The five best movies that lured an actor out of retirement
One of the great things about actors is that, in theory, you can go on forever. Some stars have careers that last five or six decades, enjoying prominent roles into their 80s or even 90s. It doesn’t always work out this way, but it is possible.
Some actors do choose to hang up their boots, however, or whatever the acting equivalent of boots is anyway. Gene Hackman stepped away from the limelight in 2004, while the Golden Age great Greta Garbo retired in 1941, spending the better part of 50 years out of the public eye. Their decisions to retire didn’t harm their legacies in any way, but it certainly is interesting to think about what they might have accomplished had they stuck around a little longer.
For some, however, the lure of the big screen is simply too strong. These five films all feature famous faces who, after prolonged periods away from the game, got back in acting shape to deliver dynamite performances. Some were even better than before they’d gone into hiding.
This list is also proof that no matter how long you are away from your craft, inherent talent always comes out in the biggest moments, where you need to step up and channel all your energy and passion. You can train and train all you want, but there’s no replacement for natural talent.
Five films that pulled actors out of retirement
‘Gangs of New York’ – Martin Scorsese (2002)
Martin Scorsese has a knack for getting great actors to come out of retirement. Joe Pesci made his return to movies after four years to star in The Irishman, even after reportedly turning down the role 50 times. Then there’s his 2002 movie Gangs of New York, the story of a religiously motivated turf war between rival groups in the 19th century. On one side, you have Leonardo DiCaprio’s ‘Amsterdam’ Vallon, a young Irish Catholic. Then there’s his adversary, the fearsome Bill ‘The Butcher’ Cutting, played by the great Sir Daniel Day-Lewis.
Five years previously, the Englishman had stepped away from acting (for the first of many times) following an intense role in The Boxer. He spent this break indulging in classic actor hobbies, such as moving to Italy and learning how to make shoes. That’s what everyone does, right? Clearly, the lure of working with Scorsese again—he had previously appeared in The Age of Innocence—was enough to pull Day-Lewis back into the fold. Even after several years off, the star hadn’t missed a step. Bill the Butcher is one of Day-Lewis’ greatest characters; a deeply terrifying criminal who never strays too far into parody.
‘Donnie Darko’ – Richard Kelly (2001)
The world of cinema was rocked to its core with the release of Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko. The surreal, genre-busting tale of a young man played by a fresh-faced Jake Gyllenhaal and his relationship with a demonic rabbit named Frank, the movie was a total revelation. Not only did it set Kelly up as the next big thing in directing (a potential he failed to fulfil), but it also established Gyllenhaal, his sister Maggie, and Seth Rogen as young acting talents to keep an eye on. However, while these three were at the start of their careers, one iconic star of the 1960s was using the film to relaunch hers.
The role of Dr Lillian Thurman, the psychotherapist Donnie is sent to when he first starts having visions, is played by Katharine Ross. She is perhaps known for her portrayal of Elaine Robinson, the daughter of Anne Bancroft’s character in the Mike Nichols classic The Graduate. She also appeared in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Stepford Wives, and Voyage of the Damned, before deciding to volunteer for semi-retirement in the late 1980s. Prior to Donnie Darko, she hadn’t been in a theatrically released film since 1991, and it was an absolute joy to see her back in front of the camera.
‘Ragtime’ – Miloš Forman (1981)
In 1977, Academy Award-winning actor James Cagney suffered a stroke. The 78-year-old retired great, who had been a megastar in the 1930s and 1940s, was left unable to pursue many of the physical hobbies that he enjoyed, such as horse riding and dancing. Afraid he would slip into a depression, his friends and family recommended he get back into acting; a call that just so happened to coincide with an offer from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest director Miloš Forman.
The Czech was making a movie called Ragtime, based on the story of racial tensions in early 20th-century New York City, told through the eyes of a young Black pianist played by Howard Rollins. Forman wanted Cagney for the part of police commissioner Rhinelander Waldo, who struggles to keep the peace in a volatile era. The veteran agreed to the gig, hoping it would get him out of his funk, marking his first onscreen appearance in 20 years. Though his part was small, Cagney was given top billing, no doubt as a ploy to entice curious viewers into the theatre. In a bittersweet twist, this would also be Cagney’s final movie appearance, as he died just five years later at 86.
‘Robin and Marian’ – Richard Lester (1976)
Audrey Hepburn is one of the most recognisable actors of all time. Her face and demure demeanour represent a sense of Hollywood glamour that is now lost to time, and she still represents the archetype of the ingénue better than just about any other performer ever. She is best known for her work in the 1950s and 1960s, fronting such classics as Roman Holiday, Funny Face, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Her career after this period doesn’t come up too often, but that doesn’t mean it’s entirely devoid of worth.
Following the release of the acclaimed thriller Wait Until Dark in 1967, the iconic beauty decided she wanted to spend less time onscreen and more time with her family. This lasted until 1976, when the appeal of making out with Sean Connery was just too strong. She appeared as the titular heroine in Richard Lester’s Robin and Marian, opposite the former Bond star’s interpretation of Robin Hood. The film is great fun and packed with famous faces, including Richard Harris as Richard the Lionheart and, in an inspired bit of casting, comedian Ronnie Barker as Friar Tuck. Great stuff if you’ve got nothing planned on a cosy Sunday afternoon.
‘Finding ‘Ohana’ – Jude Weng (2021)
After a successful career as a child star, Ke Huy Quan thought he’d given up acting for good. As a boy, he’d been Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Data in The Goonies, but as an adult, he’d discovered that work for an Asian-American actor simply wasn’t there. Until, of course, Everything Everywhere All at Once. As Waymond Wong, the meek husband of Michelle Yeoh’s Evelyn, he blew audiences away with his geeky charisma and surprising martial arts skills. He was honoured with an Academy Award, proving once and for all that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.
Unfortunately, Everything Everywhere All at Once wasn’t technically Quan’s comeback movie. He had returned one year earlier after a near two-decade gap with Finding ‘Ohana, a Netflix original family adventure. It wasn’t a massive role, not nearly as big as his Oscar-winning one, but he was still in the cast list. Luckily, the film is also a lot of fun. Taking its cue heavily from The Goonies, the story follows two siblings, played by Kea Peahu and Alex Aiono, as they search for a hidden treasure while also reconnecting with their Hawaiian roots. Is it as good as the first film we mentioned? Not one bit. But for the Quan completionists out there, it is essential viewing.
