For a wide variety of reasons, many beloved actors eventually retire from Hollywood and shift their focus toward something else. However, not every actor can stay away forever.Sometimes, a role is so enticing that it is enough tobring an actor out of retirementfor one last great performance. These returns to the big screen can be incredibly exciting for audiences, particularly for fans who have spent years hoping to see their favorite star back in theaters once again.
It is also important to note that some of these performances didn’t end up being the “last hurrahs” that they were expected to be. Sometimes, a single role is enough to rekindle an actor’s passion for their craft, leading them to launch a whole new era of their career. Others, of course, merely wanted to perform one last time before returning to retirement. Whether they decided to continue their career or withdraw from acting once again afterward, some great performances marked the triumphant returns ofacclaimed actorsto the big screen after years.
10Joe Pesci As Russell Bufalino
The Irishman (2019)
In the ’80s and ’90s, Joe Pesci made frequent appearances on the big screen, in everything from family films likeHome Aloneto dramatic movies likeRaging BullandCasino. He even earned an Academy Award for his role in theMartin Scorsese gangster film,Goodfellas. At the end of the ’90s, though, Pesci announced that he would be retiring to focus on music.
The Irishman
Cast
Based on the nonfiction book “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt, The Irishman follows Frank Sheeran and his time working for the Italian mafia. In recounting his past, the mob hitman recalls his possible involvement with the slaying of Jimmy Hoffa.
Every once in a while, however, the acclaimed actor would continue to make appearances in major films.Easily the most prominent return for Pesci came in the 2019 film,The Irishman.
Based on a true story, the film follows a truck-driver-turned-hitman who becomes increasingly tied up in the lives of a crime family before being introduced to the notorious union leader, Jimmy Hoffa.
The Irishmanmarked the fourth collaboration between Pesci, Scorsese, and Robert De Niro, who also starred in the film.Based on a true story, the film follows a truck-driver-turned-hitman who becomes increasingly tied up in the lives of a crime family before being introduced to the notorious union leader, Jimmy Hoffa. Pesci’s performance as Russell Bufalino, the intense leader of the crime family, garnered much acclaim, even earning him another Academy Award nomination. His powerful presence helped establishThe Irishmanas one of the best films of the year.
9Shelley Duvall As Mama
The Forest Hills (2023)
Starting in the early 1970s, Shelley Duvall had a long career that involved numerous films across a wide range of genres.Although she had already received several major accolades (including a Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival), Duvall’s real rise in prominence occurred in 1980, when she starred in bothThe ShiningandPopeye. In 2002, for personal reasons, she decided to retire from acting. Duvall did not appear in a single film for twenty years; that is, until she made her triumphant return as Mama inThe Forest Hills.
The Forest Hills
The Forest Hills follows Rico, who is haunted by terrifying visions after suffering head trauma during a camping trip in the Catskill Mountains. As he struggles with his sanity, Billy manipulates Rico into embracing his own disturbing beliefs, plunging him further into a harrowing reality.
The Forest Hillsmarked not only Duvall’s return to acting but to the genre for which she was best known: horror. The unsettling film tells the story of a hiker who begins having disturbing visions after suffering a head injury. Many of these unnerving visions feature his mother, played by Duvall. Although the film itself received mixed reviews, audiences were delighted to witness Duvall’s return to acting after so many years away.The Forest Hillsproved to be the acclaimed actress’s final feature film,sadly passing away later that year.
8Ke Huy Quan As Waymond Wang
Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
During the ’80s,Ke Huy Quan became a prominent child star, playing significant roles in major movies likeIndiana Jones and the Temple of DoomandThe Goonies.Unfortunately, his recognition gradually faded away, prompting Quan to turn to exclusively non-acting jobs for nearly twenty years. Thankfully, Quan never gave up on his dreams and launched an inspiring career renaissance following his appearance in the 2022 A24 film,Everything Everywhere All at Once, in which he played Waymond, the lovable, kind-hearted husband of the film’s protagonist.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
In Everything Everywhere All at Once, a middle-aged laundromat owner (Michelle Yeoh) is distracted from her financial and family issues by a multiversal crisis. With just her husband (Ke Huy Quan) to support her through the confusion, she must contend with her overbearing traditional father (James Hong), a pencil-pushing auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis), and her emotionally-distant daughter (Stephanie Hsu).
