Living legends
Age is just a number, and these Hollywood legends are proof. There are no swan songs for these entertainers, who laugh in the face of Hollywood’s obsession with youth. Here’s a look at some showbiz workhorses who are defying the odds and continue to deliver stellar performances.
Sissy Spacek (December 25, 1949)
Sissy Spacek was born as Mary Elizabeth Spacek in Texas. Although Spacek's breakout role came when she played a teenager with telekinetic skills in Carrie, she earned her start in television with shows like Love, American Style and The Waltons. She’s still working today, starring with J.K. Simmons in the science fiction series Night Sky.
David Shankbone, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Loretta Devine (August 31, 1949)
Loretta Devine has been in everything from a successful Broadway musical to a slasher movie from the 1990s. Her notable performances come from Waiting to Exhale in 1995 and The Preacher's Wife a year later. 2011 saw her win a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress for her performance as Adele on the television series Grey's Anatomy. In 2021, Levine secured a prominent part in the film Queen Bees.
Angela George, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Meryl Streep (June 22, 1949)
Legendary director Dino De Laurentiis called a teenage Meryl Streep "ugly" in Italian when she auditioned for a part in the remake of the horror classic King Kong. Today, Streep is considered one of the greatest actors ever gracing the silver screen. She has 21 Oscar nominations, the most of any actor in history.
Pam Grier (May 26, 1949)
Grier began her career in 1971, starring in The Big Doll House and is considered cinema’s first female action star. She was given 18 months to live after receiving a stage four cervical cancer diagnosis in 1988, but she persevered and kept acting, most recently showing up in the 2023 movie Pet Sematary: Bloodlines.
Samuel L. Jackson (December 21, 1948)
Despite appearing in over 100 movies, Samuel L. Jackson's career didn't take off until he was in his 40s. After a stint in rehab in 1991, Jackson was cast as an addict in the Spike Lee movie Jungle Fever. He’s as active today as ever, doing voice acting and starring in the 2024 film, Damaged.
Youn Yuh-jung (June 19, 1947)
The South Korean actor has over fifty years of experience in both film and television in the 1970s and 1980s. After a ten-year break, she made a remarkable return to the industry, winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2021 for her performance in Minari.
Glenn Close (March 19, 1947)
This Connecticut-born actor’s motion picture debut was as feminist icon Jenny Fields in the 1982 film The World According to Garp, adapted from the same-titled novel by John Irving. More than 40 years later, Close still has many projects in the works, such as Encore, Back in Action, and Brothers, announced in May 2024.
Danny Glover (July 22, 1946)
His famous line in Lethal Weapon, “I’m too old for this,” doesn’t ring true for the real Danny Glover. Still appearing in films and television, Glover gained critical acclaim for playing Nelson Mandela and his lead role in the Oscar-nominated film, Places in the Heart.
Ernie Hudson (December 17, 1945)
This Ghostbuster keeps on bustin’! Hudson is best known as Winston Zeddemore in the 1980s films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II. He barely lost a beat when returning to the franchise for the 2016 woman-led remake, plus Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2021, and most recently, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, released in March 2024.
Helen Mirren (July 26, 1945)
Throughout her 60-year career, Helen Mirren has won several awards and is the only actor to have won the Triple Crowns of Acting in both the United States and Great Britain. Theater was where the English actor's career began but she may be best known for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in the motion picture The Queen.
Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Danny Trejo (June 16, 1944)
In his early life, Trejo spent a lot of time in prison. While in San Quentin, he became a champion boxer and a substance counselor. After his release, he began his acting career while working on a movie set. Trejo is well-known for his parts in Desperado and Grindhouse.
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Leslie Uggams (May 25, 1943)
Uggams rocketed to fame in 1977 for her role as Kizzy Reynolds in the miniseries, Roots, earning her an Emmy and Golden Globe nomination. Decades later she’s still on fire, starring as Blind Al in the Deadpool film franchise and popular TV series including Empire and Fallout.
Harrison Ford (July 13, 1942)
Starting out as a Hollywood carpenter, Ford is now a silver-screen legend, best known as Han Solo in Star Wars and Indiana Jones. After 60 years in cinema, Ford is moving more to the small screen, starring in the Yellowstone prequel 1923, and Shrinking, a comedy with Jason Segel.
