When you're one of the best actors in the world, there's no reason for you to be a people person, and clearly Daniel Day-Lewis feels the same way. The star of hit films like Lincoln and There Will Be Blood is notoriously private in Hollywood.
Lewis lives in the country and only rarely leaves home to make films. Visitors are only rarely welcomed, and it's rumored that the actor spends much of his time riding horses in the mountains.
Dave Grohl, the frontman of Foo Fighters and former Nirvana drummer, is not typically seen as reclusive, but he does value his privacy. Despite his fame, Grohl keeps a low profile when off stage, focusing on his family life.
He avoids the typical celebrity circuit and prefers intimate interactions with fans over media frenzy. While he is often in the public eye due to his music, Grohl's personal life remains largely private, balancing his rock star persona with a desire for a normal family life.
Adele took the music world by storm, but as quickly as she showed up, it seemed like she was gone even sooner. This chanteuse clearly doesn't want a life in the public eye.
When her son was born, she stepped away from the spotlight to be a mother. But that didn't always go smoothly. In 2013, she brought a lawsuit against photographers who had released images of her son.
Dave Chapelle is in the spotlight plenty these days, but for a time, the comedian was sick of it all. After the wild success of his sketch show Chapelle's Show, Chapelle withdrew from Hollywood, citing issues about making a TV program and dealing with fans and executives.
However, starting in 2013, Chapelle began making more public appearances and has even released several stand up sets in the past few years. That being said, he now lives in Ohio, far away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood.
Kate Bush, the iconic singer-songwriter, is known for her reclusiveness. After her initial success in the late 1970s and 1980s, she retreated from the public eye. Bush rarely gives interviews and took a 35-year hiatus from touring before her 2014 comeback shows.
Her reclusiveness has been somewhat less pronounced in recent years, especially after the resurgence of her song "Running Up That Hill" due to its feature in the TV show "Stranger Things" in 2022. She lives a quiet life in rural England, focusing on her music away from the media frenzy. Her decision to avoid the spotlight has kept fans intrigued and her music timeless.
Garth Brooks, the country music superstar, took a step back from his career to focus on family, making him somewhat reclusive during that period. In 2001, at the peak of his fame, Brooks announced his retirement to spend more time with his daughters.
For over a decade, he avoided the spotlight, turning down opportunities for tours and new music projects. He has since returned to performing, much to the delight of his fans.
Johnny Carson found himself in viewers bedrooms every night of the week, but despite this, the iconic host of The Tonight Show was actually kind of reclusive in real life.
While the late-night host seemed charming and extroverted on screen, his personal friends described him as shy and insecure. Additionally, he struggled with one-on-one relationships, which meant close, private friends were hard to come by for Carson.
When the album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was released in 1998, the world thought they would be seeing a lot more of this talented singer. But rather, what followed was 12 years of radio silence from Hill, even though her follow-up album was highly anticipated at the time.
Hill says that she wasn't being a recluse during those years. Rather, she says she was simply focusing on raising her child and being a good mom. More recently, Hill has been out of the spotlight while she spent time in jail for tax fraud.
Joaquin Phoenix is known for his intense dedication to his craft and his reclusive tendencies. Despite his acclaim as an actor, Phoenix shuns the typical Hollywood lifestyle. He avoids social media and keeps his personal life private. After a brief, bizarre period of apparent retirement and a foray into rap documented in the mockumentary "I'm Still Here," Phoenix returned to acting.
However, he continued to avoid the spotlight. His reclusiveness allows him to focus deeply on his roles (like the Joker!), contributing to his reputation as one of the most compelling actors of his generation.
Brian Wilson was largely responsible for the success of the Beach Boys, but by the 1970s, he was getting sick of the fame. It was during this period that he became a major recluse.
In 1973, Wilson's father died, which ushered in an unhealthy period for the musician. This included withdrawing from society, heavy drug use, and even a suicide attempt.
