Michael Douglas announces career break: "I don't want to die on set"

After more than 60 years of dazzling fans with his roles as an actor, Michael Douglas has decided to take a break from his career.

At the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the artist noted that unless "something special comes along" to play, he has "no intentions" of returning to acting in the future.

"I've had a very busy career. I haven't worked since 2022, on purpose, because I realized I had to stop," he said at a press conference for the event.

"I've worked hard for almost 60 years and I don't want to be one of those people who dies on set," he added.

"I'm very happy to take a break. I have no intention [of returning]. But I don't say I'm retired, because if something special comes along, I'll come back. But otherwise, I'm happy. I like to see my wife work," he stressed, referring to Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The comment comes shortly after Douglas confessed in an interview with Deadline (which he gave in December) that he had been "flirting" with the idea of ​​making "a good horror movie".

It now remains to be seen whether this opportunity will arise soon.

The fight against cancer (and addictions)

In 2010, Michael Douglas publicly revealed that he was battling throat cancer, caused by oral sex. At the time, when asked by the English newspaper Guardian if he regretted his excessive drug and alcohol consumption, the artist said he did not, especially since the cancer in question had been caused by HPV.

"I even wondered if the stress caused by my son's arrest could have helped him develop it. But it is in fact a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer," he explained at the time.

It is worth remembering that the actor underwent rehabilitation treatment due to drug and alcohol addiction. Since then he has remained 'clean'.

What else can we expect from Michael Douglas?

The 81-year-old actor's last film appearance was in the 2023 Marvel production 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'. He then played Benjamin Franklin in the Apple TV+ miniseries 'Franklin'.

Michael is also expected to appear in another film, 'Looking Through Water', in which he will work alongside his son, Cameron Douglas. In the feature film, which does not yet have a release date, Douglas plays a father who invites his son to a fishing competition, in order to reconnect with them. Like 'Franklin', Douglas filmed the film in 2022, before making this decision.

Interestingly, Michael Douglas is not the only actor from 'Quantomania' to announce a career break. Evangeline Lilly, 45, who played his daughter in the plot, also revealed that she was taking a break from the big screen (and with no return date).

Following the news of the death of actor Michael Madsen on Thursday, July 3, at the age of 67, we take a look back at some of his most iconic roles in this gallery. The actor, it should be remembered, worked alongside other stars such as Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson.

News to the Minute | 15:58 - 05/07/2025