Actors' Final Tweets Before They Died

Since the first movie stars existed, audiences have felt unusually connected to Hollywood's biggest and brightest names. We follow their careers from television to movies and back again. We watch their interviews and often feel like we know them as well as anyone we know in real life. So when our favorite stars die it can be like losing a friend, and audiences — sometimes feeling like they've lost a member of their own family — go looking for solace. These days, that might come by perusing their social media accounts, which preserve their lives in a timeline of words and pictures. And one of the most common platforms for stars to use is X, formerly known as Twitter.

In the wake of a star's passing, it's not uncommon for their last tweets to make the news. Often it's a message that takes on added meaning after their death, and fans and well-wishers leave heartfelt goodbyes in the comments. Many Hollywood stars have left behind final words for all to see, and we've found the last tweets from some of your favorite actors, presented here as a way of commemorating their lives.

Leonard Nimoy is more than just the actor who played Mr. Spock on "Star Trek"; he was also responsible for the character's iconic Vulcan salute, which came straight from his childhood. Accompanied by the phrase "Live long and prosper," the gesture became a universal greeting known the world over, and Nimoy himself made it his personal mantra — on social media, he often signed off his messages to fans with the acronym "LLAP." He did so again when he signed off for good, just days before his death in February 2015 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a respiratory disorder that was the result of decades of smoking. 

In his final message, a mere five days before his passing, Nimoy took to Twitter to leave one last message of eternal wisdom. "A life is like a garden," Nimoy wrote. "Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP." A message to savor every experience was especially moving coming so close to his passing, and it's possible that Nimoy was acutely aware that his final day was on the horizon. It was almost as if he was telling his loved ones, family, friends, and fans that he would always remain with them, in their thoughts and cherished memories. Considering the part he played in television history, and the impact he had on countless viewers — not to mention pop culture itself — he can rest easy knowing he'll live for many, many years to come.

Supporting the leading ladies of "Sex and the City" was Willie Garson as Stanford Blatch, a talent agent who is best friends with Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw. He starred in all six seasons of the original series that launched in 1998, then appeared in the cast of both "Sex and the City" movies. He returned again to play Blatch in Season 1 of the 2021 HBO Max revival "And Just Like That..." but died just a few months before the new series debuted.

Garson, who passed in late September 2021 at the age of 57, had left a final message on Twitter a few weeks earlier that became bittersweet with his death. In the message, he said plainly, in all caps, to "be kind to each other ... always. Love to all. Approach kindness." It's unknown if Garson knew his last days was coming, as the cause of his death was never released, but either way, the tweet's touching message of love and goodness revealed the actor as a man hoping to pass on his kindness to others and set a good example for all to follow. The tweet has since been shared more than 12,000 times, ensuring that his message was spread across the world.

Comedian Bob Saget started out as a crass, vulgar stand-up comic (as explored in The Untold Truth of Bob Saget), but in 1987 he put away his raunchy jokes and became a family sitcom star in "Full House." In 1989 he also began hosting "America's Funniest Home Videos," and by the mid-1990s he was "America's Dad." In the 2000s he took on a central role in "How I Met Your Mother," and in 2016 he returned to the role of Danny Tanner in "Fuller House" on Netflix. But his life came to an abrupt end in 2022 from complications caused by a fall, leaving family, friends, and fans devastated.

For those who hadn't kept up with Saget's career, his Twitter account showed mourners that he was as active as ever right up until his final days. In his last tweet, sent out on the very day of his death, Saget posted a photo of himself at a concert hall in Florida where he'd just performed, excited to be returning to stand-up. "Loved tonight's show @PV_ConcertHall in Jacksonville. Appreciative audience. Thanks again to @RealTimWilkins for opening. I had no idea I did a 2 hr set tonight. I'm happily addicted again to this sh**. Check http://BobSaget.com for my dates in 2022." 

