Hollywood's Top 20 Oldest Actors and Actresses

20. Betty White

Age: 89

Date of Birth: January 17, 1922

Descent: Greek, English, Welsh and Danish

Family: White was married to a U.S. Army Air Corps pilot in 1945, a Hollywood agent between 1947 and 1953 and finally she married a television host named Allen Ludden in 1963. Ludden died of stomach cancer in 1981 but Betty White never remarried. Unfortunately they had no children together.

Filmography: Lake Placid (1999), Tom Sawyer (2000), Bringing Down The House (2003), The Proposal (2009), You Again (2010).

TVography: The Bettty White Show (1977–1978), Who’s The Boss (1985), The Golden Girls (1985-1989), Santa Barbara (1988), Diagnosis: Murder (1994), Ally McBeal (2000), That 70′s Show (2002-2003), Malcolm in the Middle (2002-2003), The Practice (2004), Boston Legal (2005-2006, 2008), The Bold and the Beautiful (2006-2009), Ugly Betty (2007-2008), My Name is Earl (2009), 30 Rock (2009), The Middle (2010), Community (2010), Hot in Cleveland (2010-Present).

Fun Fact: In 1955, Betty was the honorary mayor of Hollywood, California.

19. Dick Van Dyke

Age: 85

Date of Birth: December 13, 1925

Descent: Dutch, Scottish and English

Family: Van Dyke Was married between 1948 – 1984, during which time he fathered four children: Christian, Barry, Carrie Beth and Stacy. He never remarried but he did live with his girlfriend Michelle Triola for over 30 years, until her death in 2009. All of his children are married and he had seven grandchildren until one of his granddaughters died of Reye’s Syndrome in 1987.

Filmography: Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Mary Poppins (1964), Fitzwilly (1967), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), Dick Tracy (1990), Curious George (2006), Night at the Museum (2006), Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009).

TVography: The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1974), The Golden Girls (1989), Matlock (1990), Diagnosis: Murder (1993-2001), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (2000), Scrubs (2004), Murder 101 (2006-2008).

Fun Fact: In July of 1999 he was made an honorary life member of The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America

18. Sean Connery

Age: 80

Date of Birth: August 25, 1930

Descent: Scottish and Irish

Family: Connery married to actress Diane Cilento between 1962-1973, with whom he had one child: Actor Jason Connery born in 1963. He remarried with Moroccan-French painter Micheline Roquebrune in 1975.

Filmography: The Longest Day (1962), Dr. No (1962), From Russia With Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), Diamonds are Forever (1971), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), Robin and Marian (1976), Time Bandits (1981), Never Say Never Again (1983), Highlander (1986), The Untouchables (1987), The Presidio (1988), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Highlander II: The Quickening (1991), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), First Knight (1995), Dragonheart (1996), The Rock (1996), Entrapment (1999), Finding Forrester (2000), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003).

Fun Fact: Started losing his hair at the age of 21 and so he wears a toupee in all the James Bond movies.

17. Clint Eastwood

Age: 80

Date of Birth: May 31, 1930

Descent: English, Irish, Scottish and Dutch

Family: Eastwood got married twice and had two serious live-in relationships, all the while he cheated on them numerous times. The womanizing actor is known to have seven children by five different women, four other pregnancies that ended up in abortion and one adoption. He has been married to Dina Ruiz since 1996 and she’s proud of the fact that she’s only the second woman he married.

Filmography: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966), Dirty Harry (1971), Escape From Alcetraz (1979), Pink Cadillac (1989), The Rookie (1990), In The Line of Fire (1993), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), Casper (1995), Space Cowboys (2000), Mystic River (2003), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Letters From Iwo Jima (2006), Changeling (2008), Gran Torino (2008), Invictus (2009), Hereafter (2010).

Fun Fact: He was a large baby when he was born, weighing in at 11 pounds 6 ounces. He was even named “Samson” by the nurses in the hospital.

