Timeless And Limitless Talent
These stars have seen Hollywood make the black-and-white to colored transition, becoming the industry’s living legends—literally. After all, age is just a number, right? And talent? Well, that is limitless. Let’s roll the camera towards them!
Caren Marsh Doll (105)
Marsh Doll was born in Hollywood in 1919 and made her mark in film history as Judy Garland’s substitute for The Wizard of Oz. What many don’t know is that she survived a 1949 plane crash that killed 35 passengers, and she was one of the three survivors.
Boyd Magers, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Caren Marsh Doll (105) (Cont.)
From 1937 to 1948, she was in a bunch of MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) movies, such as Rosalie and Ziegfeld Girl. Now, she’s the last living member of the The Wizard of Oz production team and the oldest Hollywood star around, unbelievably alive at 105.
CAREN MARSH DOLL - WWII - HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN - JUDY GARLAND UNDERSTUDY WIZ OF OZ by DR.DAVE THOMPSON
Eva Marie Saint (100)
In 1954, Saint surprised everyone in Hollywood by snagging an Oscar for her very first role in On the Waterfront. With a background in radio and TV, she made a mark in Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful by playing Thelma in both the TV and Broadway versions.
Trailer screenshottrailer at IMDBderivative work: Jim Evans, Wikimedia Commons
Eva Marie Saint (100) (Cont.)
Now, at 100, she holds the record for being the oldest living Academy Award winner and continues giving interviews about Hollywood’s golden years. Also, Hitchcock had personally selected her for North by Northwest, where she mastered 38 costume changes.
Dick Van Dyke (98)
Recently, at the age of 98, Dyke surprised everyone by performing on The Masked Singer and making an appearance in Days of Our Lives. In case you didn’t know, he was rejected by the military several times for being underweight, but he found his groove as a radio DJ.
Bureau of Industrial Service/Wikimedia Commons
Dick Van Dyke (98) (Cont.)
After that, he jumped into Broadway, TV, and movies. He taught himself physical comedy, where he practiced his falls in the backyard using mattresses. In 2021, he even shared that he forked over $4,000 to Disney just to land the role of the banker in Mary Poppins.
The White House, Wikimedia Commons
June Lockhart (99)
Lockhart kicked off her film career with her parents in A Christmas Carol (1938) but quickly found her own way in Hollywood. She gained some attention with her role in Sons and Daughters and, of course, secured a Tony Award for For Love or Money in 1947.
Photographer-Alexander Bender, Wikimedia Commons
June Lockhart (99) (Cont.)
She became a TV legend playing Ruth Martin in Lassie from 1958 to 1964 and Dr. Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space between 1965 and 1968. It’s also pretty impressive that she actually recorded voice lines for the video game “Tesla Effect” when she was in her late 80s.
The Women of Lost in Space by RetroTVCentral
Lee Grant (98)
Imagine winning an Oscar nomination for a debut film. Grant won an Oscar for Detective Story (1951) but was then faced with a 12-year Hollywood blacklist. However, she made a lovely comeback with her role in In the Heat of the Night (1967).
20th Century-Fox, Wikimedia Commons
Lee Grant (98) (Cont.)
As a director as well, she made history by winning an Oscar for her documentary Down and Out in America in 1986. Her career has been amazing, as is evident, and has stretched over 70 years. At the young age of 11, she literally became a member of the American Ballet Theatre.
photo by Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Mel Brooks (98)
Let’s talk about the co-creator of the classic spy spoof series Get Smart (1960s). Brooks started as an entertainer and became a celebrated comedy writer for Your Show of Shows. He fell in love with theater at nine after watching a performance of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes.
Angela George, CC BY-SA 3.0 and NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Mel Brooks (98) (Cont.)
Brooks served in WWII, entertaining troops, and returned home to work in the Borscht Belt before becoming one of the few PEGOT winners. This means he has won the Peabody, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. He was born on June 28, 1926.
20th Century Fox, Wikimedia Commons
James Hong (95)
The first thing that comes to mind is the Kung Fu Panda series, right? But, there are many other memorable performances by Hong. These include Big Trouble in Little China (1986) and Blade Runner (1982). He is definitely one of Hollywood’s most prolific actors, born in Minnesota, USA.
Carter McKendry, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
James Hong (95) (Cont.)
