Michael Douglas Walks Away From Acting and Warns U.S. Democracy Is Falling Apart

Michael Douglas says he’s finished with acting, at least for now, and he’s also seriously worried about the future of the United States. While speaking at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, the Oscar-winning actor made it clear: he’s stepping back from Hollywood and losing faith in American politics.

Douglas, who was in town to present a newly restored version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, opened up about why he hasn’t taken on any acting work recently.

“I have not worked since 2022 purposefully because I realized I had to stop,” he told reporters at a press conference, according to Variety. “I had 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.”

He explained that he’s not fully retired, but it would take something extraordinary to get him back in front of the camera. For now, he’s happy just being at home with his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. “In the spirit of maintaining a good marriage, I’m happy to play the wife,” he said with a laugh.

But Douglas didn’t just talk about movies and marriage. He had a lot to say about the political mess in the U.S. When asked about his views on current events in America, he didn’t sugarcoat it.

“The nation is flirting with autocracy,” he said. “Politics now seem to be for profit. Money has entered democracy as a profit centre. People are going into politics now to make money. We maintained an ideal, an idealism in the U.S., which does not exist now.”

Douglas said he’s worried about how fragile democracy has become. “I look at it generally as the fact of how precious democracy is, of how vulnerable it is and how it always has to be protected,” he added. “I myself am worried, I am nervous, and I think it’s all of our responsibility to look out for ourselves.”

He avoided going into too much detail, saying, “the news speaks for itself.”

Back at the festival, Douglas wasn’t just reflecting on politics. He also took time to look back at One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the classic film he helped produce. It’s been nearly 50 years since the movie first showed at Karlovy Vary. Director Miloš Forman, who was from the Czech Republic, played a huge role in making the film the masterpiece it became.

“The festival was just beginning when we first came here,” Douglas said. “It’s highly unusual to be supporting and honoring a movie from 50 years ago. It’s a treat to come back here to the scene of the crime, where Miloš was brought up, with all of what he accomplished.”

Douglas also mentioned how strong that year’s Oscars were. He brought up movies like Dog Day Afternoon, Jaws, Barry Lyndon, and Nashville, which were all up for Best Picture in 1976. “I ask you, in the last 20 years, has there ever been anywhere near that kind of quality of movies there?” he asked.

Producer Paul Zaentz, who is the nephew of original Cuckoo’s Nest producer Saul Zaentz, joined Douglas at the festival. He talked about plans to create a TV series based on the original book, but this time told from Chief Bromden’s point of view. The first season would end with the death of the Jack Nicholson character, and the second season would follow the Chief after his escape.

Douglas also spoke about his battle with stage 4 throat cancer. It wasn’t an easy road. “Stage 4 cancer is not a holiday,” he said. He chose to go through chemotherapy and radiation instead of surgery, which would have removed part of his jaw and damaged his ability to speak. “That would have been limiting as an actor,” he said.

Now, Douglas seems content with taking it easy. He says there’s a small indie film he’s trying to develop, but beyond that, he’s not rushing to get back on screen.

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