16. William Shatner

Age: 79

Date of Birth: March 22, 1931

Descent: Austrian, Polish and Hungarian.

Family: Shatner was married four times. His first marriage to Gloria Rand was between 1956 and 1969, during which time they had three cildren, Leslie Carol (Born in 1958), Lisabeth Mary (Born in 1960) and Melanie (Born in 1964). His second, and longest, marriage was between 1973 and 1994. His third marriage started in 1997 but ended in tragedy when his wife was found dead at the bottom of their pool in 1999. His last and current wife is Elizabeth Martin, whom he married in 2001.

Filmography: Star Trek I-VI (1979-1991), Natinal Lampoons Loaded Weapon 1 (1993), Star Trek Generations (1994), Miss Congeniality (2000), American Psycho II (2002), Dodgeball (2004), Miss Congeniality 2 (2005), Over The Hedge (2006).

TVography: The Twilight Zone (1960, 1963), The Outer Limits (1964), Little Women (1978), T.J. Hooker (1982-1986), Mork & Mindy (1982), The Fresh Prince of Bel Air (1992), 3rd Rock From The Sun (1999-2000), The Practice (2004), Boston Legal (2004-2008), $#*! My Dad Says (2010).

Fun Fact: Loves horses so much that he breeds and shows American Saddlebreds and Quarter Horses. A hobby through which he met his last wife.

15. Michael Caine (Born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite)

Age: 78

Date of Birth: March 14, 1933

Descent: Romani (Gypsy) and English

Family: Caine was married to actress Patricia Haines from 1955 to 1958 and they had a daughter named Dominique. Caine married his second and current wife, Shakira Baksh on January 8th, 1973. This marriage also produced a daughter, named Natasha Haleema.

Filmography: The Man Who Would Be King (1975), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), The Cider House Rules (1999), Get Carter (1971/2000), Miss Congeniality (2000), Austin Powers in Golden Member (2002), Batman Begins (2005), Bewitched (2005), Children of Men (2006), The Prestige (2006), The Dark Knight (2008), Inception (2010), Gnomeo & Juliet (2011), Cars 2 (2011), The Dark Knight Rises (2012).

Fun Fact: Some time after his mother died, Caine and his younger brother learned that they had an older half-brother named David. David suffered from severe epilepsy and had been kept in a Mental Hospital his entire life. Even though Caine’s mother regularly visited her first son in the hospital, even her husband did not know the child existed. David passed away in 1992.

14. Judi Dench

Age: 76

Date of Birth: December 9, 1934

Descent: English and Irish

Family: Dench married British actor Michael Williams in 1971 and they had one daughter named Tara Cressida Williams also known as Finty Williams, on September 24, 1972. Unfortunately, Michael Williams died of lung cancer in 2001 at the age of 65.

Filmography: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1968), A Room With a View (1985), Henry V (1989), Golden Eye (1995), Hamlet (1996), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Shakespeare In Love (1998), The World Is Not Enough (1999), Chocolat (2000), The Importance of Being Earnest (2002), Die Another Day (2002), The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), Pride & Prejudice (2005), Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Nine (2009), Pirates of The Caribbean (2011), Bond 23 (2012).

Fun Fact: Dench is the narrator of the ride “Spaceship Earth” at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT, replacing Jeremy Irons.

13. Morgan Freeman

Age: 73

Date of Birth: June 1, 1937

Descent: American

Family: Was married twice and divorced twice but had plenty of children to make up for it. Has two sons (Alfonso and Saifoulaye) from previous relationships before he married his first wife, he also adopted his first wife’s daughter and then had his fourth child with her.

Filmography: Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Robin Hood:Prince of Thieves (1991), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Kiss The Girls (1997), The Sum of all Fears (2002), Bruce Almighty (2003), Dreamcatcher (2003), Million Dollar Baby (2004), War of the Worlds (2005), Batman Begins (2005), Lucky Number Slevin (2006), Evan Almighty (2007), The Bucket List (2007), Gone Baby Gone (2007), The Dark Knight (2008), Wanted (2008), The Love Guru (2008), Invictus (2009), Red (2010), The Dark Knight Rises (2012).

