While some actors have gone out on a high note with extremely memorablefinal films, there are other performers whose final roles may surprise viewers. Whether they passed away or retired, it’s always sad to say goodbye to icons of Hollywood, although sometimes their final roles were overshadowed by other work in their acclaimed careers. In some cases, a late-career performance was so popular that many viewers wrongly think it was their final swansong, or other times, a lacklusterfinal movie tarnished an actor’s legacyso much that it was best just forgotten about entirely.
Even though some of theseactors’ final moviesweren’t their most memorable or acclaimed, it’s important to note that a great Hollywood career is based on the cumulative works of a performer, and no actor should be judged on their last performance alone. With this in mind, it’s also essential tohighlight those who did some of their best work at the end of their careersand pay tribute to these achievements. As some ofthe best actors of all time, these final roles are well worth watching just to see how movie legends bid farewell.
10Giant (1956)
James Dean’s final role
As an American icon whose Hollywood career was cut short after just five years as anactor during the 1950s, James Dean’s filmography consists of just three major films. The wildly influential coming-of-age storyRebel Without a Cause, which encapsulated teenagehood during this era, the John Steinbeck adaptationEast of Eden, and the epic WesternGiant. While each film was legendary in its own way, many viewers would likely associate Dean’s legacy far more with the anti-establishment attitude inRebelthan with his intense and complex portrayal of Jett Rink inGiant.
Dean’s final film role showcased his serious range as an actoras the poor ranch hand who struck oil and became incredibly wealthy. As an Academy Award-nominated performance, Dean never got to enjoy the acclaim he received, as he was killed in a car crash three months before the film was released. AlthoughRebel Without a Causemight be Dean’s defining performance,Giantsignaled that, if Dean lived, he had a bright career ahead of him, filled with nuanced and varied film roles.
Giant
Cast
Giant, directed by George Stevens, follows wealthy rancher Bick Benedict and poor cowboy Jett Rink as they vie for Leslie Lynnton, a newcomer to Texas. After marrying Benedict, Leslie confronts local racial tensions while Rink’s discovery of oil leads to conflicts that span generations.
9Always (1989)
Audrey Hepburn’s final film role
The elegance, sophistication, andtimeless style of Audrey Hepburn inBreakfast at Tiffany’ssolidified her reputation as a true Hollywood starlet and made it feel like she was almost frozen in time. With a cultural impact that turned the idea of a ‘little black dress’ into a mainstay of the fashion industry, it’s sometimes easy to forget that Hepburn had a long and fruitful career well past her heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. Although Hepburn is best remembered for acclaimed classics likeSabrinawith Humphrey Bogart orRoman Holidaywith Gregory Peck, she worked with legends until the end.
Hepburn’s final movie was Steven Spielberg’s highly underrated fantasy romanceAlways, a remake of the 1943 romanceA Guy Named Joe. This unusual story followed the spirit of a recently deceased expert pilot mentoring a new pilot while watching him fall in love with the girl he left behind. Hepburn played Hap, an older woman who explains to the deceased pilot he has died and his new purpose was to guide others from beyond the grave. WhileAlwaysdoesn’t get the same recognition as Spielberg’s biggest successes in the 1980s, it’s worth checking out to see Hepburn one last time.
Always
Always, directed by Steven Spielberg, features Richard Dreyfuss as Pete, a daring aerial firefighter who risks his life battling wildfires. His dedication to the perilous job impacts his relationship with his girlfriend, Dorinda. The film explores themes of heroism, love, and the supernatural after a life-changing mission.
8Cars (2006)
Paul Newman’s final film role
Paul Newman was a true Hollywood legend whose filmography includes classics likeButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,The Sting, and his Oscar-winning performance in Martin Scorsese’sThe Color of Money. While Newman got his start in movies during the 1940s, he was also well known for his love of cars and won several national championships as a driver in Sports Car Club of America road racing. With this impressive hobby in mind, it felt fitting that Newman’s final role would be as Doc Hudson in the Pixar kids’ classicCars.
Newman voiced the navy-blue 1951 Hudson Hornet who was later revealed to be the legendary Fabulous Hudson Hornet, which feels like a fitting tribute to his iconic status in the movie industry. Newman reprised his role in the Pixar shortMater and the Ghostlightand even appeared posthumously using archival footage inCars 3.WhileCarswas Newman’s final acting role, he did narrate two documentaries in the years preceding his death, one calledDaleabout the life and career of NASCAR race car driver Dale Earnhardt and a wildlife film titledThe Meerkats.
