While it’s not uncommon for an actor to become ᴀssociated with one particular genre, it’s less frequent that a star openly discusses their decision to quit working in a genre altogether. Although many major names in Hollywood have announced their retirement over the years, the idea of retiring from one type of filmmaking while remaining active in another is a whole different story. However, several Hollywood stars have made a point to move on from a specific genre while continuing to carve out their careers in other works.

There are many reasons an actor might want to quit a particular genre, such as all-time great action movie stars growing too old for their parts and no longer feeling capable of the stunt work required. Other times, actors felt pigeonholed by a certain style of filmmaking and needed to consciously undo the typecasting that had been unwittingly bestowed upon them. While some stars never went back on their decision to quit, for others, it was a brief respite before they returned to the genre once again.

10

Liam Neeson

Quit Action Movies

The acting legend Liam Neeson rose to prominence in serious dramatic roles such as Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List and the leading figure of the Irish struggle for independence in Michael Collins. While roles like this solidified his status as one of the major actors of the late 20th century, following the release of Taken in 2008, Neeson began carving out a dual career as an action movie star. Neeson’s iconic role as the retired CIA operative with a particular set of skills named Bryan Mills opened the door to not just the Taken franchise but also countless more action thrillers.

While it’s been exciting to watch Neeson jump, punch, kick, and shoot through Hollywood for over 15 years, he’s also decided that his time as an action star has run its course and that it “needs to stop” (via People.) As an actor already in his 70s, Neeson says he’s no longer able for the intricate stunt work these movies require and that “you can’t fool audiences,” and he doesn’t want a stunt double fighting all his scenes. While Neeson has no firm date for his exit from the action genre, he’s eyeing 2025 as the time to stop for good.

9

George Clooney

Quit Rom-Coms

George Clooney has been one of Hollywood’s quintessential leading men for so long that his name is practically synonymous with the kind of good-looking, charismatic protagonist needed to lead a rom-com. However, while Clooney excelled in romantic roles like One Fine Day and Intolerable Cruelty, he’s also had just as many acclaimed roles in serious works for filmmakers like the Coen brothers and even as a director himself. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that Clooney announced his plan to quit the rom-com genre entirely.

Clooney’s most recent rom-com was Ticket to Paradise with Julia Roberts in 2020, and it seems he wants to keep it that way (via Variety.) With plans to put this side of his career to rest for good, Clooney said he’s not doing “romantic films anymore” and that he doesn’t want “to compete with 25-year-old leading men” in his 60s. While this will be a major disappointment for rom-com lovers who like male love interests with a bit of maturity, as a two-time Academy Award winner, Clooney has a lot more to offer than just that.

8

Jackie Chan

Quit Action Movies

There are few action movie stars who can match the acclaim and worldwide recognition of Jackie Chan. As perhaps the greatest kung fu star of all time, Chan has been responsible for some of the most popular movies worldwide, as his kung fu classics made him a legend in his native Hong Kong, and his franchise films mean he’s beloved by viewers of all ages in the West. With countless classics to his name, it’s not surprising that Chan was ready to call it a day in 2012 when he announced his retirement from action movies at the Cannes Film Festival.

Chan cited old age as the reason for his retirement from the genre (via Business Insider), stating, “the world is too violent now. I love fighting but I hate violence” and he wants to be a “true actor.” While this desire for change led to more dramatic roles, such as in the political thriller The Foreigner opposite Pierce Brosnan, Chan hasn’t exactly retired from action movies altogether. With upcoming appearances in Karate Kid: Legends, the long-gestating Rush Hour 4, and a plan to return to the Police Story franchise, Chan still has a few action-packed thrills left in him despite his previous comments.

7

Jim Carrey

Quit Comedies

During the 1990s, Jim Carrey was one of the most sought-after comedians around, whose string of box office hits included Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. With an incredible talent for physical comedy, viewers were later surprised to see Carrey’s equally compelling ability to pull off more dramatic roles like The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It seemed like Carrey would keep us laughing forever, until in 2022 (via Variety), when he started to speak openly about his desire to retire and move away from funny films.

Carrey outlined his feelings by stating that he’s “done enough,” although he did not close the door entirely. In typical Carrey fashion, he joked that if “the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink” and he feels “it’s going to be really important for people to see,” then he might consider returning to movies. It seems the angels delivered just that in the form of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, as Carrey was back reprising his role as Dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik just two years later.

6

Clint Eastwood

Quit Traditional Westerns

As The Man with No Name in Sergio Leone’s iconic Dollar Trilogy, Clint Eastwood earned his reputation as one of the greatest Western movie stars of all time. With a gruff and brash persona, endless charisma, and iconic one-liners, Eastwood continued to thrive in this genre in everything from The Outlaw Josey Wales to Pale Rider. However, the culmination of Eastwood’s work in the Western genre came with the Best Picture-winning triumph Unforgiven, a movie that so effectively deconstructed the myth of the Old West that the actor and director announced his retirement from traditional Western movies (via Collider) after its release.

