Even though Hollywood’s Golden Age ended more than 50 years ago, several of the actors from that era are still living today. These performers are not only still alive, but they are actively working in the industry. The television industry put an end to the Golden Age, but these actors managed to stay afloat by adapting and accepting television assignments.
These celebrities are close to their hundreds or past them, but they and their legacy are still thriving. We opted to highlight the 30 oldest performers who are still active (as of this writing) or were active within the last decade for this list. Many of them have left an incredible mark that will remain with us for a long time.
Ali MacGraw – 82 Years Old
Ali gained attention from the public in 1969 with her role in the movie “Goodbye, Columbus”, but it wasn’t until 1970 when she reached international stardom as the protagonist in the romantic film “Love Story”.
A curious fact to mention about her, is that she originally started as a model and stylist for the recognized fashion firm Vogue. Ali was also married to famous icon Steve McQueen, although
their marriage only lasted for 5 years.
Dick Van Dyke – 95 Years Old
Dick took his first steps on radio and in Broadway nightclubs, but what made him truly famous was the well-remembered sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show” that ran during 5 seasons from 1961 to 1966.
After this he established himself as a TV legend and was able to get many prizes including a place in the Television Hall of Fame in 1995. Dick is now 92 years old, he’s still active and in good health.
Angela Lansbury – 95 Years Old
Angela is a British-American actress with a prolific career. Her first roles were in the movies “Gaslight” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” where she received two Oscar nominations. Lansbury stood out in Cinema, theater, and television.
Later in life, she not only got an Honorary Academy Award but also was made Dame by Queen Elizabeth II. Without a doubt, we can say that Angela is a true Cinema Icon that aged with total grace.
Bob Newhart – 91 Years Old
Newhart is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He rose to fame in 1960 when his album “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart” reached the top of the Billboard Charts. His best-known TV appearances were in “The Bob Newhart Show” and the sitcom “Newhart”, both based on his comedy.
He also developed a career as an actor and was recognized with a Primetime Emmy Award in 2013 after his appearance on “The Big Bang Theory”.
Morgan Freeman – 83 Years Old
He is to this date, one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood’s industry. Morgan started his career in 1964 but it wasn’t until the late 80s that he achieved international fame. One of his most notable performances was in the movie “The Shawshank Redemption “in 1994.
Freeman is also a producer and a narrator and has collected many awards in these areas as well. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like he’s close to retiring yet!
Jacqueline White – 98 Years Old
Jackeline was discovered by a casting director and seemed destined for fame from the very beginning. She is probably most recalled for her work in two classic Hollywood films: Crossfire and
The Narrow Margin.
Despite the fact her career spanned only a decade, she is still remembered for her performances. She is 95 years old now and lives quietly in Wyoming with her spouse, attending every now and then some international film conventions and festivals.
Sydney Poitier – 94 Years Old
Sydney Poitier is a legendary actor, diplomat, novelist, and film director. In 1955, he made his breakthrough as one of the unruly high school boys in Blackboard Jungle.
Sydney was the first black actor to win both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Actor in 1964. He transitioned from front to back of the camera and it is worth mention that in 1974 he was named Knight by Queen Elizabeth II herself.
Clint Eastwood – 90 Years Old
Who hasn’t heard of Clint Eastwood, the great actor? He immediately established himself as a cinematic sensation to be reckoned with because of his bad boy appeal and powerful delivery. His early appearances in Man with No Name and Dirty Harry catapulted him to stardom.
Eastwood received Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for his efforts in the Western picture Unforgiven (1992) and the sports drama Million Dollar Baby (2004) starring Hillary Swank.
Betty White – 99 Years Old
Betty White, the legendary actress and performer, debuted on television in 1939, three months after graduating from high school, when she and a classmate performed songs from The Merry Widow on an experimental television show.
She has a remarkable resume that led her to win multiple recognitions and awards, including the one given by the Guinness Book of World Records. With 99 years, she still holds the title for being the longest-running female TV entertainer.