A pioneering angry comedian who paved the way for the likes of Lewis Black, Larry David, and Bill Burr, self-styled actor Don Rickles was sometimes known by the moniker "The Merchant of Venom." Known to younger audiences as the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the "Toy Story" films, Rickles was recognized for his infamous Hollywood roasts, where he'd rake some of the biggest names in Tinseltown over the proverbial coals to the delight of millions. He was a regular on "The Tonight Show" for decades, and had two shows that bore his name, both titled "The Don Rickles Show."

In April 2017, Don Rickles closed out his six decades on screen when he passed away peacefully at the age of 90. About a month earlier, Rickles had posted on Twitter one last time, with a message that showed just what a kind and loving person he really was beneath the veneer of his viciously mocking comedy. He took the time to highlight the person he loved in life the most: "We are celebrating our 52nd Wedding Anniversary March 14th," Rickles announced to his followers. "Happy Anniversary my dear wife, Barbara. You are my life." As fate would have it, Barbara Rickles passed away four years later, on their anniversary — March 14, 2021.

Like Don Rickles, Gilbert Gottfried made a career as something of an insult comic. With a wild and crazy public persona, Gottfried was never afraid to speak his mind, from controversial hot takes to profanity-laden jokes about natural disasters and terrorist attacks. He got in trouble on more than one occasion for his remarks, was fired as the spokesperson for the Aflac insurance company, and forced to issue apologies several times throughout his career. So it was perfectly appropriate that prior to his death on April 12, 2022, the final tweet he released was mocking a pair of Hollywood heavyweights, drawing ire from fans of both.

That tweet came roughly two weeks before Gottfried died, when he took to the social media platform to post a selfie of himself with "SNL" veteran and fellow stand-up comic Chris Rock. It came the day after the Oscars, when Will Smith stormed the stage to slap Rock for an offensive joke about Smith's wife. The incident made waves around Hollywood, and while fans and professionals alike were taking sides, Gottfried used the opportunity to belittle both Smith and Rock. 

"Which is the worst crime?" Gottfried asked facetiously. "Chris Rock being physically assaulted or Chris Rock telling a joke?" The last joke he left on Twitter, it was a customary cutting remark that showcased his willingness to poke fun at just about anything.

Patty Duke was one of the many musical stars of the 1960s to also find a career on television. During her time as a musician she released several albums, had a few hit singles, and also got her own TV series, "The Patty Duke Show." As an actor she was even more accomplished than as a singer, winning an Academy Award in 1963 for "The Miracle Worker" and being nominated for 10 Emmy Awards, winning three times. One of her final performances was a guest spot in a 2013 episode of "Glee" alongside Cory Monteith.

Three years later, Duke died at the age of 69. She was the mother of "The Lord of the Rings" star Sean Astin, who said in the wake of her death that her final days were anything but peaceful. You'd never know it, though, based on her last statement on Twitter (which has since been deleted). It was March 15, 2016, two weeks before her death, that Duke posted one last time to celebrate her wedding anniversary to her third husband Michael Pearce, who she married in 1986. "30 years ago today, Mike and I married," she wrote. "We having [sic] a very happy and quiet day. Love and hugs to all." If she was suffering at the end, Duke hid it well, choosing instead to show the world the remaining joys of her life.

Some might only know comedian Charlie Murphy as the brother of Eddie Murphy, but while he was never a movie star, he did have quite a career himself. Arguably best known for his part in the ensemble cast of "Chappelle's Show," Murphy had roles in "Mo' Better Blues," "Jungle Fever," and "Harlem Nights" in the early '90s and was all over TV on shows like "Martin," "The Boondocks," and "Black Jesus," among others. In April 2017, less than a decade after his wife Tisha died of cervical cancer, Murhpy died of leukemia, and his brother Eddie dedicated his Netflix film "Dolemite is My Name" to him.

On April 11, the day before he died, Murphy offered sage words of wisdom on Twitter, likely knowing that the end was very near for him. "One to sleep on," Murphy began. "Release the past to rest as deeply as possible." If he did know that his final days were here, this is easily read as a man looking to make amends and come to terms with his life before the end. It was a sobering reminder that we should live with as much enthusiasm as possible, and rather than dwelling on past mistakes we should look to start a new chapter each day.

