Tommy Lee Jones, 80, Reveals If He’ll Ever Retire From Acting

Tommy Lee Jones, 80, Reveals If He’ll Ever Retire From Acting in Rare InterviewTommy Lee Jones has the lowdown on his career plans. Days after the 80-year-old made his first red carpet appearance in three years, he candidly shared insight into his latest roles—and if he’s given any thought to retiring. “Yes, I have,” Jones exclusively told E! News’ Will Marfuggi in a joint interview with The Lowdown costar Ethan Hawke. “I’m not gonna do it.” Especially because he’s enjoying every aspect of his career, which includes his most recent turn on season two of the FX series, in which he stars as Hawke’s estranged father. And joining the world of The Lowdown “was very inviting” for Jones, who shared the set was “a happy place to be.” “I would have been happy to play any part in that world,” he added. “What was most appealing was just what it was.” And for Hawke, so much of that came down to creator Sterlin Harjo’s leadership. “One of the things that Sterlin does so well is he works from a place of friendship,” the 55-year-old explained. “He trusts actors. He trusts the cinematographer. His confidence—he is leading and he's in charge, and he is inviting you to participate in whatever way you want. It creates an openness and a feeling of playfulness that makes an easy band to join.” Jones completely agreed, saying, “There's a great deal of freedom because there's a great deal of structure.”Rick Kern/Getty ImagesThe duo also admitted that shows like The Lowdown don’t come along very often.” “It wasn't just doing a show,” Hawke shared with E!. “Sterlin gave us an opportunity to give a performance and we had opportunities to play characters that have a lot going on.” The series also dug deeply into the relationship between Hawke’s character and Jones in a way that felt authentic to the actors. “We're estranged from each other. We have a long past. Some of it is rich with love and good things, and a lot of it is toxic and difficult,” he added of his character’s relationship with Jones. “We're having to look that in the eyes—in each other's eyes. The writing of the show gave us a real opportunity to do something real and I feel incredibly proud of that.”Rick Kern/Getty ImagesThat was also part of the reason why Jones wanted to return to a television series for the first time since 1989’s Lonesome Dove. “It’s also under extraordinary original circumstances in which we discover universal experience,” he said of the characters on the show, “and I think that's what drama is all about.” Season two of The Lowdown premieres on FX and Hulu Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT. For more shows headed to the small screen this year, keep reading. BravoThe Real Housewives of Potomac (Bravo) - Oct. 11The Real Housewives of Potomac season 11 marks a season of growth, change and unexpected turns. As familiar faces return and new dynamics emerge, the women of Potomac find themselves navigating shifting loyalties as renewed tensions with friendships are being tested like never before.MGM+/Amazon MGM StudiosTreasure Island (MGM+) - Oct. 11A high-stakes reinvention of the classic, Treasure Island follows teenager Jim Hawkins and his formidable mother Bess as they’re pulled into a deadly race for the treasure of the infamous Captain Flint. Battling for control are Long John Silver—a ruthless survivor who is just as charming as he is cunning —and Aaron Graham, a revolutionary spy seeking to use the gold to upend colonial power. Set in 1788 across storm-battered Cornwall, treacherous seas, and a jungle island soaked in secrets, this is Treasure Island reimagined as a thrilling, immersive, and character-driven epic.BravoBelow Deck (Bravo) - Oct. 12Capt. Kerry Titheradge sets sail on a new adventure as he takes the helm of motor yacht Azul V in Phuket, Thailand. Surrounded by breathtaking islands, dramatic limestone cliffs and world-renowned beaches, Capt. Kerry and his crew strive to deliver excellent white-glove service while adapting to a new environment, mounting pressure and increasingly tense crew dynamics.DisneyClown Panic (Hulu) - Oct. 12When children in a small South Carolina community report seeing clowns hiding in the woods in 2016, few believe them. But as sightings spread across the country, panic escalates into school lockdowns, police investigations and a nationwide media frenzy. Featuring chilling archive footage, viral internet videos and revealing