What To Know
- Holly Marie Combs left Hollywood primarily to focus on her family during the chaos of raising teenagers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- She cited a lack of interesting roles for women in her age range as another reason for stepping away.
- Combs is open to returning to acting after her youngest son graduates from high school.
Charmed and Picket Fences star Holly Marie Combs recently opened up about why she left Hollywood — and what it would take for her to return to acting.
In the August 25 episode of her The House of Halliwell rewatch podcast, Combs, 52, reflected on her decision to step away from the spotlight. Her most recent acting credits were in 2020, in episodes of Homeward Bound: Surviving the Coronavirus and Pretty Little Wine Moms Re-Watch, her IMDb profile. She also appeared in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy in 2019.
“It was a lot of family,” she admitted. “During COVID, we had three teenagers — well, it was three teenagers and a preteen in the house — and it was just mayhem and chaos.”
Combs explained, “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.’ 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.”
Today, she lives with her husband, Mike Ryan, and their three kids in Washington state. Podcast co-host Drew Fuller joked that Combs keeps busy by “running 15 businesses,” including a restaurant, Cattle Point BBQ, in Friday Harbor, Washington, and working as a producer.
So, is there anything that might prompt Combs to un-retire? She’s not totally counting herself out.
“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 admitted.
After her youngest son, Kelley, graduates from high school, she “might consider” a return to acting. “I’ll be sitting around with a lot more time on my hands,” she acknowledged.
Combs played Piper Halliwell in all eight seasons of Charmed, which aired from 1998 to 2006. The supernatural drama series also starred Alyssa Milano, Brian Krause, Rose McGowan, Dorian Gregory, Shannen Doherty, Julian McMahon, and Kristopher Simmons, among others. Additionally, Combs played Kimberley Brock on four seasons of Picket Fences from 1992 to 1996, and Ella Montgomery in all seven seasons of Pretty Little Liars from 2010 to 2017.
Charmed, streaming on Pluto TV, Peacock, and Prime Video