Fun Fact: Worked as a mechanic in the air force and considered becoming a fighter pilot but decided to become an actor instead. 

12. Jane Fonda

Age: 73

Date of Birth: December 21, 1937

Descent: Dutch

Family: Her first marriage lasted for 8 years and produced a daughter named Vanessa, born in 1968. Her second marriage began in 1973 and produced a son named Troy O’Donovan Garity, born in 1973. Later Fonda and husband  #2 adopted an African American teenage foster daughter named Mary Luana Williams. Shortly after, in 1989, the couple divorced. Her third marriage to Ted Turner lasted from 1991 to 2001.

Filmography: Barbarella (1968), They Shoot Horses Don’t They (1969), Klute (1971), Fun With Dick and Jane (1977), Coming Home (1978), The China Syndrome (1979), On Golden Pond (1981), Nine to Five (1990), Monster in Law (2005), Georgia Rule (2007).

Fun Fact: Arrested and charged with drug smuggling in November of 1970.

11. Jack Nicholson

Age: 73

Date of Birth: April 22, 1937

Descent: Irish, English, Dutch and Italian or Latvian (Depending on who his father is)

Family: Dated Anjelica Huston for 16 years from from 1973 to 1989 and broke up becuase Nicholson impregnated another lady who he ended up having two children with, Lorraine Nicholson (born 1990) and Raymond Nicholson (born 1992). Jack’s other children include Jennifer Nicholson (born 1963 with Sandra Knight) and Honey Hollman (born 1981 with Winnie Hollman).

Filmography: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), The Shining (1980), Terms of Endearment (1983), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Batman (1989), a few Good Men (1989), Wolf (1994), As Good as It Gets (1997), The Pledge (2001), About Schmidt (2002), Anger Management (2003), Something’s Gotta Give (2003), The Departed (2006), The Bucket List (2007), How Do You Know (2010).

Fun Fact: Jack Nicholson does not have a cell phone!

10. Anthony Hopkins

Age: 73

Date of Birth: December 31, 1937

Descent: Welsh

Family: Hopkins has been married three times. His first wife was Petronella Barker (1967–1972) with whom he had a child named Abigail Hopkins (born August 20, 1968), who is an actress and singer. His second wife was Jennifer Lynton (1973–2002). He is now married to Colombian-born Stella Arroyave.

Filmography: Hamlet (1969), War and Peace (1972), The Silence of The Lambs (1991), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Legends of the Fall (1994), Nixon (1995), The mask of Zorro (1998), Meet Joe Black (1998), Mission: Impossible II (2000), The Grinch (2000), Hannibal (2001), Bad Company (2002), The Human Stain (2003), All The King’s Men (2006), Fracture (2007), Beowulf (2007), The Wolfman (2010), The Rite (2011), Thor (2011).

Fun Fact: Almost died when he fell into a river in Alberta, California while filming The Edge in 1997, he was rushed to the hospital and was treated for hypothermia.

9. Dustin Hoffman

Age: 73

Date of Birth: August 8, 1937

Descent: Ukrainian and Romanian

Family: Hoffman married twice, first to Anne Byrne (1969–1980) with whom he had two children, Karina (born in 1966 who was adopted) and Jenna (born October 15, 1970). Then he married Lisa Gottsegen (1980–present), they have four children: Jacob Edward (born March 20, 1981), Rebecca (born March 17, 1983), Maxwell Geoffrey (born August 30, 1984) and Alexandra Lydia (born October 27, 1987).

Filmography: The Graduate (1967), Midnight Cowboy (1969), Death of a Sales Man (1985), Rain Man (1988), Hook (1991), Sleepers (1996), Runaway Jury (2003), Meet The Fockers (2004), Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (2007), Kung Fu Panda (2008), Last Chance Harvey (2008), Little Fockers (2010), Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011).

