With the recent announcement of actor Joaquin Phoenix’s retirement at 34, it is becoming more and more apparent that celebrities are unhappy with career limitations. Phoenix indicated that he wanted to pursue his interests in music (he is currently recording an album with Tim Burgess, lead singer of The Charlatans). He stated, “I’m not doing films anymore…I’ve been through that…I’ve done it.” But can he really stay away from what he’s been doing since the age of twelve? Many other celebrities have “retired” only to return a short time later.
Years ago, back in 1993, Michael Jordan revealed that he was retiring from basketball due to loss of interest in the game. To everyone’s surprise, he moved on to baseball with the Chicago White Sox. Two years later Jordan made his return to basketball known with a two-word press release: “I’m back.” Jordan ended up retiring twice more after that, the third one eventually sticking. The well-known rapper Jay-Z retired publicly at a concert in 2003, but he continued to pursue various side projects and make appearances, including a greatest-hits record. In 2006 Jay-Z released a comeback album, and has been back in commission since then.
Is Joaquin Phoenix really retired? It seems legitimate, but based on other celebrities’ “retirements,” there is good reason to be a bit skeptical.