Older Stars Who Are Still Living Their Best Lives and Have Thriving Careers

Most people know him as Anthony Hopkins, but did you know that his full name is actually Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins? It is no wonder that he is so legendary in the film industry with a name like that! He is a Welsh actor, director, and producer who has a very long list of achievements to discuss and commemorate. If you’re that successful it is no surprise that you want to continue your career for your entire life! 

Passion gives life meaning. Not everyone in this world gets to find their passion, the thing that makes them excited and happy. Johnny Mathis is someone who was lucky enough to find that passion and work in it his entire life (even into his 80s). John Royce Mathis is an American jazz singer and songwriter who is still performing and singing even has he comes close to his 90th year. 

Dianne Wiest, an exceptionally talented actress, has left an indelible mark on the world of film and theater. Her career spans several decades, and she has consistently delivered captivating performances that showcase her remarkable range and versatility. Wiest’s breakthrough came with her collaborations with director Woody Allen, earning her critical acclaim and two Academy Awards for her roles in Hannah and Her Sisters and Bullets over Broadway. However, she is most famous for her roles in Edward Scissorhands and The Birdcage. 

Pat Boone has the voice of an era and he knew it. Famous for his hit songs in the 1950s, there is hardly a person who wouldn’t know at least one of his classic hits. Although he was most famous for his singing voice, he also would use his voice for radio and television shows and even dappled a bit in acting. If you’re lucky, you’ll still see that he makes occasional appearances in media even now as he is in his 80s. 

When it comes to the diversity of talent in the entertainment industry, it’s unlikely that you will find someone more talented and diverse than Barbara Mandrell. In the 70s and 80s she was most famous for her country music and even made it to the number 1 hit list multiple times (six times to be exact). However, she was also famous for being an actress and an author as well.

Unlike most of the other celebrities on this list, Jocelyn Wildenstein did not work as an actress or a singer but was famous for her unique appearance and eccentric lifestyle. She started her journey in the fashion world as a socialite and eventually gained notoriety for her extensive plastic surgeries, which led to her being dubbed “Catwoman” in the media. Through the years, Wildenstein shifted gears and began exploring her passion for art.​ 

It’s crazy to think sometimes how long a career can last. People work for so many years and you can only hope that you love and enjoy what you do. Max Baer Jr. appears to have truly loved his work since he retired later in life, only in 1991. He was very active for all the years of his career and was most famous for his role in The Beverly Hillbillies.  

Victoria Principal is a well known name in the entertainment industry. She is best known for her portrayal of Pamela Barnes Ewing in the iconic television series “Dallas”, but there are countless other films which she appeared or starred in such as Dallas, Vigilante Force, and Earthquake. Her career really began and stook off starting in the 70s, and it’s impressive to see her continuing it strongly as she reaches her 70s. 

According to this picture, it looks like Loni Anderson, who is now 77 years old, has hardly aged a bit over the years. Maybe she has found the secret to eternal youth and it lies in this haircut. If that is the case, maybe more people should give it a try! Loni has had a long and happy career in the entertainment industry and is most famous for her part in the series Loveboat.

There aren’t too many people in the world who are lucky enough to celebrate living 100 years on this earth. Iris Apfel is one of the lucky ones and it looks like (knock on wood), she has many more years to enjoy life. Her career in the textile and fashion industry eventually took her to great places with one of her most famous contracts being with the White House. 

It is so refreshing to see people living their absolute best lives even as they age. They don’t let anyone or anything slow them down. However, Billy Dee didn’t have the easiest start in the world of Hollywood and it took him about twenty years to get his career off the ground. It’s no wonder that, as a result, he is not eager to stop his career anytime soon. 

Sixty years is a long time to work in an industry. It seems like nowadays people work a few years in every job and are not expected to stay much longer than that in one industry. Ann Margret worked (and is still working) in the film industry and is loving it even into her 80s. She has a long list of famous actors and actresses that she has worked with as well, the most famous of which being Elvis. 

If you ask someone about Wayne Newton some of the people may think of his acting and some may think of his singing. He was fortunate enough to have a career in both, as he is a very talented man. This talent was seen and discovered from a very early age (only six years old) when he was a part of a rock duo with his brother in the rock and roll days of the 1950s. 

