Buzz
Actors often remain a subtle yet constant presence in our lives, so much so that we may not even notice their absence. Many stars over the years have retired from the limelight and moved on to quieter lives, but it usually takes an unexpected return to revive the excitement and remind us of the impact they had. Unfortunately, not all returns are in the best productions.
Still, there are many talented individuals who have been missed on screen and found themselves drawn back from retirement, despite initially stepping away for good. Some return for a single film, while others reignite their careers for a whole new chapter. Each one has a unique reason why that first role after retirement pulled them back.
10. Phoebe Cates (The Anniversary Party, 2001)
Phoebe Cates became an overnight sensation thanks to several supporting roles in major 1980s films, including Gremlins (1984) and Bright Lights, Big City (1988). However, it is the iconic swimming pool scene in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) that has forever secured her place in the history of cinema.
Even though she was a proven box office success, the actress decided to step away from acting in 1994 to focus on her family and raise her children, Owen and Greta. During her hiatus, her husband, Kevin Kline, continued with his acting career. Although she stayed retired, Cates did make a brief return to the screen in 2001.
Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming’s The Anniversary Party was the film that persuaded Cates to return to the big screen, albeit for just this one project. Cates had previously worked with Leigh on Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and the two had formed a close friendship. Leigh was the only person Cates was willing to return for, but with one condition: she could bring her children along. As a result, Cates, Kline, and their children all appeared in the film together.
9. Joe Pesci (The Irishman, 2019)
Joe Pesci became a household name in the world of crime films, portraying characters like Frankie Minaldi in Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Leo Getz in the Lethal Weapon series, and Harry Lime in the Home Alone franchise, among other gangsters and wiseguys in Martin Scorsese’s films. Naturally, The Irishman—arguably the most significant gangster film of the past decade—wouldn’t be the same without him. The only issue was that he had retired almost ten years earlier.
Fortunately, director Martin Scorsese had some tricks up his sleeve, and none more powerful than the ever-talented Robert De Niro, a long-time collaborator with Pesci in numerous films.
Scorsese sent De Niro to repeatedly persuade Pesci, but the actor declined the role of crime boss Russell Bufalino as many as forty times. It wasn’t until Netflix became involved and secured the financing for the project, offering Pesci a solid paycheck and the opportunity to witness the ambitious film—making extensive use of costly digital de-aging technology—come to life, that he agreed to join the cast.
8. Jane Fonda (Monster-in-Law, 2005)
As part of one of Hollywood’s most prominent families, Jane Fonda was destined for stardom. Her father, Henry, spent five decades in the film industry, and her brother, Peter, had a successful six-decade career. However, Jane, who had started acting in the 1960 film Tall Story, decided to step away from the industry in 1991.
After marrying media mogul Ted Turner, Fonda announced her retirement, seeking to enjoy a quieter life filled with wealth and luxury. When the couple divorced in 2001, Fonda began to consider returning to the movies.
Feeling enough time had passed and that she was in a different phase of life, Fonda decided to star in the romantic comedy Monster-in-Law alongside J.Lo. She embraced the role of the exaggerated mother-in-law because it allowed her to explore a more slapstick, humorous style that brought her joy in the process.
7. Jack Gleeson (Out of Her Mind, 2020)
The actor known for playing the despised King Joffrey Baratheon on HBO’s Game of Thrones, Jack Gleeson, became infamous for portraying one of television’s most detestable villains. However, after Joffrey met his end in the show’s fourth season, Gleeson began to question whether acting and the public life that comes with it were truly right for him.
After some deep reflection, the young actor decided to step away from the acting world, turning his focus toward academia while continuing his philanthropic efforts with the global poverty charity GOAL.
Despite his exit from acting, Gleeson returned to television in a minor role on English comedian Sara Pascoe’s BBC miniseries Out of Her Mind. In the show, he played Casper—the ghost of Pascoe’s aborted child—for two episodes. Why Gleeson for the role? Pascoe was advised, “If you’re going to have someone playing an abortion, you should pick an actor everyone wishes was dead.” Who better than the infamous King Joffrey himself?
6. Robert Redford (Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia, 2020)
Robert Redford’s career on screen is a testament to his dedication, as he began acting in 1960 and went on to appear in no less than 46 films. However, in 2018, fans were left disappointed when the actor announced that The Old Man & the Gun would be his final film.
When Redford appeared in Avengers: Endgame (2019), many assumed he had broken his retirement. Although he did reprise his role as HYDRA leader Alexander Pierce—first seen in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier—he filmed his scenes before The Old Man & the Gun and his retirement declaration.
