When they aren’t catching up on upcoming 2025 movies, movie lovers are always keen to spend a moment appreciating the medium’s past. With each year, Hollywood continues to showcase movie magic and the incredible stars who carry the story, but along with it comes some sad and unexpected goodbyes. Online, fans are taking the time to reminisce about big-hitting stars’ last movies, like Jimmy Stewart and Robin Williams, and, more specifically, their fitting and impactful last lines.
The conversation took root in a Reddit post whose OP said they were inspired to create the thread because of Robin Williams’ last major Hollywood role, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, which featured his poignant, comforting closing line. Meanwhile, his actual final film, Boulevard, reveals the heartbreaking duality of the beloved late A-lister’s mental health struggles. Check out the comedian who passed too soon‘s dual last lines:
- “Smile, my boy. It’s sunrise.” – Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
- “I drove down a street one night. A street I didn’t know. It’s the way your life goes sometimes. I’ll drive down this one and another. And now, another.”– Robin Williams as Nolan Mack in Boulevard
How fitting were Williams’ last words in that double entry of films? While the sweet family blockbuster’s line was what audiences viewed him as, the adventurous, aimless driving voiceover from the 2014 drama mirrored him off-camera more.
From Robin Williams to An American Tail: Fievel Goes West and another pair of Hollywood royals we go:
- “I don’t know what’s beyond those hills, but if you ride yonder, head up, eyes steady, heart open, I think one day you’ll find that you’re the hero you’ve been looking for.” – Jimmy Stewart as Wylie Burp in An American Tail: Fievel Goes West
- “How do you find your way back in the dark?”– Marilyn Monroe as Roslyn’s in The Misfits:
- “Just head for that big star straight on. The highway’s under it. It’ll take us right home.”– Clark Gable as Gay in The Misfits
Jimmy Stewart, arguably most well-known for the complex holiday tale It’s a Wonderful Life, still managed to deliver a grandiose, hopeful message as an animated dog. Truly on par with George Bailey and the actor behind him, even in an animated sequel.
And as for Gable and Monroe, The Misfits was both of their last movies shot before they passed. The King of Hollywood’s matter-of-fact response to the Blonde Bombshell’s dark and mysterious question is almost too much. The small back and forth eerily suits both of their public personas as a femme fatale and the leading man all too well.
Along with the iconic but crew above, other greats’ parting sentences also hit as close to home as the heartbreakers above. The grouping of the next trio is lighter in their on-screen finales, but the lines themselves are still unexpectedly fitting in ways. The list includes the 007 actor who set the tone for the James Bond franchise, one of the most influential women for TV history and a recently deceased cult-favorite experimental director.
- “May this new century be yours, son, as the old one was mine.” – Sean Connery as Allan Quartermain in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
- “Mypleasure!” – David Lynch as John Fordin The Fabelmans
- “I have some sad news. I bit the big one. I’ve cashed in my chips. I’m dead.” – Betty White as Mrs. Sarah Vanderwhoozie in Trouble (also known as Dog Gone Trouble)
Not nearly as tragic as the ones above (and I didn’t even include the saddest!), but still suits them just as well. Connery’s line is as cool and intelligent as ever, fit for the Dr. No actor. Lynch, as we know, has one hell of a body of work, but also took the time as a director to appear in another director’s movie, The Fableman’s. And playing a legendary filmmaker in another filmmaker’s movie and being the wacky but loved filmmaker he is, no notes here.
Then, of course, to close the quick dive into these creative giants, none other than Betty White. Naturally, there are animals involved and an immaculately crafted joke reflecting death. A true comedy queen through and through.
Needless to say, the conversation and unearthing of beloved actors’ on-screen last lines go deep. There are plenty more poignant words from top-tier celebs that span from Stewart’s era to Williams’ one and beyond. Just be ready for what you may find!
