Photos Of Old Hollywood Actresses Who Aged Beautifully

Timeless beauty

We have all heard of the famous Diahann Carroll, Audrey Hepburn, and Bette Davis but do you know what they have in common? These starlets looked amazing throughout their 60s, 70s, and beyond. They got to the top with talent and beautiful looks and stayed there.

Josephine Baker in the 1920s

American Josephine Baker started her dancing and acting career in France. She is famous for her 1930s finger waves which helped her define the beauty standards at that time.

LME Press, Flickr

Josephine Baker in the 1970s

Josephine Baker was Europe’s highest-paid performer. She later worked for the French Resistance during WWII and fought racism in the USA. Her last performance was at the Bobino Theatre in Paris before she departed life in 1975.

Eric Koch, Wikimedia Commons

Katharine Hepburn in the 1930s

Katherine Hepburn had a huge influence as an actress and on fashion. She starred in multiple successful films including The Philadelphia Story and Morning Glory. 

Laura Loveday, Flickr

Katharine Hepburn in the 1990s

Except for her hair color, Katherine Hepburn’s style and attractive bone structure remained the same. At 87, she was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild for her role in One Christmas.

NBC, One Christmas (1994)

Mae West in the 1930s

Mae West’s performance in vaudeville made her famous and helped her transition to movies when she turned 39. Her blonde hair made her stand out as well as her unabashed sensuality.

Paramount Pictures, Wikimedia Commons

Mae West in the 1960s

Mae West continued working as an actress as her popularity grew over time. Eventually, she released a best-seller autobiography titled Goodness Had Nothing To Do With It.

Allan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Bette Davis in the 1930s

By her 30s, Bette Davis was already one of the most profitable actresses at Warner Bros, having acted in the successful films Marked Woman and Jezebel.

Warner Bros., Wikimedia Commons

Bette Davis in the 1980s

Bette Davis’s final milestone in her long career was the Academy Award nomination for her role in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, released in 1962. Since the 1960s, she has maintained the same unique look.

Warner Bros., Wikimedia Commons

Shirley Temple in the 1930s

Shirley Temple’s career started when she was just 3 with her role in Baby Burlesks. However, she retired soon at the age of 22 after performing in successful movies like Heidi, The Little Princess, and Curly Top.

National Portrait Gallery, Wikimedia Commons

Shirley Temple in the 2000s

Shirley Temple was appointed the first female Chief of Protocol of the USA in 1976 after she changed her switch to politics. 

Laurel Maryland, CC BY-SA 2.0 , Wikimedia Commons

Greta Garbo in the 1930s

Greta Garbo started her acting career in the USA at the age of 20 when she arrived at the request of the director Mauritz Stiller. Despite not knowing English, she quickly rose to fame but was not quite happy being such a celebrated individual mostly because of the paparazzi.

Genthe, Arnold, Wikimedia Commons

Greta Garbo in the 1960s

At the age of 35, Greta Garbo retired from the industry and spent the rest of her life in New York.

Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Diahann Carroll in the 1950s

In 1968, Diahann Carroll played the main role of Julia, after she appeared as a supporting character in Porgy & Bess and Carmen Jones in the 1950s.

Library of Congress, Picryl

Diahann Carroll in the 2010s

Diahann Carroll continued in the film industry for years. In 2013, she spoke about being nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. She passed away in 2019 at the age of 84.

s_bukley, Shutterstock

Rita Moreno in the 1950s

The Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno is famous for her role in West Side Story (1961). Also, she is the only Hispanic actress ever to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. 

Sankei Shinbun, Wikimedia Commons

Rita Moreno in the 2010s

Rita Moreno is still active in the entertainment industry. She was involved in the films Jane the Virgin and A Gift of Miracles, released in 2015.

Johnson Production Group, A Gift of Miracles (2015)

Vivien Leigh in the 1930s

Vivien Leigh’s portrayal of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire got her Academy Awards.

Trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons

Vivien Leigh in the 1960s

At 52, Vivien Leigh still looked as beautiful as ever. Later in 1967, she passed away.

Mirrorpix, Getty Images

Ingrid Bergman in the 1930s

Ingrid Bergman’s role in Casablanca as Ilsa cemented her eternal icon status after her popular role in Intermezzo: A Love Story, released in 1939.

Warner Bros., Casablanca (1942)

Ingrid Bergman in the 1980s

Saying Ingrid Bergman’s career was a success might be an understatement considering the fact she won three Oscars and four Golden Globes awards. She passed away in 1982, the same year she completed performing in the mini-series A Woman Called Golda.

