as Marty McFly in Back to the Future. Then in 1991, when he was filming Doc Hollywood, he began to notice a strange tingling sensation in his pinky finger. After a consultation with a doctor he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at just 29 years old.

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In the years that followed he became an advocate for the disorder which attacks the central nervous system resulting in tremors, slurred speech and slowed movement. While he would go on to continue acting in smaller roles, there was a particular moment that made him realise he needed to retire from Hollywood.

"I thought of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood," he said in an interview with IndieWire. "There's a scene where Leonardo DiCaprio's character can't remember his lines anymore. He goes back to his dressing room and he's screaming at himself in the mirror. Just freaking insane. I had this moment where I was looking in the mirror and thought, 'I cannot remember it anymore. Well, let's move on'. It was peaceful."

Robert Redford.

After 60 years in the entertainment industry, Hollywood great Robert Redford hung up his boots. In 2018, at age 81, the acting veteran told Entertainment Tonight that his final film would be The Old Man & the Gun.

"Never say never, but I pretty well concluded that this would be it for me in terms of acting, and [I'll] move towards retirement after this cause I've been doing it since I was 21," he said. "I thought, 'Well, that's enough'. And why not go out with something that's very upbeat and positive?"

After acting since 1960 which saw him star in a string of films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Way We Were, he decided to step away. A well-deserved retirement, we reckon.

Portia de Rossi.

Portia de Rossi became one of Australia's hottest acting exports when she landed a role on the hit TV series Arrested Development, but in 2018 she decided to retire from the acting world.

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"I was approaching 45 and I was just wondering was there something that I could tackle now that I've never done before that would be very challenging and different," she said in an interview on her wife Ellen DeGeneres' talk show.

"I kind of knew what acting would look like for me for the next 10, 20 years, so I decided to quit and start a business."

She now owns and operates General Public, an art and publishing company.

Gene Hackman.

With two Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards, Gene Hackman is one of Hollywood’s most decorated actors. After starring in a number of films and TV series that spanned throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, in the early 2000s he stepped away from it all.

His departure from Hollywood happened with little fanfare on his end however there was plenty of speculation about why he suddenly gave it all up. 

"I haven't held a press conference to announce retirement, but yes, I'm not going to act any longer," he said in 2008 in an interview with Reuters. "I've been told not to say that over the last few years, in case some real wonderful part comes up, but I really don't want to do it any longer."

According to various media outlets, Gene is now living a much more lowkey life in New Mexico well away from the spotlight.

Amber Heard.

After an incredibly difficult past couple of years, Amber Heard is now taking time away from Hollywood.

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In 2022 she relocated to live in Madrid with her daughter Oonagh. While she hasn't made any official statement regarding a retirement from acting, rumours have been running rife she isn't focused on Hollywood right now.

"The [Johnny Depp defamation] trial was beyond stressful for her and she just wanted to start fresh out of the country," a source told People.

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