Stars who shun the spotlight

By Wonderwall.com Editors 6:00am PDT, Jun 11, 2018

Not every actor or musician gets into the business hoping to become the next big star. Sure, the paycheck's not too shabby, but as far as these entertainers are concerned, when it comes to fame, they're happy to say, "No, thanks!" In honor of two of the most elusive stars out there — Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen — turning 32 on June 12, 2018, we're taking a look at some of the celebrities who aren't fans of the limelight! Though we watched the twins grow up on "Full House," their adulthood has been more mysterious. They opted out of the "Fuller House" reboot and left the acting world behind to pursue careers in fashion, so when Mary-Kate and Ashley show up on a red carpet, it's definitely an exciting occasion. Keep reading to see the rest of Hollywood's least camera-friendly stars!

Leonardo DiCaprio has one of the most famous faces in Hollywood — and that's why the actor's favorite accessory is a baseball cap pulled way down over his eyes. The star doesn't necessarily shy away from hot Hollywood clubs — or hot Hollywood starlets. His high-profile relationships with the likes of Gisele Bundchen and a slew of other models certainly didn't help him slink into the shadows. But when he's not promoting his next blockbuster hit, the star is notoriously private, avoiding public appearances and keeping a very low profile.

"Lincoln" star Daniel Day-Lewis is famously reclusive, splitting his time between New York and Ireland, where he's able to successfully avoid Hollywood completely. Despite being arguably one of the most talented actors alive, Daniel accepted few roles over his illustrious career before announcing his retirement in 2017. You'll never glimpse him in a Hollywood club mingling with his A-list peers or blabbing about his personal life. In fact, the Oscar-winning actor has described himself as "a lifelong study of evasion." And when he's not acting, Daniel works as a cobbler and woodworker. He ended a five-year hiatus from Hollywood in 2017 when he starred in "Phantom Thread," which he's said will be his last film.

RELATED: Daniel's movie roles ranked

The rest of the stars on this list aren't fans of the limelight, but at least they don't hide their faces! Singer-songwriter Sia, despite revealing her identity with no qualms early on in her career, decided in the late '00s that she would cover her face with her hair while performing or starring in music videos. Despite keeping her features obscured, Sia has been open about her sexual orientation since 2008 when she shared that she didn't concern herself with people's genders.

It seems like former child actor Macaulay Culkin has been spending a lot of nights "Home Alone" lately. Macaulay officially retired from acting at age 14, though he's made a few rare appearances on-screen in the last decade. He made a return to the small screen in 2003, appearing on "Will and Grace" and in the film "Party Monster," and lent his voice to "Robot Chicken" from 2005 until 2010. He'll return to movies in the upcoming flick "Changeland" alongside Seth Green and girlfriend Brenda Song, but don't assume that will mean seeing Macaulay around more often. The star will likely remain an enigma.

Adele is more than happy to divulge her deepest, darkest secrets in the form of her Grammy-winning lyrics, but gushing to the public without musical accompaniment is another matter. Adele gave birth to a baby boy with beau Simon Konecki in October 2012 but never officially divulged his name! In fact, fans learned that Adele named him Angelo after the singer wore a necklace with that name. And it wasn't just baby names Adele hid from the public! It wasn't until the 2017 Grammy Awards that she revealed she'd secretly tied the knot with her longtime boyfriend — she thanked her "husband and son" — that fans even found out she was married! Talk about keeping things under wraps!

Eminem is one of the most famous rappers in the world, but instead of basking in the spotlight, he lives life more like a recluse in his hometown of Detroit. He took a hiatus from music in the mid '00s, opting to return in 2009. He made another return to the world of music in late 2017, offering up his ninth studio album, "Revival," that December, but has still managed to keep a low profile.

It seems Maggie Gyllenhaal is more than happy to let her kid brother soak up the spotlight. Jake Gyllenhaal's big sis has appeared in her share of box office hits and award-show bait, but as of late, she's been content to quietly raise her daughters with husband Peter Sarsgaard at their home in Brooklyn.

Joaquin Phoenix announced in late 2008 that he was giving up acting to launch his career as a rapper. Following the shocking announcement and a series of bizarre public appearances, the "Gladiator" star retreated from Hollywood for two years. The entire stunt turned out to be an elaborate hoax, which the actor chronicled in the faux documentary "I'm Still Here." Hoax or not, the move had a significant impact on the rehabbed star's place in Hollywood. He's remained quiet, sullen and fiercely private ever since while appearing in critically acclaimed films like 2013's "Her" and 2018's "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot."

