The Holiday actor who escaped the 'Misfits curse' which tragically claimed the lives of his co-stars shortly after filming ended
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The Holiday might be a modern Christmas favourite, but few people watching realise that one of its stars actually escaped the 'Misfits curse' that seemingly claimed the lives of his costars way back in the 1960s.
We are, of course, referring to the late, great Eli Wallach, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 98, and lend his talents to the role of Arthur Abbot in the 2006 Christmas film.
Like the character he portrays, Eli was a Hollywood icon in his own right and starred in a number of classic films including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - which is arguably his most famous flick.
But prior to this, he acted alongside Marilyn Monroe, Clark Cable and Montgomery Clift in the 1961 Western The Misfits.
From the get-go, the film was plagued by problems, largely stemming from the breakdown of the marriage of Marilyn and its writer, Arthur Miller.
The icon was reported to have frequently turned up on set drunk or high and is said to have suffered a breakdown halfway through, having struggled with stepping into the shoes of a fictional divorcée as her own marriage was falling apart.
The Holiday might be a modern Christmas favourite, but few people watching realise that one of its stars, Eli Wallach, actually escaped the 'Misfits curse' that seemingly claimed the lives of his costars way back in the 1960s
Eli acted alongside Marilyn Monroe, Clark Cable and Montgomery Clift in the 1961 Western The Misfits - and all three of them went on to suffer extremely untimely deaths
The issues continued after filming wrapped, and just ten days after the cameras stopped rolling, Clark Cable passed away from a heart attack at the age of just 59.
Further tragedy occurred in 1962, when Marilyn herself died at the even younger age of 36 from an overdose that was deemed a 'probable suicide' by authorities.
Then, in 1966, Montgomery Clift died from coronary artery disease at the age of just 45 following years of drug and alcohol abuse.
Following the deaths, a dark shadow was cast over the film's legacy and some even speculated that the curse was the result of filming taking place on an indigenous burial ground.
In the end, The Misfits was Marilyn and Clark's final completed film, and while it was received critically, it was a commercial failure.
The film's IMDb synopsis simply reads: 'A divorcée falls for an over-the-hill cowboy who is struggling to maintain his romantically-independent lifestyle.'
However, not everyone who starred in The Misfits met an untimely end - and few people realise that one of the Western's stars actually appeared in the now Christmas classic The Holiday over four decades later in 2006.
Stepping into the shoes of a fictional retired Hollywood icon Arthur Abbott, Eli Wallach, who lived to be 98, added a sprinkle of Old Hollywood magic to the romantic comedy.
Stepping into the shoes of a fictional retired Hollywood icon Arthur Abbott, Eli Wallach added a sprinkle of Old Hollywood magic to the romantic comedy
One of its most beloved scenes sees him ask Kate Winslet's heartbroken character, Iris Simpkins, why she is acting like the 'best friend' when he can tell that she is a 'leading lady'
Eli Wallach (L) is pictured here in Misfits (1961) alongside Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe
Can you recognise The Holiday star as he stands beside Marilyn Monroe and not Kate Winslet? In the film, he played an unemployed mechanic, who falls in love with Marilyn's character and joins the misfits in their vagrant lifestyle
One of its most beloved scenes sees him ask Kate Winslet's heartbroken character, Iris Simpkins, why she is acting like the 'best friend' when he can tell that she is a 'leading lady'.
Some of Eli's other big films include The Magnificent Seven (1960) and The Godfather Part III (1990).
While the Old Hollywood icon never won an Oscar for his incredible contribution to cinema, he was presented with an honorary Academy Award in 2010.
Wallach said in his acceptance speech: 'I've played more bandits, thieves, killers, war lords, molesters and Mafiosi that you could shake a stick at.
'As a civilian, I collect antique clocks, tell endless stories of my days as a medic in World War II, watch every tennis match, live for my family, daily mail, run the dishwasher, take pictures of faces in the bark of trees.
'I don't act to live,' he said. 'I live to act.'
By all accounts, Eli had a hugely successful life and career, despite his role in the seemingly 'cursed' film, he simply passed away from natural causes at his home.
The Holiday (2006) is available to stream on Netflix now.
