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 the final 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.
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Some of the greatest actors of all time have 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 clunkers and disappointing releases.
10 Orson Welles
The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
As the director, co-writer, and star of Citizen Kane, a movie commonly described as the greatest 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 of The War of the Worlds, but even Welles’ perceived failures have since been lauded as unrecognized masterpieces, such as his posthumous movie The Other Side of the Wind, which was released 48 years late on Netflix.
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However, Welles also had some surprising roles, like his guest appearance in The Muppet Movie or 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 of Transformers. Welles voiced Unicron, a planet-sized villain capable of devouring worlds. While this Transformers movie was not bad by any stretch of the imagination, it was a strange way for an icon of Welles’ stature to finish his career.
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The Transformers: The Movie PGAnimationActionAdventureFamilySci-Fi
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.
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*Availability in US Director Nelson Shin Release Date August 8, 1986 Writers Ron Friedman Cast Norman Alden , Jack Angel , Michael Bell , gregg berger , Susan Blu , Arthur Burghardt Character(s) Hot Rod / Rodimus Prime (voice) , Optimus Prime / Ironhide (voice) , Soundwave / Megatron / Rumble / Frenzy / Wheelie (voice) , Galvatron (voice) , Unicron (voice) , Cliffjumper (voice) , Bumblebee (Voice) , Jazz (voice) , Arcee (voice) , Wreck-Gar (voice) , Ultra Magnus (voice) , Kranix (voice) , Astrotrain (voice) , Prowl / Scrapper / Swoop / Junkion (voice) , Grimlock (voice) , Kup (voice) , Blurr (voice) , Blaster (voice) , Inferno (voice) , Perceptor (voice) , Bonecrusher / Hook / Springer / Slag (voice) , Spike / Brawn / Shockwave (voice) , Cyclonus / Quintesson Leader (voice) , Devastator (voice) , Gears (voice) Runtime 84 minutes Main Genre Animation YouTube Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub12DkmRUnI Expand
9 Elizabeth Taylor
The Flintstones (1994)
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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. From Cleopatra to Who’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 of The Flintstones, in which she played Wilma’s mother, Pearl Slaghoople. Although The Flintstones was 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.
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The Flintstones PGComedyFamilyFantasy
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.
Director Brian Levant Release Date May 27, 1994 Studio(s) Amblin Entertainment , Hanna-Barbera Productions Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Tom S. Parker , Jim Jennewein , Steven E. de Souza Cast John Goodman , Elizabeth Perkins , Rick Moranis , Rosie O’Donnell , Kyle MacLachlan , Halle Berry , Elizabeth Taylor Character(s) Wilma Flintstone , Fred Flintstone , Barney Rubble , Betty Rubble , Cliff Vandercave , Sharron Stone , Pearl Slaghoople , Mr. Slate , Hoagie , Joe Rockhead , Gobo The Grizzled Man , Ali / Dicabird / Blossom’s Adopted Doll Son Ali , Pebbles , Bamm-Bamm , Mrs. Pyrite , Mrs. Feldspar , Stewardess , Yeti , Roxanne , Store Manager , BC-52’s Runtime 91 minutes Budget $46 million Main Genre Comedy YouTube Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMnEbfzllso Expand
8 Ray Liotta
Cocaine Bear (2023)
Blended image by Stephen Barker
Ray Liotta’s legacy will forever be tied to his extraordinary role as Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’s gangster masterpiece Goodfellas. However, Liotta’s career continued to be impressive in subsequent years as he gave astounding performances in everything from Hannibal to Marriage 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 in Bee Movie.
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Sadly, Liotta passed away in 2022 at age 67, with several roles then released posthumously. This included a leading role in the true crime miniseries Black 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 comedy Fool’s Paradise and Elizabeth Banks’ outrageous comedy horror Cocaine Bear. While there’s no denying that Cocaine Bear wasn’t a lot of fun, it didn’t exactly live up to the extraordinary legacy Liotta had carved out with Goodfellas.
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6/10 Cocaine Bear RComedyThriller
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.
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*Availability in US Director Elizabeth Banks Release Date February 24, 2023 Studio(s) Lord Miller Productions , Brownstone Productions , Jurassic Party Productions Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Jimmy Warden Cast Ray Liotta , Alden Ehrenreich , Christian Convery , Scott Seiss , Margo Martindale , Keri Russell , Kahyun Kim , O’Shea Jackson Jr. , Brooklynn Prince Runtime 95 Minutes Budget $30–35 Million Expand
7 Joan Crawford
Trog (1970)
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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 was infamously known for her dislike of fellow actress Bette Davis, whose animosity for one another was powerfully dramatized in Ryan Murphy’s FX series Feud. 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 in Whatever 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 horror Trog, where she played an anthropologist who discovers an Ice Age caveman called a troglodyte in the 20th century. With campy B-movie energy, Trog became a cult favorite but remained an underwhelming end to Crawford’s career.