Al Pacino (April 25, 1940)
This method actor is a triple crown award winner, having taken home a Tony, Emmy, and an Oscar. In the 1972 film The Godfather, Al Pacino portrayed Michael Corleone, a role he reprised in The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III. After his iconic role in Scarface, his Oscar-winning role in Scent of a Woman, and The Irishman in 2019, this influential actor is still taking on diverse roles in an array of films.
Lily Tomlin (September 1, 1939)
Mary Jean Tomlin, better known as Lily Tomlin, began her career as a stand-up comedian. Her most well-known performances were as the snarly phone operator Ernestine and the small child Edith Ann who sits in a huge rocking chair on Laugh-In. More recently, Tomlin starred as Frankie Bergstein alongside Jane Fonda in the sitcom Grace and Frankie for seven seasons.
Ian McKellen (May 25, 1939)
Stage and screen actor Ian McKellen may be best known as Gandalf in The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings films. He also achieved mainstream success as Magneto in the X-Men film franchise. His critical success includes two Oscar nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, and one Golden Globe win for his supporting role in the 1996 TV movie Rasputin.
Christopher Lloyd (October 22, 1938)
After his film debut as Max Taber in 1975's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Christopher Lloyd has enjoyed a half-century of cinema appearances. Among his most notable performances: Uncle Fester in Addams Family Values, Professor Plum in Clue, Doc Brown in Back to the Future, and Harry Mansell Sr. in the action thriller Nobody. His role as Jim Ignatowski on the TV series Taxi earned him two Emmys.
Philip Romano, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Anthony Hopkins (December 31, 1937)
Awards and accolades are no stranger to Anthony Hopkins, who won his first British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award in 1968. Over 50 years later, Hopkins won an Oscar for his role in Father. His most memorable role may be the serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.
Jane Fonda (December 21, 1937)
Where do we begin with Jane Fonda? Her two Oscars? Two BAFTAs? Or her mere seven Golden Globes? Fonda is a true Hollywood legend whose career has spanned many genres over 60 years, not to mention her social activism and 80s workout videos. Today’s audience may know her best as Grace Hanson on Grace and Frankie, alongside fellow octogenarian Lily Tomlin.
Linda Lavin (October 15, 1937)
This Tony- and Golden Globe-winning actor is best known for her role in the 70s sit-com Alice. These days she’s still one of the hardest-working actors in Hollywood, starring in sitcoms, and dramas and performing in live theater. Her most recent role was in the CBS comedy, B Positive.
Greg Hernandez, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Morgan Freeman (June 1, 1937)
With one of the most calming voices in Hollywood, Freeman is now associated with narrating wildlife documentaries like March of the Penguins. However, his acting credits shout loud and clear, playing chauffeur Hoke Colburn in Driving Miss Daisy on stage and screen and Red in The Shawshank Redemption.
Vanessa Redgrave (January 30, 1937)
Redgrave’s most recent film The Nest is set to debut soon on Netflix, 50 years after her famous performance on Murder on the Orient Express. In between, Redgrave has carved out a successful career in theater, cinema and television. Her father, famous actor Michael Redgrave would be proud.
Robert Redford (August 18, 1936)
Robert Redford has had a long acting career and has received a laundry list of honors and notable roles. So it’s no surprise that in 2002, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Oscar. He announced his retirement from acting in 2018, yet still works as an executive producer.
Matteo Chinellato, Shutterstock
Alan Alda (January 28, 1936)
Playing “Hawkeye” Pierce in the television series M*A*S*He earned him multiple Emmys and fame, but Alan Alda’s long Hollywood career also includes writing and directing credits. One of his more recent notable roles was on the series Ray Donovan, which ended in 2020.
Julie Andrews (October 1, 1935)
Her performances in the movie musicals Mary Poppins (1964) and The Sound of Music (1965) are now cinematic classics. Sixty years later Andrews is still working hard, although her roles now include voice work in Shrek and Netflix’s Bridgerton series.
