Legendary actor Michael Douglas has effectively stepped away from Hollywood after nearly six decades in the entertainment industry, announcing he has no real plans to return to acting despite not being officially retired.

The 80-year-old Oscar winner made the revelation during a press conference at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic on July 5, where he presented a newly restored version of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," the 1975 classic he produced.

"I have not worked since 2022 purposefully because I realized I had to stop," Douglas explained to the audience. "I had 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."

When asked if this signified he was retiring from Hollywood, Douglas clarified that he may consider coming back "if something special came up" but would otherwise not consider appearing again on screen.

The actor's last on-screen appearances were in Marvel's "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" as Dr. Hank Pym, and the Apple TV+ series "Franklin," where he portrayed Benjamin Franklin. Both projects completed filming three years ago.

Douglas acknowledged he is currently developing "one little independent movie" but emphasized it depends on securing a quality script. Beyond that project, he expressed contentment with his decision to prioritize his personal life over his career.

In a lighthearted moment during the festival, Douglas joked about his new role at home, saying he was feeling happy to play the role of "wife" to his spouse of nearly 25 years, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, "in the spirit of maintaining a good marriage."

Douglas leaves behind an impressive filmography spanning classics like "Wall Street," "Fatal Attraction," "Basic Instinct," "The China Syndrome," and "Behind the Candelabra." While he may step away from acting, Douglas continues his work as a producer through his company Further Films, which he launched in 1997. He is currently a producer for two upcoming films: "Starman" and "Reagan & Gorbachev," per IMDb.

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Michael Douglas, Actor, Hollywood, Marvel, Ant-Man