50 of the oldest actors still working

- Birthdate: Dec. 25, 1949

Born in Quitman, Texas, Sissy Spacek came into the world on Christmas as Mary Elizabeth Spacek. She got her start in television with "Love, American Style" and "The Waltons," though Spacek's breakthrough role came when she played a teenager with telekinetic powers in the Brian De Palma film "Carrie." She continues to work and loves acting on television; she recently starred opposite J.K. Simmons in the Prime Video sci-fi series "Night Sky."

- Birthdate: Aug. 21, 1949

With roles in everything from a hit Broadway musical to a 1990s slasher film, Loretta Devine is a force. Her standout roles include the 1995 film "Waiting to Exhale" and the 1996 film "The Preacher's Wife." She won an outstanding guest actress Primetime Emmy in 2011 for her role as Adele on television's "Grey's Anatomy." Levine landed a starring role in 2021's "Queen Bees."

- Birthdate: June 22, 1949

Arguably one of the greatest actors to ever grace the silver screen, a young Meryl Streep was called "ugly," in Italian, by legendary producer Dino De Laurentiis when she auditioned for a role in the remake of monster-classic "King Kong." Streep has the distinction of being the actor with the most Oscar nominations of all time: 21.

- Birthdate: May 26, 1949

Pam Grier got her start in director Roger Corman's 1971 film "The Big Doll House." Director Quentin Tarantino cast her in the 1997 film "Jackie Brown," which was a homage to Grier's earlier work from the 1970s. She was diagnosed with stage four cervical cancer in 1988 and given 18 months to live; she defied those odds and continues to act, most recently appearing on the second season of the TV show "Them" and in the 2023 film "Pet Sematary: Bloodlines."

- Birthdate: Dec. 21, 1948

Samuel L. Jackson has been in more than 100 films, though his career didn't truly take off until he was in his 40s. In 1991, two weeks after completing rehab, Jackson earned the role of a crack cocaine addict in the Spike Lee film "Jungle Fever." He continues to act, doing voice work in addition to his regular acting roles.

- Birthdate: June 19, 1947

Youn Yuh-jung took home an Oscar in 2021 for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Minari." The South Korean actor has worked in television and film for more than half a century and staged an inspired comeback after taking a 10-year hiatus from acting in the '70s and '80s.

- Birthdate: March 19, 1947

Born in Greenwich, Connecticut, Glenn Close's father was a prominent physician. Her first major film role was as feminist icon Jenny Fields in the 1982 movie "The World According to Garp," based on John Irving's novel of the same name. Close has a number of new projects coming down the pipeline, including "Brothers," "Back in Action," and "Encore," which was announced by Protagonist Pictures in May 2024.

- Birthdate: July 22, 1946

Born to postal workers, Danny Glover's breakthrough came with his 1982 Broadway debut in "'Master Harold'... and the Boys," which led to his first leading role in the Oscar-nominated film "Places in the Heart." His work on the small screen is equally as impressive as his work in film, and he was nominated for an Emmy for his title role in HBO's "Mandela."

- Birthdate: Dec. 17, 1945

Ernie Hudson started getting bit parts in film and on television in the late '70s, but his career really took off in the '80s after he was cast as Winston Zeddemore in "Ghostbusters" and its sequel, "Ghostbusters II." In the '90s and early 2000s, he was best known as Warden Lee on the acclaimed HBO series "Oz," and in the 2010s and 2020s, he returned to the film franchise that made him famous. Hudson appeared in the 2016 women-led "Ghostbusters," 2021's "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," and the latest installment, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," which was released in March 2024, and had fans wondering how Hudson does not age.

- Birthdate: July 26, 1945

English actor Dame Helen Mirren got her start in theater. She won several awards for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the film "The Queen." Mirren played another famous leader with her portrayal of a Russian empress in the HBO limited series "Catherine the Great."

- Birthdate: May 16, 1944

Danny Trejo was in and out of prison as a young man for a variety of crimes, including armed robbery. He became a champion boxer while serving time at San Quentin. He eventually became a drug counselor, and got his introduction to acting while working on a movie set. Trejo is known for his roles in Robert Rodriguez films, such as "Desperado" and "Grindhouse." Rodriguez is Trejo's second cousin.

