Freddie Prinze Jr.
Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan was America's favorite on-screen sweetheart in the late '80s and early '90s. We remember her in films like "Sleepless in Seattle,” "When Harry Met Sally,” "City of Angels," and “You’ve Got Mail.” But she decided to remove herself from the spotlight following her divorce from her ten-year marriage with Dennis Quaid as a result of a brief affair with Russell Crowe. At the time, many acting opportunities were still on the table, but her head was no longer in it. In 2008, she opened up about the demise of her marriage and her affair with Russell Crowe with InStyle, saying it was painful but liberating to go from being seen as America’s Sweetheart to the scarlet woman.
Cameron Diaz
Diaz quietly left Hollywood in 2014 after starring in the film adaptation of "Annie." The "Charlie's Angels" star spent much of her young adult life starring in major films in Hollywood. After some time, Diaz realized she wanted more with her life. Since she departed from Hollywood, Diaz has welcomed her first daughter, Raddix Madden, in 2019 and a son, Cardinal, in 2024. The actress spoke with Gwyneth Paltrow about her choice to step away from Hollywood, and she said, “I just decided that I wanted different things out of my life. I had gone so hard for so long, working making films, and it’s such a grind. I didn’t really make any space for my personal life.”
Dave Chappelle
There was a lot of controversy around Dave Chappelle’s abrupt decision to leave his widely popular sketch comedy show, Chappelle Show, in 2005 midway through its third season. His exit was ultimately for ethical reasons. Chappelle felt that his show was no longer doing what he intended for it to do and that his audience was completely missing the message of his skits. Because of this, he left $50 million on the table and headed to South Africa for a few weeks to get away from it all. He opened up about the abrupt ending of his series with David Letterman in 2014, joking around that he technically never quit. “I’m seven years late for work,” Chappelle joked. However, he recently starred in a Netflix comedy special.
Daniel Day-Lewis
Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis is considered one of the more prominent actors of his generation, but in 2017, Lewis released a statement that he would be retiring from acting at the age of 60. “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 comments on this subject,” read the statement. Although there is no solid reason given as to why Lewis took a step away from acting, many think that his method of acting took a toll on him.
Lauryn Hill
Who didn’t love the soulful sound of Lauryn Hill? We cherished her as the lead voice of The Fugees and were blown away by her critically acclaimed solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which won numerous awards, broke several sales records and was listed by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest albums of all time. So, it comes as no surprise that music fans were scratching their heads when Hill disappeared from the public eye. After that, she only made appearances periodically in a few singles and performances. Her reason for public exile was due to her dissatisfaction with fame and the music industry.
Elizabeth Hurley
In 2005, Hurley decided to step away from acting to focus on raising her son, Damien. "I don't want to leave my son for such long periods. This trip to New York is three days away from him, but a movie is three months, and I've decided not to do that until he's older. I want to be there for him," she told The New York Post. Years later, she began making her way back to acting, but Hurley has continuously told media outlets that she does not regret taking the time off to raise her son. "Looking after my son became my No. 1 task, and it was a joy to have someone else on whom to focus," she said. "I was 36 and had been worrying about myself for quite long enough. "I stopped doing movies and TV for the first eight years of his life, and I don't regret it for a moment. I always put him first."