Eastwood’s decision to call it a day regarding Westerns after Unforgiven was a wise choice, as any attempt to return to the well would simply rehash or be derivative of previous works. Instead, Eastwood shifted focus with the thoughtful emotional sports movie Million Dollar Baby and his incredible performance as a prejudiced Korean War veteran in Gran Torino. However, Eastwood did recently dip his toes back into the genre with the neo-Western Cry Macho in 2021.

5

Michael Douglas

Quit Superhero Movies

The career of Michael Douglas boasts many incredible releases in everything from Oliver Stone’s Wall Street to David Fincher’s The Game, and he‘s always been a performer who carved his own interesting path. As an actor who’s pretty much done it all, it was exciting to see Douglas become just one of the long list of veteran actors to join the superhero craze and take up a part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As Hank Pym in the Ant-Man series, Douglas’s appearance added a certain level of prestige to the Paul Rudd films.

However, it appears that Douglas has had his fill of the superhero genre and even begged to be given a dramatic scene in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (via IndieWire.) While Douglas’s request was not granted, he still appeared to rule out returning to the franchise as he said, “I don’t think I’m going to show up” in a potential fourth movie. Although this statement wasn’t a firm retirement from superhero movies from Douglas, it’s clear from his statements that he does not have a major interest in continuing in the MCU.

4

Eddie Murphy

Quit Comedies

Few actors have managed to find success in both raunchy, adult-oriented comedy and family-friendly films quite like Eddie Murphy. With an early career that included undisputed classics like Beverly Hills Cop and beloved movies like Trading Places, as well as later hits with Dr. Doolittle, Daddy Day Care, and the Shrek franchise, it felt like Murphy could ride the wave of success for as long as he wanted.

However, Murphy’s career hit a bit of an impᴀsse, and rather than just push through with lackluster releases, he decided to quit comedy and take some time to get out of this rut. Murphy discussed his voluntary retirement on Marc Marcon’s WTF podcast, where he explained that after receiving Razzies for Worst Actor, he decided, “Maybe it’s time to take a break.” After quitting comedy for several years, Murphy reignited his career with a great performance in Dolemite Is My Name and has since shown a willingness to return to his comedic roots.

3

Viggo Mortensen

Quit Franchise Films

While many will immediately recognize Viggo Mortensen from his work in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings franchise, the truth is that he has major issues with blockbuster franchises. While Mortenson’s role as Aragorn provided him with worldwide recognition, he has avoided franchises entirely ever since, explaining in an interview with Vanity Fair that franchise movies are usually “not that good,” with particular criticism going toward their writing.

Although Mortenson didn’t close the door on ever appearing in another major franchise, he claims to focus on looking for “interesting stories” and “I would never do a movie just because so-and-so is directing it.” With this level of artistic integrity, it’s no surprise that Mortenson has spent his post-The Lord of the Rings career working with auteur directors like David Cronenberg or even developing his own projects like The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Don’t Hurt, a Western that he directed, produced, wrote, and even did the score for.

2

Haley Joel Osment

Quit Hollywood Blockbusters

While Hollywood blockbusters may not be a movie genre in and of themselves, the early career of child star Haley Joel Osment was comprised almost exclusively of them. Making his acting debut at 5 years old in Forrest Gump, by the time he was 11, Osment had already earned an Academy Award nomination for his work opposite Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense. While the stories of child stars often turn dark, Osment was one of the few who made it out unscathed and simply walked away from Hollywood in his teens to focus on his education.

This willingness to call it quits at the height of his fame was admirable, although Osment did not quit acting entirely and later studied experimental theater at the Tisch School of the Arts (via CNBC.) Osment is now in his 30s and has resumed his acting career, although on a much smaller scale than when he was just a preteen. With ambitions to be a writer and director, maybe Osment will make a grand return to blockbusters with his own film someday.

1

Matthew McConaughey

Quit Rom-Coms

With beloved movies like The Wedding Planner, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, there was a point during the 2000s when Matthew McConaughey was the most sought-after rom-com star in Hollywood. While this made McConaughey a household name, the truth was this was not the direction he actually envisioned for his career. In a story with Glen Powell in Interview Magazine, McConaughey actually described that era as “scary” and said he had to stop working altogether to get himself out of the rom-com trap he had found himself in.

McConaughey said that he “had long talks with my wife about needing to find a new vocation” and even considered trading his life as an actor to become a teacher or a wildlife guide. Luckily, this time off allowed McConaughey to reemerge in Hollywood, and he was happy that “I got out of my lane” and started gaining more prestigious roles, including an Oscar-winning performance in Dallas Buyers Club, an acclaimed role in HBO’s True Detective, and the lead part in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar.

Sources: People, Variety, Business Insider, Variety, Collider, IndieWire, WTF, Vanity Fair, CNBC, Interview Magazine