At the age of 80, Michael Douglas has called it quits on his Hollywood career. 

The Oscar-winning actor isn’t upset about his decision, though, he’s taken on a new role that is a very personal one — and it has everything to do with his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones. He revealed the news at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic and explained why he decided to retire after a storied career, including projects like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Fatal Attraction, and The War of the Roses.

“I have not worked since 2022 purposefully because I realized I had to stop,” he explained, per 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. I have no real intentions of going back. I say I’m not retired because if something special came up, I’d go back, but otherwise, no.” 

Of course, the actor can’t retire 100%, there is “one little independent movie” that he hopes to pursue, but otherwise, his life is all about Zeta-Jones, and their two children, Dylan, 24, and Carys, 22, plus Cameron, 46, his son with first wife Diandra Luker. That’s when Douglas revealed his new purpose in life — and it’s really cute. 

He’s not pursuing other Hollywood projects because “in the spirit of maintaining a good marriage,” Douglas is “happy to play the wife.” Zeta-Jones is free to pursue her entertainment industry career because The Kominsky Method star is happy to support her at home. 

The couple’s love story may seem like a fairytale, but they’ve certainly had their share of bumps along the way, only to recommit to their relationship. After meeting in 1998, they fast-tracked their romance with their first son and marriage just two years later. By 2003, Carys had arrived, and everything seemed perfect, but trouble was on the horizon. Douglas was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer in 2010, which took a toll on their marriage. By 2013, the dynamic duo split amid Zeta-Jones’ struggles with her mental health — she was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder.

After admitting to People at the 2013 Primetime Emmy Awards that they were “working things out, talking,” the couple found their way back to each other in 2014. Despite the 25-year age gap, Douglas and Zeta-Jones are two peas in a pod — and he wants to spend every moment with his bride. 

“It’s not ideal for him [when Zeta-Jones is away working] because he would prefer she never leave his side, but he also loves to cheer her on and see her succeed so he’s sucking it up and promising her he’s fine with it, but he admits to his friends how dreadful things are without her around,” a source told Closer Weekly in April. “He says he doesn’t sleep well when she’s not in the bed, after so many years together, it’s like missing his security blanket.”

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