# Do any Hollywood stars grow old gracefully anymore? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333 "2012-02-09T19:00:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [February 9, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/21 "2012-02-09T21:31:03Z")
> [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](#): > > That [wasn’t](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0372176/) Linda Hamilton. 🙂 Oh, I know it was Lena Headey who starred in Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles, but you are correct in that I had my series mixed up - Linda Hamilton is guesting on Chuck, not Terminator TSCC. Thanks for the correction! ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/22 "2012-02-09T22:09:54Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Of course, none of them are very old. Emma Thompson is 52, nearly 53. I’m not going to say that 52 is _old_ but for professional actresses to start thinking about plastic surgery I certainly think it’s old enough. (Not old enough that I think they must do it, but old enough that anyone who is likely to do it would have done it already.) And Kate Winslet, 36, even as young as she is, has been very vocal in her objection to being photoshopped. So, I can see her making the anti-plastic surgery pledge as a matter of basic principle. Rachel Weisz, 41, well, anyone who so much as _thinks_ of altering Rachel Weisz’ appearance will have to go through me first!!! ---
**Author:** ![KneeSid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dec6dc/32.png) [@KneeSid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneeSid)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/23 "2012-02-09T22:15:05Z")
But surgery is a word that has “meanings.” For instance, botox is the most common procedure in Hollywood. Clooney seems to have had this done. Do veneers count? Virtually anyone over 40 with sparkly white teeth are veneers. You can’t get that level of white in real life. What about hair transplants? Or you can do it in a round-a-bout way. Jennifer Aninston had a deviated septum. So she had it corrected and while the guy was doing that… The thing is once you start you got to keep it up or it collapses even worse. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/24 "2012-02-09T22:15:24Z")
Before his death, Leslie Nielsen didn’t age a day in almost 30 years. He looked exactly the same in _Naked Gun 33 1/3_ as he did in _Airplane!_. Same with Harry Morgan. In regards to the living, I suspect George Clooney is going to turn out like Frank Sinatra. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/25 "2012-02-09T22:35:24Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > Before his death, Leslie Nielsen didn’t age a day in almost 30 years. He looked exactly the same in _Naked Gun 33 1/3_ as he did in _Airplane!_. Guys who go premature grey or white (see also Steve Martin) tend to pick an age and stick with it. Still, before his death, which was 14 years after _Naked Gun 33 1/3_, he certainly did look older than he did in _Airplane!_. And _Naked Gun 33 1/3_ was only 14 years after _Airplane!_. Looking good over a 14 year period isn’t hard if you take care of yourself, and it’s pretty much required that a professional actor be able to maintain a look for as short a stretch of time as 14 years. In the 28 years between _Airplane!_ and his death, he did indeed show signs of aging. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/26 "2012-02-09T22:50:23Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Rachel Weisz, 41, well, anyone who so much as _thinks_ of altering Rachel Weisz’ appearance will have to go through me first!!! I’ll be there with you, my friend. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/27 "2012-02-09T22:53:19Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > …and Steve Martin all seem to be unmodified. Is there another Steve Martin? ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/28 "2012-02-09T23:05:22Z")
Diane Keaton. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/29 "2012-02-09T23:23:57Z")
Robert Redford looks pretty unmodified to me. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/30 "2012-02-10T04:17:34Z")
I don’t think Susan Sarandon has had work done, or if she has then it’s been subtle. I think she looks good for her age, but she’s clearly not a young woman anymore and doesn’t seem to be trying to pass herself off as one. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/31 "2012-02-10T04:29:43Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > Is there another Steve Martin? no, but there may be a Lily Tomlin. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/32 "2012-02-10T06:12:53Z")
Goldie Hawn. Kathleen Turner, who appears to now resemble a man as well as sound like one. But watch her in _Body Heat._ Bawooga! ---
