# Actors Who Looked "Old" for a LOOOONG Time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 27, 2020, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069 "2020-01-27T18:44:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/21 "2020-01-27T21:12:20Z")
English actress _Stephanie Cole_ played a cantankerous retirement home resident in **Waiting for God** at the age of 48. _David Jason_ had a recurring role as the elderly prisoner Blanco Webb in **Porridge** , while also playing the (somewhat) youthful Granville in **Open All Hours**. Clive Dunn was also only 48 when cast as the 70 year old Lance Corporal Jones in **Dad’s Army**. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/22 "2020-01-27T22:29:21Z")
I always thought John Hurt looked kind of old. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/23 "2020-01-27T22:40:05Z")
[Ward Bond](https://www.google.com/search?q=ward+bond&sxsrf=ACYBGNTei5m1fMh-Hr8twFvSnSiY5ZYNXQ:1580164280497&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjGuYDV6qTnAhWEjp4KHTflBY8Q_AUoAXoECBQQAw&biw=1757&bih=876). Don’t think I ever saw him in anything where he didn’t look like an uncle or a grandfather. But then he was born in 1903, so by the time he was in Wagon Train he was in his 50s. [Strother Martin](https://www.google.com/search?biw=1757&bih=876&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ACYBGNRApUKaTPdmvipeD2oJiFBMlQTcFQ%3A1580164297013&sa=1&ei=yWQvXvM0wer6BMLmtsgF&q=strother+martin&oq=strother+martin&gs_l=img.3..0l10.76743.79052..79642...0.0..0.92.970.16......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......35i39j0i131j0i67.ZFtMoWh8TB4&ved=0ahUKEwizvfDc6qTnAhVBtZ4KHUKzDVkQ4dUDCAc&uact=5), who was usually playing the mayor of a western town or some other local elder or a smarmy bad guy. [Jack Elam](https://www.google.com/search?biw=1757&bih=876&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ACYBGNTUsAdjaIfSBGCEhgmNX_JwiSBYTQ%3A1580164425143&sa=1&ei=SWUvXrWnCNaX-gTww6ioAw&q=jack+elam&oq=jack+elam&gs_l=img.3..0l10.150461.151875..152440...0.0..0.76.639.10......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......35i39j0i67.Al1YL0O4AFE&ved=0ahUKEwj17_yZ66TnAhXWi54KHfAhCjUQ4dUDCAc&uact=5) always looked old to me when he wasn’t just going for disreputable. [Lorne Greene](https://www.google.com/search?biw=1757&bih=876&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ACYBGNS3m-6gfFIOI9uBUFOWy_Kpiwk-GA%3A1580164691388&sa=1&ei=U2YvXoyoF43u-gSxyYmoDQ&q=lorne+greene&oq=lorne+greene&gs_l=img.3..0l10.41125.43341..43800...0.0..0.94.872.13......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......35i39j0i67j0i131.vp9gu0hxvCM&ved=0ahUKEwjMnfeY7KTnAhUNt54KHbFkAtUQ4dUDCAc&uact=5) always looked older than his years. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/24 "2020-01-27T22:44:22Z")
Ed Asner has looked old forever. Even Lou Grant looked older than his stated age (mid 40s during MTM) ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/25 "2020-01-27T23:03:17Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > Pat Morita was only 52 when he played Mr. Miyagi. I was gonna say he looked “ancient” but maybe that’s not right, it’s just that the gray/balding hair made him look older. I assumed the character was supposed to be in his 70s. IIRC he was suppose to be 10 years older as his character fought in WW2 but IRL he was still a teen by the time the war ended. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/26 "2020-01-27T23:42:36Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > Pat Morita was only 52 when he played Mr. Miyagi. I was gonna say he looked “ancient” but maybe that’s not right, it’s just that the gray/balding hair made him look older. I assumed the character was supposed to be in his 70s. I figured the character was in his early 60’s going by the timeline. Mr. Miyagi served in WWII, say that at the end of the war he was 24. Thirty-nine more years brings the time to 1984, when the movie came out. So he would have been sixty-three, give or take a little. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/27 "2020-01-27T23:44:04Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Borgnine always looked middle-aged which is a different category but we can expand the scope of this thread to include it. Along with Borgnine, I would add Gene Hackman and Walter Matthau to the ranks of the perpetually middle-aged looking. Character actor [James Tolkan](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0866055/?ref_=tt_rv_t10) always looked at least a decade older than his actual age. [Tolkan as Lt. Steiger in _Serpico_](https://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kpw4hxwwr81qzhiqwo4_1280.png) [As Asst. Principal Strickland in _Back to the Future_](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2014-10/24/13/enhanced/webdr07/longform-original-9263-1414173555-23.