Michael Douglas Says He’s ‘Not Retired’ but Also Isn’t Looking for Roles: I Don’t Want to Drop ‘Dead on the Set’
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key TakeawaysMichael Douglas isn’t necessarily retired, but don’t expect him to be back onscreen anytime soon. The iconic actor/producer said during the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival,via Deadline, that he has “no real intentions” of acting again. Douglas’ most recent screen role was in the series “The Kominsky Method.”
“I’ve had a very busy career. Now, I have not worked since 2022, purposefully, because I realized I had to stop,” Douglas said. “I’d been working pretty hard for almost 60 years, and I did not want to be one of those people who dropped dead on the set. I’m very happy with taking the time off. I have no real intentions [to return]. But I say I’m not retired, because if something special came up, I’d go back. But otherwise, I’m quite happy. I just like to watch my wife work.” (Douglas’ wife Catherine Zeta-Jones stars in “Wednesday.”)
More from IndieWire
Scarlett Johansson Was Welcomed to the 'Jurassic World' Family by Bryce Dallas Howard with a 'Long Email'
Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen Want to Help You Get Your Movie Made
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«Rlekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R15ekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeDouglas previously told Deadlinethat he is on an acting “hiatus,” saying, “I’m enjoying my hiatus and enjoying my life. It was overwhelming running the production company and acting at the same time,” Douglas said. “If something good comes up that I really like [I will act in it]. But I don’t feel a burning desire. I’m still producing. I still love bringing people together.”
He also at least ruled out returning to Marvel (“I don’t think so” he said ofpossibly reprising his “Ant-Man” role.)
Douglas later reflected on working with filmmaker Miloš Forman while producing “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,”which has its 50th anniversary this year. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was Douglas’ first producing credit. Douglas further said at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, as IndieWire reported, that Forman helped form the tone of the “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” adaptation.
“My partner Saul Zaentz and I interviewed many directors, but we were frustrated by how close they kept their cards to their chests,” Douglas said. “Most importantly was the sense of humor that Miloš found without laughing at people but just laughing with them. So we invited Miloš out to my house in California. Miloš opened the script to the first page and started specifically telling us what he was going to do, page by page. Saul and I said, ‘Thank god there’s one person who is going to share with us the ideas.’ Miloš went through the whole script, and I remember Saul and I hugging each other and saying, ‘We found our director!’”
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«Rqekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R1aekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeFellow producer Paul Zaentz added, “I’m probably biased, but I think Miloš Forman is one of the best directors in the history of cinema.”
Best of IndieWire
Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See
'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie
Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