interviews with witnesses, law enforcement, clowns and cultural commentators, the documentary examines the collision of fear, social media and modern America at a moment of deep national anxiety. Darkly funny, unsettling and unexpectedly emotional, the film uncovers how a bizarre urban legend spiraled into a global moral panic that has echoes that resonate today.BritBoxLudwig (BritBox) - Oct. 13Picking up from the end of season one, master puzzle-setter John "Ludwig" Taylor (David Mitchell) is now a Crime Scene Consultant, working alongside DCI Russell Carter (Dipo Ola), on ‘impossible’ crimes for the Cambridge Police Authority. No longer having to masquerade as his brother, he’s openly more ‘Ludwig’ than ever – brilliant at solving puzzles but hopeless at everything else. But John’s identical twin brother, James, is still missing, and now that he’s an official employee of the station, John is forbidden from using any police resources to look for his brother or uncover exactly what he was investigating. Of course, John won’t stop and neither will Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin), John’s sister-in-law and wife of his missing brother James. A puzzle needs solving and a husband and father needs bringing home. One masquerade may have ended, but a new one has just begun.NetflixTyson (Netflix) - Oct. 13Tyson is a gripping four-part documentary series exploring the explosive life of Mike Tyson—one of the most feared and fascinating figures in sports history. From his chaotic upbringing in Brooklyn to global superstardom, it traces his meteoric rise as the youngest heavyweight champion ever. But beyond the glory lies a turbulent story of fame, influence, and controversy that nearly destroyed him. With raw honesty, Tyson confronts the choices, pressures, and personal cost behind his legacy. Unfiltered and deeply personal, Tyson is a powerful portrait of greatness, fall, and redemption.Share Brown/FXThe Lowdown (FX) - Oct. 14The Lowdown follows the gritty exploits of citizen journalist Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke), a self-proclaimed Tulsa “truthstorian” whose obsession with the truth is always getting him into trouble. Season two adds Tommy Lee Jones and Betty Gilpin to the cast.NetflixLove Is Blind (Netflix) - Oct. 14A new group of singles looks for love in Boston as they date without seeing their potential love interests.PeacockCrystal Lake (Peacock) - Oct. 15A prequel to the Friday the 13th franchise, the series follows single mother Pam Voorhees who has been unable to shake her grief after her young, sickly son Jason tragically drowned in the town lake almost a year before. When two strangers arrive at Pam’s door digging into her past, a disturbing chain of events is set into motion, leaving the townspeople of Crystal Lake wondering: just who is Pam Voorhees?NetflixHollywood Arts (Netflix) - Oct. 15 In this all-new series, struggling actress Trina Vega (Daniella Monet) returns to her former high school, Hollywood Arts, as an unqualified substitute teacher, quickly finding herself both clashing with and unexpectedly inspiring a new generation of ambitious and talented students as they learn to find their true path at Hollywood’s most elite performing arts school.USA Network/VersantThe Rainmaker (USA Network) - Oct. 16The season picks back up with Rudy Baylor (Milo Callaghan), an underdog lawyer taking on powerful interests alongside his boss Jocelyn “Bruiser” Stone (Lana Parrilla) and his right-hand man Deck Shifflet (P.J. Byrne) the firm’s colorful paralegal. This season, J. Lyman Stone and Associates faces old adversaries and new ones in a case where the lives of hundreds of children hang in the balance, and where winning might be just as dangerous as losing. Later, Rudy goes up against his former law school flame, Sarah Plankmore (Madison Iseman), in the courtroom at the behest of her mysterious new boss, Amanda Vonn (Merle Dandridge), a powerful attorney whose agenda may be hiding a shocking international conspiracy. Steve Swisher/Paramount+Tulsa King (Paramount+) - Oct. 16In season four, Dwight (Sylvester Stallone) fights to legitimize his empire and protect his crew as corrupt politicians, dangerous new enemies, and a crushing personal loss hit from every direction. However, every hard-won gain comes with even harder truths: about loyalty, leadership and the cost of ambition. Each move drags Dwight deeper into the street instincts he left behind in New York – turning