2026 Celebrity Life Pool

The Life Pool. Our little redeeming game to not make us feel so bad about the Death Pool.

We’re back!

Rules are very simple.

  1. Submit 13 names
  2. Only celebrities 81 and older count
  3. Points awarded at end of year: 1 point for every year over 80 they are if they live through the year
  4. Please post your list TWICE.
    • First, post your list in plain text. No spaces between names, just 13 names in a list.
    • Second, post a list of the names with their ages on January 1, 2026 <–note, I mean final age if they survive the year!

You can submit two alternates if you like, just in case someone dies in the next month.

Feel free to help check the list through the year. I will make sure the game spreadsheet is available for public viewing and editing(I save it periodically in case of someone screwing it up).

Fun/Joke Awards:

Nostradamus Award - having the most surviving members. Good job, you saved them!

Methuselah Medal - Joke award, just given to the oldest person in the game to NOT die. I mean, come on!

Fountain of Youth(?) award - to the “youngest” death on the list. Why did you pick this person??

I would like to thank @distaccato , who creates the spreadsheet and is effectively co-modding by the fact they do this for us.

Gene Shalit
Vincent Ball
Mel Brooks
Eva Marie Saint
Clint Eastwood
Dick Van Dyke
Barbara Eden
Peter Murray
William Shatner
William Daniels
Dennis Skinner
Robert Wagner
David Attenborough

Gene Shalit - 100
Vincent Ball - 103
Mel Brooks - 100
Eva Marie Saint - 102
Clint Eastwood - 96
Dick Van Dyke - 101
Barbara Eden - 95
Peter Murray - 101
William Shatner - 95
William Daniels - 99
Dennis Skinner - 94
Robert Wagner - 96
David Attenborough - 100

Putting in some fresh young faces.

Bonnie Bartlett - 17
William Daniels - 19
Clint Eastwood - 16
Barbara Eden - 15
Rosemary Harris - 19
James Hong - 17
Rita Moreno - 15
Willie Nelson - 13
Nancy Olson - 18
Yoko Ono - 13
Julie Andrews - 11
William Shatner - 15
June Squibb - 17

clean list:
Bonnie Bartlett
William Daniels
Clint Eastwood
Barbara Eden
Rosemary Harris
James Hong
Rita Moreno
Willie Nelson
Nancy Olson
Yoko Ono
Julie Andrews
William Shatner
June Squibb

Thank you for running this.

I’m confused. They have to survive 2026 to be counted, right?

Based on your own list, I think you meant to say that you want the second list to show their ages on Dec. 31, 2026, not Jan. 1, 2026.

(Or did you mean to say Jan. 1, 2027? )

Assuming my previous post is correct, and following @Mahaloth’s own list, here’s mine, a dupe of my entry in the 2026 Death Pool.

Eva Marie Saint
Dick Van Dyke
David Attenborough
Mel Brooks
William Daniels
Rosemary Harris
Lee Grant
Estelle Parsons
James Ivory
James Hong
Tippi Hedren
Robert Wagner
Joanne Woodward
Clint Eastwood

Eva Marie Saint-22
Dick Van Dyke-21
David Attenborough-20
Mel Brooks-20
William Daniels -19
Rosemary Harris-19
Lee Grant-19
Estelle Parsons-19
James Ivory-18
James Hong-17
Tippi Hedren-16
Robert Wagner-16
Joanne Woodward-16
Clint Eastwood-16

I meant 2027.

Do they have to be 81 on Jan 1, 2026, or 81 by Dec 31, 2026?

Annette Dionne
Julie Andrews
Morgan Freeman
Dame Helen Mirren
Martha Stewart
Jane Fonda
Tippi Hedren
Eva Marie Saint
Rita Moreno
Estelle Parsons
Dame Judi Dench
Sir Ian McKellan
Valentina Tereshkova

Alternates:
Johnny Gilbert
William Shatner
Robert Wagner

Annette Dionne 92
Julie Andrews 91
Morgan Freeman 89
Dame Helen Mirren 81
Martha Stewart 85
Jane Fonda 88
Tippi Hedren 96
Eva Marie Saint 102
Rita Moreno 95
Estelle Parsons 99
Dame Judi Dench 92
Sir Ian McKellan 87
Valentina Tereshkova 89

Alternates:
Johnny Gilbert 98
William Shatner 96
Robert Wagner 96

I have a 3rd alternate just in case Dame Helen is disqualified by being only 80 on Jan 1, 2026. In other words, alternates 1 & 2 are for “untimely” deaths, and Robert Wagner is specifically for the disqualification, if such should be, of Dame Helen.

