Can't stay away: Stars who threatened to retire (and didn't) | CNN

Can't stay away: Celebs who threaten to retire —

With six kids between them, no one would blame Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt if they decided to forget about making movies and live off "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" royalties instead. Both stars have hinted that they're ready to retire, with Pitt saying in 2011 that he gave himself about three more years, and Angelina Jolie saying in 2014 that she plans to give up acting entirely ... eventually. Neither has followed through with their threats; in fact, they're co-starring in a 2015 movie Jolie also wrote and directed called "By the Sea." These two aren't the only stars who've claimed to be ready to retire and didn't really mean it.

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It's a good thing that Barbra Streisand has taken her time saying "farewell" to her fans: the singer just set a Billboard record with her latest release, "Partners." Over the years, Streisand has become infamous for her goodbye tours. The entertainer gave a farewell tour in 2000, only to come back for another "this-is-it-really this-time" tour in 2006. But no one told Babs she couldn't go home again, and so in 2012, she lit up the Barclays Center in Brooklyn with a set of shows.

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"Grey's Anatomy" actress Ellen Pompeo surprised fans on September 10 when she said that she's thinking about quitting acting once "Grey's" is over. "I definitely feel myself transitioning," she said during a BuzzFeed Brews panel, although she was hesitant to make a definitive statement.

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Can't stay away: Celebs who threaten to retire —

"The English Patient" helped to firmly establish her as a movie star, but Kristin Scott Thomas sounds like she may have lost patience with the industry. She told The Guardian in January about her 2013 realization that she "cannot cope with another film. ... I just suddenly thought, I can't do it any more. I'm bored by it."

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On January 10, <a href="https://twitter.com/thecampaignbook/with_replies" target="_blank" target="_blank">Shia LaBeouf announced on Twitter</a> that he was retiring from public life. How he'll be able to keep that up as a still-working actor is unclear, and no one was really buying it.

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On January 10, Shia LaBeouf announced on Twitter that he was retiring from public life. How he'll be able to keep that up as a still-working actor is unclear, and no one was really buying it.

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Can't stay away: Celebs who threaten to retire —

Justin Bieber, at the ripe age of 19, has claimed he's ready to retire from music -- twice in one week. First he told a Los Angeles radio station that his next album would be his last. Next, he took to Twitter on Christmas Eve to try the joke again before assuring fans he'd be here "FOREVER." After the year he's had, we can't say we blame the guy for wanting to bow out. He still hasn't, of course.

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Britney Spears has been in show business since she was a child but admits she sometimes thinks about retiring. Her fans, however, don't need to worry she's going to disappear anytime soon. She's already booked for a two-year residency in Las Vegas.

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Can't stay away: Celebs who threaten to retire —

Jay Z can be considered one of hip-hop's royals, but he's also the king of the retirement fake-out. The rapper announced in 2003 that "The Black Album" would be his last, but life without a mic just didn't suit him. He was back in the booth within three years. He later told Entertainment Weekly that it was maybe the worst retirement in history.

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Another star who loves to threaten us with his impending retirement is Johnny Depp. After turning 50 earlier this year, Depp <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23488712" target="_blank" target="_blank">told the BBC</a> and <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/johnny-depp-an-outlaw-looks-at-50-20130618" target="_blank" target="_blank">Rolling Stone</a> that he thinks about exiting the industry "every day," and that it's "probably not too far away." By "not too far away," we can only assume he means after 2016, since he'll be starring in six films between now and then.

Can't stay away: Celebs who threaten to retire —

Another star who loves to threaten us with his impending retirement is Johnny Depp. After turning 50 earlier this year, Depp told the BBC and Rolling Stone that he thinks about exiting the industry "every day," and that it's "probably not too far away." By "not too far away," we can only assume he means after 2016, since he'll be starring in six films between now and then.

