The actor posted an IG that attempted to set the record straight on comments he made in a GQ interview -- which strongly suggested he was going to retire from showbiz, and maybe even every other endeavor he's involved in professionally too ... including his tequila brand.

Of course, people were freaking out over the prospect of him leaving the spotlight -- but now, he's saying it won't be a full-blown retirement ... more so a long pause. BC writes, "I am not retiring. What I am going to do is hit the pause button for a year after I reach my 70th birthday in 2026." He says he's not sure what pausing means, but adds he'll take at least a year off to focus on other things in his life ... like his marriage, for example.

Bryan explains ... "First, it will allow me to spend time with Robin (my beautiful wife of 34 years now) in a way that I haven’t been able to in the last 25 years…not as a wife of a celebrity, but as a loving married couple entering into - well, let’s be honest, our latter years, with new hopes and goals and experiences."

Another thing Bryan's hoping to achieve with his career pause ... a newfound approach to acting. He says he's out of fresh ideas on how to play certain characters and feels as though he needs to replenish his soul to figure out another way to get into roles.

Plus, the dude wants to read and stuff -- so he says he's unplugging from all social media and business he's involved in to recenter and refocus. In the meantime, Bryan says there are more film and TV projects of his that'll be coming out before the 2026 deadline.