10 Actors Who Decided to “Take a Break” from Acting

Emma Watson

Emma was very public about her departure from acting when she turned her attention to finishing her degree at Brown University early last year. Since graduating with her English degree in May 2014, though, she was appointed as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and even launched the HeForShe campaign, which encourages men to support gender equality.

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Jennifer Lawrence

Trying to take down The Capitol as Katniss Everdeen is warrant enough for Jennifer to want to put the bow down and step away from the cameras.

After the nonstop success she received over the years, the actress is understandably tired and plans to have a "long break for a year where she won't do anything," producer Harvey Weinstein told The Sun.

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Kristen Stewart

As one of the most scrutinized celebs in Young Hollywood, we can't blame Kristen for wanting to get from out of the spotlight. She's been criticized on everything from her looks to her attitude, and those pesky paps can be so rude to her!

So it only made sense when the actress told USA Today she wouldn't even look at another script for a few months to do more hands-on projects for herself.

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Taylor Lautner

Twihards have and searched high and low for Taylor, who's pretty much gone unseen since his last venture with Grown Ups 2 in 2013. Since then, he's managed to stay out of the spotlight until some crafty pap caught the actor taking pictures at the London Wireless Festival in July instead of getting shirtless on-screen like we're used to seeing him.

Finally, after all this time, Taylor admits, "I'm definitely enjoying a little bit of a breather and a break right now, but I'm sure soon enough I'll get the itch and get back to work."

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Miranda Cosgrove

Miranda took a well-deserved break from acting to pursue film and theatre at the University of Southern California in Fall 2012. Even though she did take on a few, albeit minor, roles the following year, the iCarly alum has yet to be seen in any real productions since then.

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Willow Smith

Even though Willow was preordained to star in 2014's Annie, the star turned it down because she wanted to experience a normal childhood for once, she told Entertainment Tonight.

Of course, we'd love to see little Willow carry on her family's blockbuster legacy, it seems as though her current calling is modeling with a hint of singing.

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Ryan Gosling

Ryan took an unannounced approach to walking away from the film industry at the premiere of his then-new movie The Place Beyond the Pines, and later apologized for it.

With the exception of freaking out the general public in his absence, Ryan made good with fans by explaining that he had only taken the time off to explore directorial ventures.

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Anna Kendrick

The Pitch Perfect 2 star was open to the idea of taking a break from acting, "a good six months" to be exact. While Anna has been traveling and singing her butt off in films like Into the Woods and The Last Five Years, she admits the Hollywood film business has definitely taken its toll.

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Blake Lively

Blake openly admitted to feeling "exhausted both physically and creatively" after her 5-year long stint on Gossip Girl. Which is exactly why when the series wrapped up in 2012, the actress was eager for some "me" time away from the flashing lights.

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Shenae Grimes

If you were one of the many who religiously watched 90210 in high school, you knew Shenae only as Annie Wilson. Since the show came to an end in 2013, Shenae has since gotten married to muscian Josh Beech and sought refuge in her native Canada.

After 11 years of acting, Shenae told CTV that she's decided to use this time to "get [her] own identity out there."

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