We imagine when you're married to Sacha Baron Cohen, you don't get many opportunities to hijack the spotlight. Despite her husband's wild, attention-seeking antics, Isla Fisher is surprisingly protective of their private lives. In fact, Isla did her best to keep her three pregnancies and her kids' names under wraps for as long as she could.

Dave Chappelle suddenly packed his bags in 2005 and left Hollywood in his rearview mirror during the height of his success. The comedian blamed his newfound fame and the grueling production schedule of "Chapelle's Show" for the breakdown that sent him to South Africa during production of the third season of his hit series. After a brief spiritual retreat, the actor and stand-up star returned to his farmhouse in Ohio, where he lives with his wife and three children.

After suffering a very public breakdown and failed suicide attempt in 2007 that sent him to the emergency room and rehab, Owen Wilson has tried to live a low-key life. Though Owen still hits the red carpet to promote his latest films, his days as a fixture on the Hollywood club scene are long gone. The actor has been quietly co-parenting eldest son Robert Ford with ex-girlfriend Jade Duell and second son Finn with ex-girlfriend Caroline Lindqvist.

Cate Blanchett might be one of our favorite stars to spot on the red carpet, but she has managed to keep her private life very private. She's been happily married to screenwriter Andrew Upton, with whom she shares four children, since 1997, but you won't see her happy family splashed across magazine covers even after they moved to America from Australia a few years back.

Shia LaBeouf was a child star, but in 2014 he announced he was ready to "quit" being a celebrity — he even wore a bag over his head with the words "I am not famous anymore" written across it on a red carpet. But it turns out it wasn't quite so easy! Shia continued to appear in a few films including 2016's "American Honey" and will next be seen in 2018's "The Peanut Butter Falcon." He's tried to keep his private life, well, private, with varying success. In 2016, footage emerged of his Las Vegas wedding ceremony with girlfriend Mia Goth. Shia claimed on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that it was the real deal (though Clark County, Nevada, courts have no record of their nuptials) and that a live stream of the ceremony was part of the package they purchased, which also included an Elvis impersonator as their officiant. Though he's not a fan of fame, Shia's life is certainly anything but boring!

Evangeline Lilly has successfully managed to get "Lost" after starring on the hit series from 2004 to 2010. "I want to have some quiet space. I want to drop off the radar a little bit and enjoy a little bit of normalcy," the actress told E! News of her post-"Lost" plans. Mission accomplished! Rather than returning to Los Angeles when the series wrapped, Evangeline remained in Hawaii, where she gave birth to a baby boy in May 2010. She welcomed a second son in October 2015 but keeps things so under wraps that fans never even learned the baby's name! She might have a tougher time of it now that she's raised her profile again playing Marvel superhero The Wasp!

What's one way to avoid the glare of the limelight? Move to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which might as well be in a galaxy far, far away from Hollywood. That's exactly what Harrison Ford did, putting down roots in the small town at the base of the Grand Tetons with wife Calista Flockhart. The curmudgeonly actor, who also has a home in Los Angeles, has continued to work steadily in recent years despite having a distaste for the Hollywood lifestyle.

Michelle Williams has parlayed her "Dawson's Creek" origins into an impressive film career, but despite being a household name, she chooses to shirk the spotlight. The star, who has a daughter, Matilda, with the late Heath Ledger, opts to live in New York, far from the Hollywood paparazzi, and fiercely guards her personal life.

Ellen Page was poised for Hollywood superstardom when "Juno" became a breakout hit in 2007. But rather than taking advantage of her newfound VIP status to get to the front of the line at every hot Hollywood club, Ellen shirked the spotlight, opting to stay far away from the haunts popular with her starlet peers. She made a surprisingly public move when she announced she was gay during the 2014 Human Rights Campaign's Time to Thrive conference benefiting LGBT youth in Las Vegas, but even though she announced her marriage to choreographer-dancer Emma Portner in January 2018, Ellen has managed to keep her private life pretty private.

Despite her impressive resume and high-profile relationship, Emily Blunt has miraculously managed to keep out of the spotlight. She and her husband, John Krasinski, lead a surprisingly quiet life — at least when they're not hobnobbing with the likes of Matt Damon and George Clooney.

After making his name as one of the biggest pop stars in the world and romancing the likes of Madonna and Carmen Electra, Prince became more reclusive as he got older. He became a Jehovah's Witness in 2001 and enjoyed a quieter lifestyle before his tragic passing in April 2016.