Old Hollywood was an ever-changing place where major actors and actresses
could be the next big thing one moment and a forgotten relic the next.
Sometimes, the most difficult choice they ever had to make was when to get out.
Not all of them waited until their careers were almost over before moving on. Many surprised their
fans by leaving when it seemed they’d just reached the highest level of superstardom.
Like and subscribe for more on these major names and their most memorable roles. Keep watching
to learn about Old Hollywood stars who quit acting at the peak of their career.
Rita Hayworth Margarita Carmen Cansino was born on October 17,
1918. Her parents were performers as well. Her father Eduardo was a professional dancer and her
mother Volga was part of the Ziegfield Folies. They trained her early and took her to dance
lessons as a child, and she was already a professional dancer at the age of 12.
She never had the courage to tell her abusive father it was his passion and not hers.
Rita’s big break came with the 1935 film Under the Pampas Moon.
Her contract with Fox led to several other projects, including Dante’s Inferno,
Charle Chan in Egypt, and more. Her most famous work was the 1946 film, Gilda.
Rita’s personal life wasn’t as glamorous. Her first marriage to Eddie Judson
in 1937 went downhill fast. She continued to be unlucky
in love after leaving Eddie. Her second husband, Orson Wells, was emotionally
unavailable and cheated on her several times. Her wedding to Prince Aly Khan was elaborate,
but they split up in 1951 after he also cheated on her. He accused her of being an alcoholic,
and she took their daughters back to New York in 1951. That started a bitter custody battle that
she eventually won. Her final marriage to singer Dick Haymes also fell apart.
Her career had gone downhill by the 70s, and the tabloids also claimed
she was an alcoholic. An artist at Newport Beach took notice and sent her to get professional help.
The truth was that she’d had undiagnosed Alzheimer’s since the 60s. She found comfort
in neighbors but her daughter, Yasmin Jeffries, abandoned her singing career
to help her mother in her final years. Rita Hayworth died on May 14, 1987.
Julie Christie Julie Christie was born on April 14, 1940. She
grew up on a plantation in India before moving to England and finishing up her education in France.
She planned on becoming an artist before joining the Frinton Repertory of Essex in 1957.
Her acting debut came in 1961 with the sci-fi TV
series A for Andromeda. Her film debut was in the 1962 comedy Crooks Anonymous.
One of her most memorable roles was her work alongside Warren Beaty in the 1971
Western McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Their chemistry made it a hit and began a long love affair.
Julie’s final box-office hit was the 1968 film Petulia. It set her up as one of the
best actresses in Hollywood, but she walked away after it was finished.
Julie had never dreamed of superstardom and wasn’t concerned with finding huge, leading roles. She
took a few parts but turned down many others that won other actresses' Oscars. She also worked with
Warren a few times after they split in films such as Shampoo in 1975 and Heaven Can Wait in 1978
Julie was considered “retired” by the 90s, but the truth was that she was particular about what she
chose to act in. The 1997 film Afterglow won her a Best Actress Oscar nomination.
She also returned to the stage in 1995 for a production of Old Times.
Since then, she’s only taken small supporting roles that she’s willing to dedicate herself to.
Donna Mills Donna Mill’s breakthrough
role came in 1971 with the Clint Eastwood film Play Misty for Me. She also starred in the
Dallas spinoff Knots Landing from 1979-1993. Her career flourished after these successful
projects, but she always felt that something was missing.
She’d always wanted to be a mom and decided to adopt a daughter named Chloe at the age of 54.
Donna left Hollywood for 18 years to take care of her daughter. She only took a few
acting jobs in the first few years to make ends meet. Not everyone agreed with her decision to
adopt a daughter when she did, but she now feels it’s better to be a mother in your later years.
Debra Winger Debra Winger became one of
the highest-paid actresses of the 80s. She had a string of hits with Urban Cowboy, An Officer
and a Gentleman, and Terms of Endearment. There was plenty of drama behind the scenes
in that final film. She couldn’t get along with her costars Shirley MacClaine and Richard Gere.
It gave her a reputation for being difficult, but she believes she would have
been praised for her tenacity if she were a man. The world was surprised when she suddenly felt
Hollywood at the age of 40. She said she wanted to spend more time with her husband Arliss Howard and
children Noah and Babe. It also gave her time to spend with her mother before her passing.