After all, Hong has appeared in over 600 roles since 1954. As one of the co-founders of East West Players, he’s played a big role in boosting Asian American visibility in Hollywood. In 2022, he even got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
James Hong Honored with Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by MaximoTV
Gene Hackman (94)
Hackman retired from acting in the year 2004 and successfully turned to writing historical novels. Hackman’s career began with his breakout role in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), and he earned his first Oscar for The French Connection (1971) as Jimmy Doyle.
Chicago Daily News, Wikimedia Commons
Gene Hackman (94) (Cont.)
Apart from that, he has received two BAFTA Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. The “AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Gene Hackman” was a program that aired in 2011 and celebrated all of Hackman’s contributions to movies. It featured clips from his films.
Reagan White House Photographs, White House Photographic Collection, Wikimedia Commons
William Shatner (93)
In 2021, at age 90, Shatner made history as the oldest person to fly into space aboard Blue Origin’s space flight. We all know him as Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek series (1966-1969). After that, he continued his success with T.J. Hooker (1982-1986) and Boston Legal (2004-2008).
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
William Shatner (93) (Cont.)
His career spans theater, television, film, and music. In addition to live-action roles, he has lent his voice to some animated projects and video games, including The Simpsons and Kingdom Hearts. Shatner even made a guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory, season 12, episode 16.
Sheldon Meets Captain Kirk, William Shatner by The Nerd Show with Haseeb Thaaha
Clint Eastwood (94)
Eastwood isn’t just great at acting and directing, but he’s also a talented musician. He has composed music for a few of his films, like Mystic River. Apparently, Eastwood was nicknamed “Samson” by hospital nurses due to his birth weight of eight pounds.
movie studio, Wikimedia Commons
Clint Eastwood (94) (Cont.)
The actor has won Academy Awards, inclusive of wins for Million Dollar Baby and Unforgiven on Best Picture and Best Director . He started in television with Rawhide (1959-1965). You wouldn’t believe it but he continues to work actively in the film industry, with his upcoming project titled Juror No. 2.
Fanny Bouton, CC BY-SA 1.0, Wikimedia Commons
Rita Moreno (92)
When she was just 13, Moreno made her Broadway debut in Skydrift, becoming the first Latina to earn EGOT status. She got an Oscar for her character in West Side Story (1961), which was a big deal after spending years playing stereotypical parts.
Rita Moreno (92) (Cont.)
In addition to her Oscar, Moreno was given the Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role as Googie Gomez in The Ritz (1975) as a Tony Award. Most recently, she has appeared in Fast X (2023) and 80 for Brady, still performing action scenes at 92. Can you believe it?
John Ferguson, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Barbara Eden (93)
That iconic Jeannie costume? Yup, it’s Barbara Eden. She started out as a chorus girl at Ciro’s nightclub in San Francisco, and now her I Dream of Jeannie costume from the show, which aired from 1965 to 1970, is part of the collection at the Smithsonian.
NBC Television Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
Barbara Eden (93) (Cont.)
In her latest autobiography, she talked about how she said no to Elvis Presley when he tried to make a move on her during the filming of Flaming Star back in 1960. Eden had won the Miss San Francisco beauty pageant in 1951, which helped launch her career in Hollywood.
www.promiflash.de - Bitte bei Bildverwendung auch Link setzen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Richard Chamberlain (90)
Before he became the TV heartthrob Dr. Kildare (1961–1966), Chamberlain was a sergeant in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He’s also famous for his acting in The Thorn Birds, which aired in 1983 and is considered one of the top-rated miniseries of all time.
Yoni S.Hamenahem, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Richard Chamberlain (90) (Cont.)
He’s called the King of the Miniseries, and for years, he kept his personal life pretty much under wraps. But in his 70s, he started to step up as an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Besides that, he recorded the song “Close to You,” which became a hit for The Carpenters.
Sandra V. Doubleday, Wikimedia Commons
Sophia Loren (90)
The AFI has Loren on their list of the greatest stars from classic Hollywood, and she’s the last one still around from their top 25 screen legends. It is reported that she said no to a marriage proposal from Cary Grant because she chose to marry producer Carlo Ponti instead.
Photo by Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images, Wikimedia Commons
Sophia Loren (90) (Cont.)
Loren grew up in a poor neighborhood in Naples during a time of war, and she was the first person to win an Oscar for a performance in a non-English film for Two Women in 1961. Apart from acting, she launched her own eyewear line named “Sophia Loren Eyewear” in 1981.
Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Julie Andrews (89)
Did you know that Walt Disney waited 14 years to secure Andrews? Basically, her role in Mary Poppins came after Disney refused to make the film without her. She gained fame as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, although she was passed over for the film adaptation.
Trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons
Julie Andrews (89) (Cont.)
As a kid with a four-octave singing range, Andrews became the youngest solo performer to perform for King George VI. Unfortunately, she lost her iconic singing voice after a botched surgery in 1997, but she managed to reinvent herself as a voice actor and author.
Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Robert Redford (88)
Robert Redford founded The Sundance Film Festival, which was initially called the Utah/US Film Festival in 1978. Surprisingly, in spite of countless acclaimed performances, his only Oscar nomination for acting came from The Sting (1973). He was born on August 18, 1936.
The Sting | The Ultimate Con for $500,000 in 4K HDR by Universal Pictures
Robert Redford (88) (Cont.)
Redford earned his directorial debut with Ordinary People (1980), which bagged four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Later, in August 2018, Redford revealed that he was retiring from acting, but he later mentioned that he kind of “regretted” that decision.
U.S. Embassy photographer JP Evans, Wikimedia Commons
Michael Caine (91)
This actor was actually born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite. However, he decided to legally change his name to Michael Caine due to the frequent delays he experienced at airport security, particularly after the rise of ISIS. He is well known today and even then for his distinctive cockney accent.
Manfred Werner / Tsui, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Michael Caine (91) (Cont.)
During WWII, he got evacuated to a farm where he fell in love with movies and even made his acting debut at the local school. Oh, and he had this pet horse named Lottie. Caine is the only actor who’s been nominated for an Oscar in five different decades.
Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Carol Burnett (91)
The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978) was the first of its kind hosted by a woman, running for 11 seasons and earning 25 Emmy Awards from 70 nominations. After graduating from Hollywood High School in 1951, Burnett got an anonymous envelope with $50 for her tuition at UCLA.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
Carol Burnett (91) (Cont.)
So, when Burnett was nine, she figured out how to do the “Tarzan yell.” Later on, she found out it was a great way to train her voice and help with volume. She was also vested the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2013 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.
Dennis115, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Tippi Hedren (94)
It was Alfred Hitchcock who spotted Hedren in a diet drink commercial and then chose to cast her in The Birds (1963). For her role, in the last sequence, she had real birds hurled at her, which ended up causing her some serious injuries, as she was misinformed about the same.
Trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons
Tippi Hedren (94) (Cont.)
She eventually became a well-known animal rights activist and set up the Shambala Preserve in 1983 for exotic animals. Even though she had her issues with Hitchcock related to sexual misconduct, she held onto the dress from Marnie (1964) and still has it at the age of 94.
Bryan Horowitz, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Rosemary Harris (96)
At 96, she’s still amazing, but back when she was 91, she made a comeback to Broadway in My Fair Lady (2018), showing that age doesn’t hold her talent back. She’s one of the few actors who has achieved the Triple Crown of Acting, with a Tony, an Emmy, and an Academy Award nomination.
Emily Brontë, Wikimedia Commons
Rosemary Harris (96) (Cont.)
Before she became famous for playing Aunt May in Spider-Man (2002), Harris was already a theater superstar with eight Tony nominations under her belt. She even shared the stage with Peter O’Toole in the very first production of Hamlet at the National Theatre.
David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
David Attenborough (98)
Attenborough is mainly recognized for his nature documentaries, but he actually got his start at the BBC as a programming director, where he was behind the launch of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. He changed the game in wildlife filmmaking with his Life series (1979-2008).
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website – www.dfat.gov.au, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
David Attenborough (98) (Cont.)
At the age of 95, he was the first person to win BAFTA awards in black and white, color, HD, 3D, and 4K. People trusted his voice so much that he was even voted Britain’s most trusted public figure in 2021. Attenborough’s first film appearance was in the 1955 film The Living Planet.
Nick.Thirteen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Nancy Olson (96)
Olson was only 22 years old when she became the youngest actor ever to be nominated for an Oscar. The film that got her this recognition was Sunset Boulevard (1950). Despite announcing retirement in the 1980s, she returned to acting multiple times; the latest was in 2014 for Dumbbells.
Paramount Studios, Wikimedia Commons
Nancy Olson (96) (Cont.)
She co-starred with William Holden in four films, two of which were Union Station (1950) and Force of Arms (1951). Olsen also acted in some Disney films, such as The Absent-Minded Professor (1961). Her birth date was on July 14, 1928, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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