Fun Fact: Entered into The Guinness Book of World Records as “Greatest Age Span Portrayed By A Movie Actor” for Little Big Man (1970) in which he portrayed a character from age 17 to age 121.

8. Ian McKellen

Age: 71

Date of Birth: May 25, 1939

Descent: British

Family: Contrary to my belief, Ian McKellan is a proud homosexual man and came out as one to the general public in 1988. But before his revelation, he was in two pretty serious relationships. His first serious partner, Brian Taylor, was a history teacher and they began their relationship in 1964, it lasted for eight years, ending in 1972. In 1978 he met his second partner, Sean Mathias, with whom he had a ten-year love affair.

Filmography: Six Degrees of Separation (1993), Last Action Hero (1993), Richard III (1995), X-Men (2000), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), X2 (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), The Da Vinci Code (2006), Stardust (2007), The Golden Compass (2007), The Hobbit: Part I (2012), The Hobbit: Part II (2013).

Fun Fact: Has played both a Holocaust victim (X-Men) and a Nazi (Apt Pupil), and both movies were directed by Bryan Singer.

7. Al Pacino

Age: 70

Date of Birth: April 25, 1940

Descent: Italian

Family: Pacino was never married but he did have three children. The eldest, Julie Marie was born on October 16, 1989 with his first relationship. He also has twins, son Anton James and daughter Olivia Rose (born January 25, 2001) with actress Beverly D’Angelo, who he dated from 1996 to 2003.

Filmography: The Godfather (1972), The Godfather Part II (1974), Scarface (1983), The Godfather Part III (1990), Scent of a Woman (1992), Heat (1995), The Devil’s Advocate (1997), The Insider (1999), The Recruit (2003), Angels in America (2003), Two for the Money (2005), Ocean’s Thirteen (2007), 88 Minutes (2008), You Don’t Know Jack (2010).

Fun Fact: Originally asked for $7 million for the movie  The Godfather: Part III in 1990, this figure enraged director Francis Ford Coppola so much, that he threatened to write a whole new script that opened with Michael Corleone’s funeral. Pacino was clearly threatened and settled for $5 million.

6. Patrick Stewart

Age: 70

Date of Birth: July 13, 1940

Descent: British

Family: Stewart was married twice, first to Sheila Falconer (1966–1990) with whom he had two children: Daniel Freedom and Sophie Alexandra. His second wife, Wendy Neuss, was one of the producers of Star Trek: The Next Generation and they were married from 2000 to 2003.

Filmography: Anthony and Cleopatra (1974), Hamlet (1980), Excalibur (1981), Robin Hood: Men In Tights (1993), Star Trek Generations (1994), The Canterville Ghost (1996), Moby Dick (1998), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), X-Men (2000), Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001), Star Trek Nemesis (2002), X2: X-Men United (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Hamlet (2009), Macbeth (2010).

Fun Fact: Stewart began to lose his hair at the age of 19 (Just like Sean Connery).

5. Harrison Ford

Age: 68

Date of Birth: July 13, 1942

Descent: Russian, Irish and German

Family: He has two sons, Benjamin and Willard, with his first wife, Mary Marquardt (1964–1979). As well as two children named Malcolm and Georgia with his second wife, screenwriter Melissa Mathison (1983–2004). Ford Has been dating Calista Flockhart since 2002 and they finally got married in 2010.

Filmography: Star Wars Episode IV (1977), Star Wars Episode V (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Blade Runner (1982), Star Wars Episode VI (1983), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Patriot Games (1992), The Fugitive (1993), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Air Force One (1997), Firewall (2001), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), Morning Glory (2010), Cowboys and Aliens (2011).

Fun Fact: Ford was a master carpenter before becoming such a huge movie star, and he still dabbles in it as a hobby.

