10 More Great Actors With Terrible Last Movie Roles
7. Harold Ramis - Year One
Whilst not quite as accomplished as many on this list, Harold Ramis’ jack-of-all-trades approach to filmmaking demonstrated his passion for entertainment. Despite his tendency to work off-camera and only play supporting roles, he became a recognisable fixture of pop culture regardless for his turn as Dr Egon Spengler in the Ghostbusters franchise.
Beyond the dry stoicism of the paranormal eliminator though, Ramis is fondly remembered for his contributions behind the scenes working as a combination of writer and director on features such as National Lampoon’s Animal House, Caddyshack, and Groundhog Day.
Ramis’ final project was the self-made Year One, a biblical comedy with a stacked cast of accomplished names like Jack Black, Michael Cera, David Cross and Hank Azaria. Regardless, the film was unsuccessful at the box office and didn’t land well with critics, being lambasted as “bawdy”, “juvenile” and “dreary”.
Ramis wrote, directed, produced and even starred in the picture briefly as first man Adam. Whilst the former sketch comedian has a strong and biblically appropriate presence, he can do very little to save a film that feels as though it never really knew what it was trying to achieve.
A year later, Ramis would be diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder that would eventually take his life.