Top 10 Celebrities Who Stay Out of the Spotlight

The “Cheap Thrills” songstress has had a fascinating career path. After some success in her native Australia, Furler first entered into the public eye when her single “Breathe Me” was used in the “Six Feet Under” finale. Uncomfortable with the increasing attention, she later retired to songwriting, penning hits like Rihanna’s “Diamonds” and lending vocals to Flo Rida’s “Wild Ones” and David Guetta’s “Titanium.” In 2014, she re-emerged with the smash hit “Chandelier,” but this time on her own terms. She rejected the concept of fame by masking her face in an oversized blonde wig, which is now recognized as her signature look and an emblem for taking your identity into your own hands.

She might be one of the most recognizable stars in the world, but that doesn’t mean she soaks up the spotlight. Some may have failed to notice, but the “Pretty Woman” and “Eat Pray Love” A-lister has kept an incredibly low profile for the last 15 or so years. While she’s remained prolific in Hollywood, she has created private havens for herself all over, from a Malibu beach home to a farm in New Mexico. Roberts secretly eloped with country singer Lyle Lovett in 1993, but since 2002 has enjoyed a low-key, paparazzi-free marriage with cameraman Danny Moder.

While he’s endlessly talented in immersing himself in the characters he portrays, Washington revealed in a 2013 interview with The Guardian that he doesn’t have any actor friends. “I'm not about to go to a party to try to get a job,” he explained. In fact, he surrounds himself more often with the parents of his children’s friends. When he proudly accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2016 Golden Globes ceremony, he had his wife and children in tow, clearly showing how this two-time Oscar winner keeps his personal life up close and personal.

He became a household name after making waves as Han Solo in the wildly successfully “Star Wars” saga, but despite his iconic roles as the scruffy-looking nerf herder and Indiana Jones, Ford doesn’t consider himself a star. Before that, he hadn’t been getting much work and briefly turned to carpentry to support his family. Ever since, he hasn’t been the easiest man to interview, earning a reputation as grumpy. He often retreats to his 800-acre ranch in Jackson, Wyoming, now devoting time to his personal aviation hobby and bonding with his grandchildren. And don’t expect to catch him making appearances at any elite Los Angeles gatherings. Well, as modest as he may be, he’ll always be a megastar in our eyes.

This R&B crooner has the kinda persona usually reserved for Romantic poets – and in a way, he is one: his music brings fans into his life, revealing his innermost thoughts and feelings, but that turned out to be a double-edged sword. After coming out of the closet in a poignant open letter before dropping his debut studio effort “Channel Orange,” Ocean retreated from tour commitments, then quietly went to work on his follow-up record. It wasn’t until 2016 that he finally unleashed Blonde, and by then some fans felt alienated by Ocean’s relative radio-silence. But Frank Ocean is a new kind of artist; one that wants his art to speak for itself rather than getting caught up in the fame game.

While her music is intensely personal, detailing her tumultuous history of passion and heartbreak all with an unknown lover, this British superstar likes to keep to herself when she isn’t promoting her work. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she said “when I have nothing to say, I’d rather just not talk,” and as a result, everyone listens when she does decide to speak – or sing. She went on to say that she’s more scared of fame than anything, especially after seeing what it did to Amy Winehouse. The “Hello” chanteuse leads quite a private life with Simon Konecki and their child. And even after winning an Oscar for the titular song from “Skyfall,” she’s managed to keep things relatively low-key.

Obviously their masks do a good job of keeping Daft Punk’s identities concealed from the public, but in addition to their outward appearance, the techno duo remains a musical enigma. They’ve been active since 1993, but have only released four albums in that span, and play fewer and fewer live performances, even though they’re taking part in more and more collaborations. Their reticence to do shows may be related to the possibly that Thomas Bangalter suffers from of tinnitus. But the reigning reason for their reclusiveness is that the duo wants to allow people to first and foremost appreciate them for what they do and the music they make.

Although it may feel like he appears everywhere on the silver screen, in reality Tom Hanks isn’t all that fond of showing his face. In his biography, it’s noted that the “Forrest Gump” and “Cast Away” leading man actually spent a majority of his childhood being moving around by his parents, which led to the development of an introversion that sticks with him to this day. In a Rolling Stone interview, he described himself as “a geek and a spaz,” adding that he “was horribly, painfully, terribly shy.” Given his knack for playing the everyman, it isn’t at all surprising that Hanks is humble at heart.

In 2004, the celebrated comedian walked off the stage of his hit Comedy Central program “Chappelle’s Show,” only to return and announce the show was ruining his life. Its immense popularity crippled Chappelle’s stand-up career, which he considered his number one priority. So, the actor decided to call it quits and leave in the middle of production. Besides losing out on a $50 million contract, Chappelle put Los Angeles behind him and retreated to a farmhouse in Yellow Springs, Ohio. While people were quick to attribute his disappearance to drug addiction or a mental health issue, the entertainer revealed in an Oprah interview that he’d grown disillusioned with the industry’s mistreatment of black entertainers.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Daniel Craig
- Idris Elba

Unless the mysterious actor, known for his award-winning performances in “There Will Be Blood” and “Lincoln,” is promoting his latest work, he outright avoids the entire industry. Daniel Day-Lewis has a home in the United States, but you’ll rarely find him spending time there; instead, Day-Lewis opts for his country estate in County Wicklow, Ireland, where he lives with his filmmaker wife Rebecca Miller. It’s likely that this closed-off persona is directly related to his ability to transform himself completely into the characters he portrays, which he happens to be extremely selective about. Whatever his secret is, he won’t be tweeting about it, although it’s possible he’ll let it slip during one of his routine award acceptance speeches.

Do you agree with our list? Who are your favorite celebs who keep in the shadows? For more revealing Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.