- Birthdate: May 25, 1943

Leslie Uggams started acting as a child but gained wide acclaim for her role as Kizzy Reynolds in the 1977 miniseries "Roots," which led to both a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination for the star. Uggams has appeared in numerous Broadway productions, winning a Tony in 1968 for her performance in "Hallelujah, Baby!"In the 2010s, Uggams had a career resurgence thanks to her appearances as Blind Al in the "Deadpool" movies (including "Deadpool & Wolverine") as well as roles on hit TV series like "Empire" and the 2024 fan favorite "Fallout."

-Birthdate: March 31, 1943

With nearly 145 acting credits to his name, Christopher Walken has appeared in everything from lighthearted comedies to superhero flicks, Stephen King adaptations, and heart-wrenching dramas. Walken won his first and, to date, only Oscar in 1979 for "The Deer Hunter," though he was nominated for his role in the 2002 film "Catch Me If You Can" as well. He's also contributed to the soundtracks of several of his movies, like the 2016 live-action iteration of "The Jungle Book" and 2014's "Jersey Boys." 2024 saw Walken join Denis Vileneuve's "Dune" franchise to play the menacing Emperor.

- Birthdate: July 13, 1942

Throughout his nearly 60-year career, Harrison Ford has brought numerous iconic characters to life, from Han Solo in "Star Wars" to the titular role in the "Indiana Jones" franchise. Though he's now in his 80s, Ford's career still isn't slowing down. He reprised the latter role in 2023's "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" (his last as the character), and he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thunderbolt. Ford also transitioned to the small screen, starring on the "Yellowstone" prequel "1923" on Paramount+ and "Shrinking," an Apple TV+ comedy with Jason Segel.

- Birthdate: April 25, 1940

Actor Al Pacino studied Method acting under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in New York City. One of the most legendary film stars of his generation, Pacino is a triple crown actor, winning an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award. His first Oscar nomination came for his role as Michael Corleone in the 1972 film "The Godfather," a role he played again in "The Godfather Part II" and "The Godfather Part III." Other memorable films include "Dog Day Afternoon," "Scarface," and as labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa in the 2019 film "The Irishman" alongside fellow acting great Robert De Niro.

- Birthdate: Sept. 1, 1939

Lily Tomlin, born Mary Jean Tomlin, got her start as a stand-up comedian. Some of her most famous roles were on Rowan & Martin's "Laugh-In" as Edith Ann, a little girl who sits in an oversized rocking chair, and nasally telephone operator Ernestine. She continues to act and starred opposite Jane Fonda as Frankie Bergstein in the comedy, "Grace and Frankie," for seven seasons.

- Birthdate: May 25, 1939

Stage and screen actor Ian McKellen has two Oscar nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, and one Golden Globe win for his supporting role in the 1996 TV movie "Rasputin." McKellen played Gandalf in "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings" films. His role as Magneto in the 2000 film "X-Men" and its sequels led to mainstream success.

- Birthdate: Oct. 22, 1938

Christopher Lloyd made his film debut as Max Taber in 1975's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," setting off a half-century of beloved film roles. Among his most memorable portrayals are as Doc Brown in "Back to the Future," Professor Plum in "Clue," Uncle Fester in "Addams Family Values," and, in 2021, Harry Mansell Sr. in the action thriller "Nobody." His television credits are just as vast, including his role as "Reverend" Jim Ignatowski on "Taxi," which earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

- Birthdate: Dec. 31, 1937

In 1968, Anthony Hopkins played alongside Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn in "The Lion in Winter" and received a British Academy of Film and Television Arts nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He also played one of the greatest and most memorable film villains of all time, when he starred alongside Jodie Foster as psychiatrist-turned-serial killer Hannibal Lecter. Hopkins returned to the role of a psychiatrist in the widely panned 2020 film "Elyse," when he plays a doctor dealing with a trauma patient. That same year, he starred in "Father" and earned himself an Oscar for Best Actor.

- Birthdate: Dec. 21, 1937

Jane Fonda was born to socialite Frances Seymour Brokaw and legendary actor Henry Fonda, whom she acted alongside in the 1981 Oscar-nominated film "On Golden Pond." Known for her roles in the film "Cat Ballou" in 1965, "Barbarella" in 1968, "The China Syndrome" in 1979, and "The Morning After" in 1986, Fonda's career continues today, most recently with a voice role in "Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken."

- Birthdate: June 1, 1937

Morgan Freeman found success with theater, television, and film work in the '70s and '80s. He won an Obie Award for performance for his successful portrayal of Hoke Colburn in Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Driving Miss Daisy" and reprised the role in the 1989 film version with Jessica Tandy. Among his latest projects are Amazon's star-studded sci-fi anthology "Solos," which debuted in 2021, and 2023's "A Good Person."

