To achieve the status of a true icon in Hollywood, actors must work consistently to prove their skills across years and decades, although this can also mean that some legacies end better than others. Although many performers are immediately associated with success and prestige, when looking at thefinal entries in some stars' filmographies, certain movies tarnish their incredible legacies. This may be due to an actor’s declining popularity in their later years or just strange creative decisions that led to the release of lackluster final movies.
Some of thegreatest actors of all timehave an unfortunate final film that failed to live up to their best work. While many of these final movies had their merit, they just did not have the same level of gravitas or impact as the films that made them famous and that they will be primarily remembered for. Although some actors are able to stay on top right to the end, more often than not,the final years of an icon’s career had their fair share of clunkersand disappointing releases.
10Orson Welles
The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
As the director, co-writer, and star ofCitizen Kane, a movie commonly described as thegreatest film of all time, the legacy of Orson Welles is practically untarnishable. Not only did Welles shock the world after he unwittingly convinced people the Earth had been invaded by Martians following his radio production ofThe War of the Worlds, but even Welles’ perceived failures have since been lauded as unrecognized masterpieces, such as his posthumous movieThe Other Side of the Wind, which was released 48 years late on Netflix.
However, Welles also had some surprising roles, like his guest appearance inThe Muppet Movieor his final released film while he was still alive,TheTransformers: The Movie. This animated film received negative reviews upon release but has since earned a reputation as a cult classic and was a surprisingly dark and emotional take on the lore ofTransformers.Welles voiced Unicron, a planet-sized villain capable of devouring worlds. While thisTransformersmovie was not bad by any stretch of the imagination, it was a strange way for an icon of Welles’ stature to finish his career.
The Transformers: The Movie
Cast
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.
9Elizabeth Taylor
The Flintstones (1994)
When it comes to Hollywood icons, few names hold more power or esteem than Elizabeth Taylor. As a true screen legend, Taylor was a two-time Academy Award winner whose relationship with her frequent co-star Richard Burton was almost as tantalizing as the movies she was in. FromCleopatratoWho’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?Taylor’s hectic personal life and incredible acting talents made her one of the first modern celebrities and a favorite of the paparazzi. However, despite a meteoric rise to stardom,Taylor’s opportunities began to wane during the 1960s, and by the 2000s, she opted to retire entirely.
Taylor’s final feature film was the family live-action comedy adaptation ofThe Flintstones, in which she played Wilma’s mother, Pearl Slaghoople. AlthoughThe Flintstoneswas a hit with viewers and included an impressive cast featuring John Goodman as Fred Flintstone and Rick Moranis as Barney Rubble, critics panned the movie as inferior to the original cartoon. This final failure was a sad footnote at the end of Taylor’s career, and although she appeared in some more television roles, she was never in another film.
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.
8Ray Liotta
Cocaine Bear (2023)
Ray Liotta’s legacy will forever be tied to his extraordinary role as Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’s gangster masterpieceGoodfellas. However, Liotta’s career continued to be impressive in subsequent years as he gave astounding performances in everything fromHannibaltoMarriage Story, showcasing an ability to excel in action, comedy, drama, and everything in between. With immediate screen presence and unmatched charisma, Liotta was often the best thing about any given movie he was in and was never afraid to poke fun at himself, such as when he played a fictionalized version of himself inBee Movie.
Sadly,Liotta passed away in 2022 at age 67, with several roles then released posthumously. This included a leading role in the true crime miniseriesBlack Bird, which acted as a firm showcase of his undeniable talents right up until the end. However, Liotta’s posthumous film roles also included Charlie Day’s underwhelming comedyFool’s Paradiseand Elizabeth Banks’ outrageous comedy horrorCocaine Bear.While there’s no denying thatCocaine Bearwasn’t a lot of fun, it didn’t exactly live up to the extraordinary legacy Liotta had carved out withGoodfellas.
Cocaine Bear
Based loosely on the true story, Cocaine Bear follows an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists, and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a massive black bear stumbles upon and ingests a staggering amount of cocaine, setting the 500-pound bear on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow.. and blood.