Harve Bennett Productions, A Woman Called Golda (1982)

Anna May Wong in the 1920s

At just 14, Anna May Wong appeared in The Red Lantern and became the first Asian American film star in Hollywood. Because of her good looks, she achieved success in the ‘20s and ‘30s despite often being sidelined by the industry.

Carl Van Vechten, Wikimedia Commons

Anna May Wong in the 1950s

Anna May Wong retired in 1947 but in 1951, starred as the first Asian American television lead in The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong. Unfortunately, she passed away at just 55 in 1961.

City of Boston Archives, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Lucille Ball in the 1940s

Lucille Ball started her career as a blonde and later changed her hair color to her signature red.  She starred in I Love Lucy and rose to prominence in the ‘40s.

Wikimedia Commons, Picryl

Lucille Ball in the 1970s

Lucille Ball and her husband and co-star, Desi Arnaz, produced I Love Lucy, making her one of the first actresses to enter film production. Later, she appeared in the sitcom Life With Lucy before passing away in 1989.

Lucille Ball Productions, Life with Lucy (1986)

Lauren Bacall in the 1940s

Lauren Bacall used to be a model before her career started with the film To Have and Have Not. Later, she married Humphrey Bogart. She is most popular for her roles in The Big Sleep, How to Marry a Millionaire and Key Largo.

Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons

Lauren Bacall in the 2010s

In 1996, Lauren Bacall performed in The Mirror Has Two Faces which helped her secure her first Golden Globe Award at 72.

TriStar, The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)

Veronica Lake in the 1940s

Veronica Lake’s attractiveness helped her influence the trends in the 1940s, resulting in popularizing the wavy hairstyle associated with Hollywood’s Golden Era.

Paramount Pictures, Wikimedia Commons

Veronica Lake in the 1960s

Unlike most Hollywood actresses, Veronica Lake’s success was in theatres. She had the same beautiful smile from when she was young for the rest of her life.

Kathleen Ballard, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Debbie Reynolds in the 1950s

After Debbie Reynolds appeared in her first major film in 1950, she worked in MGM’s films including Singin’ in the Rain and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Along with her beauty, she was also blessed with a sweet voice.

MGM, Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Debbie Reynolds in the 2010s

Debbie Reynolds continued her career from the ‘90s till 2013. Later in 2016, after the unexpected passing of her daughter, Carrie Fisher, Debbie passed away.

Angela George, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Audrey Hepburn in the 1950s

Audrey Hepburn, a classic Hollywood legend, influenced the fashion and film industry in her era with her iconic sense of style and roles in Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Gigi, and Sabrina.

Trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons

Audrey Hepburn in the 1990s

Audrey Hepburn remained consistently beautiful until she passed away in 1993.

Library of Congress, Picryl

Dorothy Dandridge in the 1950s

Dorothy Dandridge was the first Black actress to be nominated for an Oscar because of her leading role in the 1954 film Carmen Jones. Before performing in movies, she used to be part of a singing group called The Dandridge Sisters.

Otto Preminger Films, Carmen Jones (1954)

Dorothy Dandridge in the 1960s

After she was done with acting, Dorothy Dandridge became a singer and performed at some of the most exclusive nightclubs.

MGM Television, Wikimedia Commons

Sophia Loren in the 1960s

Italian actress Sophia Loren’s beauty and feminine features made her one of the biggest icons of her time.

Michael Donovan, Wikimedia Commons

Sophia Loren in the 1980s

Sophia Loren is still pursuing her filming career and her most recent appearance was in the short film La Voce Umana released in 2013. She still looks beautiful, and her smile still attracts the attention of everyone around her.

Masifilm, La voce umana (2014)

Lena Horne in the 1940s

After being a chorus girl, Lena Horne decided to be a nightclub singer, which made her the highest-paid Black entertainer at the time. Later in 1943, she started her filming career by signing a contract with MGM Studios.

Studio publicity still, Wikimedia Commons

Lena Horne in the 1980s

Lena Horne became an activist, an active participant in the civil rights movement, after her filming career. She continued in the ‘60s and ‘70s and lastly performed in a concert in New York City in 1994.

Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Dolores del Río in the 1930s

Dolores del Río, Hollywood’s first Mexican actress, started participating in films in 1925. She started in Joanna and later starred in Resurrection. She rapidly became one of the glamour girls of her era.

RKO, Wikimedia Commons

Dolores del Río in the 1960s

After spending some time in Mexico, she returned to Hollywood in the ‘60s and appeared in movies including Flaming Star and Children of Sanchez. She passed away in 1983.

Studio Publicity, Wikimedia Commons