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First, Eddie Murphy said that <a href="http://www.today.com/id/25581773#.UrIdH-JuE4c" target="_blank" target="_blank">he'd retire from movies at 50</a>. That was back in 2008, when the comedian was 47. By 2012, even Murphy had to laugh at his forecasting, and had turned to <a href="http://www.extratv.com/2012/11/05/eddie-murphy-jokes-hes-retired-shows-off-new-girlfriend/" target="_blank" target="_blank">joking about the fact that he was "completely retired</a>." Of course, he's still working, <a href="http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/triplets-with-arnold-schwarzenegger-danny-devito-eddie-murphy-moves-forward-josh-gad-co-writing-script-20121115" target="_blank" target="_blank">with the latest being an effort to develop a "Triplets" movie.</a>

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First, Eddie Murphy said that he'd retire from movies at 50. That was back in 2008, when the comedian was 47. By 2012, even Murphy had to laugh at his forecasting, and had turned to joking about the fact that he was "completely retired." Of course, he's still working, with the latest being an effort to develop a "Triplets" movie.

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Alec Baldwin has quit acting so many times we wish we had wised up years ago and placed bets on his inevitable return. He's made such claims about his career swan song as recently as 2009 and 2012 -- and then went on to appear in Woody Allen's 2013 release, "Blue Jasmine."

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Perhaps Justin Bieber's retirement plan is inspired by his pal Chris Brown's. The troubled singer <a href="http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2013/08/06/chris-browns-thinking-of-quitting-music/?iref=allsearch" target="_blank">said in August 2013</a> that his next album would probably be his last. He also said he's thinking about quitting music altogether -- exactly the kind of vague statement someone can go back on when they want to release a new album.

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Perhaps Justin Bieber's retirement plan is inspired by his pal Chris Brown's. The troubled singer said in August 2013 that his next album would probably be his last. He also said he's thinking about quitting music altogether -- exactly the kind of vague statement someone can go back on when they want to release a new album.

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Can't stay away: Celebs who threaten to retire —

When does a "break" translate into "thinking about retirement"? When a soundbite from an A-lister gets loose. Leo DiCaprio said at the start of 2013 that he was looking forward to taking a "long, long break" from acting, leading some to apply relationship logic: if you're on a break, you're basically over. And because they've always been two peas in a pod, one of DiCaprio's favorite working partners, director Martin Scorsese, says he's thinking about hanging up the clapboard, too.

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Ozzy Osbourne was honest, at least. He tried retirement in 1993, but it turns out the free time just didn't agree with him. When he returned to the music scene a few years later, he did so with his tongue in his cheek: the trek was called the "Retirement Sucks" tour.

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Emma Watson first started dropping the "R" word -- retirement -- in 2007, when <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1557009/Harry-Potters-sidekick-rich-enough-to-retire.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">she admitted that she was rich enough</a> to have the option. While at the time she insisted that she wanted to keep working despite her "Harry Potter" haul, <a href="http://www.teenvogue.com/entertainment/cover-stars/2009-06/teen-vogue-cover-girl-emma-watson_090622" target="_blank" target="_blank">she clarified in 2009</a> that she didn't mean she wanted to work as an <em>actress.</em> She still does though, and will next be seen in 2014's "Noah."

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Emma Watson first started dropping the "R" word -- retirement -- in 2007, when she admitted that she was rich enough to have the option. While at the time she insisted that she wanted to keep working despite her "Harry Potter" haul, she clarified in 2009 that she didn't mean she wanted to work as an actress. She still does though, and will next be seen in 2014's "Noah."

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Amanda Bynes, being the product of child fame that she is, has gone back and forth on the decision to fully commit to an early retirement. She said in 2010 that she was done with acting, only to "unretire" that same year. But by 2012, she identified herself thusly in a tweet: "I'm 26, a multi-millionaire, retired."

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Remember when Cher did a massive, years-long "farewell" tour in the early aughts ... and then never went anywhere? And then <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/24/showbiz/music/cher-new-tour/index.html?iref=allsearch" target="_blank">kept saying that she really does plan to retire?</a> Yeah, we do too.

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Remember when Cher did a massive, years-long "farewell" tour in the early aughts ... and then never went anywhere? And then kept saying that she really does plan to retire? Yeah, we do too.

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For some, Barbra Streisand or Johnny Depp, retirement is just some nebulous idea that may or may not come to pass. But for rapper-turned-preacher-turned-rapper Mase, it was more like a "weird journey," as he told MTV in 2012. The former Bad Boy Records star retired in 1999 because of religious reasons, but by 2004, he dropped a new, appropriately titled album called "Welcome Back."

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Garth Brooks simply can't say no to his fans. The country star initially retired in 2000 only to return in 2009 with <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/10/15/garth.brooks.retirement/" target="_blank">"a series of special engagements" in Las Vegas</a>. In case anyone was confused about Brooks' state of employment -- unretired? semiretired? -- Brooks officially confirmed that he's still a working musician when <a href="http://theboot.com/garth-brooks-announces-2014-world-tour/" target="_blank" target="_blank">he announced his 2014 world tour. </a>

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Garth Brooks simply can't say no to his fans. The country star initially retired in 2000 only to return in 2009 with "a series of special engagements" in Las Vegas. In case anyone was confused about Brooks' state of employment -- unretired? semiretired? -- Brooks officially confirmed that he's still a working musician when he announced his 2014 world tour.

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In case you think this waffling over retirement is just a trend with today's celebrities, we'd like to counter with Frank Sinatra. Ol' Blue Eyes tried to say goodbye in 1971, but within two years was releasing a comeback album.

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In the case of the Rolling Stones, we think it's the rumor mill that wants the band to retire more than the members themselves. <a href="http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/07/26/rolling-stones-not-retiring/" target="_blank" target="_blank">Every so often</a>, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jun/18/rolling-stones-glastonbury" target="_blank" target="_blank">there'll be a questioning whisper</a> of <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2013/05/04/rolling-stones-friday-la-tour-launch-review/2131355/" target="_blank" target="_blank">which performance will be their last</a>, but A) <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9762879/Rolling-Stones-will-never-retire-declares-newly-married-Ronnie-Wood.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">they've already said they don't believe in retirement</a> and B) with a band name like the Rolling Stones, what do you think they're going to do?

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In the case of the Rolling Stones, we think it's the rumor mill that wants the band to retire more than the members themselves. Every so often, there'll be a questioning whisper of which performance will be their last, but A) they've already said they don't believe in retirement and B) with a band name like the Rolling Stones, what do you think they're going to do?

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Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin is also the queen of keeping a career alive. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/11/11/people-franklin-dc-idUSN0938022520071111" target="_blank" target="_blank">She said in 2007</a> she was planning on a "semi-retirement" with "semi" being the key word -- by 2011, she released a new album.

Can't stay away: Celebs who threaten to retire —

Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin is also the queen of keeping a career alive. She said in 2007 she was planning on a "semi-retirement" with "semi" being the key word -- by 2011, she released a new album.

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If you catch wind of Anthony Hopkins talking about retirement, you can be pretty sure he's pulling your leg. <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,615826,00.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">The rumors have persisted</a> over the years, but the Oscar winner has kept right on working well into his 70s. As he told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/event/article-2452407/Thors-Anthony-Hopkins-Im-great-actor-Im-fluke.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">Daily Mail in October 2013</a>, "I never slow down because I love to work."

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If you catch wind of Anthony Hopkins talking about retirement, you can be pretty sure he's pulling your leg. The rumors have persisted over the years, but the Oscar winner has kept right on working well into his 70s. As he told the Daily Mail in October 2013, "I never slow down because I love to work."

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Once upon a time, Leonard Nimoy <a href="http://movieline.com/2010/04/21/what-leonard-nimoys-retirement-means-to-fringe/" target="_blank" target="_blank">planned to get out of the acting</a> business for good with J.J. Abrams' 2009 movie, "Star Trek." And then, a few years later, a funny thing happened: Nimoy was not only in the sequel, "Star Trek Into Darkness," but he <a href="http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/03/31/leonard-nimoy-transformers-dark-of-the-moon/" target="_blank" target="_blank">also squeezed in some voice work in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."</a>

Can't stay away: Celebs who threaten to retire —

Once upon a time, Leonard Nimoy planned to get out of the acting business for good with J.J. Abrams' 2009 movie, "Star Trek." And then, a few years later, a funny thing happened: Nimoy was not only in the sequel, "Star Trek Into Darkness," but he also squeezed in some voice work in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."

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Can’t stay away: Stars who threatened to retire (and didn’t)

Can't stay away: Celebs who threaten to retire