Some stars show no signs of slowing down as they approach their 100th birthdays
Clint Eastwood, Rita Moreno and James Earl Jones (Getty Images)
Dick Van Dyke (born 1925)
The Emmy-winning star of the ’60s sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show” also broke out on the big screen in films like 1964’s “Mary Poppins” and 1968’s “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” But he’s had a resurgence in this century with roles in the “Night at the Museum” series, Showtime’s “Kidding” and 2018’s “Mary Poppins Returns.”
Mel Brooks (born 1926)
The EGOT winner and comedy legend has kept working into his 90s, with roles in films like 2018’s “Hotel Transylvania 3” and 2019’s “Toy Story 4.” He’s also been working on a stage musical adaptation of his 1974 comedy Western “Blazing Saddles.”
David Attenborough (born 1926)
The legendary British broadcaster, who first rose to prominence hosting the 1954 BBC series “Zoo Quest,” has continued his work producing and narrating nature documentaries like the series “Planet Earth” and “Frozen Planet” well into his 90s.
Lisa Lu (born 1927)
The Chinese-born actress first broke out in the 1950s on American TV series like “Have Gun – Will Travel,” followed by memorable turns in films like 1977’s “Demon Seed” and 1979’s “Saint Jack.” She has continued working into her 10th decade, appearing in 2018’s “Crazy Rich Asians” and 2021’s “The Disappearance of Mrs. Wu.”
Estelle Parsons (born 1927)
Parsons won an Oscar for 1967’s “Bonnie and Clyde” and she’s kept working on both stage and screen well into her 90s, appearing in shows like “The Good Wife,” “Grace and Frankie” and “The Conners.”
Bob Newhart (born 1929)
The standup comic became a sitcom legend with three shows that bore his name. And he’s made appearances in shows like “The Big Bang Theory” (finally winning his first Emmy in 2013) as well as “The Librarians” and “Young Sheldon.”
June Squibb (born 1929)
The actress made her Broadway debut in the original 1959 production of the musical “Gypsy” — but enjoyed a late-career surge with an Oscar-nominated turn in her 80s with the 2013 film “Nebraska.” She has worked steadily in film and TV ever since, including roles in 2020’s “Palm Springs” and 2021’s “Palmer” with Justin Timberlake.
Lois Smith (1930)
The actress, who made her film debut opposite James Dean in 1955’s “East of Eden,” has kept up a steady pace in later years on both stage and screen. She earned widespread acclaim for the 2017 indie “Marjorie Prime” as well as more recent roles in 2020’s “Tesla” and Wes Anderson’s 2021 film “The French Dispatch.” She also picked up a Tony nomination in 2020 for her role in “The Inheritance.”
Robert Wagner (born 1930)
The actor, who got his start in Hollywood in the 1950s in films like “The Halls of Montezuma.” But he found bigger fame on the small screen as a leading man in shows like “It Takes a Thief” (1968-70) and “Hart to Hart” (1979-84). He got a boost playing Dr. Evil’s henchman Number 2 in the “Austin Powers” films. In recent years, he’s appeared on “NCIS” and in the 2022 indie comedy “The Trouble With Billy.”
Clint Eastwood (born 1930)
The star, who rose to prominence in ’60s Westerns (“A Fistful of Dollars”) and ’70s action films (“Dirty Harry”), has won four Oscars as a director and producer of “Unforgiven” and “Million Dollar Baby.” In addition to starring in his own 2018 film “The Mule,” he’s also kept up an active career as a director whose recent works include 2018’s “The 15:17 to Paris” and 2019’s “Richard Jewell.”
James Earl Jones (born 1931)
The actor, an Oscar nominee for 1970’s “The Great White Hope” has become beloved for voicing Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” saga (and for being the longtime basso voice of CNN). He appeared in 2019’s “The Lion King” and 2021’s “Coming 2 America.”
Marla Gibbs (born 1931)
The five-time Emmy nominee who first broke out in sitcoms like “The Jeffersons” and “227,” has kept up acting with appearances on shows like “black-ish,” “Young Sheldon” and “Days of Our Lives.”
Robert Duvall (born 1931)
The actor, who broke out as the misunderstood recluse Boo Radley in the 1962 classic “To Kill a Mockingbird,” won an Oscar for the 1983 drama “Tender Mercies” — and earned six more nominations over the years. He has kept up a steady pace of onscreen performances, including 2018’s “Widows” and the 2022 films “Hustle” and “The Pale Blue Eye.”
William Shatner (born 1931)
The “Star Trek” star has continued working — and appearing at fan events — well into his career, including a starring role in the 2021 romance “Senior Moment” opposite Jean Smart.
Rita Moreno (born 1931)
The EGOT winner, who won her Oscar for the original 1961 musical “West Side Story,” had a prominent role in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 remake. She also won praise as a feisty grandmother in the 2017-20 reboot of “One Day at a Time.”
Joel Grey (born 1932)
The actor, who won both a Tony Award and an Oscar playing the emcee in the musical “Cabaret,” has kept working. He directed an acclaimed Off Broadway revival of “Fiddler on the Roof” (in Yiddish) in 2018-20, and had a cameo in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2021 film “Tick Tick…BOOM!”