For hisrole inEverything Everywhere All at Once, Quan had to play a very complex role.Instead of playing one straightforward character, he had to play several different versions of Waymond from various universes, some of which had drastically different personalities. To make matters even more difficult, Quan also had to learn various kung-fu techniques for the fight scenes in the film. Quan impressively managed to balance all of these elements, earning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and helping propel the film toward its Best Picture victory.
7Brendan Fraser As Charlie
The Whale (2022)
Brendan Fraser may not have officially retired from acting, but his career in the film industry did experience a clear decline from its earlier prominence.Fraser rose to stardom in the ’90s with lighthearted comedy/adventure movies likeGeorge of the JungleandThe Mummy.
Brendan Fraser’s 10 Most Underrated Movies
Brendan Fraser’s career includes hits and misses but also underrated films that, for a variety of reasons, don’t get as much love as they deserve.
His career slowed down in the 2000s, though, prompting him to switch to television roles instead. After several years without a major film, however, Fraser made his return to film in the 2020s, particularly with the A24 drama,The Whale.
InThe Whale, Fraser stars as Charlie, an English teacher struggling with obesity as he attempts to repair his relationship with his teenage daughter.
While some aspects of the film left audiences divided, the performances of the actors received consistent, overwhelming praise.Fraser even went on to win the Oscar for Best Actor, paving the way for a bright future in the movie business for the actor. Since the release ofThe Whale, Fraser has already secured roles in multiple major films, such as the 2023 Scorsese feature,Killers of the Flower Moon.
6Daniel Day-Lewis As Bill The Butcher
Gangs Of New York (2002)
Daniel Day-Lewis is undoubtedly one of the most acclaimed actors of all time.However, his acting career was nearly cut in half during the late ’90s/early 2000s, when he retired and became a shoemaker. It wasn’t untilGangs of New Yorkcame around that he was finally convinced to return to performing. Directed by Martin Scorsese,Gangs of New Yorkcaptures the tense feud between various groups in 1860s New York that soon exploded into violence.
Gangs of New York
Gangs of New York, directed by Martin Scorsese, is a historical drama that explores the violent rivalries between immigrant groups in 19th-century New York City. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Amsterdam Vallon, who returns to the Five Points area seeking revenge against Bill the Butcher, played by Daniel Day-Lewis. The film dramatizes the socio-political unrest in America during that era, highlighting issues like gang warfare and ethnic tension.
In the film, Day-Lewis plays William Cutting, best known as Bill the Butcher, the leader of a group known as the Confederation of American Natives.Day-Lewis received massive praise for his portrayal of the character, even earning his third Academy Award nomination. Following the widespread success ofGangs of New York, Day-Lewis went on to continue his acting career, appearing in several other major films, proceeding to win two more Oscars before retiring once again.
5Jane Fonda As Viola Fields
Monster-In-Law (2005)
Throughout the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s,Jane Fonda had an illustrious career,appearing in movies covering practically every genre imaginable and receiving numerous major accolades, including two Academy Awards among seven total nominations. After her work in the 1990 drama,Stanley & Iris, however, Fonda announced that she would be retiring from acting in movies. She stayed true to this decision for fifteen years, until 2005, when she made her return to the romantic comedy,Monster-in-Law.
Monster-in-Law
After years of disastrous dates looking for her ideal partner, Charlotte falls in love with the perfect man, Kevin. The problem is his mother, who has just been fired from her job as anchorwoman of a national network newspaper and decides to dedicate herself to the task of getting in the way of the couple for fear that her son will distance himself after he gets married.
In the film, Fonda takes on the role of Viola Fields,a woman who begins deliberately trying to sabotage the impending wedding of her son by being the worst future mother-in-law imaginable to her son’s fiancé.Monster-in-Lawwas not overly successful as a whole, but that didn’t stop Fonda from putting all of her greatest skills on display, and still managing to earn consistent praise for her performance. Regardless of the film’s lack of success, Fonda decided to continue her return to acting, appearing in many films, TV series, and Broadway shows in the years that followed.
4Emma Watson As Sam Button
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)
English actress Emma Watson skyrocketed to stardom thanks to her portrayal of Hermione Granger in all eightHarry Pottermovies.Partway through the franchise, however, Watson revealed that she intended to take a break from acting once the series reached its conclusion. This decision proved to be short-lived, however, as Watson returned to the big screen with a major role inThe Perks of Being a Wallflowervery soon after thefinalHarry Pottermoviewas released.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Based on the novel by Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower tells the story of Charlie Kelmeckis, a high school freshman with a troubled past and history of mental health issues whose friendship with two seniors comes to define his first year of high school in surprising and dramatic ways. Logan Lerman stars as Charlies, alongside Emma Watson and Ezra Miller.