Some people think that just because you are aging, you have to stop living your best life. That is not the case at all with Australian actor Paul Hogan. He rose to fame when he played in a movie called Crocodile Dundee (fitting for Australia) and has been famous and acting ever since, beloved by all of his fans. Many years later (Paul is now in his 80s), he is still acting and appearing in movies and shows. 

There aren’t many actors who can boast that they have been in over 100 films. However, Sir Michael Caine can top that even as he has reached over the 130 mark. He started his career in the early 60s, but the film Alfie is what made him internationally acclaimed. As can be expected from the number of films he acted in, there were quite a few hits in his days.  

Even if you are not automatically familiar with the name, you are most definitely familiar with the face of actor Christopher Walken. Not only is he famous for his performances, which began almost 70 years ago, but his unique look and features make him hard to forget. Some of his most famous films are Pulp Fiction, Sleepy Hollow, and Barman Returns, but you have likely seen him in many others as well.  

Marla Gibbs is no stranger to the entertainment industry. Whether you were watching movies and television in the 70s or are watching them today, you surely know Marla Gibbs and some of her most famous productions. She has a personality to remember and is a very talented actress. Although she is probably most famous for her role as Florence Johnston, she is also well known for the fact that fifty years later she is still acting. 

You might think that just because someone retires that they become a bit irrelevant in their field. However, that is not really the case, especially with celebrtiies like Gene Hackman. With a career spanning over five decades, Hackman has portrayed an array of memorable characters across various genres. He gained widespread recognition for his captivating performance as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection, a role that earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor.  

Sir Cliff Richard, in case you couldn’t tell by the name, is a legendary British singer, and musician. He has enjoyed an illustrious career spanning several decades and it is no doubt that he is very talented. Can you imagine that he has sold over 250 million records? That isn’t even to mention that he is a talented singer as well as being a talented actor. That is quite impressive!

Bob Newhart, a comedic genius, started his career as a stand-up comedian in the 1960s. His deadpan delivery and witty observations gained him a devoted following in the blink of an eye. After all, who could resist his humor? Newhart’s success in stand-up comedy opened doors for him in television, where he starred in popular sitcoms like “The Bob Newhart Show” and “Newhart” and became a household name in a short amount of time. 

Although his career began in the 1950s, George Hamilton didn’t become a household name into the 1960s when he became famous for his one of a kind charisma and good looks. Some of his most famous films are Love at First Bite and Crime and Punishment. He has dappled in many different aspects of entertainment and even in more modern years, he is making appearances in sitcoms such an American Housewife. 

Bill Cobbs, a seasoned and immensely talented actor, has graced the screen with his remarkable presence and memorable performances. With a career that spans several decades, Cobbs has left an indelible mark on both film and television. He is known for his ability to embody a diverse range of characters, bringing depth and authenticity to each role he undertakes. Some of his most well known films are Night at the Museum, The Color Purple, and Oz the Great and Powerful. 

Debbie Reynolds was a beloved star that performed mainly in the 50s and 60s and was world famous for performances such as the ones in Singin’ in the Rain and How the West Was Won. Her charm and talent were clearly passed down through the generations to her daughter Carrie Fisher, who was most famous for her role in the Star Wars series as she portrayed Princess Leia. 

Although Linda Hunt is quite young compared to many of the celebrities on this list, she is one of the actresses that has performed and participated in the Hollywood life for the longest period of time. Her career has spanned decades and has been very diverse. She is not one of those actresses that play the same role in every single movie that they do. On the contrary, she plays countless different types of parts. 

It is no secret that the genetic pool of the family of Gwyneth Paltrow is a strong one. Her mother, Blythe Danner seemed to start it all out with beautiful and impressive doe eyes and the skills and talents that were passed down to her children and grandchildren. Blythe herself was also apart of the entertainment industry (where do you think her children and descendants got it?) and has been thriving even as she ages. 
 

In case you couldn’t tell just by the last name, the world famous and legendary writer Ernest Hemingway had a family that is surviving him until this day. His great granddaughter Dree Hemingway is also on track to becoming a famous star and celebrity. Perhaps it will not be in the same way as her great grandfather, as she is not a writer, but the legacy (and the name) will live on. 

If you have ever seen the famous sitcom called Happy Days, then you will definitely recognize the face of Cindy Williams. And in case you haven’t seen Happy Days, then you can rest assured that you’ve seen her in Laverne and Shirley. Long story short, there is practically no way you have never seen Cindy Williams in a series or film before.  Her career began with a humble start, one of TV commericals mainly, but fate had big plans for her. 

