20 Actors Who Made Movies When They Knew They Were Dying

20-Actors-Who-Made-Movies-When-They-Knew-They-Were-Dying

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at actors who were diagnosed with terminal illnesses, but kept working anyway.

Richard Farnsworth

“The Straight Story” (1999)

Facing a terminal disease, Richard Farnsworth was initially hesitant to take on the role of Alvin Straight in David Lynch’s family-friendly drama. However, his admiration for this man–who journeyed across Iowa and Wisconsin on a lawn mower to reconcile with his brother– convinced him to play the part. If you’ve seen the film, you’ll feel how deeply the actor and character’s stories are intertwined. Alvin is frail but determined, facing his mortality with quiet dignity– just as Farnsworth was. Though he had difficulty walking, he delivered an authentic performance. The result is a heartfelt story about aging and making peace before it’s too late. Farnsworth received an Academy Award nomination for the role, but passed away in 2000.

Diana Rigg

“Last Night in Soho” (2021)

Long before Diana Rigg stole scenes as Olenna Tyrell in “Game of Thrones,” she was already a star. As Teresa di Vicenzo, she wasn’t just any “Bond girl,” she was the only one to ever become Mrs. Bond. Sadly, Rigg’s final bow came in Edgar Wright’s 2021 psychological horror film, where she played the sympathetic yet toxic Ms. Collins. When shooting resumed in 2020, Rigg had already been diagnosed with cancer. She died in September that same year, never getting the chance to see the final product. Nevertheless, the film is dedicated to her memory and other actors who passed away. Sad as it is– we must say–Rigg went out with an absolute bang of a role.

Jim Varney

“Atlantis: The Lost Empire” (2001)

Best known for his Ernest P. Worrell character, Jim Varney was diagnosed with lung cancer in the late 90s. Despite his illness, he continued working and voiced Jebidiah Allardyce “Cookie” Farnsworth in “Atlantis.” While Cookie isn’t the film’s central character, he’s vital to its heart and tone. This gruff cowboy of the crew is always cracking jokes and serving comic relief when things get tense. Sadly, before Varney could finish all of Cookie’s dialogues, he passed away in 2000. Voice actor Steven Barr had to step in to complete the role. To honor Varney’s contribution, the film was dedicated to him. For fans, though, Cookie remains a reminder of Varney’s gift to make even the smallest role memorable with warmth and humor.

Roy Scheider

“Beautiful Blue Eyes” (2009)

In his final role, Roy Scheider plays Joseph, a Holocaust survivor who travels to Germany seeking justice against a former Nazi officer. By the time of filming, Scheider had Multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer he’d been diagnosed with in 2004. Though it was terminal, Scheider faced it for years, even throwing himself into the role of Joseph. Unfortunately, he died before the film’s production could be finished, so CGI had to be used to complete some of his scenes. In a chilling twist, Joseph was loosely based on Bruno Newton, who died of the very same disease during filming. It makes Scheider’s passing all the more haunting and unforgettable.

Richard Harris

“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” (2002)

Richard Harris’ turn as Dumbledore gave the beloved franchise its first taste of the headmaster’s warmth, wisdom, and subtle humor. What many fans didn’t know was that when Harris accepted the role, his health was already beginning to decline. At first, he was reluctant to play the character since it required a long-term commitment, but thanks to his 11-year-old granddaughter, he took it on. Sadly, his condition worsened and he died of Hodgkin's disease in 2002, just before the second installment of “Harry Potter” was released. While Michael Gambon gave his own iconic take on the role, Harris’s passing shocked fans who knew of it. The truth is, his absence left a noticeable mark on the series.

John Hurt

“That Good Night” (2017)

This 2017 British drama follows Ralph, a renowned screenwriter seeking peace with his estranged son while also yearning to die with dignity. Sadly, the actor and character had some similarities– both were terminally ill. John Hurt, who played Ralph, had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015, but chose to keep acting. He was in remission when the film was shot, yet his real-life struggles gave the role an extra poignancy. Watching him, you can see he understood the character’s pains and desire for closure in the deepest way. Tragically, Hurt died in 2017, the same year the film was released, making it his final role. In hindsight, the film feels like a quiet farewell to one of cinema’s finest actors.