- Birthdate: April 20, 1937

George Takei's career spans television, film, theater, and radio, and he is an ardent activist and a successful writer. Born Hosato Takei, he is known for playing Sulu in the 1960s series "Star Trek." Takei continues to act and do voice work.

- Birthdate: April 6, 1937

Known for his role as Lando Calrissian in the 1980 film "Star Wars: Episode V-The Empire Strikes Back" and the 1983 film "Star Wars: Episode VI-Return of the Jedi," Williams also works in television. He continues to find success with his portrayal of Lando Calrissian in video games and on TV.

- Birthdate: Jan. 30, 1937

Daughter of renowned theatrical actor Michael Redgrave, Vanessa Redgrave followed in her father's footsteps and went on to have a successful stage, film, and television career. She's acted in everything from the 1974 Sidney Lumet film "Murder on the Orient Express" to the controversial FX television series, "Nip/Tuck." Redgrave more recently played Great Nana in the 2020 Netflix film "The Lost Girls" and is slated to star in "The Nest," from director Paul Andrew Williams.

- Birthdate: Aug. 18, 1936

Robert Redford was born in Santa Monica, California, and given the moniker Charles Robert Redford Jr. His prolific acting career includes myriad memorable roles and awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 2002. Redford founded the Sundance Film Festival in 1980. Though he announced his retirement from acting in 2018, he continues to work as an executive producer.

- Birthdate: Jan. 28, 1936

Alan Alda's film and TV credits include those as an actor, writer, and director. For his well-known role as Hawkeye Pierce in the long-running television series "M*A*S*H," he won Emmy awards across three categories. Often his roles reflect his liberal political leanings, and he continues to take outstanding roles in important films and television series, including the show "Ray Donovan," which ran from 2013 to 2020.

- Birthdate: Oct. 1, 1935

Her most famous role is that of Maria in the 1965 film "The Sound of Music," though Julie Andrews also starred in the titular role in 1964's "Mary Poppins." More recently, Andrews voiced the Queen in several of the "Shrek" films and played Queen Clarisse Renaldi in "The Princess Diaries" and its 2004 sequel. Andrews continues to do voice work in film and television, notably voicing the character of Lady Whistledown in Netflix's "Bridgerton" series.

- Birthdate: Dec. 31, 1943

Born Krishna Bhanji, the incomparable Sir Ben Kingsley began acting on-screen at the age of 23, when he appeared in a 1966 episode of the TV show "Pardon the Expression." He went on to star as Mahatma Gandhi in the 1982 film "Gandhi," for which he won the Best Actor Oscar and a well-deserved round of critical praise. Kingsley's later roles include appearances in "Iron Man 3" and "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar;" the actor has a slew of other projects, like Rupert Wyatt's "Desert Warrior," coming down the pipeline.

- Birthdate: Dec. 9, 1934

Born in York, England, as Judith Olivia Dench, the actress has performed on stage at the Old Vic Theatre, the National Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Dench is also an accomplished film actor and received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in the 1998 film "Shakespeare in Love." She secured a starring role alongside Jamie Dornan and Caitriona Balfe in Kenneth Branagh's 2021 film "Belfast."  In May 2024, she hinted at her potential retirement from the screen due to issues with her vision.

- Birthdate: Sept. 20, 1934

International movie star Sophia Loren has received critical acclaim in her native Italy as well as in the United States. Her role in the 1960s Italian film "Two Women," about the horrors a widow and her daughter face during World War II, won Loren the first Best Actress Oscar for a non-English language performance. The actor took on her first role in a decade as Madame Rosa, a Holocaust survivor, in the 2020 film "The Life Ahead," which was directed and co-written by her son Edoardo Ponti and based on the novel "The Life Before Us."

- Birthdate: April 24, 1934

The older sister of screen actor Warren Beatty has starred on Broadway and in feature films. Her silver screen debut came in 1955 in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Trouble With Harry." She took home her first Oscar for Best Actress for her performance as an overbearing mother in the 1983 film "Terms of Endearment."

- Birthdate: March 14, 1933

Michael Caine was born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite in London, eventually changing his name in the interest of his acting career. The actor started out in theater but transitioned to film with numerous memorable performances in films like "Alfie," "Educating Rita," and "The Cider House Rules." The double Oscar winner retired from acting in 2023, following the release of his film "The Great Escaper," but has now shifted his career focus to writing.