If you have ever enjoyed and sang along to classics such as “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter”, then you will most definitely know of Loretta Lynn. She was famous for years in the country music world and in the general world of music. No one could deny her talent as she released 50 albums, with the 50th one being released in 2021.

Sometimes you may hear the phrase, like mother like daughter. However, for this one, you need to change it up a bit and say like grandmother like granddaughter. After all, no one can deny the striking resemblance in mannerisms and looks between Emma Ferrer and her grandmother Audrey Hepburn. Of course, she was posing for this picture probably to look similar, but it’s no surprise that the talent blood runs through her veins.

Hollywood is never an easy business to break into. Although Tony Gloldwyn was featured in many different films and movies, it took one famous movie to really propel him into starhood. That all started in 1990 when he appeared in the film Ghost and he has been acting ever since. It looks like all it took to really become famous and get a foot up in Hollywood is work with other famous actors like Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze.

The Miss America pageant of 1955 is where it all began for Lee Ann Meriwether. Even she probably never thought that this would jump-start her career in an unprecedented way. It wasn’t long after winning this pageant that she started her film career, a career which is still going strong today. She is most famous for her films such as Batman: The Movie (1966) and The Undefeated (1969). 

It looks like nothing can slow down Linda Gray. Even though she has reached the ripe age of 81, she is still going strong with her career. It all started for her when she landed the role of Sue Ellen Ewing on the drama series Dallas. It wasn’t long after that that she became famous around the world. Before her acting days, she also worked as a model, which gave her a bit of a leg up when auditioning for the role that was her big break. 

Before fitness and gym culture was such a big thing, there were people who paved the way…and those people, at least one of them, is known as Richard Simmons. He was the go to person for fitness and overall wellness and without him who knows where the world would be. His famous cassette series Sweatin’ to the Oldies was all the rage in the 70s and the 80s, and for good reason!

Nehemiah Persoff was born in Jerusalem in 1919 but moved to the US with his family when he was just a young child. Life was not easy for immigrants in those days, however, but Nehemiah somehow managed to make it and have a very successful career. He lived until the ripe old age of 102 and was working for the majority of that time as well! It’s no shock that he has over 200 acting credits in his name. 

Tippi Hedren started her career as a model and she was very successful in various commercials in the 1960s and in different lifestyle and glamor magazines. It’s no surprise then that she was soon spotted out and offered to work as an actress and expand her career into the film industry. She soon starred in classics such as The Birds, which propelled her career into stardom within a short period of time. 

Sometimes it is just clearer than day that the acting and performance genes run in the family. After all, how else can you explain the fact that Grace Van Dien is a successful American actress, just like her grandfather and great grandfather? That is not just a coincidence. She started her career out at the young age of 21 and started it off strong, appearing in multiple successful films already.   

Sometimes you would think that genes would be diluted a bit over the years. After all, grandchildren don’t always look that much like their grandparents. However, that is not the case with Ethan Peck and he is the spitting image of his grandfather and legendary star Gregory Peck. That’s quite a compliment too as Gregory Peck was not only considered one of the best actors of his time, but also one of the best looking!  

Following in the footsteps of her ancestors, Zoe Kravitz seemed to have the path paved for her. With a father like Lenny Kravitz, the famous singer, and a mother like Lisa Bonet, an actress famous for her part on the Bill Crosby Show, it seemed like it would be smooth sailing from there. Oh, and was it mentioned that her grandmother is Roxie Roker? She has quite an impressive family tree, it’s no wonder she is as successful as she is!

Maybe it is just the chosen photo, or maybe these two really do share a lot of traits. But either way, the resemblance between Amba Isis Jackson and Mick Jagger is impressive. Mick Jagger, in case you do not know,m is the famous singer of The Rolling Stones. His granddaughter, Amba, is not yet that famous in the world of entertainment so it is yet to be seen if she will follow in her grandfather’s musical footsteps. 

There are some celebrities who leave no room for imagination when it comes to why they are famous. Jane Powell is one of the prime examples. If you have ever seen any of her films, it is immediately clear. Not only can she act wonderfully, but she is also a very talented dancer and singer as well, a woman who has been gracing the world with her talents since the 1940s.