# Well-known actors/actresses that have retired. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 1, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930 "2010-03-01T23:14:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/1 "2010-03-01T23:14:53Z")
So I was thinking about Rick Moranis earlier today and realized that I hadn’t seen him in a movie (on-screen) for awhile. Turns out he [retired from acting back in 1997](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Moranis) (save for doing some voice work). And that got me thinking of other well-known (I’m defining “well-known” as: Most people would have heard of their names, if mentioned) actors and actresses who’ve retired. Didn’t Paul Newman, in his last years, say he wasn’t going to make any more films? And, of course, one of the most famous examples I’d list is that of Greta Garbo. Who made movies for a decade or two and then quit it cold turkey. Any other instances of a celebrity retiring and actually doing it? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/2 "2010-03-01T23:26:06Z")
Sean Connery retired, more or less, after _League of Extraordinary Gentlemen_, released in 2003. ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/3 "2010-03-01T23:26:11Z")
[Louise Brooks](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Brooks) ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/4 "2010-03-01T23:35:28Z")
I read that Gene Hackman has said he’s retired from acting. According to IMDB his last movie was about 5-6 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/5 "2010-03-01T23:39:04Z")
Gene Hackman Edit: Was beaten. ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/6 "2010-03-01T23:42:07Z")
Phoebe Cates ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/7 "2010-03-01T23:55:27Z")
Michelle Meyrink > **[Michelle Meyrink | Actress](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001534/)** > > Known for: Real Genius, The Outsiders, Revenge of the Nerds 10 roles between 1983 and 1988, then just retired and hasn’t looked back. Last heard from living happily in British Columbia. Still won’t answer my calls. Darned protection order. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/8 "2010-03-02T00:36:27Z")
James Cagney retired in 1960, but returned to do **Ragtime** in 1980. It took a lot of persuasion for him to take the role; he was happy on his farm. Grace Kelly retired after her marriage and never returned to films. Her husband must have been a real prince. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/9 "2010-03-02T00:54:53Z")
[Deanna Durbin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deanna_Durbin) retired at age 27, after a very successful 13-year career. She is still living in France, and has only given one interview in the past 60-plus years. ---
**Author:** ![Monstera\_deliciosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monstera_deliciosa/32/109_2.png) [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/10 "2010-03-02T00:56:48Z")
According to her Wikipedia page, [Meg Tilly](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meg_Tilly#Personal_life) retired from acting in 1995. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/11 "2010-03-02T01:20:06Z")
Cary Grant is one of the best examples. Hs last movie was in 1966, 20 years before he died in 1986. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/12 "2010-03-02T02:24:27Z")
Clint Eastwood said Gran Torino was his last acting role but he will still direct. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/13 "2010-03-02T03:18:17Z")
Raymond Griffith was one of the great stars of the silent days, a comedian who is often ranked just below the Big Four (Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, and Langdon). He retired as soon as sound came in because of his speaking voice (he had wrecked his vocal chords while performing on stage and could not speak above a whisper). He appeared in one sound film (_All Quiet on the Western Front_), where he was not required to speak above a whisper, then went into producing. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/14 "2010-03-02T03:35:08Z")
> [@Valgard](#): > > I read that Gene Hackman has said he’s retired from acting. According to IMDB his last movie was about 5-6 years ago. Though, he’s still doing voiceover work for ads for Lowe’s. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/15 "2010-03-02T03:45:43Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Sean Connery retired, more or less, after _League of Extraordinary Gentlemen_, released in 2003. I don’t blame him. He had turned down some major parts in big films and he finally accepted the next big thing he was offered…and it was that crapola. ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/16 "2010-03-02T03:52:42Z")
Doris Day has led a life of leisure since the end of her series. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/17 "2010-03-02T05:06:11Z")
Dunno how I forgot Shirley Temple Black. Retired from movies decades ago. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/18 "2010-03-02T05:42:23Z")
Harry Morgan retired in 1999; I believe he’s in a nursing home. I thought Peter Falk had retired some year ago, but was in projects as recently as last year. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/19 "2010-03-02T05:44:24Z")
Kristy McNichol. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930/20 "2010-03-02T06:04:15Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > I thought Peter Falk had retired some year ago, but was in projects as recently as last year. That last movie must have been filmed in 2007 or 2008, but released in 2009. [According to IMDB](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000393/bio), > [@](#): > > Diagnosed with dementia, probably brought on by Alzheimer’s disease, in 2008. Sad news. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-actors-actresses-that-have-retired/530930.md?page=2)