Age is but a number, yet these stars over the age of 90 have a lot to celebrate.
From James Earl Jones and Clint Eastwood to Iris Apfel and Rita Moreno, these A-listers have storied careers that have spanned for decades and some of them are still at it.
Here’s a list of celebrities who have turned 90 and how they used to look in their younger years.
James Earl Jones
Born Jan. 17, 1931
James Earl Jones had a very sweet 90th birthday celebration in 2021.
“I’ll make an exception and enjoy a slice of strawberry shortcake, my favorite!” he told USA Today of his birthday plans that year.
He added that he was feeling “fantastic and grateful.”
“Looking back at my life and extensive career, I am so proud of my work and accomplishments. I love growing older and wiser with time,” he said.
Jones, who has acted in more than 50 films throughout his career, made his movie debut in the 1964 movie “Dr. Strangelove” and is known for voicing Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” franchise and Mufasa in Disney’s “The Lion King.”
Barbara Eden
Born Aug. 23, 1931
Barbara Eden celebrated the big 9-0 in August 2021.
That year, the “I Dream of Jeannie” star shared that maintains her health at 90 by moving her body and her soul.
“I think the secret to feeling great is to keep active, do things that you love and have a good sense of humor,” she told Closer Weekly that year.
Berry Gordy Jr.
Born Nov. 28, 1929
Berry Gordy Jr. reached his milestone 90th birthday in 2019.
The City of Los Angeles honored the Motown Records founder on his birthday with a ceremony to debut Berry Gordy Square at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Argyle Avenue in Hollywood. The occasion also marked Motown’s 60th anniversary.
Several celebrities showed up to help Gordy celebrate including Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder.
The founder of Motown Records had announced his retirement a year prior.
Gena Rowlands
Born June 19, 1930
Gena Rowlands turned 90 in 2020 and her storied career on stage and in the film industry has spanned over seven decades of that time.
Known for being one of the leaders in the Golden Age of Hollywood, she starred in “A Woman Under the Influence” in 1974 and “Gloria” in 1980, both of which earned her Oscar nominations for Best Actress. She also earned high praise for her role in Woody Allen’s 1988 movie, “Another Women.”
Sixteen years before becoming a nonagenarian, she made a splash in her role as the older version of Rachel McAdams’ character, Allie Hamilton, in the 2004 movie “The Notebook.”
Mel Brooks
Born June 28, 1926
Comedy legend Mel Brooks turned 90 in 2016 but he’s had a lot to celebrate over his nearly long run in showbiz.
The EGOT winner directed critically acclaimed films like “The Producers” (1967), “Blazing Saddles” (1974), “Young Frankenstein” (1974), “Spaceballs” (1987), and “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” (1993). He also wrote for the hit TV show “Get Smart” from 1965 to 1970.
Brooks has yet to slow down as he recently produced and narrated the 2023 Hulu series “History of the World, Part II.” He also wrote a memoir, titled “All About Me!,” in 2021.
Rita Moreno
Born Dec. 11, 1931
Rita Moreno turned 90 in a full-circle moment.
The actress, who starred as Anita in the 1961 film “West Side Story,” returned for a Steven Spielberg-directed remake of the musical in 2021.
Just after the new version premiered in theaters, Moreno turned 90 and was presented with a big cake from cast and crew members including Spielberg and Rachel Zegler.
“It doesn’t feel any different,” she said of turning 90, per Deadline. “On the face of it, nothing has changed.”
She added, “I’m older and deeply grateful for still being here. And inevitably, now there is concern about what’s next after ‘West Side Story.’ And anyone who tells you otherwise is a damn liar.”
Recently, she starred in the 2023 film “80 For Brady.”
Looks like she isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
David Attenborough
Born May 8, 1926
Sir David Attenborough ventured into his 90th year in 2016.
Just before turning 90, he shared how lucky he is to be in good health at his age.
“I’m fantastically privileged. That various bits of my body work, it’s not because I take exercise or eat any peculiar diet, or anything,” he told Readers Digest. “I’ve lived a perfectly normal way, and yet here I am and still moving about. I’ve got two new knees and hearing aids, so yes, I’m mechanized to some degree. But that’s all. And I’m fantastically lucky.”
The longtime English broadcaster has made his mark over the years by writing and narrating nature documentaries about animal and plant life on Earth with the BBC and he is also outspoken about protecting the planet.
Iris Apfel
Born Aug. 29, 1921
Like her decades-long fashion career, Iris Apfel celebrated her 100th birthday in style.
