Although some actors stood out with extremely memorable performances, final moviesthere are other artists whose final roles may surprise viewers. Whether they've passed away or retired, it's always sad to say goodbye to Hollywood icons, even though 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 mistakenly think it was the final swan song, or other times, a lackluster final film so tarnished an actor's legacy that it was best forgotten altogether.
Even though some of these actors' final films weren't their most memorable or acclaimed, it's important to note that a great Hollywood career is based on an artist's cumulative works, and no actor should be judged solely on their last performance. . With this in mind, it is also essential highlight those who did some of their best work late in their careers and pay tribute to these achievements. Like some of the best actors of all time, these final roles are worth watching just to see how the screen legends say goodbye.
10
Giant (1956)
James Dean's Final Role
As an American icon whose Hollywood career was cut short after just five years of acting in the 1950s, James Dean's filmography consists of just three major films. The hugely influential coming-of-age story Rebel without a causethat summed up adolescence during this era, John Steinbeck's adaptation East of Edenand the epic western Giant. While each film was legendary in its own way, many viewers would likely associate Dean's legacy much more with the anti-establishment attitude in Rebel than with his intense and complex portrayal of Jett Rink in Giant.
Dean's latest film role showed his serious range as an actor like the poor farmer who found oil and became incredibly rich. As an Oscar-nominated performance, Dean never enjoyed the praise he received, as he died in a car accident three months before the film was released. Although Rebel without a cause may be Dean's defining performance, Giant signaled that if Dean survived, he would have a brilliant career ahead of him, filled with varied and nuanced film roles.
9
Always (1989)
Audrey Hepburn's last film role
The elegance, sophistication and Audrey Hepburn's timeless style in Breakfast at Tiffany's solidified her reputation as a true Hollywood star and made it seem 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 is sometimes easy to forget that Hepburn had a long and fruitful career long after her heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. remembered for acclaimed classics such as Sabrina with Humphrey Bogart or Roman Holiday with Gregory Peck, she worked with legends until the end.
Hepburn's last film was Steven Spielberg's highly underrated fantasy romance Alwaysa remake of the 1943 novel A 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 late pilot that he has died and that his new purpose was to guide others from beyond the grave. While Always doesn't get the same recognition as Spielberg's biggest hits from the 1980s, it's worth checking out to see Hepburn one last time.
8
Cars (2006)
Paul Newman's last film role
Paul Newman was a true Hollywood legend whose filmography included classics such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The stingand his Oscar-winning performance in Martin Scorsese The color of money. Although Newman got his start in film during the 1940s, he was also known for his love of cars and won several national championships as a driver in Sports Car Club of America street races. With this impressive hobby in mind, it seemed fitting that Newman's final role would be as Doc Hudson in the Pixar children's classic. Cars.
Newman voiced the 1951 navy blue Hudson Hornet, which was later revealed to be the legendary Fabulous Hudson Hornet, which seems a fitting tribute to its iconic status in the film industry. Newman reprized his role in the Pixar short Mater and the Phantom Light and even appeared posthumously using archival footage in Cars 3. While Cars It was Newman's last rolehe narrated two documentaries in the years before his death, one called OK about the life and career of NASCAR race car driver Dale Earnhardt and a wildlife film titled The meerkats.
7
The 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 the age of 46 in 2014. Having suffered from drug addiction as a young man, Hoffman relapsed in his later years and left behind such an ambitious filmography. . and impressive as any Hollywood star has ever done. With a career that included acclaimed collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson, an Oscar-winning performance in the biopic Coatand many blockbusters, Hoffman's appeal was that he really could do it all.
Hoffman's final role was surprisingly so Plutarch Heavensbee in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. With talent to elevate every film he participated in, having an actor of Hoffman's stature involved in The Hunger Games helped make it one of the most popular franchises of the 2010s by adding depth and nuance to its characterization of Heavensbee. As one of the highest-grossing series of all time, Hoffman's final role introduced countless viewers to his work, and now they can go back and discover his rich catalog of over 50 films.
6
Welcome to Mooseport (2004)
Gene Hackman's final role in the feature film
Gene Hackman hasn't been in a new feature film since 2004, and as an actor in 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 performed in classics such as Bonnie and Clydehe became a true screen icon for his roles in films such as Francis Ford Coppola The conversation and his Oscar-winning performance in Clint Eastwood Unforgivable.
