Regardless of what job you do, we all need a little break sometimes. And though we all idealize what being a famous actor would be like, many of our favorite stars have taken a breather in the past to reset, refocus and, sometimes, even retire.

Oppenheimer star Emily Blunt, for example, revealed in 2023 that she would be taking time off to spend quality time with her daughters Hazel, 9, and Violet, 6, and her husband John Krasinski. “I worked quite a bit last year and my oldest baby is 9, so we’re in the last year of single digits,” the actress told iHeartRadio’s Table for Two podcast. “And I just feel there are cornerstones to their day that are so important when they’re little.”

The same goes for other A-listers, including Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds and Eva Mendes, who have all pressed pause to get some more family time.

With that said, not all stars made the decision for the same reason. Tom Holland, for example, announced a break from acting after wrapping up The Crowded Room, an intense TV show that was just too taxing for him to continue. In another interesting story, Chris Hemsworth also announced a break after a medical scare turned his life upside down.

Check out all the stars who’ve taken acting breaks and opened up about them below!