Mel Brooks – 94 Years Old
Mel Brooks is a famed writer, producer, and director, as well as one of the century’s most brilliant comedic geniuses. He became one the most successful film directors of the 1970s being the brains behind such films as The Producers and Get Smart.
He was also a WWII veteran who fought in Germany. His friendships with well-known directors and producers like Carl Reiner and Alfred Hitchcock helped him in the development of his humorous approach.
Kim Novak – 88 Years Old
Kim began her career in 1954, you probably recall her from Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological masterpiece Vertigo. Novak was one of Hollywood’s blond bombshells, alongside Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell.
She retired from acting in 1966 and only appeared in films on an infrequent basis since then. Her demise from popularity was hastened by the film industry’s harsh treatment of her. She relocated to Oregon, where she now lives in peace and works as a painter.
Sam Elliott – 76 Years Old
This actor rose to prominence after starring alongside Patrick Swayze in 1989’s “Road House” and later in a small role in the cult classic “The Big Lebowski.” Elliott’s lanky frame, big mustache, and deep, booming voice set him apart.
Over the years, his rich voice and trademark moustache have made him famous. He’s had a recent run of success in the film industry, with roles in “A Star Is Born” and sitcom Parks & Recreation.
Sophia Loren – 86 Years Old
Sophia Loren was dubbed the “Screen Goddess” of the Golden Age of cinema. This Italian actress is one of the most prolific bombshells on the silver screen.
She filmed with some of Europe’s most recognized filmmakers, combining her excellent acting abilities with her stunning attractiveness. Loren’s rejection of Cary Grant’s proposition in 1957 is an example. The actress received a star at the Almeria Walk of Fame in 2017 and she’s active to this date.
Ann-Margret – 80 Years Old
Ann was born in a small Swedish town and immigrated to the United States in 1946. George Burns, a vaudeville veteran, discovered her and introduced her to the world of show business.
She rose to fame after appearing in the film “Viva Las Vegas” which also starred Elvis Presley. For the films “Carnal Knowledge” and “Tommy,” she was nominated for an Academy Award. In the early 2000s Ann released a critically acclaimed gospel album.
Barbara Eden – 89 Years Old
This famous actress portrayed the genie in the television series “I Dream of Jeannie,” which ran from 1965 to 1970. The show was a really huge success, and it remains a popular classic to this day.
Eden’s first public appearance was in the church choir, where she performed solos. For the past five decades, she has continued to be successful in television and film. “I love to work,” she declared at the age of 87.
Loni Anderson – 75 Years Old
Loni Anderson is most remembered for her performance as Jennifer Marlowe on WKRP in Cincinnati, for which she received numerous awards. Anderson’s colorful personal life has become well-known, particularly her love and marriage to actor Burt Reynolds, although they divorced in 1994.
She continues to appear on television and has become a spokesman for COPD education campaigns. Anderson was spotted on the MeTV television network in 2018 promoting the WKRP in Cincinnati classic television series.
Joanne Woodward – 91 Years Old
In her career, this American actress, producer, and philanthropist has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.
She was also married to actor Paul Newman for nearly half a century before his dead in 2008. Woodward graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1990, after spending more than ten years working on her bachelor’s degree. She became the oldest living Best Actress Academy Award recipient in 2020.
Tippi Hedren – 91 Years Old
Alfred Hitchcock discovered the actress and cast her in the starring role in “The Birds.” Tippi’s first acting role earned her a Golden Globe, and she went on to become a Hollywood star thanks to Hitchcock’s influence.
She married Peter Griffith, with whom she had the famous actress Melanie Griffith. In 2016 she published her autobiography and declared “it was about time I stopped letting everyone else tell my tale and eventually told it myself.”
Terry Moore – 92 Years Old
Terry Moore is one of Hollywood’s last remaining Golden Age stars, and she continues to act in films and television till this day.
