# Major Actor/ Actress Still Alive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2008, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162 "2008-04-06T08:25:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/21 "2008-04-06T23:54:25Z")
[QUOTE=jovan] Lauren Bacall is still alive and apparently still working, too. [/QUOTE] IIRC she appeared in an episode of the sopranos in the last season. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/22 "2008-04-07T00:41:36Z")
Okay, until Eve makes an appearance and blows this out of the tub I vote for Anita Page. If she makes it to next August she’ll be 98. Anita Page is one of only three people still alive who appeared in silent movies as an adult (granted, a \*very young \* adult). At MGM she was the leading lady to Lon Chaney, Buster Keaton, Robert Montgomery and Clark Gable. She even received a proposal of marrage from Benito Mussolini. She is the last living person on this planet to have attended the first Academy Awards. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/23 "2008-04-07T00:51:05Z")
[QUOTE=drachillix] IIRC she appeared in an episode of the sopranos in the last season. [/QUOTE] Not only is she alive and stillworking, apparently she can take a punch. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/24 "2008-04-07T01:06:44Z")
Not quite the oldest on the list, but Gloria Stuart deserves an honorable mention. Born in 1910, she worked steadily through the 1930s, retired from the screen in the 1940s, returned to acting in the 1970s, got an Oscar nom in the 1990’s (Titanic) and kept working right into the 21st century. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/25 "2008-04-07T04:02:24Z")
[Lena Horne](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0395043/) will be 91 in June. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/26 "2008-04-07T05:54:32Z")
Of those mentioned so far, Eli Wallach is most impressive to me as he’s over 90 and still works constantly. He has films now in both pre- and post-production, and (_Mystic River_ and _The Hoax_ are just two of his more recent big-budget films in which he had important supporting roles. Borgnine still works occasionally but very rarely, though if my pilot sells Gloria Stuart will soon take on Amy Fisher in _Celebrity Boxing: The Series_, which will make her the oldest living ‘name’ actress. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/27 "2008-04-07T12:33:54Z")
[QUOTE=Southpaw] How about everyone’s favorite feuding siblings? Olivia de Havilland (b. 1916) and Joan Fontaine (b. 1917)? I think each is waiting for the other do die first. [/QUOTE] Right. They hate each other and have made a pact that the other one must die first. You have to admire a feud that goes on that long. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/28 "2008-04-07T13:31:33Z")
[QUOTE=Sir Rhosis] Paul Newman springs to mind, but I just saw some rag paper headline saying he was very ill. Hate to believe these things, but a lot of times, unfortunately, they are right. Elizabeth Taylor. Sir Rhosis [/QUOTE] If you paid attention to that, though, Liz Taylor would have died a thousand times. I think I’ve even seen Paul Newman on their death watch before. They just like to find really awful looking pictures of people and declare their presence at death’s door. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/29 "2008-04-07T13:35:08Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] Fess Parker is a notorious mega-developer here in town. He’s doing fine. [/QUOTE] Tell me that he builds log cabins. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/30 "2008-04-07T13:41:10Z")
Newman’s wife Joanne Woodward is still alive. Gene Wilder is 74! ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/31 "2008-04-07T14:28:37Z")
[Gloria Stuart](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001784/), 98 come July 4, can still be considered a Titanic survivor. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/32 "2008-04-08T01:30:17Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] Tell me that he builds log cabins. 😃 [/QUOTE] Don’t know about that, but he sells [coonskin caps](http://fessparker.merchantcart.net/mainshopping.cfm?icg_id=9&showsku_ID=305&sm_id=6&Show=PURCHASE). (I shudder to think what mishaps may transpire with those at a winery.) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/33 "2008-04-08T01:41:44Z")
[Maureen O’Hara](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000058/) will be 88 this year, and she’s still _somewhat_ visible. (I saw her interviewed briefly on TV recently, and she looked great.) ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/34 "2008-04-08T12:59:51Z")
I thought I heard William Schallert’s voice on a radio commercial this morning, so I checked to be sure. Can’t confirm it was him, but he still is doing voice work at the age of 85. Best known as Patty’s father on the _Patty Duke Show_, but also was president of the Screen Actor’s Guild. He and his wife Rosemarie will celebrate their 60th anniversary next year. And I think it was him. Even 40-plus years later, that voice is hard to miss. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/35 "2008-04-08T13:26:10Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] Tell me that he builds log cabins. 😃 [/QUOTE] On a mountain top in Tennessee? BTW **Tapioca** Chris Lee is _dead_ he just comes alive at night ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/36 "2008-04-08T14:50:42Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] Don’t know about that, but he sells [coonskin caps](http://fessparker.merchantcart.net/mainshopping.cfm?icg_id=9&showsku_ID=305&sm_id=6&Show=PURCHASE). (I shudder to think what mishaps may transpire with those at a winery.) [/QUOTE] Here, have a delicious glass of fermented raccoon squeezins. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/37 "2008-04-08T14:57:57Z")
[Cliff Robertson](http://imdb.com/name/nm0731772/) is still alive and kickin’ and playing Uncle Ben in the Spider Man series. He’ll be 83 this year. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/38 "2008-04-08T15:06:24Z")
Some other names that aren’t big stars, but had long screen careers: Art Balinger (93 this year). He played Joe Friday’s boss (as well as other roles) on both “Dragnet” TV series. Art Gilmore (96 this year). He also played Joe Friday’s boss, and was one of the best voice men in the industry. (Kinda strange. Balinger looked much older) Mike Road (90 this year). Quite a few guest star roles in the 1950s and 1960s. He was also the voice of “Race Bannon.” (Another surprise. Road is older than John Stephenson (85 this August), who supplied the voice of Dr. Quest. Stephenson also looked much older.) John Stephenson also supplied the closing trial results on the 1960s “Dragnet” series. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/39 "2008-04-08T15:28:12Z")
**Director Sidney Lumet** turns 84 this year and currently has two projects in development. Pretty impressive, really. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162/40 "2008-04-08T15:50:30Z")
[QUOTE=Sir Rhosis] Paul Newman springs to mind, but I just saw some rag paper headline saying he was very ill. Hate to believe these things, but a lot of times, unfortunately, they are right. Elizabeth Taylor. Sir Rhosis [/QUOTE] Well _some_one sure has a high opinion of himself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-actor-actress-still-alive/444162.md?page=3)