# Actors in "old" makeup versus when they really were old **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, movies, star-trek-paramount\ **Created:** [June 13, 2025, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552 "2025-06-13T00:22:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/1 "2025-06-13T00:22:02Z")
Such as Star Trek: TOS “The Deadly Years”. Or Tom Baker in “The Leisure Hive”. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/2 "2025-06-13T00:34:38Z")
The cast of _ **Cheers** _ in the episode where Sam dreams he and Diane have been married for years. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/3 "2025-06-13T00:39:13Z")
Though Dustin Hoffman is now 87 years old, he still has 34 years to equal the age he was depicted as old Jack Crabbe in _ **Little Big Man** _. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/4 "2025-06-13T01:03:32Z")
FWIW, > **[How actors REALLY aged, versus them in old-age makeup](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/g25453/movie-old-age-makeup-prosthetic/)** > > We've ranked them from least effective to best. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/5 "2025-06-13T01:20:51Z")
At age 99, Dick Van Dyke looks strikingly like Mr. Dawes, Sr., from _Mary Poppins_. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/6 "2025-06-13T01:23:31Z")
[![](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Old_Doctor_1451.jpg) ](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Old_Doctor_1451.jpg) [![](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2017/11/Shada-still-1-f4bb051.jpg) ](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2017/11/Shada-still-1-f4bb051.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/7 "2025-06-13T01:35:47Z")
Not sure I’d want to experience that as an e.g. 40yo ---
**Author:** ![EnolaStraight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@EnolaStraight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnolaStraight)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/8 "2025-06-13T04:35:41Z")
I think the make-up guys in 2001 nailed it with Kier Dullea. [OIP.doZUCkUl8mpkUB82utrG-AAAAA (300×300)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th/id/OIP.doZUCkUl8mpkUB82utrG-AAAAA?r=0&rs=1&pid=ImgDetMain) [R.e9169d447d56e84a26aab8cb4251a8d7 (700×315)](https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.e9169d447d56e84a26aab8cb4251a8d7?rik=O8fDC8hRT3hSuw&riu=http%3a%2f%2fmoviesupclose.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2022%2f10%2fDXKo80O.jpg&ehk=43B35rg9meSMJ0nAe%2fZ%2bniXyJdbtbU3BEy%2fTC7Tn%2fts%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/9 "2025-06-13T04:58:51Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Such as Star Trek: TOS “The Deadly Years”. Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelly) in _The Deadly Years_ (Kelley was 47 at the time): [![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOWM1NWRhZWMtNWE3Zi00NzI2LWFlOWMtOWZhNjMxNDk5NGQ2XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg) ](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOWM1NWRhZWMtNWE3Zi00NzI2LWFlOWMtOWZhNjMxNDk5NGQ2XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg) Dr. McCoy, at age 137, in TNG’s _Encounter at Farpoint_ (Kelley was 67): [![](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/star-trek-tng-encounter-at-farpoint-dr-mccoy-data.jpg) ](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/star-trek-tng-encounter-at-farpoint-dr-mccoy-data.jpg) Kelly, sometime in the 1990s, when he was in his 70s, along with another Trek doctor, Robert Picardo. Kelley died at age 79, so we don’t have an example of what he actually looked like as an extremely old man. [![](https://preview.redd.it/star-trek-actors-deforest-kelly-and-robert-picardo-just-an-v0-ka2wljyhsj9a1.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=6cf79bc3d3cabb9a14392e9d85ce4c012f1b5dae) ](https://preview.redd.it/star-trek-actors-deforest-kelly-and-robert-picardo-just-an-v0-ka2wljyhsj9a1.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=6cf79bc3d3cabb9a14392e9d85ce4c012f1b5dae) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/10 "2025-06-13T05:24:31Z")
I very recently started doing a rewatch of _Stargate SG-1_. Richard Dean Anderson gets old in 1x09 “Brief Candle” for reasons. Here he is fake-old in 1997 and real-old two months ago. [![](https://i.imgur.com/kkLACLR.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/kkLACLR.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/11 "2025-06-13T11:27:34Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Kelly, sometime in the 1990s, when he was in his 70s Great cites. Thank you. I’ll suggest that Kelley, in common with many celebrities, had a LOT of plastic surgery to look like he did in that last pic. Extremely unnatural. So we really don’t know what an unmodified Kelley would have looked like versus the made-up aged Dr. McCoy. Which would be (IMO) the actual question of interest. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/12 "2025-06-13T16:26:48Z")
Of course when in makeup they were trying to look old, and in real life they’re trying not to. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/13 "2025-06-13T16:30:32Z")
> [@EnolaStraight](#): > > I think the make-up guys in 2001 nailed it with Kier Dullea. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FXnhkUJazkY/hq720.jpg) ](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FXnhkUJazkY/hq720.jpg) [![](https://t2conline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/6ceea1e0-2f18-5a2f-a109-ed1774d16259.jpeg) ](https://t2conline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/6ceea1e0-2f18-5a2f-a109-ed1774d16259.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/14 "2025-06-13T16:34:26Z")
How about all four Beatles in _Help_? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/DKYpuXr_E5s/maxresdefault.jpg "Going To The Bahamas - Scene from Help!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKYpuXr_E5s) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/15 "2025-06-13T16:44:25Z")
That’s supposed to be “old”? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/16 "2025-06-13T16:48:50Z")
Well, when the actors are only in their early 20s, sure! ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/17 "2025-06-13T18:33:56Z")
They nailed what they would eventually look like in their late 20s. ---
**Author:** ![EnolaStraight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@EnolaStraight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnolaStraight)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/18 "2025-06-14T03:28:36Z")
Thanks. Since we switched over to the new boards I could never figure out how to post images anymore. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/19 "2025-06-14T04:40:06Z")
Carol Kane in _The Princess Bride_ (1987, she was 45 years old): [![](https://leeloomultiprops.com/cdn/shop/files/CarolKane_PrincessBride_018x10_660501dc-bbfc-4a6f-b1ed-87e483ac7f8d.jpg?v=1743812218) ](https://leeloomultiprops.com/cdn/shop/files/CarolKane_PrincessBride_018x10_660501dc-bbfc-4a6f-b1ed-87e483ac7f8d.jpg?v=1743812218) And, in _Star Trek: Strange New Worlds_ in 2023 (she was 71): > **[https://i.redd.it/4qsz5bh4lxwe1.jpeg](https://i.redd.it/4qsz5bh4lxwe1.jpeg)** ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552/20 "2025-06-14T11:25:11Z")
> [@EnolaStraight](#): > > Thanks. > Since we switched over to the new boards I could never figure out how to post images anymore. It works _exactly_ the same here as it did in vBulletin. Put the image on a hosting site and paste a link to there into your post here. This month is the 5 year anniversary of the changeover. The idea that this system is new and unfamiliar is getting a bit threadbare IMO. Most of us would be lost and confused if we somehow had to go back to the old system. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-old-makeup-versus-when-they-really-were-old/1019552.md?page=2)