Cars
Cars follows hotshot rookie race car Lightning McQueen as he unexpectedly detours into the small town of Radiator Springs on Route 66. While en route to the Piston Cup Championship in California, McQueen encounters the town’s eccentric residents and learns valuable lessons about life beyond racing.
7The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015)
Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final role
As one of the greatest actors of his generation, it was truly a tragedy when Philip Seymour Hoffman passed away at age 46 in 2014. Having suffered from drug addiction as a young man, Hoffman relapsed in his final years and left behind a filmography as ambitious and impressive as any Hollywood star has ever made. With a career that included acclaimed collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson, an Oscar-winning performance in the biopicCapote, and many blockbuster hits, Hoffman’s appeal was that he could truly do it all.
Hoffman’s final role was surprisingly asPlutarch Heavensbee inThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay -Part 2. With a talent for elevating every film he was in, having an actor of Hoffman’s stature involved inThe Hunger Gameshelped make it one of the most popular franchises of the 2010s as he added depth and nuance to his characterization of Heavensbee. As one of the highest-grossing series of all time, Hoffman’s final role introduced countless viewers to his body of work, and now, they can go back and discover his rich catalog of over 50 films.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 concludes the dystopian saga as Katniss Everdeen leads a mission against President Snow amidst Panem’s escalating war. Collaborating with allies from District 13, Katniss confronts deadly obstacles that test her resolve more than the previous Hunger Games, aiming to liberate their society.
6Welcome To Mooseport (2004)
Gene Hackman final feature film role
Gene Hackman hasn’t been in a new feature film since 2004, and, as an actor well into his 90s, he should be happy to enjoy his retirement as he sees fit. However, it was somewhat disappointing that one of Hollywood’s greatest living legends ended his career with such a lackluster final film. While Hackman began his career in the 1960s and was in classics likeBonnie and Clyde, he became a true screen icon for his roles in movies like Francis Ford Coppola’sThe Conversationand his Oscar-winning performance in Clint Eastwood’sUnforgiven.
With this back catalog in mind, many will be surprised to learn Hackman’s final movie was a forgotten comedy calledWelcome to Mooseportopposite Ray Romano.Hackman played a former U.S. president in this political satirethat saw him embroiled in a petty rivalry with a local plumber as they both run for mayor of their small Maine town. Hackman called it a day after the overwhelmingly negative reception toWelcome to Mooseportand instead shifted his focus to writing novels and briefly came out of retirement to narrate two documentaries about the Marine Corps.
Welcome to Mooseport
Welcome to Mooseport is a comedy directed by Donald Petrie, starring Gene Hackman as a retired US president who returns to his hometown of Mooseport, Maine. He enters a mayoral race against a local candidate, played by Ray Romano, creating unexpected turmoil in the small town.
5The Fiendish Plot Of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980)
Peter Sellers' final film
As one of the most important names in British comedy, audiences were introduced to Peter Sellers with his legendary radio seriesThe Goon Showbefore he gained fame in Hollywood as Chief Inspector Clouseau inThe Pink Pantherseries. Sellers' unique career included acclaimed work with Stanley Kubrick on movies likeDr. StrangeloveandLolita,and he kept doing great work right up until his death in 1980. Whilemany will think of the Hal Ashby classicBeing Therewhen imagining Sellers' final role, his actual last performance was far less acclaimed.
WhileThe Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchuwas Sellers' final film role, a cobbled-together seventhPink Panthermovie was later released using deleted scenes and outtakes from older films, which was equally panned.
Although the part of Chance the gardener inBeing Thereearned Sellers a final Oscar nomination for Best Actor, his last role was inThe Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu. While Sellers played the dual role of Fu Manchu, a megalomaniacal Chinese evil genius, and English gentleman detective Nayland Smith, his multi-role performance could not live up to the success of his similar endeavor inDr. Strangelove. Sadly, this final role did not live up to the standard of Sellers' extraordinary career and was best forgotten about entirely.
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu is a 1980 comedy adventure film starring Peter Sellers as Dr. Fu Manchu. As Fu Manchu seeks a new potion to maintain his youth, the FBI dispatches agents to team up with an expert on Fu, leading to an international escapade.
4Sir Billi (2012)
Sean Connery’s final role
From his career-defining role as the first James Bond on film to memorable parts like Henry Jones Sr. inIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Sean Connery was truly Hollywood royalty. However, the latter part of Connery’s career was not the greatest, and his final live-action film role in the Alan Moore comic book adaptationThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemenreceived overwhelmingly negative reviews. While this failure caused Connery to announce his retirement from acting, as he never wanted to go through such a frustrating experience again, he did briefly come out of retirement for one final movie in 2012.
