Tilda Swinton Hints At Retirement, Says “The Room Next Door” May Be Her Final Film

Tilda Swinton is hinting at a possible goodbye to acting. In a recent interview for ELLE’s Women in Hollywood issue, the 64-year-old Oscar winner shared that her new film The Room Next Door might just be her last. “I’ve always intended that each film would be my final one,” Tilda said, adding, “It was not wanting to jinx anything because I have had such fun from start to finish. I always thought, ‘Well, that’s a good one to go out on. Let’s just quit while we’re ahead.’ And I feel it today.”

This new drama, The Room Next Door, directed by Pedro Almodóvar, premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. It follows two former friends, Ingrid and Martha, who reconnect after years apart. They once worked together at a magazine, but Ingrid became a novelist, while Martha pursued a career as a war reporter. They meet again under intense circumstances, confronting both their bond and their past.

For Tilda, the film’s themes of death and powerlessness resonate on a personal level. “The subject really is power,” she explained. “The feeling of powerlessness that we have to engage with around mortality, or, by the way, around aging. We have to get with the program. We are powerless. And that in and of itself is a sort of taboo.” 

She revealed her long-held perspective on mortality during a Venice press event for the film. “I personally am not frightened of death, and I have never been,” she said. 

She went further, saying, “I think the whole journey toward accepting death can be long for some people for some reason. And for certain experiences in my life, it came quite early. I know it’s coming. I feel it coming. I see it coming.”

But while The Room Next Door might be her last, fans will still get to see Tilda in The Ballad of a Small Player, an upcoming Netflix project. In this film, directed by the creator of Conclave and All Quiet on the Western Front, she stars alongside Colin Farrell in a story about a gambler hiding out in Macau.

Tilda has captivated audiences since the ’80s, with standout roles in Michael Clayton, The Chronicles of Narnia, Snowpiercer, Doctor Strange, and many others. Her memorable performances have spanned decades, with her unique presence gracing everything from blockbusters to indie gems.

Although she’s hinted at retirement before, there’s always the possibility Tilda might surprise us with another role. For now, though, The Room Next Door, arriving in select theaters on December 20 and nationwide on January 17, could be her graceful exit from a dazzling career.