The youngest actor on our list, 20-year-old Cameron Boyce was an emerging star thanks to roles in "Grown Ups," as well as his own series on the Disney Channel, "Jessie." He got his start on the soap opera spin-off "General Hospital: Night Shift," and was set for a breakout thanks to his leading role in "Descendants" and its two sequels. The future was bright for Boyce, but in July 2019 his life was cut tragically short thanks to a medical condition called sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) that caused a seizure in his sleep. 

On social media, Boyce tended to use Twitter as a place to repost his Instagram photos, often linking directly to the other platform. Sometimes those were images of his latest projects, other times it was photos from his day-to-day life, his friends and family, or images that documented his many travels. But his last post on Twitter actually came in June 2018, and it wasn't a repost at all. It was an announcement that something was wrong. "Welp. The day has finally come," Boyce said. "I've finally been hacked on Instagram." He wouldn't post again on Twitter, dying before he ever got the chance to return to the platform.

There are plenty of actors who will always be known for one project -- for playing an iconic character that became an indelible part of pop culture — and Adam West is one of them. For just three seasons he played the Caped Crusader on "Batman" in the 1960s, yet it became so popular during its run that it was impossible for West to be as well-known for anything else. He continued to be associated with the role for decades, voicing a different character in "Batman: The Animated Series" in the '90s and even the Batman-like hero Nighthawk in Marvel's "Super Hero Squad Show." In 2016 he returned to play Batman in a pair of direct-to-video animated movies.

Sadly, just a few months before the release of "Batman vs. Two-Face," West died from leukemia at the age of 88, after which the Bat-Signal was projected onto Los Angeles Hall in tribute to the fallen actor. Days before he died in June 2017, West posted to Twitter to show fans his latest convention appearance. In the tweet, West shared a photo of himself and Apple Computers co-founder Steve Wozniak, saying, "Great meeting the legendary @stevewoz at the San Jose comicon last weekend." Active right up until the very end, it seemed that there was little that West loved more than meeting his well-wishers and fans, and his final tweet was proof.

Audiences in the '80s knew her from "The Golden Girls," but Betty White was the queen of TV comedy decades before, having several shows of her own in the 1950s. Her supporting role in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and her subsequent sitcom "The Betty White Show" cemented her as one of TV's biggest stars. Famous for her surprisingly frank and often-times risque sense of humor, White only seemed to become more beloved the older she got, enjoying a late-career resurgence into her 80s and 90s. She finally called it quits after just under a century, passing away peacefully in her sleep on New Year's Eve, 2021 following a stroke on Christmas Day.

While many social media platforms aren't popular with the older set, White remained active on Twitter even as she approached her 100th birthday. That's exactly what she tweeted about in her final post, as she talked about getting close to the milestone just before she died. "My 100th birthday," White said (via the NY Post), mystified by the number. "I cannot believe it is coming up and People Magazine is celebrating with me! The new issue of People is available on newsstands nationwide tomorrow." Ironically, White didn't live to see her centennial, which fell just weeks after her death.

Comedian Richard Lewis came to fame in the 1980s thanks to frequent late-night talk show guest appearances. In 1989 he got his own show, "Anything but Love," which teamed him with former scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis, but in 2000 he took on his greatest role yet: himself. In "Curb Your Enthusiasm" he played an exaggerated version of himself who, as Larry David's best anti-friend, showed up often to spar with his comic buddy. The role earned him a Screen Actor's Guild Award nomination, but after the show's final season debuted in 2024, Lewis died of a heart attack at the age of 76.

Lewis was always posting on Twitter, and just prior to his death on February 27, was eager to share with his fans glimpses of the upcoming last year of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." On February 19, Lewis posted one last tweet about the upcoming third episode of the season, along with a link to a Vanity Fair piece he was interviewed for. What makes the tweet all the more unsettling is that, after his death, Vanity Fair changed the headline of their February 18 story to read "Richard Lewis's Final Interview." Making the piece all the more poignant was Lewis saying in the interview, "I've had such an amazing life ... I'm a lucky man."

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