10 Outstanding Final Film Performances

After nearly five decades of acting, Henry Fonda ended his illustrious career in the award winning family drama On Golden Pond. With the film industry transitioning into a new era of action epics like Star Wars and Indiana Jones, the film is an example of the non-traditional blockbuster film, with the film’s all-star cast ensuring that it would become the second highest growing film at the American box office in 1981.

Immortalised by his iconic performances in films such as Grapes of Wrath (1940), 12 Angry Men (1957) and Once Upon a Time in The West (1969), Fonda would star along his daughter Jane and Katherine Hepburn to play the father of the Thayer family, Norman. It was inevitable that with such talent, On Golden Pond would be praised by both critics and audiences alike as one of the best dramas of the decade.

Henry Fonda’s performance was particularly celebrated, with his chemistry with both his daughter and Hepburn resulting in the actor receiving only his second Oscar nomination. At the 54th Academy Awards, Fonda would win the Best Actor award, marking a fitting end for one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.