With that back catalog in mind, many will be surprised to learn that Hackman's last film was a forgotten comedy called Welcome to Mooseport alongside Ray Romano. Hackman played a former US president in this political satire this saw him embroiled in a petty rivalry with a local plumber as they both ran for mayor of their small Maine town. Hackman called it a day after the overwhelmingly negative reception to Welcome to Mooseport and instead shifted his focus to writing novels and briefly came out of retirement to narrate two documentaries about the Marine Corps.
5
The diabolical plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980)
Peter Sellers' last film
As one of the biggest names in British comedy, audiences were introduced to Peter Sellers with his legendary radio series The fool's show before gaining fame in Hollywood as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther series. Sellers' unique career included acclaimed work with Stanley Kubrick in films such as Doctor Strange and lolita, and he continued to do great work until his death in 1980. Although many will think of Hal Ashby's classic Being there by imagining the ultimate role of salespeoplehis last performance was much less acclaimed.
Although the role of Chance the gardener in Being there earned Sellers a final Oscar nomination for Best Actor, his last role was in The diabolical plot of Dr. Fu Manchu. Although Sellers played the dual role of Fu Manchu, a megalomaniacal Chinese evil genius, and English detective Nayland Smith, his multi-role performance could not live up to the success of his similar venture in Doctor Strange. Unfortunately, this final role did not live up to the standard of Sellers' extraordinary career and was best forgotten altogether.
4
Lord Billi (2012)
Sean Connery's final role
From his career-defining role as the first film James Bond to memorable roles like Henry Jones Sr. Indiana Jones and the Last CrusadeSean Connery was truly Hollywood royalty. However, the latter part of Connery's career was not the best, and his last live-action film role in Alan Moore's comic book adaptation The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen received overwhelmingly negative reviews. Although this failure caused Connery to announce his retirement from acting, as he never wanted to go through such a frustrating experience again, he briefly came out of retirement for one last film in 2012.
This final film was an animated feature called Mr Billiwhich was so bafflingly bad that it made anyone who saw it wonder why Connery would have decided to get involved with it. Featuring numerous references to his time as James Bond Mr Billi starred Connery in the title role as an elderly veterinarian who embarks on a quest to save a beaver. With a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Mr Billi done The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen it seems Citizen Kane in comparison.
3
The Flintstones (1994)
Elizabeth Taylor's last film role
Two-time Oscar 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 rendition of Cleopatra, Taylor's eventful personal life was a major talking point for media outlets and paparazzi, making her one of the first modern celebrities whose behind-the-scenes life was often as tantalizing as her on-screen work. Although viewers remember Taylor from films like Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? her latest film role will probably surprise a lot of people.
As Taylor's opportunities began to dwindle after the 1960s, she shifted her focus to philanthropy, and her last film role was in the 1994 live-action adaptation of The Flintstones. While The Flintstones was criticized by criticswas a box office success and has since gained a cult following, with Taylor's portrayal of Wilma's mother Pearl Slaghoople being a delightful addition to its eccentric appeal. Although Taylor appeared in a few more television roles, The Flintstones It represented a sad end to a great career.
2
Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Orson Welles
Few names represent genius better than Orson Welles, who, as director, co-writer and star of Citizen KaneHe earned his place among the greatest filmmakers of all time at just 25 years old. This initial success, which has commonly been described as the greatest film ever made, was just the beginning of an acclaimed career that saw the production of many other major directorial efforts and appearances in everything from Welles' classic Touch of Evil to appear in The dolls movie.
Although Welles's career was characterized by incredible variety, few would have expected his final release to be so the planet-sized robotic villain, Unicron, in The Transformers: The Movie. As the first film based on the Hasbro toy line The transformers followed 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 an odd way for an icon of Welles' stature to end his career, in some ways it is appropriate, as Welles was anything but predictable.
1
The Imaginary of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
Heath Ledger's final film role
Heath Ledger's tragic death in 2008 was one of the biggest hoaxes in Hollywood history, as the Australian actor seemed poised to become a true icon of the film industry. Having landed her breakout role in the romantic comedy 10 things I hate about youLedger proved himself a daring actor by playing a same-sex love affair in the pioneering neo-Western Brokeback Mountain and truly surprised audiences with his career-defining role as the Joker in Christopher Nolan's film The Dark Knight.
Ledger unfortunately passed away before The Dark Knight was released and won a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role. However, this was not Ledger's last film as he had already begun filming The Imaginary of Doctor Parnassus with Terry Gilliam when he died. Although this put the production at risk, the decision was made to recast Ledger with Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell, who played fantasy transformations of his character. This meant audiences were able to see Ledger's final performance in a way that allowed the finished film to still be made.