Gay Actresses Who Quit Hollywood

Many actresses leave the entertainment industry to pursue other passions or to escape the pressures of fame. This list explores twenty-five women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, or queer and decided to step away from Hollywood. Some found new careers in art and literature while others sought a quieter life away from the spotlight.

Adèle Haenel

This French actress gained international acclaim for her role in ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ before making a bold exit from the film industry. Haenel announced her retirement from cinema in 2023 to denounce complacency toward sexual violence within the French film establishment. She chose to focus on theater and political activism instead of continuing her screen career. Her departure marked a significant moment of protest within the global entertainment community.

Alexandra Hedison

Hedison appeared in television shows like ‘The L Word’ during the late nineties and early 2000s. She eventually left acting to dedicate herself fully to fine art photography. Her work has been exhibited in galleries around the world and often explores the intersection of architecture and nature. She married fellow actress Jodie Foster in 2014 and maintains a private life outside the Hollywood acting circuit.

Alla Nazimova

Nazimova was a major silent film star and producer who founded the Garden of Alla hotel in Hollywood. She grew disillusioned with the studio system and the restrictions placed on her creative control. The actress pivoted back to the Broadway stage where she felt she could produce more artistic work. Nazimova lived openly with women in her private circle during an era when such relationships were kept secret.

Amanda Bearse

Best known for her role as Marcy D’Arcy on ‘Married… with Children’ Bearse transitioned from acting to directing. She directed numerous episodes of the hit sitcom and went on to build a successful career behind the camera. She came out publicly as a lesbian in 1993 and became a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Bearse has occasionally returned to the screen but her primary professional focus remains on directing and teaching.

Amber Heard

Heard starred in major blockbusters like ‘Aquaman’ before deciding to leave the United States. Reports in 2023 confirmed that she relocated to Madrid to raise her daughter away from the intense media scrutiny she faced in Los Angeles. She is fluent in Spanish and expressed a desire for a quieter existence in Europe. While she has completed obligations for past projects she has largely stepped back from the Hollywood machine.

Cathy DeBuono

DeBuono gained a fanbase for her roles in ‘The L Word’ and ‘Exes & Ohs’ before changing her career path entirely. She left the entertainment industry to become a licensed marriage and family therapist. Her current work focuses on providing mental health support with a specialization in LGBTQ+ issues. DeBuono uses her platform to educate the public on psychological wellness rather than pursuing new acting roles.

Clementine Ford

The daughter of actress Cybill Shepherd appeared in ‘The L Word’ and ‘The Young and the Restless’ before stepping back from the limelight. Ford revealed she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and chose to be selective about her professional commitments. She publicly identified as bisexual and has since focused on her family and health. Her acting appearances have become rare as she prioritizes her personal well-being.

Ellen DeGeneres

DeGeneres began her career as a sitcom actress before transitioning to daytime talk show hosting. She officially ended her long-running talk show in 2022 and later moved to the United Kingdom with her wife Portia de Rossi. The couple cited a desire to escape the political climate and media environment of the United States. DeGeneres has effectively retired from the Hollywood ecosystem that defined her career for decades.

Greta Garbo

Garbo remains one of the most enigmatic figures in cinema history after retiring at the age of thirty-five. The Swedish star left Hollywood in 1941 after the failure of her film ‘Two-Faced Woman’ and never returned to the screen. She lived the rest of her life in New York City and avoided all publicity and interviews. Biographers later confirmed her romantic relationships with women and her desire to live authentically away from the studio’s control.

Jean Acker

Acker was a silent film actress who is often remembered for her brief marriage to Rudolph Valentino. She eventually left the film industry to pursue a successful career in real estate investment. Acker lived with her partner Chloe Carter in Beverly Hills for the remainder of her life. She maintained friendships within the industry but chose financial independence over the uncertainty of an acting career.

Josephine Baker

Baker found fame as a dancer and actress but grew tired of the racial segregation she experienced in the United States. She moved to France where she found greater acceptance and became a national icon. Baker used her fame to work as a spy for the French Resistance during World War II. She spent her later years performing in Europe and raising her large adopted family.

Kay Francis

Francis was the highest-paid actress at Warner Bros. during the 1930s but struggled with studio disputes. She retired from filmmaking in 1946 after feeling burnt out by the industry’s demands. Her personal diaries published posthumously revealed her relationships with women and her disillusionment with fame. She spent her retirement in New York and largely vanished from the public eye.