Here’s my list for 2026:

Dick Van Dyke
David Attenborough
June Squibb
Noam Chomsky
Robert Wagner
Joanne Woodward
Clint Eastwood
Vera Miles
Warren Buffett
William Shatner
Willie Nelson
Emperor Akihito
Tom Baker

Alternates:
Shirley MacLean
Josef Fritzl

Dick Van Dyke 101
David Attenborough 100
June Squibb 97
Noam Chomsky 98
Robert Wagner 96
Joanne Woodward 96
Clint Eastwood 96
Vera Miles 96
Warren Buffett 96
William Shatner 95
Willie Nelson 93
Emperor Akihito 93
Tom Baker 92

Alternates:
Shirley MacLean 92
Josef Fritzl 91

My 2026 Celebrity Life Pool

A. J. Foyt
Bill Cosby
Buzz Aldrin
Donnie Allison
Jackie Stewart
Jean Chretien
Leonard Earle Wood
Mario Andretti
Ned Jarret
Richard Petty
Roger Searle Penske
William Shatner
Willie Nelson

Alternates

Clint Eastwood

A. J. Foyt 91
Bill Cosby 89
Buzz Aldrin 96
Donnie Allison 87
Jackie Stewart 87
Jean Chretien 92
Leonard Earle Wood 92
Mario Andretti 86
Ned Jarret 94
Richard Petty 89
Roger Searle Penske 89
William Shatner 95
Willie Nelson 93

Alternates

Clint Eastwood 96

------------------------ More Details --------------------------------------

A. J. Foyt 90 1935/01/16 former Indy race car driver
Bill Cosby 88 1937/07/12 Disgraced American Actor
Buzz Aldrin 95 1930/01/20 American Former Astronaut
Donnie Allison 86 1939/09/07 former Nascar race car driver

Jackie Stewart 86 1939/06/11 former F1 race car driver
Jean Chretien 91 1934/01/11 Former Prime Minister of Canada
Leonard Earle Wood 91 1934/09/22 former NASCAR crew chief, engine builder and co-founder of Wood Brothers Racing.
Mario Andretti 85 1940/02/28 former F1 & Indy race car driver

Ned Jarret 93 1932/10/12 former Nascar race car driver
Richard Petty 88 1937/07/02 former Nascar race car driver
Roger Searle Penske 88 1937/02/20 American auto racing team owner, businessman, and retired professional driver
William Shatner 94 1931/03/22 Canadian Actor of Star Trek Fame
Willie Nelson 92 1933/04/29 American Country Singer

==========================

Alternates

Clint Eastwood 95 1930/05/31 American Actor / Director

She’s dead now:

Annette Dionne, Last of the Celebrated Quintuplets, Dies at 91

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/26/world/canada/annette-dionne-dead.html

Oh! yay! more points in the death pool!

Could you change the Dionne sister to William Shatner?

Ted Templeman
Elaine May
Mighty Sparrow
Archie Bell
Brigitte Auber
Katharine Ross
Frank Langella
Jac Holzman
Leontyne Price
Manfred Mann
Leslie Caron
Ratko Mladik
William Bulger

William B. Davis
Tippi Hedren

Ted Templeman 84
Elaine May 94
Mighty Sparrow 91
Archie Bell 82
Brigitte Auber 101
Katharine Ross 86
Frank Langella 88
Jac Holzman 95
Leontyne Price 99
Manfred Mann 86
Leslie Caron 95
Ratko Mladik 84
William Bulger 92

William B. Davis 88
Tippi Hedren 96

Hello! Longtime Death Pooler, first time Life Pooler.

My old nemesis Richard O’Sullivan is 81, qualifying him for the Life Pool. O’Sullivan denied me Death Pool points in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015-2025 inclusive. At this point, having him on my Life Pool may be the only exculpating evidence in my defence if he does die in 2026.

I have 12 surviving previous Death Pool picks over 81, including O’Sullivan. I’m playing them all, with three ringers to bring me up to 13 plus two alts.

So without further ado, I present my list of immortals:

Richard O’Sullivan
Paul Dooley
William Shatner
Judd Hirsch
Dawn Fraser
George Hamilton
Alan Jones
Molly Meldrum
Barry Manilow
Derryn Hinch
Michael Douglas
Judy Moran
John Howard

Alts:

Germaine Greer
John Cleese

For disambiguation:

Richard O’Sullivan, English actor
Paul Dooley, American actor
William Shatner, American actor
Judd Hirsch, American actor
Dawn Fraser, Australian Olympian
George Hamilton, American actor
Alan Jones, Australian radio host
Molly Meldrum, Australian music critic
Barry Manilow, American singer
Derryn Hinch, Australian journalist
Michael Douglas, American actor
Judy Moran, Australian crime family matriarch
John Howard, Australian former Prime Minister

Alts
Germaine Greer, Australian writer
John Cleese, English actor

Game on!