7Joan Crawford
Trog (1970)
Joan Crawford was one of the most popular Depression-era Hollywood starlets who shot to fame with MGM during the 1930s, as her popularity rivaled even that of Greta Garbo. Rivalry was also the right word to describe Crawford, as she wasinfamously known for her dislike of fellow actress Bette Davis, whose animosity for one another was powerfully dramatized in Ryan Murphy’s FX seriesFeud. With plenty of career ups and downs, Crawford was the perfect choice to play the former Hollywood film star Blanche Hudson, tortured by her sister, played by Davis inWhatever Happened to Baby Jane?In 1962
While it was iconic roles like this that cemented Crawford’s legacy as a major star even as she entered the latter part of her career, her final role certainly did not live up to her reputation as a Hollywood legend. Crawford’s final film was the sci-fi horrorTrog, where she played an anthropologist who discovers an Ice Age caveman called a troglodyte in the 20th century. With campy B-movie energy,Trogbecame a cult favorite but remained an underwhelming end to Crawford’s career.
Trog
Trog is a science fiction horror film directed by Freddie Francis and starring Joan Crawford. The plot centers on the discovery of a pre-historic caveman, referred to as Trog, who becomes the subject of scientific study. As the creature is examined, ethical dilemmas and public fear arise, leading to a clash between scientific curiosity and societal hysteria.
6Gene Hackman
Welcome to Mooseport (2004)
As an actor already well into his 90s, Gene Hackman has remained one of Hollywood’s greatest living legends, although he hasn’t been in a movie since 2004. Hackman started his career in the 1960s with roles in classics likeBonnie and Clydebefore working with cinema icon Francis Ford Coppola on his underappreciated mystery classicThe Conversationin 1974. From his enjoyable take on Lex Luthor inSupermanto an Oscar-winning performance inUnforgivenin the 1990s, the length and breadth of modern cinema had been told through the impressive career of Hackman.
However, Hackman’s final film was a headscratcher, asWelcome to Mooseportwith Ray Ramono felt like an underwhelmingway to end such an esteemed career. This political satire saw Hackman play a former U.S. president embroiled in a petty rivalry with a local plumber as they both ran for mayor in Mooseport, Maine. After an overwhelmingly negative response, Hackman never took up another film role and instead focused on writing novels. While Hackman briefly came out of retirement to write two Marine Corps documentaries, it looks like a lackluster comedy will remain his farewell feature film.
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.
5Peter Sellers
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980)
The icon of British comedy, Peter Sellers, got his start with on the legendary radio seriesThe Goon Showand gained worldwide fame as Chief Inspector Clouseau inThe Pink Pantherseries. His unique talents saw him excel in Stanley Kubrick’sLolita, and with multiple roles in the political satire classicDr. Strangelove,Sellers truly left his mark on cinemaas his dark sense of humor and extraordinary range made him stand out as one of the foremost comedians of the 20th century.
While later roles, like in Hal Ashby’sBeing There,showcased he never lost his unique spark, the final role of Seller’s lifetime was somewhat of a letdown.The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchuwas Sellers' final film and a total failure with critics. However, a cobbled-together seventhPink Panthermovie was later released using deleted scenes and outtakes from older films, which was equally panned. These final releases failed to live up to Sellers’ status as a true comedy great, yet they were just a mere footnote in an extraordinary filmography.
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.
4Harold Ramis
Year One (2009)
Comedy legend Harold Ramis got his start inNational Lampoonproductions, which gave way to incredible collaborations with stars like Bill Murray. As a member of and co-writer ofGhostbusters, Ramis made a name for himself in classic comedies of the 1980s, includingStripes. However, Ramis was equally talented behind the camera as he went on to direct beloved comedies likeCaddyshack,Groundhog Day, andAnalyze This. With such an impressive resume, Ramis’s legacy was somewhat tarnished by his final movie,Year One, a lackluster parody of theBook of Genesis.