She honored her centennial birthday at Central Park Tower in New York City in 2021 and gave Page Six Style some inside tips on what to wear ahead of the party.
“You have to dress for yourself before you dress for your age,” the self-described “geriatric starlet,” told Page Six Style in September 2021. “Be yourself! Don’t be part of the herd.”
She also welcomes aging and doesn’t understand the world’s “obsession” with looking younger
“I don’t know why there’s this mad obsession to look years younger than you are,” Apfel told us. “If you’re lucky and God gives you extra years, I should think you’d want to flaunt it and not hide it.”
Apfel, known for wearing colorful clothes and oversized glasses, embraces her age and famously signed to IMG in 2019 as a model at age 97.
Clint Eastwood
Born May 31, 1930
Clint Eastwood turned 90 in 2020 surrounded by family.
“We’re going to do just a family thing,” his son, Scott Eastwood, told “Access” that year, adding that the celebration would be, “Very, very calm, very mellow.”
Scott added that his father “doesn’t really like birthdays,” but they will definitely be getting him a cake.
“We’ll sneak a cake in there, definitely. He probably won’t like it, but we’ll put one in,” Scott said.
And he never let his age get in the way of his impressive acting career, which includes iconic films including “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” “Dirty Harry,” “Unforgiven,” “Million Dollar Baby” and many more.
“I don’t look like I did at 20, so what?” Clint told the LA Times in 2021 when he was 91. “That just means there are more interesting guys you can play.”
Eva Marie Saint
Born July 4, 1924
Eva Marie Saint hit her 95th year in 2019.
The actress, a New Jersey native, is known for her role in Elia Kazan’s 1954 film “On the Waterfront,” for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also earned critical acclaim after starring in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 movie “North by Northwest.”
Saint has continued to act over the years, starring in the 2005 picture “Because of Winn-Dixie,” the 2006 movie “Superman Returns” and, more recently, lent her voice for five episodes of “The Legend of Korra” from 2012 to 2014.
Saint joked about her old age while presenting an award at the 90th Academy Awards when she was 93.
“I’m older than the Academy,” she remarked, adding, “I’m very proud of that. Just keep moving.”
June Squibb
Born Nov. 6, 1929
June Squibb’s career began later in life and has continued to soar since turning 90 in 2020.
Squibb made her first big-screen debut at 60 in 1990 when she starred in “Alice.” She continued to appear in smaller roles but earned recognition for her role in the 2002 movie “About Schmidt” alongside Jack Nicholson.
In 2014, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Nebraska” at the age of 84.
Since then, she has worked on several projects and, according to her IMDb, has even more in the works.
Dick Van Dyke
Born Dec. 13, 1925
Dick Van Dyke didn’t think he would still be alive in his 90s.
The comedian turned 95 in 2021 and told Showbiz411 at the time that he’s “circling the drain.”
“I never thought I’d live this long. I don’t know how I did it,” he added.
And back when he turned 93, he joked to the outlet, “All of my friends are dead.”
He grew to fame with his eponymous sitcom, “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” which ran from 1961 to 1966 but also had a flourishing film career.
The actor starred in the movie musicals “Bye Bye Birdie” (1963), “Mary Poppins” (1964), “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (1968) and “The Comic” (1969).
Van Dyke also made his mark in television, starring in “The New Dick Van Dyke Show” from 1971 to 1974 and appearing in “Diagnosis: Murder,” “Columbo” and “The Carol Burnett Show.”
In 2018, fans were overjoyed when he made a cameo in “Mary Poppins Returns.” He also starred in “Curious George” and “Night at the Museum,” both in 2006, and “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb” in 2014.
Tippi Hedren
Born Jan. 19, 1930
Tippi Hedren is one of the few remaining women from the Golden Age of Hollywood and has no plans to slow down.
Hedren is best known for starring in Alfred Hitchcock films “The Birds” (1963) and “Marnie” (1964). Since then, she’s starred in more than 80 movies and television shows.
On top of a storied acting career, Hedren has been a committed animal rights activist since the ’60s.
Her daughter, Melanie Griffith, helped her celebrate her 91st birthday in 2021.
“Happy Birthday Mom!! You are as beautiful today , at 91 years old , as you were at 22 in this first photo. I love you so much. ♥️ @tippihedrenofficial,” Griffith wrote on Instagram at the time.
“Thank you for all the beautiful birthday wishes ✨🖤✨,” she wrote on her own Instagram at the time.
Bob Barker
Born Dec. 12, 1923
Bob Barker turned 99 in 2022.