Tulsa into a battleground and Dwight into the one threat no one can afford to underestimate. DisneyKatseye: Wild Hearts (Hulu & Disney+) - Oct. 16The new doc takes audiences inside the global girl group's bold new era, celebrating the fans who helped make it possible. Featuring never-before-seen footage, EYEKONS fan videos, and intimate interviews with the group, the film explores the powerful bond between KATSEYE and their global fandom. National Geographic/DisneySuper Scam Me (National Geographic) - Oct. 17Romance scams are now one of the fastest-growing and most devastating forms of financial crime. The rise of generative AI, which is capable of convincingly imitating celebrities and public figures, is only making these scams more sophisticated and harder to spot. An estimated one in seven adults has lost money to this form of deception, and in 2025 alone, romance scammers stole more than $1 billion from American victims. After years of reporting on the scam industry, Mariana Van Zeller enters one of her most immersive investigations to date in Super Scam Me. In a real-life social experiment, she builds a new online dating persona and goes undercover as the target of a romance scam to understand and expose the tactics, technologies, and psychological manipulations these criminals utilize to deceive their victims.OxygenSnapped: Killer Moms (Oxygen) - Oct. 18Mothers will do absolutely anything for their children. Snapped: Killer Moms is a true crime series that highlights high-emotion and high-stakes stories where a mother’s unconditional love twists into bloodshed, as matriarchs stop at nothing to protect or avenge their kids. Each episode peels back the layers of seemingly ordinary women whose lives, relationships and maternal instincts ultimately drive them to their breaking point. OxygenCatfish Murders (Oxygen) - Oct. 18In Catfish Murders, the phone isn’t just a backdrop to a crime – it is part of the crime scene. Every day, millions of people form a relationship with someone they’ve never met. A message sparks a conversation which turns into a connection. Sometimes, however, that connection can become something far more dangerous. Across ten gripping episodes, Catfish Murders explores just how far people will go to manipulate victims through false job opportunities, artificial promises of love, and online coercion, only to lead to devastating consequences when those lies spill into the real world.E!The Golden Life (E!) - Oct. 20Kelly Bensimon, Luann De Lesseps, Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan and Ramona Singer are bringing decades of friendship and feuds to sunny Palm Beach, Fla., for a new start in the Sunshine State. The series follows the iconic group of New York snowbirds as they pack their bags and head down south to reconnect in their “golden” era of life. Whether it’s yacht parties accompanied by past flings on the not-so-sunny coast of Florida, championing the Gay Polo League, an old-school girls weekend in Miami, or glamorous shop-and-sip events in luxury boutiques, the ladies bring their iconic personalities to the exclusive Palm Beach scene. Apple TVNocturne (Apple TV) - Oct. 20The drama tells the story of Jonah Lynn (Liev Schreiber), an ex-soldier turned homicide detective who, tired of working the tough streets of Philadelphia, moves to a small town in Western Pennsylvania for a quiet life. But, as the town and his family come under attack from the diabolically cunning serial killer Jurek Walter (Stephen Graham), Jonah must protect all that he holds dear. When the desperate search for Jurek’s last missing victim forces Jonah to send his surrogate daughter FBI Agent Saga Bauer (Zazie Beetz) up against Jurek, how far will Jonah go?DisneyPhony (Hulu) - Oct. 20Phony is a coming-of-age mystery about a teenager who wakes up in the hospital after a car accident to discover his mom - his only parent and his best friend - appears to have been replaced by an impostor.BravoVanderpump Rules: Lisa Las Vegas (Bravo) - Oct. 20Lisa Vanderpump is betting big on her most ambitious Vegas venture yet: a namesake hotel. This isn’t just another grand opening; it’s Lisa’s biggest gamble to date and a chance to cement her legacy. With a to-do list longer than the Strip itself, LVP and her A-Team pull back the curtain on what it really takes to get a boutique resort ready for its lavish opening – and VIP check in – Vanderpump style.Marni Grossman/PrimeThe Terminal List (Prime Video) - Oct. 