Kelly McGillis

McGillis starred in iconic 1980s films like ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Witness’ before stepping away from mainstream Hollywood. She moved to North Carolina and later Pennsylvania to focus on raising her children and getting sober. The actress came out as a lesbian in 2009 and began teaching acting to students. She rarely accepts on-screen roles and prefers a quiet life teaching the craft she once practiced.

Kristy McNichol

McNichol was a celebrated teen star who won two Emmy Awards for her role in ‘Family’ before leaving the business. She officially retired in 2001 to focus on her mental health after struggling with bipolar disorder. The actress came out in 2012 to support kids who were being bullied for their sexuality. She now lives a private life with her partner and works as an acting teacher.

Laurel Holloman

Known for her role as Tina Kennard on ‘The L Word’ Holloman took a long hiatus from acting to pursue painting. She established herself as a successful visual artist with solo exhibitions in Paris and London. While she briefly returned for a revival series her primary career is now in the fine arts world. She identifies as bisexual and dedicates her time to her large-scale abstract paintings.

Lizabeth Scott

Scott was a star of film noir in the 1940s and 1950s known for her husky voice and smoky presence. Her career suffered damage after a scandal magazine insinuated she was a lesbian. She eventually stopped making films in 1957 and retreated into a private life in Palm Springs. Scott remained reclusive and never married while maintaining her privacy until her death.

Louise Brooks

Brooks was a silent film icon who played the memorable role of Lulu in ‘Pandora’s Box’ before quitting Hollywood. She walked away from the studio system because she refused to conform to its rigid rules. Brooks reinvented herself as a writer and film historian later in life. She was open about her fluid sexuality and her disdain for the artificial nature of the movie business.

Mara Wilson

Wilson was a famous child star known for ‘Matilda’ and ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ but left acting as she entered adulthood. She found the scrutiny of the film industry overwhelming and pivoted to a career in writing. Wilson came out as bisexual in 2016 following the Pulse nightclub tragedy. She now focuses on penning books and essays while doing occasional voice work.

Marlene Dietrich

Dietrich was a screen legend who challenged gender norms by wearing tuxedos and having relationships with both men and women. She gradually shifted away from film acting to become a highly paid cabaret performer. Her later years were spent in seclusion in her Paris apartment where she communicated mostly by telephone. She effectively retired from public life to preserve her mysterious image.

Michelle Paradise

Paradise began her career as an actress and created the semi-autobiographical series ‘Exes & Ohs’. She eventually moved behind the camera to become a writer and executive producer. Her work now focuses on running major television shows like ‘Star Trek: Discovery’. She used her background in acting to inform her successful transition to showrunning and writing.

Nancy Kulp

Kulp was best known as Miss Jane Hathaway on ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ but left Hollywood to enter politics. She ran for a congressional seat in Pennsylvania in 1984 after retiring from acting. Following her political defeat she taught acting at a liberal arts college. Kulp reportedly confirmed her sexuality to friends and students later in her life.

Patsy Kelly

Kelly was a popular comedic actress in the 1930s who lived openly as a gay woman. Her career stalled significantly due to the homophobia of the era and she was effectively blacklisted for years. She took on menial jobs to survive before making a brief comeback in her older years. Kelly is often remembered as a talent whose career was curtailed by the industry’s intolerance.

Portia de Rossi

De Rossi starred in hit shows like ‘Arrested Development’ and ‘Scandal’ before announcing her retirement. She revealed on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ in 2018 that she was quitting acting to start an art curation business called General Public. The former actress wanted to pursue a new challenge that gave her more creative autonomy. She has since moved to England with her wife and focuses entirely on her business ventures.

Rose McGowan

McGowan was a star of the series ‘Charmed’ but left the mainstream industry to become an activist and author. She became a central figure in the #MeToo movement and spoke out against the abuses she suffered in Hollywood. McGowan identifies as non-binary and queer and has distanced herself from the acting profession. She now focuses on directing and music while living outside the traditional celebrity system.

Tallulah Bankhead

Bankhead was a dynamic actress known for her wit and uninhibited lifestyle. She found Hollywood boring and restrictive compared to the freedom of the theater. The actress was open about her bisexual relationships and preferred the stage where she could perform without censorship. She eventually left the film industry almost entirely to focus on radio and Broadway productions.

Which of these career pivots surprised you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments.