10 Reclusive Stars From Hollywood: From Daniel Day-Lewis to Jack Nicholson and More

Angus T. Jones, who famously appeared on Two and a Half Men, has maintained a reclusive life after leaving the show.

In a 2014 interview with a TV station in Houston, Jones said he was "a paid hypocrite" on the CBS sitcom because he "wasn't OK with it and I was still doing it."

Over the past few years, he's been spotted on several outings in Los Angeles, where he looked nearly unrecognizable due to his beard and bigger physique.

Before working on films and TV shows again, Chloë Grace Moretz became a recluse after a photo of herself walking into a hotel while holding two pizza boxes became a meme. Social media users manipulated the picture, extending the If I Stay star's legs and shortening her torso. They also made a collage and placed it alongside the Family Guy character Legs Go All the Way Up Griffin.

Moretz admitted she was "kind of sad" because of the viral meme, adding, "It took a layer of something that I used to enjoy, which was getting dressed up and going to a carpet and taking a photo, and made me super self-conscious. And I think that body dysmorphia — which we all deal with in this world – is extrapolated by the issues of social media. It's a h-------."

Due to the widespread memes about her meme, The 5th Wave actress "basically became a recluse."

"It was great because I got away from the photographers and I was able to be myself, and to have so many experiences that people didn't photograph, but at the same time it made me severely anxious when I was photographed," she continued. "My heart rate would rise and I would hyperventilate."

Before the release of Phantom Thread in 2017, Daniel Day-Lewis confirmed his retirement, leaving his fans shocked.

"[I] didn't even know I was going to stop acting. I do know that Paul (Thomas Anderson, director) and I laughed a lot before we made [Phantom Thread]. And then we stopped laughing because we were both overwhelmed by a sense of sadness," he said. "Not wanting to see the film is connected to the decision I've made to stop working as an actor. But it's not why the sadness came to stay. That happened during the telling of the story, and I don't really know why."

Director Jim Sheridan also told ScreenDaily that he tried to express his desire to collaborate with the In the Name of the Father actor again. However, the 67-year-old actor reportedly said he was "done acting."

In October 2024, the Oscar-winning actor was spotted in Manchester, North West England, to film Anemone, which he co-wrote with his director son Ronan Day-Lewis.

David Letterman started enjoying a reclusive life when he ended his The Late Show hosting stint in 2015. He reappeared in the program as Stephen Colbert's guest in 2023.

"I miss everything. I mean mostly, it's fun," said the 77-year-old TV producer and comedian. "Very few things in life provide one the opportunity. And I can't speak for you or to you on this topic, but for me, if you muck one up 24 hours later you get to try again."

In December 2024, Letterman appeared in a GQ video cover story where he was asked if he would call himself "semi-retired."

He answered, "Retirement is a myth. Retirement is nonsense. You won't retire. The human mechanism will not allow you to retire."

"I come from a working class background and those are the people who held and raised me. Also, in my forties, I told my husband that when I turned 65, I was going to change my name to Fern, smoke Lucky Strikes, drink Wild Turkey and hit the road in an RV. So, I got to realize a bit of my fantasy – except that I rolled my own and drank tequila!" said reclusive Frances McDormand, showing her desire to stay out of the spotlight and enjoy a life similar to her Nomadland character, Fern.

Reclusive Jack Nicholson made a rare appearance in his daughter Lorraine Nicholson's holiday post, after years of staying out of the limelight.

Amid reports about his health, Jack revealed in an interview why he stepped away from the film industry.

"I'm not going to work until the day I die, that's not why I started this. I mean, I'm not driven. I was driven — but I'm not [now], I don't have to be out there anymore," he told The Sun in 2013. "I mean, I'm not a loner, I'm not a recluse, but I don't need all that anymore. I don't enjoy it, simple as that."

Although Matt LeBlanc's Hollywood empire grew bigger during his time on Friends, the 57-year-old actor shifted his focus to a different industry and started living a reclusive life.

His last acting gig was on the series Man with a Plan between 2016 and 2020, but he still joined his Friends costars during the HBO reunion special in 2021.

Michael Richards stirred the pot when he was filmed yelling the N-word at a group of Black people in Los Angeles in 2006. Although he scored minor roles after issuing an apology, the racist rant ultimately affected his status in Hollywood.

"My anger was all over the place and it came through hard and fast. Anger is quite a force. But it happened. Rather than run from it, I dove into the deep end and tried to learn from it. It hasn't been easy," he told People. "Crisis managers wanted me to do damage control. But as far as I was concerned, the damage was inside of me."

At the time, the Seinfeld actor clarified he was "not looking for a comeback."

After savoring fame with his Boyzone bandmates, Mikey Graham chose to have a reclusive life in Ireland.

"I just wanted out," the 52-year-old musician admitted in the trailer for the Boyzone: No Matter What documentary. "And to get away from that toxic environment.'

After his time in Boyzone, Graham participated in several shows — including Celebrity Apprentice Ireland in 2013 and Dancing on Ice in 2010 — before ultimately enjoying his private life.

Unlike his siblings, Rob Kardashian decided to disappear from public life and became a recluse.

Before he began his weight-loss journey, his sister Khloé Kardashian revealed she was helping him deal with life issues.

"But I have my moments and I do snap. I've offered to get a chef. I'm like, 'What's your excuse?' But it's not just that. I can't win life for Rob. I have to wait until [he's] ready to do it for himself," she told People, adding she was infuriated while pushing him to be around people again.

Rob's family often spoke about his reclusive life in several episodes of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.