21From the best-selling novels of the same name, The Terminal List centers on Navy SEAL Commander “James Reece” (Chris Pratt) as he battles unknown conspiratorial forces seeking to upend the world order. This season comes from Jack Carr's second novel, True Believer, where he puts “James Reece” on a journey of violent redemption, finding a new purpose after finishing his list. The psychological revenge story of Season One expands into a globe-trotting espionage thriller, taking Reece across the Indian Ocean, Southern and Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Joined by returning fan favorites like “Raife Hastings” (Tom Hopper), “Katie Buranek” (Constance Wu), “Mohammed Farooq” (Dar Salim), “Jules Landry” (Luke Hemsworth) and newcomers like “Freddy Strain” (Gabriel Luna), Reece will uncover a conspiracy that reaches from Moscow to Langley and ties into his own family's history.AppleTV+Where's Wanda? (Apple TV) - Oct. 21In season two, the Klatts (Heike Makatsch and Axel Stein) are back! Just as they thought their lives were finally returning to normal, their daughter Wanda (Lea Drinda) is caught seemingly red-handed, standing over a dead body. They will need to do everything in their power to prove her innocence and avoid losing her again, as their investigation to find the real murderer takes them into the criminal underbelly of their sleepy suburban town. But will their quest to protect their family get them all out of trouble, or ultimately lead them further astray? And can they find out the truth of what happened on that fateful day before it’s too late?NetflixNobody Wants This (Netflix) - Oct. 22The comedy starring Adam Brody and Kristen Bell returns for season three.DisneySwipe Right on the Devil (Hulu) - Oct. 22When 24-year-old Sydney Loofe disappears after a Tinder date, what begins as a missing-person case quickly spirals into a haunting mystery. As investigators race to uncover her whereabouts, they are drawn into an astounding world of manipulation, witchcraft, mind control and black magic. Each new lead uncovers disturbing revelations, exposing behavior that shocks even seasoned FBI agents. With every answer raising new questions, Sydney’s story becomes a cautionary tale about trust, vulnerability and the hidden dangers that can lurk behind seemingly ordinary encounters, culminating in a chilling case that remains as perplexing as it is unforgettable.NetflixLupin (Netflix) - Oct. 23Omar Sy reprises his iconic role as thief Assane Diop for part four of the French series.NBCHappy's Place (NBC) - Oct. 23Reba McEntire and Co. return for season three.Nicole Weingart/NBCNewlyweds (NBC) - Oct. 23Newlyweds is a later-in-life love story about a free-spirited woman, Jeanie (Téa Leoni), and a buttoned-up professor, James (Tim Daly), who marry impetuously after a whirlwind courtship.Peacock/NBCUniversalThe Wolves of Real Estate: The Alexander Brothers (Peacock) - Oct. 25The three-part documentary series tells the story of three brothers who were recently convicted of preying on women for more than a decade, masquerading as party boys while allegedly drugging and raping women. These claims only came to light when dozens of women came forward, leading to one of the biggest sex trafficking trials of the decade. Delving into the family and brothers' early years, and with access to never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews, the series exposes a twisted and disturbing tale. DisneyThe Mob (Hulu) - Oct. 26Hosted by Parker Posey, The Mob is a high-stakes reality competition series that sends a group of celebrities to a lavish Italian villa where they will shake down, hustle and whack their way to win up to $250,000 in cash prizes. Every episode, they will tackle mob movie-inspired jobs to survive. But every mob family needs a don, and whoever they choose will have absolute power — deciding who makes money, who stays, and who ultimately gets whacked. In a game where power demands absolute loyalty, can the don stay in control, or will the family rise up and overthrow them?NetflixThe One About Matthew Perry (Netflix) - Oct. 27Told through intimate testimonies from close family and friends, this documentary event reveals the real Matthew Perry—generous, funny, vulnerable, larger than life—and the battles he fought to become the man behind the icon. A raw record of a life lived in full, and the honesty that became his greatest legacy.For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App