10 More Great Actors With Terrible Last Movie Roles

Gene Hackman has worked in film for over six decades, reinventing himself and crafting an unbelievable catalogue of hits: from The French Connection in 1971 upwards through the Superman series to 2001’s The Royal Tenenbaums.

Hackman’s unstoppable career has certainly earned the man the right to call himself prolific, and he’s often regarded as one of the best actors in American history. Particularly funny considering that Hackman was named “least likely to succeed” in his high school yearbook and yet has left an indelible mark on cinema.

In 2004, Hackman said in an interview with Larry King that he believed that his acting career was over. Since that time, he has moved onto a new passion and has found success in becoming a novelist.

Which unfortunately means that 2004’s Welcome to Mooseport is the last on-screen appearance of the all-time great. Naturally, Hackman was praised for his performance but it’s fair to say he put far too much effort into a stinker. Sitting at a paltry 13% on Rotten Tomatoes, this Ray Romano comedy vehicle about a small-town political race was chastised for its painfully unfunny, childish sense of humour and braindead script.

Hackman is best remembered for the likes of Unforgiven and Enemy of the State rather than this closing chapter to his career.