17 Actors Whose Acting Career Is Still Going Strong Despite Their Age

Hollywood always wants fresh blood!
Okay, that is an exaggeration! But truthfully, young actors and actresses always have an edge in finding jobs in the movie industry.
Ageism is a real problem in Hollywood. We often hear jokes about actors being out of jobs after they turn 40. While we would really love to believe that acting is a job that is not defined by someone’s age, the reality is much crueler. From TV to movie screen, you rarely see older actors as the leading men or women.
Yes, Hollywood like younger actors: they are more beautiful and can positively attract more audience to the theaters. But that doesn’t mean the older generation is bad at acting. With years of experience, some older actors can dance circle around the younger generations.
So, which older actors prove that star power is not something that diminishes with age? Here are 17 actors that prove that age is only a number.

#1 Harrison Ford (80 years old)

Source: © Raiders of the Lost Ark / Paramount Pictures and co-producer, © The Call of the Wild / 20th Century Studios

Harrison Ford is famous for his performances in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series. In recent years, he has participated in a few successful productions, usually as a supporting actor in films such as The Age of Adaline and Morning Glory.
Ford regained his star power in 2020 when he starred in The Call of the Wild, based on Jack London's classic.

#2 Catherine Zeta-Jones (54 years old)

Source: © The Mask of Zorro / TriStar Pictures and co-producer, © Chicago / Miramax and co-producer, © Wednesday / MGM Television and co-producer

Zeta-Jones is one of the world's most attractive leading ladies. However, the actress has proven that she possesses not only beauty but also acting skill, as she has won several awards, including the Oscar and the Tony Awards.
Despite her age, the actress remains stunning and continues to thrill us with new movies. She appeared in two episodes of the Netflix fantasy series Wednesday as Morticia Addams, and she will next appear in the Disney+ adventure series National Treasure: Edge of History.

#3 Patrick Stewart (82 years old)

Source: © Dune / Dino De Laurentiis Company and co-producer, © Star Trek: Picard / CBS Television Studios and co-producer

Many people recognize Patrick Stewart from various Sci-Fi films, such as Frank Herbert's Dune, Professor X in the X-Men film series, and also as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Original Series.
Stewart is currently appearing in the sequel to the classic TV series, Star Trek: Picard, and according to the ratings, being 81 years old lets him take on the major character flawlessly.

#4 Sigourney Weaver (73 years old)

Source: © Alien: Resurrection / Twentieth Century Fox and co-producer, © My Salinger Year / Parallel Film Productions and co-producer 

In the Alien franchise, Sigourney Weaver played Ellen Ripley, one of the most empowered female protagonists on the big screen. She also appeared in the classic films Death And The Maiden, Heartbreakers, and Avatar.
Weaver appeared in the drama My Salinger Year in 2020 and continue to be in the Avatar franchise in 2022.

#5 Judi Dench (88 years old)

Source: © GoldenEye / Eon Productions and co-producer, © Artemis Fowl / Walt Disney Pictures and co-producer

Judi Dench rose to popularity even after turning 60. In the film GoldenEye, she played James Bond's employer. She then appeared in the franchise's subsequent movies. She has no plans to retire anytime soon.
She also specializes in playing historical female figures, like British royalty, and classic literary characters.

#6 Imelda Staunton (66 years old)

Source: © Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix / Warner Bros. and co-producer, © TheCrownNetflix / Twitter

Imelda Staunton received several honors for her roles in the classic films Shakespeare in Love and Vera Drake. She rose to international fame in the 2000s, as the ruthless Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter film series.
Staunton played Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix's The Crown series in 2021.

#7 Linda Hamilton (66 years old)

Source: © The Terminator / Pacific Western Productions and co-producer, © Resident Alien / Amblin Television and co-producer

Linda Hamilton is well-recognized for her roles in the Terminator franchise. In 2019, she starred in the new Terminator: Dark Fate film, proving that she was still capable of kicking killer robots’ butts.
In 2021, she returned to television as a brave general in the Resident Alien TV series.

#8 Bill Murray (72 years old)

Source: © Groundhog Day / Columbia Pictures and co-producer, © On the Rocks / A24 and co-producer

Many of us remember Bill Murray from films like Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, and Lost in Translation.
This superb actor is still involved in projects by famous film directors. In 2020, he appeared in Sofia Coppola's On the Rocks. In 2021, he was in the new Ghostbusters film as well.