The Perks of Being a Wallflowerpresents a touching coming-of-age story following a high school student named Charlie who struggles to navigate the ins and outs of his new school while also dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.Watson appears in the film as Sam, a kind fellow student who becomes close with Charlie.Watson earned much praise for her performance, particularly for managing to believably play a character with such a different personality than the role she had been playing for so many years before.
3James Cagney As Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo
Ragtime (1981)
When it comes to classic Hollywood, few names are more recognizable than James Cagney.Cagney had a wide-ranging career dating back as early as 1930, starring in numerous major pictures across several decades. Eventually, in 1961, Cagney chose to step back from acting and didn’t appear on-screen for another twenty years. That changed in 1981, though, when the acclaimed actor came back for one last role. The role was in the 1981 drama film,Ragtime, a historical movie that combines both truth and fiction to paint an expansive picture of the United States.
Ragtime
Ragtime, directed by Miloš Forman, is set in early 1900s New York City and follows a young black pianist entangled with an upper-class white family amidst racial tensions, infidelity, and violence. The film explores various societal dynamics against the backdrop of a nostalgically depicted era.
AlthoughRagtimehad a massive ensemble cast, Cagney received top billing as Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo.Even in a film with multiple Oscar-nominated performances, Cagney managed to stand out, continuing to dominate the screen with his commanding presence even after twenty years away.Ragtimeproved to be Cagney’s final film performance, with the beloved actor tragically passing away in 1986 after a career that spanned fifty years.
2Phoebe Cates As Sophia Gold
The Anniversary Party (2001)
Phoebe Cates quickly rose to prominence during the 1980s, thanks to her performances in comedic films likeFast Times at Ridgemont HighandGremlins. Despite her popularity, Cates decided to withdraw from acting in 1994, following the birth of her second child with her husband, fellow actor Kevin Kline. Eventually,seven years after her previous performance inPrincess Caraboo, Cates returned for one last movie, appearing alongside her husband inThe Anniversary Party.
The Anniversary Party
The Anniversary Party (2001): This film follows American actress Sally Nash and British novelist Joe Therrian as they host a gathering to celebrate their reconciliation and six-year marriage. As friends and neighbors join the festivities, the influence of Ecstasy leads to revelations that strain their relationships.
The Anniversary Partyis a 2001 comedy/drama about a rather tense Hollywood couple attempting to celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary with their friends. Cates and Kline appear as Sophia and Cal Gold, a married couple among the guests at the chaotic celebration.Thanks to her natural chemistry with both her husband and the rest of her co-stars, Cates managed to put on an impressive performance,showing no signs of losing her skills even after so many years away. Ultimately, Cates did return to retirement following the release ofThe Anniversary Party.
1Clint Eastwood As Gus Lobel
Trouble With The Curve (2012)
With a career that began seventy years ago,Clint Eastwood is a true Hollywood icon, both as an actor and as a director.The four-time Academy Award winner has directed and/or starred in countless films over the years, including numerous major critical and commercial successes. In the 2000s, it began to appear as though the acting portion of Eastwood’s career was over, as he began to concentrate his efforts more heavily on directing. That changed in 2012, though, with Eastwood stepping back in front of the camera for the sports drama,Trouble with the Curve.
Trouble with the Curve
Gus is a renowned baseball scout who is going on one more recruiting trip with his daughter, who is also trying to fix her dysfunctional relationship with him. Trouble with the Curve is a sports drama starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, John Goodman, and Justin Timberlake. The film is directed by Robert Lorenz.
Trouble with the Curvemay have had an underwhelming performance at the box office, but fans were nonetheless delighted to witness Eastwood’s return to the big screen. The film starred Eastwood as Gus Lobel, an aging baseball scout who is accompanied by his daughter as he travels to find a new prospect for the Atlanta Braves. Eastwood was praised for his charismatic performance and undeniable chemistry with Amy Adams, who co-starred as his on-screen daughter. While his focus has remained on directing, Eastwood has appeared in multiple films since the release ofTrouble with the Curve.