When it comes to the golden era of Hollywood, not many actors were more beloved than Greta Garbo, who ruled the silver screen in both silent and sound movies. She won Oscars, she dazzled audiences--but she was notoriously avoidant when it came to the spotlight.
Garbo did virtually none of the things we normally associate with movie stars. She never attended any premieres or awards shows, she declined all interviews, and she wouldn't even respond to fan mail. Fans might have seen her all the time on the big screen, but in reality, they knew little about her.
If you grew up in the 80s, John Hughes was probably a big part of your life, even if you didn't realize it. The famous director was responsible for major hits like The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Pretty in Pink. However, all that ended quickly in the 90s.
By the 90s, Hughes had decided he had enough of Hollywood and moved to Chicago. After the move, he rarely spoke to the press or made public appearances. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2009.
David Bowie didn't spend his entire musical career as a recluse, but there was a period in the 2000s where no one heard much from the superstar for almost a decade.
Bowie had a heart attack early in the decade, and it's believed that his reluctance to be in the spotlight was largely due to his health problems. Thankfully, Bowie made a return to music and public before his death in 2016.
Bill Watterson is the creator of the beloved comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes". After ending the comic in 1995, Watterson stepped out of the public eye. He declined interviews, public appearances, and merchandise deals to preserve the integrity of his work.
Watterson's last known public appearance was in 1986 when he accepted the Reuben Award. Since then, he has lived quietly, avoiding the fame that his iconic strip brought him. His dedication to privacy has only increased the admiration and intrigue surrounding his work.
Author Harper Lee only has two books to her name, but that was enough to catapult her to fame. Her 1960s novel To Kill a Mockingbird has sold more than 10 million copies and is frequently studied in American schools.
But Lee was not a fan of the limelight. While she did make the occasional public appearance during her life, she never granted interviews or accepted speaking engagements.
J.D. Salinger was famous for "The Catcher in the Rye," and was notoriously reclusive. After the novel's success in 1951, Salinger withdrew from public life. He moved to a secluded house in Cornish, New Hampshire, and rarely granted interviews.
Despite intense public interest, he avoided the limelight, focusing on his writing. Salinger even went to court to prevent unauthorized biographies. He lived in relative seclusion until his death in 2010, rarely seen and never photographed in his later years.
Terence Trent D'Arby, now known as Sananda Maitreya, became reclusive after early success in the late 1980s with hits like "Wishing Well." Disillusioned with the music industry, he changed his name and moved to Italy, retreating from the public eye.
He has continued to make music independently, away from mainstream media attention. His withdrawal from the limelight has allowed him to maintain creative freedom, though it has left many fans curious about his life and work beyond the early fame.
Marlon Brando, the legendary actor known for "The Godfather" and "A Streetcar Named Desire," became increasingly reclusive in his later years. After decades in the spotlight, Brando retreated to his private island in Tahiti, shunning public appearances and interviews.
He grew disillusioned with Hollywood and sought solitude. Even during his active years, Brando was known for his reluctance to engage with the press. His reclusiveness contributed to his legacy, with his privacy often fueling public fascination.
You might not recognize Julie Kavner's face, but you've definitely heard her. She's been the voice of Marge Simpson on The Simpsons for over 20 years now.
But it appears that Kavner doesn't want to share in any of Marge's fame. She declines interviews and photo shoots in favor of a more private lifestyle.
In the 60s and 70s, the world loved Sly Stone as frontman for the band Sly and the Family Stone. And it also seemed like Sly Stone loved the world. But things changed in the 1980s.
After the breakup of the band, Stone was dealing with some drug problems and other personal issues, and by the 90s, Stone was virtually a recluse. Even as he's begun to reemerge in the past decade, you're unlikely to catch an interview with him or see him out and about.
