How a person chooses to define ‘ending a career’ is pretty important since some people passed away not long after they were done filming their last movie, and some just faded off and left the spotlight behind. But those that passed away not long after their final movie are often seen as more tragic since the fact that many of them knew that their time was short somehow made their last act even more beautiful since it brought out a very real sense that there was no more pretense, no more need to hold anything back, and it was just time to let everything go and be who they were. In some cases, this idea managed to get a bit dark, but in others, it was nothing less than inspiring since it was seen as a means of allowing the actors to give one last hurrah before it was all over and done with. That’s all an actor can hope for near the end after all, though those that leave the spotlight in order to further a different career often find their way back at least once, even if they don’t manage to stick around. But those that ended their careers on a high note are usually those that end being remembered in a very special way.
Here are a few actors that ended their careers with a great movie.
5. Paul Newman – Cars
An animated movie might feel like an awkward selection to go out on, but Cars was still great in that it allowed Newman to portray a character that was wise but somewhat stubborn since he’d seen his dreams dashed and had people turn their backs on him. Doc Hudson was the kind of car that was at the top of the heap at one point and was nearly forgotten after a tragic accident. But the aging race car still managed to make a turn and helped out a younger, promising competitor as he attempted to achieve his dream, and also taught him a few valuable lessons along the way that made him an overall better individual.
4. John Wayne – The Shootist
There are definitely some folks out there that would love to tarnish John Wayne’s legacy as much as they possibly can since he’s been called out as a racist in the recent past despite the fact that he hasn’t been around to defend himself from such things for a long time. The idea of being offended by something that someone said when they’ve already been dead and gone for so long is becoming a trend to be certain, but it’s also becoming a reason that some people want to try and forget the past. Lest anyone forget, a good number of actors have said some very controversial things in recent years, and yet haven’t been vilified for them.
3. Henry Fonda – On Golden Pond
Some of the most classic actors are those that were revered in their time but are slowly being forgotten in the current era. To be fair, it’s not the fault of the people that are alive today, but instead, the simple fact that life moves on, memory starts to fade, and new talent comes along to supplant the old as the show continues to go on. Henry Fonda put in a great performance in On Golden Pond, and it was a movie that left a lot of people feeling choked up with emotion for a good reason. But in time it’s likely that this movie will be all but forgotten by a lot of folks, not on purpose, but simply as a natural means of progression.
2. Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger was one of the most tragic losses on this list since there wasn’t a lot of warning before his passing, unlike John Wayne and John Cazale. He wasn’t that old and for all intents and purposes, he wasn’t sick or ailing in a physical sense. But the work he put in as the Joker for The Dark Knight was absolutely intense, not to mention a bit crazed in a way since he became the character in a manner that was absolutely disturbing and he created one of the best versions of the villain that will ever exist. But this did come at a huge price since it would be his final full performance.
1. John Cazale – The Deer Hunter
This has to be one of the saddest entries since John was still working when he was dealing with cancer and everyone knew it. Yet he still turned in a great performance and hung in with some of the best actors in the business right until the end. He only starred in five movies in his entire career, but it’s believed that if he’d been able to stick around for longer that his legend would have continued in a different manner. Despite that, people still remember him fondly.
Sometimes a final performance is one of the best.
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