Living a life past 90 is a hard nut to crack all by itself. To remain a busy person past one’s retirement age is a category in its own altogether. However, one of the greatest things about being an actor, is that there is no actual “retirement age,” because there will always be stories to be narrated about the young and old.

Fortunately, there are many actors who improve with age and find some incredible roles to play in movies and TV, while sometimes, they provide voiceover work that’s less demanding physically, but is more than rewarding nonetheless. And like the legend Clint Eastwood, there are some iconic performers who have managed to remain relevant well into their golden years.

 

  1. Clint Eastwood (91)

Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood arrives at the AFI Awards in Los Angeles.

Turning 91 in May 2021, Actor-director Clint Eastwood hasn’t slowed his work schedule down one bit. He’s already a four-time Oscar winner whose resume as both, a performer and filmmaker are equally impressive. He also directed himself in the 2018 thriller, The Mule, and has recently wrapped production on his film, Cry Macho, in which he can be seen again working both behind and in front of the camera.

 

2. Mel Brooks (95)

Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks

Legendary writer, comedian, actor, and producer Mel Brooks is going strong at 95. He’s the comic mind behind such hilarious films like  Spaceballs, Blazing Saddles, and The Producers, which he later also developed into a hit Broadway musical. He also played himself in the fourth season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, where he also cast Larry David in the leading role.

 

3. Willian Shatner

William Shatner
William Shatner

Canadian actor William Shatner has been in the acting biz for more than 70 years, where his first role came in the 1950s in the film, The Butler’s Night Off. Since then, he has been known as Denny Crane in Boston Legal, Kirk in Star Trek, and even 3rd Rock from the Sun.

Shatner is also gradually approaching his 91st birthday, which falls in March and the actor hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down with his work. 2022 saw him lending his voice to Fireheart and he also has one more film in post-production (known as Keeper of the Cup).

4. James Earl Jones (91)

James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones

A true giant of the screen and stage alike, James Earl Jones recently turned 91 years old in January. His famous role is him, lending his voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films, but over the course of his career, he’s amassed an impressive 200 film acting credits under his belt.

Jones’ most recent appearances include stage revivals of The Night of the Iguana, The Gin Game, and obviously, on a movie, where he reprised his role as Mufasa for the 2019 The Lion King remake. He also reprised his performance as King Jaffe Joffer in 2021’s Coming 2 America.

5. James Hong (93)

James Hong
James Hong

James Hong recently turned 93 in February this year itself and has been acting since the 1950s. If that isn’t impressive, Hong has been in over 600 shows and films, as per his IMDb profile — and well, he has no signs of stopping.

Hong also has three more projects coming out this very year: Everything Everywhere All at Once, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, while his voice will be heard in Turning Red. 

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