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Trog HorrorSci-Fi
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.
Director Freddie Francis Release Date October 24, 1970 Writers Aben Kandel Cast Joan Crawford , Michael Gough , Bernard Kay , Kim Braden , David Griffin , John Hamill , Thorley Walters , Jack May , Geoffrey Case , Robert Hutton , Simon Lack , David Warbeck , Chloe Franks , Maurice Good , Joe Cornelius , John Baker Runtime 91 Minutes Main Genre Horror Expand
6 Gene 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 like Bonnie and Clyde before working with cinema icon Francis Ford Coppola on his underappreciated mystery classic The Conversation in 1974. From his enjoyable take on Lex Luthor in Superman to an Oscar-winning performance in Unforgiven in the 1990s, the length and breadth of modern cinema had been told through the impressive career of Hackman.
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However, Hackman’s final film was a headscratcher, as Welcome to Mooseport with Ray Ramono felt like an underwhelming way 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.
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Welcome to Mooseport PG-13ComedyRomance Where to Watch
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*Availability in US Director Donald Petrie Release Date February 24, 2004 Cast Gene Hackman , Ray Romano , Marcia Gay Harden , Maura Tierney , Christine Baranski , Fred Savage Runtime 110 minutes Main Genre Comedy
5 Peter Sellers
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980)
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The icon of British comedy, Peter Sellers, got his start with on the legendary radio series The Goon Show and gained worldwide fame as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther series. His unique talents saw him excel in Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita, and with multiple roles in the political satire classic Dr. Strangelove, Sellers truly left his mark on cinema as 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’s Being 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 Manchu was Sellers’ final film and a total failure with critics. However, a cobbled-together seventh Pink Panther movie 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.
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The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu PGComedyHorrorCrime
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.
Director Piers Haggard Release Date August 8, 1980 Writers Jim Moloney Cast Helen Mirren , Peter Sellers , David Tomlinson , Sid Caesar , Simon Williams , Steve Franken , Stratford Johns , John Le Mesurier , John Sharp , Clément Harari , Kwan-Young Lee , Burt Kwouk , Derek Martin , Philip Tan , Clive Dunn Character(s) Alice Rage , Fu Manchu / Nayland Smith , Sir Roger Avery , Joe Capone , Robert Townsend , Peter Williams , Ismail , Perkins , Sir Thuud , Dr. Wretch , Tang , Fu Manchu’s Servant , Museum Guard , Dacoit , Keeper of the Keys – London Tower Runtime 108 minutes YouTube Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIy37fEVnwo Expand
4 Harold Ramis
Year One (2009)
Comedy legend Harold Ramis got his start in National Lampoon productions, which gave way to incredible collaborations with stars like Bill Murray. As a member of and co-writer of Ghostbusters, Ramis made a name for himself in classic comedies of the 1980s, including Stripes. However, Ramis was equally talented behind the camera as he went on to direct beloved comedies like Caddyshack, Groundhog Day, and Analyze This. With such an impressive resume, Ramis’s legacy was somewhat tarnished by his final movie, Year One, a lackluster parody of the Book of Genesis.
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Ramis co-wrote, directed, and acted in Year 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. While Ramis gave his final acting performances as Adam in Year One, viewers should instead focus on Ramis’s heyday in the 1980s and 1990s.
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Year One PG-13Comedy
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.
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*Availability in US Director Harold Ramis Release Date June 19, 2009 Writers Harold Ramis , Gene Stupnitsky , Lee Eisenberg Cast Jack Black , Michael Cera , Olivia Wilde , Oliver Platt , David Cross , Christopher Mintz-Plasse , Vinnie Jones , Hank Azaria Runtime 97 Minutes Main Genre Comedy Expand
3 Bela Lugosi
Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)
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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 meant Lugosi was typecast into villainous roles for 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 in Plan 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.
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2 Jack 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 in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest right up to late-career triumphs such as Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, Nicholson boasts a filmography few can match. As the most Oscar-nominated male in the history of the Academy Awards, Nicholson’s dozen nominations and three wins stand for themselves.
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With such an esteemed legacy, it’s surprising that Nicholson didn’t opt to go out with a bang, as his final movie was How Do You Know in 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 since How Do You Know, and at this stage, it appears unlikely that he’ll gift the world with one last movie.
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How Do You Know PG-13ComedyRomanceDrama
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.
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*Availability in US Director James L. Brooks Release Date December 17, 2010 Writers James L. Brooks Cast Reese Witherspoon , Paul Rudd , Owen Wilson , Jack Nicholson , Kathryn Hahn , Mark Linn-Baker Runtime 121 Minutes Main Genre Comedy Expand
1 Sean Connery
Sir Billi (2012)
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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 in The 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 comic The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen received overwhelmingly negative reviews.
Following the failure of The 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 Billi was 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 Billi was an unfortunate end to a once incredible career.