**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:** [February 10, 2012, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/33 "2012-02-10T06:27:48Z")
Though she hasn’t been a “Hollywood star” for some time . . . [Brigitte Bardot](http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&biw=890&bih=934&tbm=isch&tbnid=jXGR2Oxio3lSsM:&imgrefurl=http://counselinggr.com/anarchist-brigitte-bardot-s-cameltoe/&docid=3LKmkawAyLcflM&imgurl=http://popol.punt.nl/upload/002009/0909/brigitte_bardot_75.jpg&w=561&h=800&ei=trc0T6KaEMHmggeOr9nnBQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=516&sig=115393832862358866273&page=4&tbnh=143&tbnw=126&start=98&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:98&tx=48&ty=41). If you don’t recognize her, here’s a [“before” picture](http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&biw=890&bih=934&tbm=isch&tbnid=HDQsZOrxqbdyFM:&imgrefurl=http://www.absolutely.net/Brigitte_Bardot/&docid=T6Koax_ZZ4GekM&imgurl=http://www.absolutely.net/Brigitte_Bardot/index.jpg&w=400&h=501&ei=trc0T6KaEMHmggeOr9nnBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=567&vpy=127&dur=3894&hovh=251&hovw=201&tx=125&ty=120&sig=115393832862358866273&page=1&tbnh=146&tbnw=122&start=0&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0). ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/34 "2012-02-10T07:33:03Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > [Jamie Lee Curtis](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000130/), I believe. Unless it’s so subtly done you can’t tell. [http://www.usatoday.com/life/2002-08-19-jamie-lee\_x.htm](http://www.usatoday.com/life/2002-08-19-jamie-lee_x.htm) > [@](#): > > She admits she has gone under the knife to improve her looks. “I’ve had a little plastic surgery. I’ve had a little lipo. I’ve had a little Botox. And you know what? None of it works. None of it.” ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/35 "2012-02-10T14:35:14Z")
> [@Becky2844](#): > > Goldie Hawn. Kathleen Turner, who appears to now resemble a man as well as sound like one. But watch her in _Body Heat._ Bawooga! Kathleen Turner has had rheumatoid arthritis since the early 1990s, and she looks pretty goddam good, considering. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/36 "2012-02-10T14:47:07Z")
All I can say is that if [Anita Ekberg](http://www.listal.com/viewimage/751043h) has had work done on her, she deserves a full refund. Imagine getting there from [here.](http://www.listal.com/viewimage/1120783) ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/37 "2012-02-10T14:54:01Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Kate Winslet, Rachel Weisz and Emma Thompson have actually [launched a British Anti-Cosmetic Surgery League](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/17/kate-winslet-rachel-weisz-emma-thompson-form-british-anti-cosmetic-surgery-league_n_929435.html) In related news, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and the wraith of Steve Jobs got together to launch the “Anti-Ramen Noodles & Generic Hotdogs League” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/38 "2012-02-10T18:06:34Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I don’t get how it can wind up looking so bad, so often. There’s a _huge_ amount of confirmation bias here. It’s relatively difficult to identify plastic surgery done right. People don’t look like they’ve had work done, they just look good. The people you can identify as having had plastic surgery are usually partway into the uncanny valley of stretched skin, big lips, uneven features, etc. The only ones you notice are the ones that look bad. ---
**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:** [February 10, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/39 "2012-02-10T18:51:18Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > All I can say is that if [Anita Ekberg](http://www.listal.com/viewimage/751043h) has had work done on her, she deserves a full refund. > > Imagine getting there from [here.](http://www.listal.com/viewimage/1120783) Huh? That second photo is just taken too close up and she’s got too much makeup on. I hope I look half that good at 80. Actually, I think my eye bags already have hers beat. ---
**Author:** ![YoudNeverGuess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a587f6/32.png) [@YoudNeverGuess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YoudNeverGuess)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333/40 "2012-02-10T19:05:27Z")
I thought maybe Julie Christie but apparently she has had some ‘minor’ work done after all. Well hers doesn’t seem to have been disastrous at least. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-hollywood-stars-grow-old-gracefully-anymore/612333.md?page=3)