Eva Marie Saint
Kim Novak
Tippi Hedron
Lee Grant
Rosemary Harris
Marion Ross
Vera Miles
Joanne Woodward
Sophia Loren
Rita Moreno
Estelle Parsons
Barbara Eden
Barbara Feldon

Alt
Joan Collins


Eva Marie Saint 102
Kim Novak 93
Tippi Hedron 96
Lee Grant 101
Rosemary Harris 99
Marion Ross 98
Vera Miles 96
Joanne Woodward 96
Sophia Loren 92
Rita Moreno 95
Estelle Parsons 99
Barbara Eden 95
Barbara Feldon 93

Alt
Joan Collins 93

I’ll take last year’s list again, changing the two who have not made it through the year:

William Shatner - born March 22, 1931, will be 96 on January, 1st 2027, so 16 points, right?
Buzz Aldrin - January 20, 1930, 16 points
James Ivory - June 7, 1928, 18 points
Dick Van Dyke - 21 points
Gene Shallit - born March 25, 1926, 20 points
Clint Eastwood - born May 31, 1930, 15 points
Eva Marie Saint - born July 4, 1924, 22 points
Lee Grant - born “October 31, mid '20s”, say 20 points? See here.
Mel Brooks - born June 28, 1926, 20 points
Julio Le Parc - born September 23, 1928, 18 points
Mary Violet Leontine Price, February 10, 1927, 19 points
George Joseph, insurer and billionaire, born September 11, 1921, 25 points
Robert Kuok, born 6 October 1923, Malaysia’s richest man, 22 points

Alternate, just in case:
Brigitte Auber, born 27 April 1925, 21 points

Maximal number of points without the alternate: 252
Those calculations were so difficult (not counting the problem with Lee Grant, which I have set at 20 points but this is arguable) that I can only express my admiration and gratitude to Mahaloth for organizing and computing all this. What a mess! I guess I miscounted sommewhere anyway.

Clean list:

William Shatner
Buzz Aldrin
James Ivory
Dick Van Dyke
Gene Shallit
Clint Eastwood
Eva Marie Saint
Lee Grant
Mel Brooks
Julio Le Parc
Mary Violet Leontine Price
George Joseph
Robert Kuok

Reserve:
Brigitte Auber

My list with ages rather than point values.

Bonnie Bartlett - 97
William Daniels - 99
Clint Eastwood - 96
Barbara Eden - 95
Rosemary Harris - 99
James Hong - 97
Rita Moreno - 95
Willie Nelson - 93
Nancy Olson - 98
Yoko Ono - 93
Julie Andrews - 91
William Shatner - 95
June Squibb - 97

Lee Grant - born “October 31, mid '20s”, say 20 points?

I checked Ancestry. Her birth was registered in 1925 with a date of 31 October, NY birth certificate number 12540. Hope that helps!

Ancestry record link (subscription required)

I didn’t calculate points.

1 Jan: 73 potential points
31 Dec: 86 potential points.

Reposting same list with DOBs.

Richard O’Sullivan 5 July 1944
Paul Dooley 22 February 1928
William Shatner 22 March 1931
Judd Hirsch 15 March 1935
Dawn Fraser 4 September 1937
George Hamilton 12 August 1939
Alan Jones 13 April 1941
Molly Meldrum 29 January 1943
Barry Manilow 17 June 1943
Derryn Hinch 2 September 1944
Michael Douglas 25 September 1944
Judy Moran 18 December 1944
John Howard 26 July 1939

Alts
Germaine Greer 29 January 1939
John Cleese 27 October 1939

RivkahChaya’s list, reposted with some tweaks; I’ve replaced Annette Dionne (RIP) with William Shatner, and added John Cleese to my alternates, then shifted around the alternates. Disregard all previous lists. Sorry for the extra work.

William Shatner
Julie Andrews
Morgan Freeman
Dame Helen Mirren
Martha Stewart
Jane Fonda
Tippi Hedren
Eva Marie Saint
Rita Moreno
Estelle Parsons
Dame Judi Dench
Sir Ian McKellan
Valentina Tereshkova

Alternates:
Johnny Gilbert
Robert Wagner
John Cleese (to replace Dame Helen, if she does not qualify)

William Shatner 96
Julie Andrews 91
Morgan Freeman 89
Dame Helen Mirren 81
Martha Stewart 85
Jane Fonda 88
Tippi Hedren 96
Eva Marie Saint 102
Rita Moreno 95
Estelle Parsons 99
Dame Judi Dench 92
Sir Ian McKellan 87
Valentina Tereshkova 89

Alternates:
Johnny Gilbert 98
Robert Wagner 96
John Cleese 87

I have a 3rd alternate just in case Dame Helen is disqualified by being only 80 on Jan 1, 2026. In other words, alternates 1 & 2 are for “untimely” deaths, and John Cleese is specifically for the disqualification, if such should be, of Dame Helen.