Richard Burton

“Nineteen Eighty-Four” (1984)

No doubt– Richard Burton was one of the most talented actors to have ever lived. His brilliance as an actor was often overshadowed by his vices. By the 70s and early 80s, his drinking had taken a heavy toll, leaving him with liver cirrhosis and other health complications. Though he died suddenly of a brain hemorrhage, it’s widely believed that drinking contributed to his poor health and eventual death. Despite his declining health, Burton played the character O’Brien so powerfully that it received critical acclaim. Released just two months after his death, “Nineteen Eighty-Four” became a haunting reminder that Burton was a great actor right until the very end.

Richard Jordan

“Gettysburg” (1993)

Drawn from Michael Shaara’s 1974 novel, “Gettysburg” tells the story of the American Civil War. At its core are soldiers and generals whose choices shaped the course of history. Amongst them stands General Lewis Armistead. This Confederate officer was brought to life with remarkable emotional depth by none other than Richard Jordan himself. But here’s a poignant twist you might not have known: Jordan was combating brain cancer during filming. He died in August 1993, only a few months before the film was released. That knowledge makes his portrayal of Armistead, who himself didn’t survive the battle, all the more heartbreaking. When you listen to his speech about Virginia, it carries an added weight.

Julian Beck

“Poltergeist II: The Other Side” (1986)

Julian Beck’s death is often wrapped up in the so-called “Poltergeist” curse, but the truth is far more grounded. Beck had stomach cancer long before filming “Poltergeist II.” He was first diagnosed with the disease in 1983, yet that didn’t stop him from playing the terrifying Reverend Kane. That ghostly appearance he has in the film was probably because of the illness. Beck leaned into it and delivered a performance that audiences still describe as chilling. It wasn’t just about the makeup, but also the raw intensity Beck brought to the role. Sadly, he passed away after working on the film, which makes the role both heartbreaking and hauntingly real.

Edward G. Robinson

“Soylent Green” (1973)

Though he knew he had terminal bladder cancer, Edward G. Robinson showed up every day for shooting, stayed professional, and gave everything he had to his role as Solomon Roth, according to Charlton Heston. In “Soylent Green,” Robinson plays the wise old man and father figure to Heston’s character. Unfortunately, he never lived to see the film’s premiere since he died two months after filming. With that in mind, Sol’s death scene becomes more like a real goodbye. Surrounded by the image of the natural world lost, he gets a quiet farewell. Frankly, “Soylent Green” wasn’t just Robinson’s final film. It was his final masterpiece. Though he never got an Oscar for it, he got a well-deserved posthumous lifetime achievement award.

Alan Rickman“Eye in the Sky” (2015) & “Alice Through the Looking Glass” (2016)

Severus Snape is Alan Rickman’s most recognizable role, but the actor almost didn’t see the character through to the end. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2005, and continued fighting the disease until the following January. With filming for “Order of the Phoenix” on the horizon, Rickman considered dropping his part to recover, but ultimately decided it was better to finish what he’d started. He continued acting throughout the next decade before being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015. Only those closest to him were told about his condition as he continued work on “Alice Through the Looking Glass.” The film, released posthumously, was dedicated in Rickman’s memory, alongside “Eye in the Sky,” a politically-charged thriller that became his last live action performance.

Pete Postlethwaite“Inception” (2010)

Smoking had been a part of Pete Postlethwaite’s life since he was ten years old, and the dependency ultimately cost him his life in 2011. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just a year and a half prior, and continued working right up until the end. Among his last films were Ben Affleck’s “The Town,” for which he received a posthumous BAFTA nomination, and Christopher Nolan’s “Inception.” Arguably the more well-known of the two films, “Inception” is also notable for its eerily prescient imagery of the deceased actor. Postlethwaite plays the sickly father of Cillian Murphy’s character, and ultimately dies over the course of the film. The toll the actor’s real-life disease had taken on his body is especially apparent in this performance.

Vincent Price“Edward Scissorhands” (1990)

Some of the best scenes of Tim Burton’s gothic fantasy, “Edward Scissorhands,” are of Edward learning from his inventor in their shared mansion. The Inventor is, of course, played by horror legend, Vincent Price. The distinctive actor was a lifelong favorite of Burton’s, whom he befriended while working on his appropriately titled short film, “Vincent.” Unfortunately, Price was suffering from a combination of a progressive lung disease and Parkinson’s at the time of filming “Scissorhands”, making the shoot particularly difficult. His schedule was shortened, and the film would be the last he worked on before succumbing to lung cancer in 1993.