Shannyn Sossamon, known for her roles in "A Knight's Tale" and "The Rules of Attraction," has led a notably reclusive life. After initial success in the early 2000s, Sossamon took a step back from Hollywood. She focused on her music career and personal life, shunning the typical celebrity lifestyle.
Her appearances in film and television became sporadic, and she avoided the public eye and media attention. Sossamon's decision to stay out of the spotlight has kept her somewhat mysterious and allowed her to live on her own terms.
Being a world-class chess champion might seem unusual, but honestly, it was probably the least unusual thing about Bobby Fischer. Even though he won the World Chess Tournament in 1972, his life was more marked by erractic and reclusive behavior than chess.
After leaving the US in 1992, Fischer never returned in his lifetime and was notoriously difficult to keep up with. After spending some time in a Japanese prison, he eventually made his way to Iceland, where he resided until his death.
Banksy, the anonymous street artist, is the epitome of reclusiveness in the art world. Despite his global fame, Banksy's true identity remains unknown. He avoids public appearances and manages to keep his work a secret until its sudden, surprising unveiling.
Banksy's anonymity allows him to comment on political and social issues without personal scrutiny. Even his pieces, like the self-destructing "Girl with Balloon" at a Sotheby's auction, are shrouded in mystery.
Of all the celebrities on this list, Stanley Kubrick is probably the least surprising. The filmmaker was famous for unusual and creative films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining, and it's really no wonder that that kind of genius didn't enjoy the public.
However, in addition to being naturally reclusive, Kubrick was also a notorious workaholic. So that could also help to explain why he was so unavailable to the outside world.
Jai Paul, the enigmatic British musician, is known for his reclusiveness despite his cult following. After releasing a few highly acclaimed tracks, an unauthorized leak of his unfinished album in 2013 led Paul to retreat from public view. He avoids interviews and rarely makes public appearances.
His sporadic releases and minimal online presence have only added to his mysterious persona. Fans eagerly await new music, but Paul's reclusive nature means that his work arrives unpredictably, creating a sense of intrigue around his career.
Terrence Malick, the acclaimed director behind films like "The Tree of Life," is famously elusive. Unlike most filmmakers, Malick shuns interviews and public appearances. He didn't attend the Cannes Film Festival for his own movie's premiere and rarely allows himself to be photographed.
His reclusiveness extends to his work habits; he often keeps his projects secretive and maintains a low profile in Hollywood. This approach has cultivated a unique aura around his films, adding to their allure.
Howard Hughes was a billionaire industrialist and film producer who became famously reclusive later in life. Known for his contributions to aviation and Hollywood, Hughes began to withdraw from public life in the 1950s. His eccentric behavior and increasing paranoia led him to live in near-total seclusion, often in dark, isolated rooms.
He communicated with his staff through memos and refused to be seen in public. Hughes' reclusiveness became legendary, symbolizing the extreme isolation that can accompany wealth and fame.
Most of us would probably be a recluse if we lived the bizarre, questionable life that Michael Jackson did. The King of Pop might have not been a true recluse, but he tried his hardest to keep his personal life from the public.
It was reported that in the months leading up to his death, Jackson refused to leave the house at all.
Syd Barrett, the original frontman of Pink Floyd, became famously reclusive after leaving the band in 1968. Following struggles with mental health and substance abuse, Barrett retreated to a quiet life in Cambridge, England. He ceased making music publicly and avoided interviews and public appearances.
Barrett's withdrawal was so complete that even his former bandmates had difficulty contacting him. He spent his later years painting and gardening, far removed from the rock stardom he once knew.
Thomas Pynchon is an enigma in the literary world, known for his reclusive nature. Despite being a celebrated author of complex novels like "Gravity's Rainbow," Pynchon avoids public appearances and refuses to be photographed. He has given only a handful of interviews throughout his career.
His insistence on privacy is so intense that he didn't attend the National Book Award ceremony when he won in 1974! Pynchon's avoidance of the spotlight has only added to his mystique, making him a fascinating figure in modern literature.
