Actor Isaiah Washington (59), known primarily for his role as Dr. Preston Burke, who became famous in the TV series "Grey's Anatomy", apparently wants to turn his back on Hollywood. The star announced on his official Twitter account: "It is with a heavy heart and a sense of relief that I announce my retirement from the entertainment industry."

In the course of his tweet, the controversial star blamed "haters, provocateurs and useful idiots" for his departure. Who exactly he means by that, Washington left open. He also cryptically states as a plan for the future that he wants to "tour this great country before it falls to socialism and then to communism".

Washington's biggest role was in the popular hospital series Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2007, in which he portrayed the genius heart surgeon Dr. Preston Burke played. However, the actor met his abrupt end on the series after reportedly meeting his then series mates T.R. Knight (49), the Dr. George O'Malley embodied, offended with homophobic statements. US broadcaster ABC, which produces "Grey's Anatomy," announced Washington's dismissal shortly after the scandal.

Despite this scandal, Washington continued to work in series and film projects, such as more than 40 episodes of "The 100". And he would apparently reconsider his announced acting pension under certain conditions: Since then he has started a call for donations on the crowdfunding platform "GoFundMe" in order to set up a self-financed film. However, he is still a long way from the five million US dollars he ultimately needs - so far almost 10,000 US dollars (as of March 4th) have come together.