In reality, the project that brought Redford back to acting was rather unexpected: Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia—a two-hour absurdist anthology film co-directed by his grandson Dylan, which tells the story of a TopGun Cigarette boat. In this film, Redford voices a dolphin named Lokia. If it weren’t for his grandson, it would be hard to believe this film had anything to do with the legendary actor.
5. Shelley Duvall (The Forest Hills, 2023)
Shelley Duvall is perhaps best remembered for her iconic portrayal of Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic The Shining (1980). However, her career spanned many genres, working with a diverse range of directors, including Tim Burton, Jane Campion, Terry Gilliam, and Woody Allen.
Despite being a frequent star in multiple films each year during the ’90s, Shelley Duvall’s career had already begun to slow before her retirement. She had transitioned mostly into supporting and cameo roles, with few leading roles on the horizon. Having appeared in over 20 films, she retired in 2002 and moved to Texas to care for her brother, who had been diagnosed with spinal cancer.
Twenty years later, Duvall made a return to acting in Scott Goldberg’s indie horror film The Forest Hills, where she starred alongside fellow forgotten actor Edward Furlong in a werewolf adventure set in the woods. Although this marked her return to acting, she has not yet signed onto any other new projects.
4. Sean Connery (Sir Billi, 2012)
As the definitive James Bond, Sean Connery’s career soared to such heights that it was impossible to surpass. However, he continued to act in thrillers, dramas, action films, and franchise movies well into his seventies. After a rough experience portraying Allan Quatermain in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), he decided to retire, considering that film a failure and ending his career on a low note. Yet nearly a decade later, Connery made an unexpected return—voicing the lead character in the children’s animation Sir Billi. It was only because of his grandchildren that he agreed to take on the role.
Filmmakers Sascha and Tessa Hartmann, a husband-and-wife duo, sent Connery a sample DVD of their animated film on a whim, asking him to lend his voice to the project. Though they never expected a response, Connery later got back to them, explaining that his grandchildren had watched the DVD repeatedly, and as a result, he was happy to join the film—despite turning down other major roles, including the fourth Indiana Jones installment in the meantime.
3. Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once, 2022)
Ke Huy Quan was once best known for his roles as Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Data in The Goonies (1985). Despite these iconic performances, his film career dwindled with just six additional movies before he retired in 2002. Opting for a life outside of acting, he graduated from USC's film school and transitioned to working behind the scenes, becoming a successful assistant director and stunt coordinator.
Nearly twenty years later, Quan was lured back into acting after watching Crazy Rich Asians (2018), where he noticed a surge in authentic Asian representation on screen and felt a desire to be part of that movement. He started to explore opportunities, and the right project eventually came his way.
Quan couldn’t resist when he saw the script for the Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once. He felt that the different multiverse versions of his character were “written for [him]” and that he “understood every single one of them.” It was clear to him that the roles found him at exactly the right time in his life, as he couldn’t have played them any earlier.
2. Daniel Day-Lewis (Gangs of New York, 2002)
Few actors have left the industry as frequently as Daniel Day-Lewis. Known for his selective approach to choosing roles, the legendary actor has never confined himself to one pursuit, even though his natural talent was evident from the very beginning.
Following his role in 1997’s The Boxer, Day-Lewis stepped away from acting and began learning the craft of a private cobbler. However, several years later, when Martin Scorsese was casting for the role of Bill the Butcher in 2002’s Gangs of New York, Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio could only envision Day-Lewis in the part. Scorsese had DiCaprio track him down, and through a series of meetings, DiCaprio successfully convinced him to return to acting.
True to his unpredictable nature, Day-Lewis retired again, this time for good, in 2017 after starring in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread. If it weren’t for the persistence of Scorsese and DiCaprio, we may have never witnessed this performance and the many other remarkable roles he took on in the final 15 years of his career.
1. Cameron Diaz (Back in Action, 2024)
A fixture of the late-1990s and early 2000s movie scene, Cameron Diaz seemed destined for ongoing success in Hollywood. However, by the mid-2010s, her career began to shift, with more lackluster films and a diminishing presence in the industry compared to her early dominance.
Following her role in 2014’s Annie, Diaz decided to step away from acting, opting to embrace a new chapter where she could live a more private life. This included building a family with her husband, Benji Madden of Good Charlotte, and no longer being tied to the constant cycle of making and promoting films.
After eight years, during which she focused on raising her daughter and solidifying her family life, Madden encouraged and supported her return to the acting world. He agreed to accompany her and their daughter to London for filming, allowing Diaz to balance both her family and professional responsibilities. Back in Action premiered on Netflix in 2024, and although Diaz has remained somewhat selective with her roles, she is set to appear in Jonah Hill’s upcoming film Outcome.
