Anna Faris nearly ditched Hollywood: Why Cameron Diaz, Meghan Markle and more left at the height of their fame

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Anna Faris recently revealed that she almost left Hollywood behind her.

The 45-year-old star shared that she considered quitting acting after leaving her hit CBS sitcom "Mom" following its seventh season in 2020.

"I was like, 'Do I have enough [money] to retire?'" Faris told People magazine. 

Faris surprised fans when she announced that she was leaving "Mom" ahead of the show's eighth and final season. After her exit, she said "it felt like the first time that I didn't have my foot on the gas."

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Anna Faris recently revealed that she almost quit acting after leaving her sitcom "Mom" in 2020. (Carlos Tischler)

The Baltimore-native made her big-screen breakthrough in 2000 when she starred as Cindy Campbell in the horror-comedy parody film "Scary Movie". She reprised her role in the "Scary Movie" franchise's next four films and landed a series of leading parts in comedies including "The House Bunny," "Just Friends" and "Overboard."

However, Faris admitted that the two decades that she spent chasing gigs left her "feeling competitive, feeling comparative."

Following her departure from "Mom", Faris explained that she took a step back to contemplate her future plans. "I really started to think about where I wanted to go in terms of career," she said. "And I definitely was enjoying all that free time."

However, Faris decided to return to acting after a two-year hiatus when she joined the cast of the upcoming film "The Estate."

"For ‘The Estate’ to come along, it felt like Cinderella's shoe a little bit in terms of a job. We got to shoot in New Orleans, a city that I love, with this incredible cast. And we got to play," Faris said.

"And it reminded me of my love for performing," she added.

Though Faris ultimately changed her mind, many other actresses chose to step away from acting at the height of their careers, while some like Faris, were lured back to the spotlight.

Here's a look at eight actresses who said goodbye to Hollywood for good, and others who got pulled back into Tinseltown. 

CAMERON DIAZ

Cameron Diaz announced that she had retired from acting in 2018. However, Jamie Foxx announced in June that Diaz was officially "unretiring" after taking on a lead role in his aptly-titled Netflix movie "Back in Action." (Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)

Cameron Diaz made her acting debut at the age of 21 when she starred opposite Jim Carrey in the 1994 comedy "The Mask." She earned her first Golden Globe award after playing the titular role in 1998's "There's Something About Mary."

She went on to star in a series of hit films including "My Best Friend's Wedding," "Charlie's Angels," and "The Holiday." She also voiced the role of Fiona in the wildly successful "Shrek" franchise. The actress was also met with praise by critics for her performances in more dramatic fare including "Being John Malkovich" and "Vanilla Sky". 

In 2014, she appeared in the big-screen adaptation of the musical "Annie", which would become her last movie role for many years. Diaz officially confirmed her retirement from the profession in 2018.

She reflected on her decision to quit acting during an appearance on Gwyneth Paltrow's "In Goop Health: The Sessions" series.

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"I got a peace in my soul, because I finally was taking care of myself," she told Paltrow.

"It's a strange thing to say, I know a lot of people won't understand it, I know you understand it, but it's so intense to work at that level and be that public and put yourself out there."

She went on to say, "There's a lot of energy coming at you at all times when you're really visible as an actor and doing press and putting yourself out there."

However, Jamie Foxx announced in June that Diaz was officially "unretiring" after taking on a lead role in his aptly-titled Netflix movie "Back in Action."

Foxx shared the news on a social media when he uploaded a phone call between himself and Diaz. He also shared a clip in which Tom Brady was heard giving Diaz some pointers on "unretirement". 

Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle starred on the USA Network legal drama "Suits" before giving up acting to marry Prince Harry. (Max Mumby/Indigo)

Meghan Markle met her future husband Prince Harry while starring on the USA legal drama "Suits." The actress portrayed lawyer Rachel Zane for seven seasons from 2011 to 2018.

She officially retired from acting after announcing she was engaged to the British royal in November 2017. In her first joint interview with Harry, she said, "I don’t see it as giving anything up. I just see it as a change."

Markle continued, "It’s a new chapter, right? And also, keep in mind, I’ve been working on [Suits] for seven years. We were very, very fortunate to have that sort of longevity on a series."

