The Surprising Film That Became Farrah Fawcett’s Final On-Screen Role

THE COOKOUT, Farrah Fawcett, 2004 — Lions Gate/Everett Collection

Lions Gate/Everett Collection

What To Know

Farrah Fawcett’s final scripted film role was in the 2004 comedy The Cookout, where she played a supporting character in a departure from her usual dramatic work.
The Cookout, featuring an ensemble cast including Ja Rule and Queen Latifah, was modestly received both critically and commercially, marking the end of Fawcett’s fictional on-screen performances.
After The Cookout, Fawcett appeared only in documentaries and reality projects, with her last major public appearances focusing on her health struggles before her death in 2009.

Farrah Fawcett, who would have turned 79 on February 2, worked for over five decades until her tragic death in 2009. The model and actress was one of the most beloved pop culture figures in Hollywood, and while she was initially best known for roles like Charlie’s Angels, she developed into an accomplished dramatic actress, nabbing four Emmy nominations and six Golden Globe nods for challenging roles like 1984’s The Burning Bed, 1987’s Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story, and 1989’s Small Sacrifices.

With all of that in mind, her final acting appearance is a little surprising. Fawcett’s last scripted performance was in the 2004 ensemble comedy The Cookout, a family comedy anchored by Ja Rule, Tim Meadows, Jenifer Lewis, Meagan Good and Queen Latifah. It was a modest studio release from Lions Gate Films, and while she later appeared in documentaries and reality-based projects, The Cookout was the last time audiences saw her play a fictional character in a feature film.

What is The Cookout?

In The Cookout, Fawcett plays Eileen Crowley, the elegant, slightly uptight wife of Judge Crowley, portrayed by Danny Glover. The Crowleys live in the upscale neighborhood where a newly wealthy basketball player hosts a chaotic family cookout that quickly spirals out of control. For longtime fans who associated her with glamour and dramatic intensity in projects like Extremities or her Emmy-nominated television movies, seeing her in a relaxed supporting comedy role was a very different experience.

THE COOKOUT, Jenifer Lewis, Farrah Fawcett, Danny Glover, 2004

Lions Gate/Everett Collection

The film was released theatrically on September 3, 2004, and ultimately became Fawcett’s final scripted film appearance. It was also the last film for actor Carl Wright, who died in 2007, while Fawcett passed away in 2009 following a highly publicized battle with anal cancer.

Critically, the movie was not well received and performed modestly at the box office. After The Cookout, Fawcett did not return to scripted acting roles. She remained in the public eye through documentary and reality projects, most notably Chasing Farrah in 2005, which chronicled her health struggles, and Farrah’s Story in 2009, the deeply personal documentary that aired shortly before her death.