Not all celebrities know how to retire at the right time. Some have walked away from their careers while at their peak perhaps even sooner than expected.
Stars can become exhausted or weary of their work. While fame and glamour may be alluring, there comes a point when living in the constant spotlight and being the focus of headlines becomes difficult to sustain.
Some celebrities have remained in the public eye for decades, choosing to retire of their own accord for the sake of their physical and mental well-being. Here, we look at actors, athletes, and singers who knew exactly when it was time to step away.
15. Enya
Enya released a bunch of albums, never toured, and lives in an Irish castle with her cats.
14. Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson gave us decades of iconic performances and then just decided he’d done enough.
13. Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy was a mega star when he left. He is still a mega star every time he chooses to come back.
12. Jim Brown
Jim Brown left the NFL at the top of his game.
11. Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman retired to write novels, something he had wanted to do for a long time. By all accounts he had a happy and productive 20 year retirement until his final months.
10. Doris Day
Doris Day retired from acting and started an animal welfare fund.
9. Tina Turner
Tina Turner retired from touring as she knew that if she carried on any longer she would not be able to be. She said she was very intentional with planning her finances such that she would be able to retire and not have to work out of necessity after that final tour.
8. Bobbie Gentry
Bobbie Gentry, a legendary country music singer-songwriter who wrote Ode To Billie Joe, and more famously wrote “Fancy”, which was later covered by Reba McEntire. Her last public appearance was in 1982 at the ACM Awards, where she presented an award. Following that awards show, she walked out the door and simply never came back.
7. Greta Garbo
The legendary actress retired in 1941 at just 36, walked away permanently, and lived the rest of her life in near-total seclusion.
6. Rick Moranis
Rick Moranis stepped away from acting at the peak of his career to focus entirely on raising his kids after his wife passed away. Pure class and his legacy remains completely untarnished.
5. Ashleigh Barty
Ashleigh Barty was an Australian tennis player and retired when she was number 1 to start a family.
4. Nico Rosberg
Nico Rosberg won the F1 driver’s championship, beating Lewis Hamilton in an epic fight and walked away after that.
3. Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly was the leading lady of the ’50s and she left it all behind to live the life of a princess and mother.
2. Andrew Ridgeley
Andrew Ridgeley knew it was time to let go and let George Michael shine as a solo artist. He settled down with a member of Bananarama and retired to the English countryside.
1. Billy Joel
Billy Joel’s last studio album was in 1993. He did one collaborative album in 2001 but he doesn’t perform on it, it’s all classical compositions written by him and played by others. He still plays live shows when he feels like it but otherwise he’s retired.
