All the celebrities who came out of retirement
Retirement is a concept that most Aussies dream of every day.
Sitting back by the beach, having your days to yourself with little-to-no responsibilities.
But do A-listers view retirement the same way?
Well, it seems some do, but some definitely don't.
It's not uncommon for a celebrity to announce their retirement, breaking hearts of fans around the world, only to return to the spotlight years later.
So, if you're curious to find out which celebs have gone into retirement only to change their minds and head back to Hollywood, keep reading.
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Cameron Diaz
In 2018, Cameron Diaz announced she was retiring from acting saying she was "literally doing nothing".
For years, she didn't appear on our screens, even telling friend Gwyneth Paltrow in a 2020 interview for Goop that her choice to retire had given her peace.
But in 2022, Diaz's fans were delighted when Netflix announced that the star was coming out of retirement.
"Cameron Diaz is officially un-retiring!! " Netflix tweeted at the time. "She will star with Jamie Foxx in a new Netflix movie – and we have an unexpected person to thank for getting her back in action…"
It turns out that none other than NFL legend Tom Brady was the one to convince Diaz to get back in front of the camera.
Foxx tweeted an audio recording in which he had Brady share some words of advice with Diaz.
When Diaz shared with Foxx that she was nervous about coming out of retirement, her co-star said, "Listen, I got somebody on the other line that can help you with this."
"I was talking to Jamie and he said you need a few tips on how to un-retire," Brady said when he was patched into the call. "I'm relatively successful at un-retiring."
"Honestly," Diaz responded. "Exactly what I needed."
Daniel Day-Lewis
Possibly one of the wilder – if not the wildest – celebrity retirement stories.
Daniel Day-Lewis first announced his retirement in 1997.
But where most other retired celebrities plan on travelling the world, or starting up some kind of business to keep them busy, Day-Lewis had other plans.
The Crucible actor instead shared that he was off to become an apprentice to a renowned Italian shoemaker.
He returned in 2002 to star in Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York, announcing his retirement again over a decade later in 2017.
However, he's since made a second comeback to star in his son's directorial debut, Anemone.
Cher
In 2002, Cher set out on a three month farewell tour, as her incredible career in the spotlight came to a close.
But six years later, fans were delighted when she announced her Las Vegas residency.
Since then, the superstar has stayed out of retirement, releasing albums and even starring in a slew of films including Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again and Burlesque.
Barbra Streisand
In the year 2000, a 58–year–old Barbra Streisand performed four farewell concerts to mark her retirement.
She had told ABC News at the time that she wanted to shift her focus for live performances to acting and directing.
Streisand had one of the lengthy celebrity retirements, not returning to the spotlight until 2016.
She embarked on her The Music... The Mem'ries... The Magic! tour that same year.
Phil Collins
Legendary musician Phil Collins announced his first retirement in 2004.
He embarked on his First Farewell Tour over 2004 and 2005, but delighted fans when he reunited with his group Genesis for a tour in 2007.
And just when we thought Collins was officially retired, he shocked fans once again.
Ten years after reuniting with Genesis, Collins announced that he was stepping back into the limelight, travelling the world through 2017 and 2018 on his comeback tour Not Dead yet.
Evangeline Lilly
When her TV show Lost ended in 2010, actress Evangeline Lilly announced that she would be retiring from acting.
Instead, Lilly shared that she would be focusing on her writing and being a mum.
However, like plenty of other Hollywood retirements, it didn't last too long.
After a two year hiatus, Lilly once again appeared on the big screen in Marvel's Ant–Man and the Wasp.
Jay-Z
Jay–Z announced his retirement following his 2003 release, The Black Album, returning three years later with his album Kingdom Come.
"It was the worst retirement, maybe, in history," he later told Entertainment Weekly.
