Holly Marie Combs spent decades building a successful television career through shows such as ‘Charmed‘, ‘Picket Fences‘ and ‘Pretty Little Liars‘. However, fans have seen far less of the actress in recent years, and she has now explained the reasons behind her absence.
The 52-year-old chose to prioritise her children after family life became especially demanding during the pandemic. Uninspiring roles and fewer opportunities for women in her age group also pushed her to leave Hollywood, although she has not ruled out a future return.
‘Charmed’ Star Holly Marie Combs Explains Her Hollywood Exit
Combs shared the news during Tuesday’s episode of her ‘Charmed‘ rewatch podcast, ‘The House of Halliwell‘. Raising a house full of young people during the pandemic gave her more than enough to handle. “It was a lot of family,” she said. “During COVID, we had three teenagers. Well, it was three teenagers and a preteen in the house, and it was just mayhem and chaos.”
Related: “So Many Scripts”: Shannen Doherty Had Big ‘Charmed’ Comeback Plans Before Her Death
Family life kept her busy, but Hollywood was not exactly sending dream roles her way either. “The stuff that I was getting and coming across my desk was just nothing that I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is really great. I need to do this,’” she recalled. “And being in, you know, that 40 to 50 range, the job pool gets even smaller and smaller. And I feel like the roles get a little less interesting.”
Ageism in Hollywood may have improved, but Combs still noticed how limited the options became. She said the industry is “not as bad with the ageism as it used to be,” but joked that none of the available jobs were “blowing up my skirt.” Basically, no script gave her a good enough reason to leave her current life behind.
Holly Marie Combs Has Plenty Going On Away From Acting
Industry friends have tried to convince Combs to make a comeback. Podcast guest Scout Taylor-Compton is among those who have attempted to “pull me out of retirement,” but Combs is not sitting at home with nothing to do.
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Life in Washington state keeps the actress booked and busy. She lives there with her three children and husband Mike Ryan, while House of Halliwell cohost Drew Fuller pointed out that she is also “running 15 businesses,” including a barbecue restaurant. Clearly, retirement has not made her schedule any less packed.
Even so, Combs occasionally misses the experience of performing. “I miss it occasionally because, like you said, there’s those moments when you’re involved and you’re acting and you’re working that are just, I think it’s like being present,” she explained.
Acting still gives Combs a special kind of escape because it allows her to fully enter another person’s world. “That’s what escapism is,” she continued. “And we get to escape into this different character with a different set of situations than our own life. And there is something about being in that moment that is quite peaceful, even if you’re doing something highly dramatic.”
Family remains her biggest priority for now, especially since her two youngest sons are still in high school.
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