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/28 "2020-01-27T23:47:41Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > [Ward Bond](https://www.google.com/search?q=ward+bond&sxsrf=ACYBGNTei5m1fMh-Hr8twFvSnSiY5ZYNXQ:1580164280497&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjGuYDV6qTnAhWEjp4KHTflBY8Q_AUoAXoECBQQAw&biw=1757&bih=876). Don’t think I ever saw him in anything where he didn’t look like an uncle or a grandfather. But then he was born in 1903, so by the time he was in Wagon Train he was in his 50s. > > [Strother Martin](https://www.google.com/search?biw=1757&bih=876&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ACYBGNRApUKaTPdmvipeD2oJiFBMlQTcFQ%3A1580164297013&sa=1&ei=yWQvXvM0wer6BMLmtsgF&q=strother+martin&oq=strother+martin&gs_l=img.3..0l10.76743.79052..79642...0.0..0.92.970.16......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......35i39j0i131j0i67.ZFtMoWh8TB4&ved=0ahUKEwizvfDc6qTnAhVBtZ4KHUKzDVkQ4dUDCAc&uact=5), who was usually playing the mayor of a western town or some other local elder or a smarmy bad guy. > > [Jack Elam](https://www.google.com/search?biw=1757&bih=876&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ACYBGNTUsAdjaIfSBGCEhgmNX_JwiSBYTQ%3A1580164425143&sa=1&ei=SWUvXrWnCNaX-gTww6ioAw&q=jack+elam&oq=jack+elam&gs_l=img.3..0l10.150461.151875..152440...0.0..0.76.639.10......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......35i39j0i67.Al1YL0O4AFE&ved=0ahUKEwj17_yZ66TnAhXWi54KHfAhCjUQ4dUDCAc&uact=5) always looked old to me when he wasn’t just going for disreputable. > > [Lorne Greene](https://www.google.com/search?biw=1757&bih=876&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ACYBGNS3m-6gfFIOI9uBUFOWy_Kpiwk-GA%3A1580164691388&sa=1&ei=U2YvXoyoF43u-gSxyYmoDQ&q=lorne+greene&oq=lorne+greene&gs_l=img.3..0l10.41125.43341..43800...0.0..0.94.872.13......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......35i39j0i67j0i131.vp9gu0hxvCM&ved=0ahUKEwjMnfeY7KTnAhUNt54KHbFkAtUQ4dUDCAc&uact=5) always looked older than his years. Jack Elam is a special case. He played a lot of crazy old guys later in his career, but had a solid career in westerns before he got walleyed. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/29 "2020-01-28T00:34:17Z")
mrAru and I were watching some film or another yesterday morning and we were commenting on how whomever the actor was [or maybe the character in the flick] was about the same age mrAru was currently and that the person playing someone in their 30s was actually somewhere around 18 or 19 and that everything had shifted. mrAru looked like the guy in his 30s though he was 56, and that we remember what he looked like at 30 when we moved to Connecticut and it was what the 18 year old looked like, and we joked that the new crop of guys at submarine school looked like they were about 12 years old. I know I don’t have the gray hair [well, I do have gray, but as a family trait we go partially gray early, in our 20s and rarely go past 50 percent gray. I have a pic of my mom in her coffin at the age of 96 and her hair is about half gray] I don’t have the wrinkles, though I do have the creaky achy bones, but that is as a result of a decade of sports injuries. mrAru has no hair, but he also has not the wrinkles, and he looks at best about 40 or so. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/30 "2020-01-28T01:19:28Z")
Ian Wolfe looked old in 1930s, But I know him from WKRP as Hersh, Momma Carlson’s ancient butler and Mr. Atoz from Star Trek. So when I saw him as the devil opposite Lionel Barrymore, I thought it must be a look alike father. ---
**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:** [January 28, 2020, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/31 "2020-01-28T01:32:10Z")
Sir Patrick Stewart maintained a very consistent, “older but not too old” look for decades. He was born in 1940, but thanks to going bald at a young age, he played older characters for a long time. In _Star Trek: The Next Generation_, Stewart was 47 when the series started, but his character, Jean-Luc Picard, was 59 at that point. Stewart is now 79, and while he certainly looks older than he did in 1987, [he doesn’t really look 33 years older](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Stewart#/media/File:Patrick_Stewart_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/32 "2020-01-28T02:16:57Z")
My dad used to joke that Maggie Smith was 60 for about 30 years. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/33 "2020-01-28T02:59:31Z")