4. Robert De Niro

Age: 67

Date of Birth: August 17, 1943

Descent: English, German, French, Italian, Irish and Dutch

Family: De Niro was married to Diahnne Abbott (1976–1988) and they had a son named Raphael. After his divorce he had twin sons, Julian Henry and Aaron Kendrik, conceived by in vitro fertilization and delivered by a surrogate mother in 1995, with long-term live-in relationship with former model Toukie Smith. De Niro married his current wife, Grace Hightower, In 1997 and their son Elliot was born in 1998.

Filmography: The Godfather Part II (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), The Untouchables (1987), Goodfellas (1990), Cape fear (1991), Heat (1995), Sleepers (1996), Wag The Dog (1997), Analyze This (1999), Meet The Parents (2000), The Score (2001), Analyze That (2002), Meet The Fockers (2004), Hide and Seek (2005), Stardust (2007), Righteous Kill (2008), Everybody’s Fine (2009), Machete (2010), Little Fockers (2010), Limitless (2011).

Fun Fact: After being caught up in a Paris prostitution ring investigation in 1998, De Niro vowed to never return to France again, denying any involvement.

3. John Rhys-Davies

Age: 66

Date of Birth: May 5, 1944

Descent: Welsh

Family: In 1966 Davies married Suzanne A.D. Wilkinson and together they have two sons, Ben and Tom. Although they separated in1980, he has no intention of divorcing her, especially since she was diagnosed with Alzheimers in 1995. Davies has been living with Lisa Manning since 2004 and they have one daughter together named Maia.

Filmography: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Victor Victoria (1982), Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989), The Lost World (1992), Glory Daze (1996), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007), Anacondas: Trail of Blood (2009).

TVography: Tales from the Crypt (1991), The Untouchables (1993–1994), Sliders (1995–1997), Star Trek Voyager (1997–1998), Legend of the Seeker (2010).

Fun Fact: It was discovered early on that he was allergic to the prosthetics he had to put on for the role of Gimli in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so he could only put them on and work about every third day. The first week, it burned off the skin under his eyes.

2. Tom Selleck

Age: 66

Date of Birth: January 29, 1945

Descent: English

Family: Selleck was married to model Jacqueline Ray from 1970–1982, during which he adopted her son Kevin (born in 1966), from a previous marriage. In 1987 he married Jillie Mack and they have one daughter together, Hannah Margaret Mack Selleck (born December 16, 1988).

Filmography: Three Men and a Baby (1987), Three Men and a Little Lady (1990), Quigley Down Under (1990), Mr. Baseball (1992), Open Season (1995), The Love Letter (1999), Meet The Robinsons (2003), Killers (2010), Three Men and a Bride (2012).

TVography: The Young and The Restless (1974-1975), Magnum P.I. (1980-1988), Murder She Wrote (1986), Friends (1996), The Closer (1998), Boston Legal (2006), Las Vegas (2007-2008), Blue Bloods (2010-Present).

Fun Fact: Was a member of the California National Guard and was activated for the Watts riots.

1. Helen Mirren (Born Helen Lydia Mironoff)

Age: 65

Date of Birth: July 26, 1945

Descent: Russian and English

Family: Mirren married American director Taylor Hackford (Whom she has been dating since 1986) on December 31, 1997, his 53rd birthday. She has no children and says she has “no maternal instinct whatsoever”.

Filmography: Hamlet (1976), Excalibur (1981), Calendar Girls (2003), The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2004), Raising Helen (2004), Elizabeth I (2005), Shadowboxer (2005), The Queen (2006), National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007), Inkheart (2008), State of Play (2009), Red (2010), Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010), Arthur (2011).

Fun Fact: In a GQ interview in 2008, Mirren stated that she often used cocaine at parties during the 1980s and that she was date raped as a student

• Other popular older actors include Christopher Lloyd (72), Christopher Lee (88) and Alan Arkin (76).