Keeley Hawes, 46, hints at plans to retire from acting: ‘I don’t want to do it forever’-Charlotte Manning-Entertainment – Metro

Keeley Hawes hinted she may soon step away from acting (Picture: bbc / Getty)

Line of Duty and Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes has outlined her plans to step away from acting soon, and is keen to ‘explore other avenues.’

Award-winning star Keeley, 46, who has been a well-known fixture on UK screens for over two decades, has quite the impressive CV when it comes to acting jobs.

In recent years, she’s had prominent roles in the likes of ITV comedy-drama The Durrells, the Russell T Davies drama serial It’s a Sin and in The Midwich Cuckoos – released earlier in 2022.

However, despite unarguably still being at the top of the game, she’s now admitted she is looking to step away from acting as she approaches 50.

In a new interview, she said of her job: ‘I love it, I’ve been really lucky but over the past couple of years, like lots of people, you think, “God, life is short and you’re only here once” – if you believe that, which I do – and there might be other avenues to explore.

‘I’ll be 50 in a minute. There might be other things out there for me. 

Keeley is still a regular fixture on our screens (Picture: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)

Keeley, who is married to Succession favourite Matthew MacFadyen, went on to share with The Mail On Sunday’s You Magazine how she’s been involved with some vital work to improve the quality of the acting industry.

She added: ‘I’ve witnessed and called out racism, misogyny, sexism, harassment and bullying. No one would have been able to do that 20 years ago for fear of losing their job, or being seen as difficult.’

Keeley’s first major role was in Spooks in the 2000s (with MacFayden and David Oyelowo) (Picture; BBC)

The Line of Duty star is also one of several famous faces, along with Lesley Manville, Richard E. Grant and David Tennant, campaigning for older women’s roles to be taken more seriously.

They all signed an open letter as part of the Acting Your Age campaign calling for parity between the sexes.

‘There is still glaring inequality on our screens. Women’s stories don’t stop after 45. Their lives don’t become less interesting, but the demand for older actresses and presenters drops off statistically. That’s an injustice to those performers and the audience who should be represented,’ she explained to the publication.

Keeley Hawes is married to Succession star Matthew MacFadyen (Picture: Gary Mitchell/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Luckily for fans, it doesn’t seem as though Keeley is going anywhere just yet.

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She’s soon set to appear in new BBC drama Crossfire, penned by Apple Tree Yard author Louise Doughty.

The story follows Jo, a mother who has gone on holiday with her friends and family only for the getaway to go terribly wrong as gunmen break into the complex in the desire for revenge. 

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