The Reasons You Don't See Much Of Barbra Streisand Anymore

Barbra Streisand was known for her tireless work ethic as both a singer and actor, but after a storied career, she eventually took a step away from the limelight. "My stamina comes from my own life force, and exercise and diet allow me to keep my energy up," she told the Harvard Business Review in 2012. At the time, the "Yentl" star was still touring and starring in movies. That same year, "The Guilt Trip" was released, which wound up being the last movie she acted in. Prior to that, Streisand appeared in "Little Fockers," and neither movie was well-received by critics. Yet, other factors contributed to Streisand not wanting to return to acting. 

Over the years, Streisand struggled with the difficulties of getting movies made, which was among the reasons she retired from acting. In 2011, her passion project, a film production of the musical "Gypsy," was axed. It was picked up again, only to be canceled once more after the studio lost a major financial backer in 2016.

As her acting career came to a close, the multi-hyphenate spoke about the frustrations of the Hollywood system. "[I]t gets exhausting, trying to come up with the structure of the movie and then have it not happen," she told People in December 2023 while discussing her choice to step away from acting. "I had many movies that I wanted to make, and then I get lazy ... I like time off," Streisand added. Having free time was a major reason she quit performing.

The frustrations in the movie business led to Barbra Streisand releasing a memoir titled "My Name is Barbra" in November 2023. "If I could have made my movies, I never would've written a book," she told People at the time. In the book, the "A Star is Born" actor spoke about leaving the entertainment industry in the rearview. "I want to live life. I want to get in my husband's truck and just wander, hopefully with the children somewhere near us," she told the BBC ahead of the book's release. "I haven't had much fun in my life, to tell you the truth. And I want to have more fun," Streisand added while discussing retirement.

It should be noted that Streisand is among the celebs who announced they retired but never really meant it. In December 2000, the "Woman in Love" singer said she was retiring from performing live. "Why should I do something that I don't enjoy doing at this stage in my life?" she told ABC News at the time. Streisand added that she would still record music, but wanted to quit performing shows.

Of course, that was not Streisand's swan song, as she hit the road in 2016 for the "Barbra: The Music .. The Mem'ries ... The Magic" tour, which was a massive success. Afterward, Streisand announced she was once again retiring from performing. "No, I would never do another show. It's exhausting," the singer told AP. Through the years, Streisand had openly discussed her issues with singing live. 

Prior to retiring from performing, Barbra Streisand developed crippling stage fright which led to her taking an extended hiatus from singing live. "In front of 135,000 in Central Park ... I forgot the words and it sort of triggered this feeling that I would forget the words," she told WENN in September 2009, per Digital Spy. That led to Streisand staying off the stage for 27 years. "I didn't perform again until they discovered teleprompters," she added.

Later, Streisand did quit performing live, but that did not mean she was through with appearances. The "Funny Girl" actor did "Carpool Karaoke" on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" in November 2018 where she discussed her stage fright. "I don't get nervous nervous, but I don't enjoy it," she told the late-night host. "I get scared. I just don't want to disappoint people." To promote her memoir, Streisand made another notable late-night appearance in November 2023 when she sat down for an interview on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." During the appearance, Streisand discussed a wide range of topics, including her first date with husband James Brolin.

The "Meet the Fockers" actor had fully retired from performing but was still in the public eye. In February 2024, Streisand was honored with a SAG-AFTRA lifetime achievement award. "That make-believe world was much more pleasant than anything I was experiencing. I didn't like reality," she said during her acceptance speech, per People.