Ramis co-wrote, directed, and acted inYear One, although the disappointing reception to this final film meant it was best forgotten about entirely. With Jack Black and Michael Cera in the lead roles as an assortment of talented comedians playing biblical figures like Abraham, Cain, and Abel, the jokes just didn’t land, and the film fell flat on its head. WhileRamis gave his final acting performances as Adam inYear One, viewers should instead focus on Ramis’s heyday in the 1980s and 1990s.
Year One
Year One is a comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, featuring Jack Black and Michael Cera as two primitive hunter-gatherers who embark on an epic journey through the ancient world. The film showcases a series of humorous encounters with historical figures and moments, blending slapstick and situational comedy against the backdrop of early civilization. Year One explores themes of friendship, adventure, and the quest for meaning in a prehistoric context.
3Bela Lugosi
Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)
Few names have become more intrinsically linked than Bela Lugosi and Count Dracula, as this legend of horror cinema first became associated with the world’s most infamous vampire during the 1930s. Lugosi’s horror movie career was impressive as he co-starred with legends like Boris Karloff to great acclaim. However, this also meantLugosi was typecast into villainous rolesfor the rest of his career. After Lugosi developed a severe lower back injury, his career declined throughout the 1940s, and by the 1950s, he was no longer gaining starring roles.
The story of Lugosi’s career mimicked many Hollywood stars who were plagued by having one role that defined their entire career. However, Lugosi’s final years included one final act as he began collaborating with the infamous director Ed Wood, a much-maligned filmmaker responsible for several movies often deemed among the worst of all time. This association meant Lugosi’s film role was inPlan 9 From Outer Space, a campy, low-budget alien invasion sci-fi and a true cult classic that perfectly represents the ethos of so-bad-it’s-good moviemaking.
2Jack Nicholson
How Do You Know (2010)
Jack Nicholson has had one of the most impressive Hollywood careers of all time, as his unpredictable nature, undeniable charisma, and incredible ability to walk the line between comedy and drama made him a true icon of cinema. From his Academy Award-winning performance inOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nestright up to late-career triumphs such as Martin Scorsese’sThe Departed, Nicholson boasts a filmography few can match. As themost Oscar-nominated malein the history of the Academy Awards, Nicholson’s dozen nominations and three wins stand for themselves.
With such an esteemed legacy, it’s surprising that Nicholson didn’t opt to go out with a bang, as his final movie wasHow Do You Knowin 2010. This forgettable ensemble rom-com received a tepid response from audiences and critics alike and felt like a disappointing last hurrah for Nicholson’s extraordinary film career. Despite countless offers to return to the big screen,Nicholson has remained unofficially retired sinceHow Do You Know, and at this stage, it appears unlikely that he’ll gift the world with one last movie.
How Do You Know
How Do You Know is a romantic comedy that follows Lisa Jorgenson (Reese Witherspoon), a professional softball player caught in a love triangle with a corporate executive (Paul Rudd) and a major league baseball pitcher (Owen Wilson). Directed by James L. Brooks, the film explores themes of love, career crossroads, and personal dilemmas, featuring an ensemble cast that includes Jack Nicholson in a supporting role.
1Sean Connery
Sir Billi (2012)
While Scottish icon Sean Connery’s legacy as the first man to play James Bond in a feature film has cemented his place in Hollywood history, there’s a lot more to his star career than just that. From Connery’s acclaimed collaboration with director Sidney Lumet, his work with Alfred Hitchcock, and Oscar-winning performances inThe Untouchables,Connery truly left his mark on the movie industry. However, his later years were not as acclaimed, and his final live-action film roles in an adaptation of Alan Moore’s comicThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemenreceived overwhelmingly negative reviews.
Following the failure ofThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Connery announced his retirement from acting in 2006. Yet, Connery returned for one last movie in 2012, which was so mind-bogglingly terrible that it was difficult to understand what he was thinking.Sir Billiwas an animated adventure film that starred Connery in the title role as an elderly veterinarian embarking on a quest to save a beaver. With a woeful animation, terrible CGI, and an abysmal 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes,Sir Billiwas an unfortunate end to a once incredible career.
