preening and seducing as Liberace in “Behind the Candelabra” or running amok while rocking a flattop haircut in “Falling Down,” Michael Douglas has long established himself as one of those actors who will bring his A-game to the table every time. However, if movie buffs who like to keep up with acting legends have been wondering what Douglas has been up to recently, the answer is as simple as it is sad: Not a lot, at least when it comes to acting. Yes, projects like 2023’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and the 2024 Apple TV+ miniseries “Franklin” have kept the actor on screens both big and small, but as Douglas himself recently stated during a press conference at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, he hasn’t actually worked in a few years now:
“I’ve had a very busy career. Now, I have not worked since 2022, purposefully, because I realized I had to stop. 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.”
While it’s unfortunate to see Douglas step back from acting, it’s worth keeping in mind that the two-time Academy Award winner is 80 years old and has indeed been acting since the mid-1960s. As such, it’s perfectly understandable that he recognizes where his priorities lie at this point in life. It may also explain why he campaigned for his character to die in “Ant-Man 3” and even pitched an explosive idea for Hank Pym’s demise. After all, if you know that you’re walking away, you might as well leave with a bang.