Judi Dench (December 9, 1934)
Judith Olivia Dench was born in York, England and has been on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and the Old Vic Theatre. Dench won an Oscar in 1998 for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in the movie Shakespeare in Love. She hasn’t been afraid to take on lighter roles too, like M in the James Bond franchise. In May 2024, she said she might have to withdraw from the screen because of vision problems.
Sophia Loren (September 20, 1934)
This Italian film star won an Oscar for her part in the 1960s Italian film Two Women, which is about the hardships a widow and her daughter experience during World War II. In 2020, she took another heavy role as Holocaust survivor Madame Rosa in The Life Ahead, which was directed and co-written by her son.
Shirley MacLaine (April 24, 1934)
1955 saw Shirley MacLaine make her feature film debut in Alfred Hitchcock's The Trouble With Harry. In 1983, she won her first Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of a controlling mother in the movie Terms of Endearment. MacLaine also has several Broadway stage credits under her belt and is the older sister of film actor Warren Beatty.
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Michael Caine (March 13, 1933)
Born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite in London, this legendary actor changed his name to Michael Caine to help his acting career. He started in theater but moved to film, making a name for himself with performances in movies like Educating Rita, Alfie, and The Cider House Rules. The two-time Oscar winner announced his retirement from acting in 2023 and now focuses on writing.
Barbara Eden (August 23, 1931)
This nonagenarian is best known for playing a genie who grants wishes to an astronaut played by Larry Hagman in the television comedy series, I Dream of Jeannie. Eden has appeared in several television movies throughout her career, including Mrs. Claus in My Adventures with Santa and as herself in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
William Shatner (March 22, 1931)
Now in his 90s, Shatner’s career has gone where no one has before, spanning seven decades—most notably as Capt. James T. Kirk in Star Trek. In 2021, The Canadian-born actor became the oldest person to travel to space aboard Jeff Bezo’s Blue Origin space shuttle. He was 90.
James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931)
The most recognizable characteristic of this actor is his voice. The baritone was the fearsome voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars, Mufasa in The Lion King, and who can forget his famous three-word tagline, “This is CNN”.
Robert Duvall (January 5, 1931)
Robert Duvall's famous film credits include Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, and Colors. But Duvall, well into his nineties, is still at work today, appearing in the horror-thriller The Pale Blue Eye, which premiered in 2022.
Lois Smith (November 3, 1930)
Best known for her roles in the films Minority Report, Twister, and Lady Bird, Smith is also an accomplished stage actress. Her first film was East of Eden in 1955 and she remains active in Hollywood, appearing in Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch in 2021 and The Uninvited in 2024.
Clint Eastwood (May 31, 1930)
Though he’s most famous for police dramas and westerns, few on this list have a list of notable Hollywood credits than Clint Eastwood. His film debut was back in 1955, and his career has continued unabated for almost 70 years. In the later decades of his career, the Oscar winner achieved success as a director. His movie Juror No. 2, set to be released in 2024, will be his last after he announced his retirement in 2023.
James Hong (February 22, 1929)
The first in this list to be born in the 1920s, James Hong has more than 600 acting credits, including Airplane, Blade Runner and Chinatown. Hong was a founder of the East-West Players, an Asian American theater in Los Angeles.
Lisa Lu (January 19, 1927)
Even in her nineties, Lisa Lu is still taking on roles in Hollywood, as the family matriarch in Crazy Rich Asians and most recently in the television series Death and Other Details. The actor was born in China and migrated to the U.S. in the 1950s.
Mel Brooks (June 28, 1926)
Mel Brooks has been making people laugh for 70 years. His career began as a comic and writer for Sid Caesar’s variety show in 1950 and hasn’t stopped. Acting, producing, directing and writing, Brooks is the man behind Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, and The Producers, for which he won an Oscar.
Dick Van Dyke (December 13, 1925)
At almost 100 years old, Dick Van Dyke may be the oldest working actor in Hollywood. He’s part of the cast of a soon-to-be-released comedy, Capture the Flag, more than 60 years after he landed his own entertainment variety show in 1961. His most notable films include the 19060s Bye Bye Birdie and Mary Poppins alongside Julie Andrews.
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