She added, "I’ve ticked this box, and I feel very proud of the work I’ve done there, and now it’s time to work with [Harry] as a team."

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In January 2020, Markle and Harry stunned the world when they announced that they were stepping down from their roles as senior royals and moving to the United States.

After settling in Montecito, California, the couple founded their non-profit organization Archewell Inc. Markle later turned her attention to her Spotify podcast "Archetypes", which debuted in August.

In October, she shared her thoughts on making an acting comeback in an interview with Variety. 

"No. I’m done," the Duchess of Sussex said. "I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not." 

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly retired from acting and became the Princess of Monaco when she married Prince Rainier III. (Archive Photos/Getty Images)

Grace Kelly was another American actress who famously retired from acting to marry a royal. The silver screen legend rose to fame after starring in the 1952 western "High Noon" and 1953's"Mogambo," the latter of which she was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar.

Two years later, she won the Academy Award for best actress for her performance in "The Country Girl." Kelly starred in three Alfred Hitchcock movies including "Rear Window," "Dial M For Murder" and "To Catch a Thief."

In 1955, Kelly met Prince Rainier III of Monaco at the Cannes Film Festival. She officially retired from acting at the age of 26 to marry the prince in April 1956. Her final film performance was in the 1956 musical "High Society."

After retirement, Kelly focused on her royal duties as the Princess of Monaco, though she briefly considered a return to acting when Hitchcock offered her the lead role in his film "Marnie." She ultimately declined the part, citing scheduling difficulties, but her withdrawal from the film was later attributed to geopolitical tensions between France and Monaco.

Though she never appeared again on-screen, Kelly served as the narrator for a 1977 ballet documentary, "The Children of Theatre Street," which was nominated for the Academy Award for best documentary. She devoted her life to her charitable work and raising her three children before tragically passing away in a car accident at the age of 52.

Meg Ryan

Meg Ryan was known as queen of rom-coms before stepping away from the spotlight. However, she revealed last year that she is returning to Tinseltown, and is slated to direct, produce and star opposite David Duchovny in the upcoming romantic comedy "What Happens Later." (AP, File)

Meg Ryan became known as "America's Sweetheart" after starring in classic 1990s romantic comedies "When Harry Met Sally," "Sleepless in Seattle," and "You've Got Mail." She also found success with more dramatic roles in "Courage Under Fire," "When A Man Loves A Woman" and "City of Angels."

However, Ryan began stepping away from the spotlight in the mid-2000s. Her last major movie role was in 2008's "The Women" though she also had a part in her 2015 directorial debut "Ithaca."

In a 2019 interview with the New York Times Magazine, Ryan explained that she opted for a more private life after becoming frustrated with fame and less interested in acting.

"I wasn’t as curious about acting as I was about other things that life can give you," she said. "I wanted to live more."

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Ryan told the outlet that she never wanted to be an actor when she was growing up. "I don’t feel like, naturally, I’m a performer," she explained. "I knew I was being given opportunities and that there was certain music I could play as an actor. Certain things I could do. And I liked acting. I thought it was fun. But acting was a situation I was navigating."

However, the actress revealed that she was returning to the big screen and her rom-com roots last May. She is slated to direct, produce and star opposite David Duchovny in the upcoming romantic comedy "What Happens Later."

Portia de Rossi

Portia de Rossi revealed that she had quit acting on her wife Ellen DeGeneres' talk show. (Reuters)

Portia de Rossi is best known for her starring roles on hit television series including "Ally McBeal," "Arrested Development" and "Scandal." But in May 2018, the Australian actress confirmed that she had retired from acting during an appearance on her wife Ellen DeGeneres' talk show.

"You aren’t a big fan of doing press and talk shows, so thank you for being here," DeGeneres said. "She really doesn’t. That’s why she actually quit acting."

"I did," de Rossi agreed.

DeGeneres continued, "She decided you didn’t want to do anything more with acting and got off of ‘Scandal.’"

"I was approaching 45—", de Rossi continued as DeGeneres interjected, "Aging out".

"Aging out, thank you," she replied. "And I was just wondering, is there something that I could tackle now that I’ve never done before that would be very challenging and different." 

"And I kind of knew what acting would look like for me for the next 10, 20 years, so I decided to quit and start a business." de Rossi explained.