The beloved TV star, who hosted “The Price Is Right” from 1972 until 2007, celebrated the big birthday at his home with friends, family, his longtime partner Nancy Burnet and several of his nurses.
“He ended up with four birthday cakes as gifts from several people!” Burnet told Closer (via Yahoo!) in December 2022. “I had a cake for him, his half-brother brought a cake and then his nursing team brought him cakes too.”
She also told Fox News that same month, “He’s in very good health for his age and his humor is still in good shape. He’s had a very charmed life.”
Dr. Ruth Westheimer
Born June 4, 1928
Dr. Ruth Westheimer, better known as Dr. Ruth, is a Holocaust survivor who was born in Germany and immigrated to the US in 1956.
Dr. Ruth, described as “Grandma Freud” and the “Sister Wendy of Sexuality,” started her career in radio but after finding great success with listeners, she hosted her own television show, “The Dr. Ruth Show,” from 1984 to 1991.
In 2022, on her 94th birthday, she was thinking of others.
“I would like to be the ambassador for the state of New York combating loneliness,” the famed sex therapist told Page Six at the time. “I want to give good advice to people who are lonely.”
Bob Newhart
Born Sep. 5, 1929
Bob Newhart celebrated his 90th birthday in 2019 and he chalks up his longevity to laughter.
“I think laughter is vital. It’s as vital as breathing. It gets you through difficult areas,” he told The Day that year. “Laughter is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. It’s like music, of a kind.”
Known for his deadpan and stammering delivery style, he got his start as a stand-up comedian until he transitioned to his famed TV career with hits including “The Bob Newhart Show” and “Newhart.”
He also notably played the beloved bellhop in the 2003 movie “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde,” and the Papa Elf in the 2004 Christmas comedy “Elf.”
Gene Hackman
Born Jan. 30, 1930
Gene Hackman hit the 90-year mark in 2020 but he retired from his acting career back in 2004.
The reclusive star gave his first interview in a decade to The Post back in 2021 to reflect on the 50th anniversary of “The French Connection.”
“Filmmaking has always been risky — both physically and emotionally — but I do choose to consider that film a moment in a checkered career of hits and misses,” he admitted in the exclusive 2021 interview.
He is also famous for starring in other big movies including 2001’s “The Royal Tenenbaums” and 1992’s “Unforgiven.”
Hackman won two Academy Awards for his roles in “Unforgiven” and “The French Connection.”
The movie star hasn’t been spotted out and about much in his later years, though he was seen looking in tip-top shape as he did some yard work in March 2023.
Harry Belafonte
Born March 1, 1927
Harry Belafonte rose to fame as a singer but over the years he has used his platform to fight for racial justice.
Belafonte was honored for his activism at a star-studded gala celebrating his 95th birthday in 2022, though he could not attend due to travel concerns amid the pandemic.
However, Spike Lee, Michael Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Alicia Keys, Al Sharpton and Danny Glover were all there to celebrate, according to the New York Times.
The Caribbean-American singer is known for popularizing the calypso musical style and is known for songs like “Day-O,” “Jump in the Line” and “Jamaica Farewell.”
Joel Grey
Born April 11, 1932
It’s curtains for his younger years.
Joel Grey celebrated his 90th birthday surrounded by some of Broadway’s best in a 2022 Times Square celebration.
The theater star kicked off his milestone birthday with Bebe Neuwirth, Donna Murphy, Bernadette Peters and more, according to Broadway World.
“If you are a young person who dreams of being a part of Broadway, come to New York. We want your talent. If you’re a fan, buy a ticket, see a show. We want your passion and your energy,” Grey told the website during the festivities. “Broadway is back and better than ever!”
Grey, who famously played the Emcee in “Cabaret,” is only one of eight performers in history to have received a Tony and Academy Award for the same role.
He made his stage debut at the age of 9 and has since starred in “Chicago,” “Wicked,” “Anything Goes” and more.
Norman Lear
Born July 27, 1922
Norman Lear celebrated his 100th birthday on his farm in Vermont with his wife, his kids, and his grandkids.
“I think of it as a Yiddish Hyannis Port ’cause as a kid, I so admired the Kennedys as a family having a place to get together to enjoy one another, he told E! News in 2022, adding that his birthday party was “heaven.”
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Lear has produced, written, created, or developed over 100 shows including the iconic sitcoms “All In The Family,” “Maude,” “The Jeffersons,” “Sanford and Son,” “One Day at a Time,” “The Facts of Life” and more.
The five-time Emmy winner’s career was honored in an ABC special, “Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter,” featuring stars like George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Jimmy Kimmel, Amy Poehler, Octavia Spencer, Tracee Ellis Ross and Kelly Rowland.