This final film was an animated feature calledSir Billi, which was so bafflingly bad that it made anyone who saw it wonder why Connery would have ever decided to be involved with it. Featuring numerous references to his time as James Bond,Sir Billistarred Connery in the title role as an elderly veterinarian embarking on a quest to save a beaver. With a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes,Sir BillimadeThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemanlook likeCitizen Kaneby comparison.
Sir Billi
Sir Billi is a 2012 animated film featuring an aging, skateboarding veterinarian who pursues an adventurous mission. In a bid to save Bessie Boo, a fugitive beaver, Sir Billi confronts corrupt policemen and influential lairds, highlighting themes of heroism and determination.
3The Flintstones (1994)
Elizabeth Taylor’s final film role
As a two-time Academy Award- winner, Elizabeth Taylor has long been recognized as one of the greatest Hollywood icons of all time. From her frequent collaborations with her on-again, off-again husband, Richard Burton, to her memorable portrayal ofCleopatra,Taylor’s hectic personal life was a prime topic for news outlets and paparazzi, which made her one of the first modern celebrities whose behind-the-scenes life was often as tantalizing as her screen work. While viewers will remember Taylor for movies likeWho’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?her final film role will likely surprise many people.
As Taylor’s opportunities began to wane after the 1960s, she shifted her focus toward philanthropy, and her final film role was in the 1994 live-action adaptation ofThe Flintstones. WhileThe Flintstoneswas panned by critics, it was a hit at the box office and has since gained a cult following, with Taylor’s portrayal of Wilma’s mother, Pearl Slaghoople, being an enjoyable addition to its offbeat appeal. Although Taylor appeared in some more television roles,The Flintstonesrepresented a sad end to a great career.
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is a live-action comedy film based on the classic cartoon series. After receiving a strange promotion seemingly out of nowhere, Fred Flintstone becomes the scapegoat in an embezzlement scheme headed by his new boss at Slate & Co. His new fortune and status strain his relationship with his friends and family. When the truth comes out, Fred and Barney must unravel the conspiracy and restore peace to their home, the prehistoric town of Bedrock.
2Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Orson Welles
Few names represent genius better than Orson Welles, who, as the director, co-writer, and star ofCitizen Kane, earned his place among the all-time great filmmakers at just 25 years old. This early success, which has commonly been described as the best movie ever made, was just the beginning of an acclaimed career that saw the production of many more great directorial efforts and appearances in everything from Welles’ classicTouch of Evilto appearing inThe Muppet Movie.
Although Welles’ career was characterized by incredible variety, few would expect his final release to be asthe planet-sized robotic villain Unicron inThe Transformers: The Movie. As the first film based on Hasbro’s toy line,The Transformersfollowed the popular 1980s animated series and featured several acclaimed names like Judd Nelson, Leonard Nimoy, and, of course, Welles among its voice cast. While this may be a strange way for an icon of Welles’ stature to bookend his career, in a way, it is fitting, as Welles was anything but predictable.
The Transformers: The Movie
The Transformers: The Movie is an animated science fiction film released in 1986. It centers on the Autobots as they confront a planet-devouring entity while simultaneously defending against a fierce assault from the Decepticons, with the fate of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership hanging in the balance.
1The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
Heath Ledger final film role
The tragic death of Heath Ledger in 2008 was one of the biggest travesties in Hollywood history, as the Australian actor looked set to become a true icon of the film industry. Having gained his breakout role in the rom-com10 Things I Hate About You, Ledger proved himself as a daring actor with his portrayal of a same-sex love affair in the trailblazing neo-WesternBrokeback Mountainand truly blew audiences away with his career-defining role as the Joker in Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knight.
Ledger sadly passed away beforeThe Dark Knightwas released and earned a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role. However, this was not Ledger’s final movie, as he had already started filmingThe Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassuswith Terry Gilliam when he died. While this put the production in jeopardy, the decision was made to recast Ledger with Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell, who played fantasy transformations of his character. This meantaudiences could see Ledger’s final performance in a way that allowed the finished movie to still be made.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Parnassus, the leader of a traveling theater troupe, makes a bet with the Devil over who can win more souls. Parnassus troupe shows audience members their dreams and imaginative depths in a magic mirror. If, at the end, the soul chooses the difficult path of enlightenment, Parnassus wins; if they choose easy ignorance, the soul goes to the Devil.