Charles Lane looked past middle age in _It’s a Wonderful Life_, and played old guys almost until he hit a century in age. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/34 "2020-01-28T03:11:17Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Sir Patrick Stewart maintained a very consistent, “older but not too old” look for decades. > > He was born in 1940, but thanks to going bald at a young age, he played older characters for a long time. In _Star Trek: The Next Generation_, Stewart was 47 when the series started, but his character, Jean-Luc Picard, was 59 at that point. > > Stewart is now 79, and while he certainly looks older than he did in 1987, [he doesn’t really look 33 years older](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Stewart#/media/File:Patrick_Stewart_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg). It might have been on this board that I recently read that Wil Wheaton is now the same age that Patrick Stewart was when ST:TNG premiered. [Patrick Stewart at 47](https://live.staticflickr.com/4700/27971942079_54e7dc65d6_b.jpg) [Will Wheaton at 47](https://www.syfy.com/sites/syfy/files/styles/1200x680/public/2020/01/wil-wheaton.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/35 "2020-01-28T03:48:30Z")
Irene Ryan looked old as the hills long before she became Granny in The Beverly Hillbillies starting at age 62. All I can say is she must have been one heavy smoker. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/36 "2020-01-28T04:24:33Z")
[Jim Backus](https://www.google.com/search?q=Jim+Backus&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgFuLQz9U3yDUozlXiBLEMs83NsrXEspOt9EvKgCi-oCg_vSgx1yo5sbjkEeNMRm6Blz_uCUv1M05ac_IaYwcjFw61QipcbK55JZkllUJSXDxScGs0GKS4uBCWuhhZ7Lo07RybkeD-hCUcq5LDHKQYlBQ5jxRzNcTtfG8vaK_P0MCxJ8xBgkWBQYPBMND9f_1ycV8HLSYOhqZ9Kw6xsXAwCjBYMWkw8ixi5fLKzFVwSkzOLi0GAP3goPnZAAAA&sxsrf=ACYBGNQnSUw4CJvTHGtwwODFepq-mTsKmg:1580185163477&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwissOS6uKXnAhWBIDQIHQ3eBXEQ_AUoAXoECBEQAw&biw=1758&bih=879), the voice of Mr. Magoo and also Thurston Howell on Gilligan’s Island Character actor [Paul Ford](https://www.google.com/search?biw=1758&bih=879&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ACYBGNQGKoFLbKkyNXxl1Yf8Qt914LL2eg%3A1580185383168&sa=1&ei=J7cvXo73Cc7P0PEP75CBsAs&q=Paul+Ford+actor&oq=Paul+Ford+actor&gs_l=img.3..0.7675.8515..8875...0.0..0.125.769.6j2......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......35i39j0i30j0i5i30j0i24.zMER4s1TCzg&ved=0ahUKEwjOpsWjuaXnAhXOJzQIHW9IALYQ4dUDCAc&uact=5) was born old, I think. ---
**Author:** ![phxjcc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phxjcc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phxjcc)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/37 "2020-01-28T05:02:17Z")
Easy Beaulah Bondi…Jimmy Stewart’s mother in IAWL? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/38 "2020-01-28T07:00:02Z")
[Cloris Leachman](https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrCwOVl2i9eiDYAahEPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTE0am9qNXUxBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjg0OTJfMQRzZWMDcGl2cw--?p=cloris+leachman&type=dhm_A06O7_set_bsf_H __alt__ ddc_srch_searchpulse_net&hspart=domaindev&hsimp=yhs-st_emea&ei=UTF-8&fr=yhs-domaindev-st_emea) has looked old for a long, long time. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/39 "2020-01-28T07:16:15Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Irene Ryan looked old as the hills long before she became Granny in The Beverly Hillbillies starting at age 62. All I can say is she must have been one heavy smoker. She was 41 in [this clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsCIrtGidAY). ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069/40 "2020-01-28T12:55:14Z")
**Lionel Jeffries** I remember him as Cavor in _The First Men in the Moon_, King Pellinore in _Camelot_, and similar parts, always playing a grandfatherly older man. He played Dick Van Duke’s father, Grandpa Bungie Potts, in _Chitty Chitty Bang Bang_. He was actually _six months younger than Van Dyke_. He was only 42 at the time. > **[Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062803/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv)** > > Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) Trivia on IMDb: Cameos, Mistakes, Spoilers and more... > **[Lionel Jeffries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Jeffries)** > > Lionel Charles Jeffries (10 June 1926 – 19 February 2010) was an English actor, director, and screenwriter. He appeared primarily in films and received a Golden Globe Award nomination during his acting career. > Jeffries was born in Forest Hill, south London. Both his parents were social workers with the Salvation Army. As a boy, he attended the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wimborne Minster in Dorset. > In 1945, he received a commission in the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and s... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-old-for-a-loooong-time/847069.md?page=3)