Robert Wagner
Born Feb. 10, 1930
Robert Wagner turned 90 in 2020.
His stepdaughter, the daughter of his late wife Natalie Wood, honored Wagner on his 90th birthday with a sweet post to Instagram that year.
“In honor of our dad’s 90th birthday today, the first posed family photo we have taken in a couple decades. Hope we all get to age as gracefully and joyfully as our dad,” Natasha Gregson Wagner captioned a family photo at the time.
A source close to the actor told Closer that he would most likely be having a “low-key” celebration including a small dinner with family and friends.
As for his 93rd birthday, he took to his own Instagram to thank his fans for sending along their birthday wishes.
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciated it,” he said in the clip in February 2023, adding that he’s celebrating at his Aspen home with his family.
He continued, “It’s been a wonderful birthday for me and you all have made it extra special and I appreciate it so much. You’re thinking of me in such a special way.”
Robert is known for his roles on TV in “It Takes a Thief,” “Switch” and “Hart to Hart,” as well as his recurring roles in “Two and a Half Men” and “NCIS.”
He made a name for himself in the movie biz with “Pink Panther” in 1963, “The Towering Inferno” in 1974 and “The Concorde…Airport ’79” in 1979. More recently, he made a splash playing Number 2 in the “Austin Powers” trilogy between 1997 and 2002.
Tony Bennett
Born Aug. 3, 1926
Tony Bennett hit the big 9-5 mark with Lady Gaga by his side.
The musical icon performed two sold-out shows with Gaga in 2021 six months after his family revealed he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
“He’s my friend. He’s my musical companion. And he’s the greatest singer in the whole world. And I’m counting on you, New York, to make him smile,” Gaga told the crowd during one of their performances. “So you better cheer. You better yell. You better laugh. You better cry. You better give your soul.”
Bennett, who has won 20 Grammy Awards over the span of his career, performed his many hits including, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” and sang duets with Gaga to “Love For Sale” and “Anything Goes.”
William Daniels
Born March 31, 1927
William Daniels celebrated his 95th birthday in 2022.
The “Boy Meets World” actor shared that he was content with how things have turned out.
“I am really a very lucky guy and I’m very content at where we are right now,” Daniels told People in March 2022.
Daniels, who has been married to his wife Bonnie Bartlett Daniels since 1951, also revealed the secret to a long-lasting marriage.
“At first, there’s a lot of struggle and there’s a lot of uncertainty of whether you’re in the right business at all when you can’t get a job and you can be difficult — difficult to live with because of all this uncertainty,” Daniels told the website. “What you really have to do is learn to respect the other person and their feelings and try to be as easy to live with as you possibly can.”
Bonnie revealed that they had an open marriage at the beginning of their relationship, but defended their affairs.
“[When we got married], people were just loose about things. The only thing is that it harms you, does some damage to your self-esteem. It hurts really badly,” she said in January 2023.
Daniels is best known for his role as the beloved Mr. Feeny in “Boy Meets World” and the spin-off series, “Girl Meets World,” as well as his Emmy-winning performance as Dr. Mark Craig on “St. Elsewhere.” He also starred in big movies like “The Graduate” in 1967 and “1776” in 1972 and “The Blue Lagoon” in 1980.
William Shatner
Born March 22, 1931
William Shatner launched into his 90th year on earth in 2021.
The sci-fi actor celebrated the milestone birthday with a “Star Trek”-inspired birthday party.
That year, he shared that despite his age, he didn’t plan on slowing down.
“What I want in 10 years, I want to ride my horses, I want to love my family, I want to make these things I’m doing,” he told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “I’ve got a podcast started. It will be about the future, about what’s happening in science. I want to picture myself in that science so that what was science fiction during ‘Star Trek’ … I’d like to be around when the science fiction of today becomes science fact.”
Shatner expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming amount of birthday wishes he received from fans.
“Well! I must say that the reaction to a 90th birthday 🥳 is overwhelming. 🤨 Don’t you people have better things to do? 🤷🏼♂️🤣 Thank you to everyone for your well wishes and love! ❤️,” he tweeted.
The actor gained his star status by playing James T. Kirk in the “Star Trek” franchise. He also starred in the ’80s cop show “T.J. Hooker” and has continued to appear in several movies including the 2021 movie “Senior Moment” and lent his voice to the 2022 film “Fireheart.” For many years, Shatner also appeared in Priceline ads as the “Priceline Negotiator.”