#9 Jamie Lee Curtis (64 years old)

Source: © Columbo / NBC Universal Television and co-producer, © A Fish Called Wanda / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and co-producer, © Halloween Kills / Miramax Films and co-producer

Even at the age of 18, the actress was able to obtain minor roles in a few TV Shows, including the well-known Columbo. A year later, she was featured in the classic horror film Halloween.
Curtis is still working and has been in the criminal comedy Knives Out as well as another film in the Halloween franchise when she was 62 years old.

#10 Jane Fonda (84 years old)

Source: © Spirits of the Dead / Produzioni Europee Associati (P.E.A.) and co-producer, © 9 to 5 / Twentieth Century Fox and co-producer, © Grace and Frankie / Skydance Television and co-producer

Despite the fact that Jane Fonda began her acting career in the early 1960s and continued to feature in at least two films every year thereafter, she was only deemed a dramatic actor after participating in Sydney Pollack's film, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Because of her role, she was nominated for an Oscar for the first time.
Fonda appeared in the television series Grace and Frankie in 2015 and got 5 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy.

#11 Susan Sarandon (76 years old)

Source: © The Other Side of Midnight / 20th Century Fox and co-producer, © Blackbird / Eclectic Pictures and co-producer

Susan Sarandon has been in numerous classics. She first appeared in the film The Other Side of Midnight, and her resume also includes The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Thelma & Louise, The Hunger, and Stepmom.
In 2019, she co-starred in the drama Blackbird with Sam Neill, Kate Winslet, and Mia Wasikowska.

#12 Anthony Hopkins (84 years old)

Source: © The Silence of the Lambs / Orion Pictures and co-producer, © The Father / Film4 and co-producer

Sir Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for Best Actor in the film The Father in 2021. He is now the oldest actor to have received the golden statuette in this category.
He previously won an Oscar for his performance in The Silence of the Lambs 30 years ago. As we can see, age is no barrier for this actor, who continues to dazzle audiences with his talent.

#13 Helen Mirren (78 years old)

Source: © A Midsummer Night's Dream / Filmways Pictures and co-producer, © The Madness of King George / Channel Four Films and co-producer, © Shazam! Fury of the Gods / DC Entertainment and co-producer

Helen Mirren began her career on stage before conquering the film and television industries. She has the Triple Crown of Acting, an honor granted to actresses who have won all three major cinema prizes. There have only been 24 in history. She was also made a Dame for her contributions to the theatrical arts.
Queen Elizabeth II in the film The Queen is one of Mirren's most memorable roles. Mirren, 78, is still entertaining audiences: in March 2023, she will play the evil goddess Hespera in the forthcoming superhero blockbuster Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

#14 Timothy Dalton (76 years old)

Source: © The Living Daylights / Eon Productions and co-producer, © Doom Patrol / DC Comics and co-producer

Timothy Dalton is well known for playing the leading man in classic literature in films like Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Scarlett. He used to be James Bond as well.
Dalton now appears in Doom Patrol, a TV show based on DC comics.

#15 Kathy Bates (74 years old)

Source: © Misery / Castle Rock Entertainment and co-producer, © Richard Jewell / Misher Films and co-producer

Kathy Bates' big break in Hollywood came after she was over 40. It was because of her villainous role in Misery, based on Stephen King's novel. Her success was later bolstered by being in films such as Dolores Claiborne and Titanic.
The actress is still as active as she was before, still acting in films and on TV even in 2023.

#16 Kim Basinger (69 years old)

Source: © Blind Date / TriStar Pictures and co-producer, © Cellular / Electric Entertainment and co-producer, © Fifty Shades Freed / Universal Pictures and co-producer

Kim Basinger has received both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. The actress is now 68 years old and is remembered for playing deadly blonde femme fatales.
She was 50 years old when she featured in Cellular, yet she shone just as brightly as she had when she was younger. Basinger's most recent role was in Fifty Shades Freed, which she played at the age of 64.

#17 Gérard Depardieu (73 years old)

Source: © Les anges gardiens / Gaumont International and co-producer, © Fahim / France 3 Cinéma and co-producer

Gérard Depardieu is one of today's most prolific performers, with around 250 films to his credit, including The ComDads, Guardian Angels, and Asterix flicks.
In 2019, the actor starred in the drama Fahim, the Little Chess Prince, and a few additional projects.