She went on to say that she had made the decision 18 months prior and "Scandal" creator Shonda Rimes had written her out of the show at her request. However, "Arrested Development" creator Mitch Hurwitz wasn't completely accepting of her decision when the cult favorite show was green-lit for a fifth season on Netflix. 

"I said if there is a Season 5, I won’t be doing it because I quit acting," she recalled. "He seemed really understanding and he totally got it. We had a great conversation — and then he wrote me into five episodes. Don’t know how it happened, but, yes, I am on Season 5."

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She has since turned her focus on her business General Public, an art company that uses 3-D technology to reproduce paintings.

Audrey Hepburn 

Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn stepped away from her acting career to spend more time with her family.  (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images)

Audrey Hepburn was one of the most beloved film icons of the 20th century and is one of only 17 performers in history to attain EGOT status after winning an Emmy, a Grammy award, an Oscar and a Tony award. 

The actress appeared in a string of classic films in the 1950s and '60s including "Roman Holiday," "Sabrina," "Funny Face" (1957), "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Charade" and "My Fair Lady."

In 1967, she starred in the thriller "Wait Until Dark," which earned her Oscar, Emmy and BAFTA award nominations. After completing the film, she stepped back from acting at the pinnacle of her career to dedicate more time to her family.

She continued to take on occasional roles but embarked on a new career as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. In 1992, Hepburn was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of work with the social welfare organization. She continued working for UNICEF until her death in 1993 at the age of 63.

Gwyneth Paltrow 

Gwyneth Paltrow has said that she has "doesn't daydream about the movie business at all" after dedicating herself to her lifestyle brand GOOP. (Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for goop)

Gwyneth Paltrow became one of the most bankable actresses of the late 1990s and early 2000s after starring in hit movies such as "Seven," "Emma," "Sliding Doors," "The Talented Mr. Ripley," and "The Royal Tenenbaums." 

Paltrow won a Golden Globe award and the Academy Award for best actress for her performance in the 1998 romantic period drama "Shakespeare in Love." She began accepting fewer acting roles starting in 2004 after she became a mother.

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However, Paltrow would go to win an Emmy Award for her guest-starring role in the musical series "Glee" and portrayed Pepper Potts in the blockbuster Marvel Cinematic Universe "Avengers" franchise from 2008 to 2019.

Paltrow's last major on-screen role was in the 2019 Netflix series "The Politician." Paltrow pivoted from her acting career to dedicate herself to her lifestyle brand GOOP, which she founded in 2008.

In a July interview on Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist, Paltrow said she has no regrets about stepping away from acting.

"I really don't miss it all. I think I'm so lucky that I got to do it, and I'm sure I still will at some point," she said, per People magazine. 

She continued, "The team is always trying to get me to do a movie, but I really love what I do, and I love how immediate it is and how … we're able to create product out of thin air that we believe in so much."

While Paltrow told Geist that she doesn't "daydream about the movie business at all," she does plan to act again on stage in order to fulfill a promise that she made to her mother Blythe Danner. 

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"I did promise my mother at some point before I die, I told her I would go and do a play so… I'm gonna deliver on that promise at some point," she said.

Shirley Temple 

Shirley Temple retired from acting at the age of 22. Once Temple reached adolescence, her film career began to stall, and she officially quit show business in 1950. (Getty)

Shirley Temple skyrocketed to international fame as a child actress and became the number one Hollywood box office draw for four consecutive years between 1935 and 1938. Known for her blonde ringlets, dimples, tap-dancing and singing, Temple was universally beloved for her performances in musicals including "Bright Eyes," "Curly Top," "Heidi," and "The Little Colonel"  among others.

Temple also had her own massively popular line of merchandise featuring her image including dolls, clothing, and accessories. Once Temple reached adolescence, her film career began to stall, and she officially quit show business in 1950 at the age of 22.

After ending her acting career, Temple pivoted to politics. She was appointed as a delegate to the United Nations in 1969 and was later named the U.S. ambassador to Ghana, a post which she held from 1974 to 1976. Temple also served as the U.S. ambassador to Czechoslovakia. 

In January 1988, Temple released her autobiography "Child Star." In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in June of that year, she reflected on her decision to leave Hollywood, telling the outlet, "I had had enough pretend. I wanted to be in the real world."

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