Yūsaku Matsuda“Black Rain” (1989)

While many actors have chosen to work through their illnesses throughout the years, Yūsaku Matsuda is one of the few to decline treatment in the pursuit of a perfect performance. The Japanese actor was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 1988, but refused chemotherapy under the belief that it would negatively impact his work in the then-upcoming film “Black Rain.” His condition unsurprisingly worsened throughout the shoot and, by the time filming had wrapped, the cancer had spread to his spine and lungs. Matsuda’s performance in the film as the villainous Koji Sato is spine-chillingly electric, but it’s hard not to wonder how many more years we may have had with him had he gotten the help he needed.

Pedro Armendáriz“From Russia with Love” (1963)

Before taking on a role in “From Russia with Love,” Pedro Armendáriz played Jamuga in the historical drama, “The Conqueror.” The film is believed to have played a significant role in his death, having been filmed less than 200 miles from Nevada’s nuclear testing site. Armendáriz had terminal neck cancer, which resulted in a great deal of pain during filming. In spite of the excruciating symptoms, he continued to work, with the cast and crew going to great lengths to ensure that his scenes were shot first. Sadly, things eventually became too much, leading the actor to take his own life.

Jason Robards“Magnolia” (1999)

When discussing “Magnolia,” writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson has cited his father’s fight against cancer as the inspiration for the character of Earl Partridge. He wrote the part with Jason Robards in mind, who would later refer to the role as “prophetic,” saying it was “just so right” for him to “bring what [he knew] to it.” It’s a harrowing performance, made all the more real by Robards’ unique life experience. The actor ostensibly had lung cancer himself at the time, a disease which would be his cause of death just a year after the film’s release.

Spencer Tracy“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1967)

At the 1967 Academy Awards, Katharine Hepburn was awarded Best Actress for her role in the landmark interracial romcom “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” In spite of the accolades, Hepburn never saw her famous film in full. This is because it was a notoriously taxing endeavor for her partner and costar, Spencer Tracy, who was suffering from a number of ailments including pulmonary edema and Type II diabetes. The pair powered through his worst days, motivated by the importance of the subject matter at the film’s heart. It’s even rumored that Hepburn’s tears during Tracy’s speech at the end of the film are her own, moved by the doubly relevant sentiment that true love can endure all.

John Cazale“The Deer Hunter” (1978)

Even if the name John Cazale doesn’t ring a bell right away, you’ll definitely recognize him from the “Godfather” movies, among some other big titles. The actor’s short-lived career consisted of just five feature length films, but every single one went on to be nominated for Best Picture. With such a great track record, it should come as no surprise that he was a beloved figure of the film industry. Robert De Niro, and Meryl Streep, Cazale’s partner, were two of his loyal supporters. De Niro even paid the insurance costs necessary for Cazale to be cast in “The Deer Hunter” in spite of a terminal cancer diagnosis. The late actor gives an outstanding final performance in the film, although he sadly wouldn’t live to see it himself.

Raul Julia“Street Fighter” (1994)

An accomplished, bilingual stage and film actor, it may come as a surprise that Raul Julia’s final theatrical film was a critically panned action film based on the “Street Fighter” video games. But it all makes sense once you hear his reason for signing on. The Puerto Rican actor had secretly been living with stomach cancer, and wanted to take on the role of General M. Bison as a tribute to his kids, who were big fans of the game series. In spite of his weakened state, and a tight stunt schedule, Julia gave one of the film’s best performances.

Chadwick BosemanVarious

The world was shocked when Chadwick Boseman was pronounced dead in August of 2020. Unbeknownst to anyone but his family and closest confidants, the actor had been living with colon cancer throughout the majority of his career. He was diagnosed in 2016, the same year he made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in “Captain America: Civil War.” Although the severity of his struggle with cancer is unknown, the effects of the disease never seemed to impact the results of his phenomenal work. His multi-film performance as T’Challa meant a lot to many, while his roles in films like “Da 5 Bloods” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” further proved his strength and versatility as an actor.

Which of these actors’ final roles is the most haunting? Let us know in the comments.