She eventually came back to Hollywood in films such as Big Bad Love in 2001.
Her most recent appearance was in the TV series, Mr. Corman, in 2021.
Kim Novak Kim Novak rose to fame as the star of the
Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo in 1958. It’s now considered one of the greatest films of all time.
She said in her book Kim Novak: Her Art and Life, that being a part of Hollywood made
her lose her sense of who she was. Hollywood execs didn’t seem to be satisfied with her true
self and personal choices. She had to refuse Columbia Pictures head Harry Cohn’s requests
to change her name and stop dating Sammy Davis Jr. Kim now lives in the Rogue River Valley of Oregon.
She’s become a skilled artist and also an animal lover. Her husband Robert Malloy was a
veterinarian who she met when he came to care for one of her Arabian horses. He died on November 27,
2020, and she called him her soulmate. Like and subscribe to Facts Verse
for more on the life and career of the biggest names in film and TV. Keep watching to learn
about more Old Hollywood stars who quit acting at the peak of their career, including everyone from
child stars to sex symbols. Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly was another actress who rose to fame with Hitchcock films such as Dial M for Murder,
Rear Window, and To Catch a Thief. They made her a sought-after sex symbol and a box-office draw.
The way that she left Hollywood is one of the most unique in the industry.
She met Prince Rainer III of Monaco at the Cannes Film Festival, and they were married in 1956. She
had to leave the world of Old Hollywood to fulfill her duties as Princess Grace.
Shirley Temple Shirley Temple was born on April 23,
1928. She became a major child star and acted in at least 14 movies. Her adorable curls and
innocent persona made her a major box office draw. Shirley left Hollywood in her 20s to take up
another unexpected pursuit; politics. She was appointed to the United States General Assembly
by Richard Nixon. She became an Ambassador twice, first to Ghana under Gerald Ford and
then to Czechoslovakia under George Bush. Shirley Temple died on February 10, 2014.
Her story of how America’s sweetheart became a major political figure continues to inspire.
Daniel Day-Lewis Daniel Day-Lewis was born on April 29,
1957. He has won more accolades than most Hollywood actors. He’s got 4 Oscars,
4 Bas even knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Daniel decided in 2017 to take those honors
and run. His rep said in a statement that he won’t be acting anymore
but didn’t offer any comments as to why. Daniel already went into semi-retirement
in the 90s. His most recent film was Phantom Thread in 2017, but it’s likely to be his last.
Cary Grant Archibald Alec Leach was born on January 18,
1904. He left school at 14 to join a troup of comedians and eventually had one of the most
prolific careers of any classic Hollywood actor. Cary acted in over 72 movies. He eventually
decided to retire after the birth of his only daughter Jennifer in 1966 at the age of 62.
Cary Grant died at the age of 82 of a cerebral hemorrhage on November 29, 1986.
Gene Hackman Gene Hackman
was born on January 30, 1930. His successful 60-year acting career ended when he was 74.
Health issues were one of his primary motivations for leaving. He says that the “straw that broke
the camel’s back” was a failed stress test. The doctor told him his heart
couldn’t handle the demands of acting anymore. Gene is 90 years old and has also become a
successful author. His first book came out in 1999, and his latest, titled Pursuit,
was released in 2013. Greta Garbo
Greta Lovisa Gustafsson was born on September 18, 1905. She grew up poor after her father died
but began an acting career when the department store she worked at used her in her film ads.
Greta got a scholarship for drama school at the age of 18 and eventually earned
a contract with MGM that lead to several successful films, one of the most famous
of which was the 1935 film Anna Karenina. Greta was a staple of Old Hollywood and
created a special style known as the “Garbo mystique.” It only lasted until she was 36.
She was shaken by the end of WWII and felt the world had changed forever.
Her retirement was meant to be temporary, but she never came back after the 1941 film
Two-Faced Woman. Letters she wrote indicate that she was disillusioned with the work.
She stayed in her New York City home until her death at the age of 84 on April 15, 1990.
Which Old Hollywood star do you miss watching the most? Let us know in the comments below.
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