"Charmed" star Holly Marie Combs is opening up about her decision to retire from acting after nearly seven years away from the screen.
The actress, 52, confirmed her retirement during the Aug. 25 episode of her "House of Halliwell" podcast, explaining that family life and a lack of compelling roles contributed to her decision to step away.
"I'm retired," Combs said during the podcast. She shared that the roles she was being offered were "less interesting," and played a part in her decision. "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.'"
While she acknowledged
that ageism in Hollywood has improved, Combs joked that "there was nothing blowing up my skirt" among the projects being offered to her. "And being in, you know, that 40 to 50 range, the job pool gets even smaller and smaller."
Combs, who shares three sons Finley Arthur, 22, Riley Edward, 19 and Kelley James, 17, with ex-husband David W. Donoho, said her family played a major role in the decision to step away from acting. She shared that it was particularly difficult to navigate the "mayhem and chaos" of a busy household during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Could Holly Marie Combs return to acting?
Combs isn't completely closing the door on Hollywood.
The actress said she still misses performing from time to time and described acting as a form of escapism that allowed her to fully immerse herself in a character and be present in the moment.
"I miss it occasionally," she said.
Combs also suggested she could reconsider her retirement after her children are older. "My two youngest are still in high school. I think once Kelley has graduated successfully, I might consider," she said. "Obviously, I'll be sitting around with a lot more time on my hands."
Combs' most recent acting credit came in a 2019 episode of "Grey's Anatomy." She previously starred as Ella Montgomery, the mother of Aria Montgomery, played by Lucy Hale on "Pretty Little Liars" from 2010 to 2017. But Combs is perhaps best known for playing Piper Halliwell on "Charmed," starring alongside Shannen Doherty, Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowan during the supernatural drama's eight-season run from 1998 to 2006.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Charmed' star Holly Marie Combs retires from acting after 7 years away