- Birthdate: Dec. 7, 1932

One of Ellen Burstyn's first roles was as a showgirl on television's "The Jackie Gleason Show," though her big break didn't come until she was cast in the 1971 Peter Bogdanovich film "The Last Picture Show." She won the best actress Oscar for her 1974 performance in the film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore." She starred alongside several others on this list in the 2021 comedy "Queen Bees" and reprised her role as Chris MacNeil in the 2023 film "The Exorcist: Believer."

- Birthdate: April 11, 1932

Actor, singer, dancer, and director Joel Grey is probably best known for playing the Master of Ceremonies in "Cabaret" on Broadway and in Bob Fosse's 1972 film adaptation. The multihyphenate has won an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and a Tony, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 2023. Among the standout roles on his long resume are performances in musicals like "Chicago" and "Wicked," films like "Kafka" and "Dancer in the Dark," and TV shows from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" to "Oz." Recently, he appeared in the 2022 FX drama thriller "The Old Man."

- Birthdate: Dec. 11, 1931

One of the few entertainers to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, Rita Moreno is part of the EGOT Winners' Circle. Born Rosita Dolores Alverío in Puerto Rico, one of the actor's most memorable roles came when she played Anita in the 1961 film "West Side Story," for which she became the first Latina to win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. In 2021, she starred as Valentina (an expanded, reimagined version of the original version's Doc) in Steven Spielberg's remake of the classic musical.

- Birthdate: Aug. 23, 1931

Barbara Eden is most famous for her portrayal of a genie who grants wishes to the astronaut who released her from a bottle in the 1960s sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie." Born Barbara Jean Morehead in Tucson, Arizona, Eden acted in several television movies throughout her career. In 2019, she played Mrs. Claus in "My Adventures with Santa" and appeared on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" as herself.

- Birthdate: June 14, 1931

Marla Gibbs was 44 years old when she started playing George Jefferson's maid, Florence Johnston, on the famed CBS sitcom "The Jeffersons."

The show ran for a decade between 1975 and 1985; for its first few years, Gibbs moonlighted as a United Airlines reservations desk clerk, the job she got when she first moved to Los Angeles in 1963. Gibbs said in a 1978 Washington Post interview that she'd finish taping "The Jeffersons" around 5:30 p.m. and then work at United until 11 p.m. After "The Jeffersons" ended, Gibbs was upgraded from supporting actor to lead with a starring role on the NBC sitcom "227," which ran until 1990. She's been all over television since, with recurring roles on "The Hughleys," "Passions," "Black-ish," and "Grey's Anatomy."

- Birthdate: Mar. 22, 1931

Best known for playing Captain James T. Kirk in "Star Trek," William Shatner has spent more than seven decades on screen. Now in his 90s, Shatner has done voice acting on "Fireheart" and "Masters of the Universe: Revolution" in recent years. Aside from voicing Captain Kirk in several video games over the past two decades, Shatner hasn't reprised his role since 1994's "Star Trek: Generations"—though he admitted in a March 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he'd return to the captain's chair if it "genuinely added to the lore of 'Star Trek.'"

- Birthdate: Jan. 5, 1931

His time in the military helped Robert Duvall get his start in the entertainment industry. The successful actor and director used the GI Bill to attend The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City, where he studied under influential acting teacher Sanford Meisner. Duvall starred in "Apocalypse Now," "The Godfather," and "Colors" and most recently appeared in the horror-thriller "The Pale Blue Eye," which premiered on Netflix in 2022.

- Birthdate: Nov. 3, 1930

Known for her roles in the films "Minority Report," "Twister," and "Lady Bird," Lois Smith is also an accomplished stage actress. Her first film was "East of Eden" in 1955 and she continues to remain active in the industry, appearing in Wes Anderson's "The French Dispatch" in 2021 and the star-studded South by Southwest gem "The Uninvited" in 2024.

- Birthdate: May 31, 1930

San Francisco-born Clinton Eastwood Jr. is best known for playing cops and cowboys, but he made his Hollywood debut in a pair of 1955 monster movies: "Revenge of the Creature" and "Tarantula." His breakout role, as Rowdy Yates on the Western TV series "Rawhide," came a few years later in 1958. After a string of hit spaghetti Westerns in the mid-1960s, Eastwood established his own production company, Malpaso Productions, in 1967, and made his directorial debut in 1971. It wasn't until 1993, however, that he won his first pair of Oscars—Best Picture and Best Director—for "Unforgiven." Eastwood continued to find success both in front of and behind the camera in the 2000s with films like "Mystic River," "Million Dollar Baby," and "Letters from Iwo Jima." His more recent projects include "Cry Macho" and "The Mule," and though the actor announced his plans to retire in 2023, audiences are still anticipating the release of his final film, titled "Juror No. 2."

