Fame is in the past: actors who ended their careers at their peak
The star of "The Vampire Diaries" Ian Somerhalder said that he left the cinema after the conflict over the Netflix series "Vampire Wars," he said in the podcast Haley on the Go, quoted by Entertainment Weekly. He is not the first person to voluntarily leave the acting profession in the wake of success: Grace Kelly changed Hollywood to the princely palace, Greta Garbo disappeared from the screens at the age of 36, and Bridget Fonda and the Olsen sisters chose a life outside the film industry. Izvestia remembers the stars who left the cinema themselves — for the sake of family, music, business and private life.
Ian Somerhalder — disappointed in the film industry
Ian Somerhalder's career began in the late 1990s, but he gained international fame for his role as Boone Carlisle in the TV series Lost. The real peak of the actor's popularity came on The Vampire Diaries, where he played Damon Salvatore for eight seasons.
Somerhalder's last major acting work was Netflix's "Vampire Wars." In the series, he not only played the main role, but also served as an executive producer. According to the actor, the resulting montage was significantly different from the original idea, and he, along with other project participants, had to independently seek funding for reshoots.
The series premiered in December 2019, and in March 2020, Netflix shut down the project after the first season. Somerhalder claims that the decision was not related to the project's performance, but to an internal conflict between the streaming service's managers. This situation finally disappointed him in the film industry.
Somerhalder now lives with his wife, actress Nikki Reed, and their children on a farm. He is engaged in projects in the field of regenerative agriculture, develops a brand of alcoholic beverages and a company producing nutritional supplements. He calls acting a part of the past, but did not completely rule out a return to a suitable project.
Bridget Fonda — chose a life outside Hollywood
Bridget Fonda, a representative of the famous acting dynasty, began acting as a child. In the 1990s, she performed notable roles in the films Single White Woman, Single, Lucky Chance, Jackie Brown and The Simple Plan. In 1993, the actress played the main role in the action movie "There is no Return." For her television work, Fonda was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe.
Fonda's latest project was the TV movie "The Snow Queen", released in 2002. The following year, the actress was involved in a car accident, and then married composer Danny Elfman and focused on her family.
Fonda has not returned to the screen for more than 20 years and rarely appears in public. In 2023, she confirmed that she was not going to resume her career, as she likes to live like an ordinary person outside the film industry.
Lily Sobieski — changed the set to a workshop
Lili Sobieski became one of the most notable young actresses of the late 1990s. She starred in the films "With eyes wide shut", "Collision with the Abyss", "Not Kissed", "Glass House" and "Wow trip". She was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her role in the television movie Joan of Arc.
However, Sobieski's attitude towards the profession was gradually changing. The actress said that she began to provide for her family as a teenager, and many of the roles offered to her involved explicit scenes in which she did not want to participate. After the birth of her children, Sobieski finally gave up regular filming.
She now works in the field of contemporary art under the name Lily Kimmel. Her works are shown at exhibitions in the USA and Great Britain. Sobieski emphasized that painting and sculpture gave her creative freedom, which was lacking in cinema.
Taylor Momsen — retired from acting to rock music
Taylor Momsen started acting in early childhood. At the age of seven, she played Cindy Lou in the movie The Grinch, The Christmas Thief, and later got the role of Jenny Humphrey in the TV series Gossip Girl.
While working on the project, Momsen was already developing a musical career. In 2009, her band The Pretty Reckless signed a record deal, after which the actress decided to focus entirely on music. Her character gradually disappeared from the main plotline of Gossip Girl.
Momsen explained that acting was a profession that was chosen for her as a child, while music became her own conscious decision. The Pretty Reckless has released several successful albums and performed with major rock artists. In 2026, Momsen stated that she was not interested in returning to acting, although she did not use the word "never."
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have built a fashion empire
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen first appeared on screen when they were under a year old. The sisters took turns playing the role of Michelle Tanner in the TV series Full House, and then became the heroines of numerous family comedies and television projects.
In the early 2000s, Olsen gradually switched to fashion. Ashley played her last major role in the movie "Moments of New York" in 2004, and Mary-Kate continued to appear on screen until the early 2010s. Subsequently, both declined to participate in the sequel to "Full House."
The Row brand, created by the sisters, has taken its place in the segment of expensive minimalistic clothing. Olsen has repeatedly received awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America and has almost completely abandoned publicity. Their former co-star on "Full House," Jody Sweetin, noted that the sisters did not return to continue the series because acting was no longer what they wanted to do.
Greta Garbo — disappeared from the screen at the age of 36
Greta Garbo became one of the main stars of silent and early sound films. She starred in the films "Grand Hotel", "Anna Karenina", "The Lady with Camellias", "Queen Christina" and "Ninochka". The actress was nominated for an Oscar three times, and in 1955 she received an honorary award from the American Film Academy for outstanding screen work.
The last film of the actress was the comedy "Two-faced Woman", released in 1941. The film received negative reviews, but Garbo's decision not to return to the screen cannot be explained by just one failure. The Second World War destroyed the European market, which was important for her films, and the actress herself was tired of the studio system and publicity.
Garbo was repeatedly offered new roles, including in the movie Sunset Boulevard, but she refused. The actress spent the rest of her life in New York, avoiding the press and collecting works of art. The National Portrait Gallery of the USA notes that Garbo retired from cinema at the age of 36 and retained the status of one of the main legends of Hollywood. Smithsonian Institution
Grace Kelly — changed Hollywood to a princely palace
It took Grace Kelly only a few years to become one of the leading actresses of the 1950s. She starred in Alfred Hitchcock's films "Dial M in Case of Murder", "Window to the Courtyard" and "Catch a Thief", and won an Oscar for her role in the drama "Village Girl".
In 1956, at the age of 26, Kelly married Prince Rainier III of Monaco and ended her acting career. Her last artistic painting was "High Society".
Subsequently, the directors tried to bring Kelly back to the screen. Hitchcock offered her the main role in the film "Marnie", but the plans caused discontent among the residents of Monaco and were not implemented. In the status of Princess Grace, she was engaged in charity work, supported art and organizations helping children.
Shirley Temple — from child star to Diplomat
Shirley Temple was one of the most popular American actresses of the 1930s. Her films helped Fox Studios maintain financial stability during the Great Depression, and at the age of six she received a special youth award from the American Film Academy.
With age, public interest in Temple began to decline. At the age of 22, she announced her retirement from cinema, although she later appeared in television projects.
After completing her acting career, Temple became involved in politics and diplomacy. She represented the United States at the United Nations, served as ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, and served as head of the U.S. Protocol. Her biography has become one of the rare examples when a child star was able to build a second career, practically unrelated to the entertainment industry.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