She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in the film “Come Back, Little Sheba,” in which she co-starred with Burt Lancaster. Until 1956, she was in a high-profile romance with Howard Hughes. Ray Donovan’s famous show included her. Her latest works include the crime series “True Detective” in 2014.
Barbara Walters – 91 Years Old
She is one of America’s most well-known female broadcast journalists. She is recognized for her public popularity and interviewing manner.
Sarah Lawrence College awarded her a B.A. in 1951, when she began her career. In the early 60s she became a writer and segment producer on The Today Show. Walters retired in 2015 and is now living a peaceful life.
TITLMorgan Fairchild – 71 Years Old
Morgan Fairchild was a well-known actress in the United States during the decades of 1970 and 1980. Her most well-known part was in the memorable television drama Dallas.
Fairchild’s first acting assignment was as a double for Faye Dunaway in the sequences where Bonnie is meant to be driving a stick shift automobile in the 1967 picture Bonnie and Clyde.
Jane Fonda – 83 Years Old
Jane Fonda is an actress, environmentalist, political activist, and former model from the United States who has had a long and successful career in the Hollywood industry.
Through her career she received a slew of awards, including two Oscars, two BAFTAs, and seven Golden Globes. Jane Fonda’s Workout, which she launched in 1982, became the best-selling VHS of
all time.
Richard Chamberlain – 87 Years Old
Richard Chamberlain rose to fame as the leading man in the NBC series Dr. Kildare, which he starred in from 1961 until 1966.
In the 1988 television film “The Bourne Identity”, he was the first to play protagonist Jason Bourne. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he appeared in a number of notable television shows, including Will & Grace and Nip/Tuck.
Nehemiah Persoff – 94 Years Old
Nehemiah Persoff was born on August 2, 1919, in Jerusalem, and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1929. He’s now 101 years old.
He began his acting career in the late 1940s after serving in the United States Army during World War II. In a five-decade career, he appeared in over 200 television shows, films, and plays.
Richard Simmons – 72 Years Old
Richard Simmons’ tale is inspiring. His dedication and resolve helped him drop 145 pounds as a young adolescent.
By the 1960s, he established himself as a health and fitness champion and motivational speaker, and he launched his own show, “The Richard Simmons Show.” He was a pioneer of group fitness on television. He’s now attempting to maintain a low profile.
Eva Marie Saint – 96 Years old
Saint, who was born in 1924, spent seventy years in the entertainment industry. She is most remembered for her roles in Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront (1954), for which she received an Academy
Award nomination, and Alfred Hitchcock’s suspense thriller North by Northwest.
The movie “Nothing in Common” marked Saint’s first appearance to the big screen in over a decade.
Richard Dean Anderson – 71 Years Old
During the 1980s, “MacGyver” was the most popular show on television. Richard Dean Anderson as MacGyver, a federal spy and genius who would save the day by building a car out of matches and a lightbulb.
He went on to star in the popular sci-fi franchise “Stargate” when the show ended in 1992. He currently devotes his time to charitable causes.
Robert Redford – 84 Years Old
Robert Redford, the legendary actor, and director began his career on Broadway and progressed to tiny appearances on television shows such as The Twilight Zone. He became a favored leading man for directors as he switched into films in the 1960s.
He began directing himself and went on to win numerous honors. The Sundance Film Festival was created by him.
Lee Majors – 82 Years Old
Lee Majors was one of the most well-known figures of the 1980s. He rose to fame because of his roles in the TV programs The Fall Guy and The Six Million Dollar Man.
He was married to actress Farrah Fawcett for almost 10 years. He re connected with her when he learned that she was losing her battle with cancer.
John Astin – 91 Years Old
The Addams Family is definitely one of those television shows that continues to be popular till this day. John Astin will always be identified with Gomez Addams character.
Prior to becoming an actor, Astin studied mathematics at John Hopkins University. He began his career in theater in Baltimore before landing his first major break in the film West Side Story.