- Birthdate: Jan. 19, 1930

Born Nathalie Kay Hedren, actress Tippi Hedren was discovered by famed director Alfred Hitchcock, who saw her in a TV commercial. Hedren acted in two Hitchcock films, "The Birds" and "Marnie." She went on to land roles in various television series over the next several decades. 

- Birthdate: Nov. 6, 1929

June Squibb became an Oscar nominee at 84 for her role in the 2013 Alexander Payne film "Nebraska." Her diverse career has seen her playing everything from the stripper Electra in the Broadway show "Gypsy," to an uncredited role as the voice of Michael's mother on the television show "The Office." Squibb continues to act in both film and television, lending her voice to children's shows like "Little Ellen" and "The Fungies," and next appearing on the big screen in "Eleanor the Great," Scarlett Johansson's directorial debut.

- Birthdate: Feb. 22, 1929

One of the founders of the East-West Players, an Asian American theater in Los Angeles, James Hong has more than 600 acting credits. Three of the films he appeared in—"Chinatown," "Airplane," and "Blade Runner"—were selected by the Library of Congress for inclusion in the National Film Registry because of their cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.

- Birthdate: Nov. 20, 1927

Estelle Parsons' first big role in front of the camera was actually as herself.

The former Boston University law student got a job in 1954 as a writer, producer, and commentator for "The Today Show,"  where she stayed for five years. During that time, she made her Broadway debut in 1956 in Ethel Merman's musical "Happy Hunting"—and in the 1960s, 1970s, and decades that followed, she earned five Tony nominations. Though she hasn't won a Tony yet, Parsons did take home the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Blanche in the 1967 classic "Bonnie and Clyde." Still, that's likely not the character most people remember her as.

The part Parsons is best known for across the U.S. is as Beverly Harris, Roseanne's mother, on the hit 1990s sitcom "Roseanne" and its spinoff "The Conners." 

- Birthdate: March 31, 1927

William Daniels won millennial hearts as beloved teacher-turned-principal Mr. Feeny on the '90s TV series "Boy Meets World," but the actor's career dates back well before that show debuted. He gained fame in the '80s on the hit shows "St. Elsewhere" and "Knight Rider," where he voiced the AI technology KITT. He is also known for his roles as Benjamin Braddock's (Dustin Hoffman's) father in "The Graduate," and for playing John Adams in the big-screen musical "1776." In early 2023, it was announced that Daniels and his wife, fellow actor Bonnie Bartlett, had joined the cast of an upcoming "Richard III" film.

- Birthdate: Jan. 19, 1927

The Chinese-born actress migrated to the United States in the 1950s. Lu had notable roles in the 1987 film "The Last Emperor" and in the 1993 film "The Joy Luck Club." In her 90s, she's portrayed the family matriarch in 2018's "Crazy Rich Asians" and appeared in the 2024 TV series "Death and Other Details."

- Birthdate: June 28, 1926

Mel Brooks' expansive, enduring career has spanned acting, comedy composing, directing, producing, and writing.  The filmmaker's most famous comedies include "Blazing Saddles," "Robin Hood: Men in Tights," "The Producers," and "Young Frankenstein." He has executive producer and acting credits on 2021's computer-animated, action-adventure comedy "Blazing Samurai," and in 2023, he released the long-awaited sequel to "History of the World, Part I." 

- Birthdate: Dec. 13, 1925

Born Richard Wayne Van Dyke, the actor got his start in television on "The Phil Silvers Show" and also appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" as a sketch actor. By 1961, the entertainer landed his own show, which ran until 1966. His early films include 1963's "Bye Bye Birdie" and 1964's "Mary Poppins," and he made his way back to the franchise for 2018's "Mary Poppins Returns." More recently he voiced a character on the 2020 TV series "Kidding" and has signed on for an upcoming comedy called "Capture the Flag."

- Birthdate: July 4, 1924

Two of Eva Marie Saint's most memorable roles are her Oscar-winning role in the 1954 Elia Kazan film "On The Waterfront" and her role in Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 film "North By Northwest." One of her most recent roles was as Mother Saint-Raphael in the 2019 film "Mariette In Ecstasy," and she also lent her voice to the comedy series "The Pack Podcast" in 2020 and 2021.