Nonagenarian+ actors who are still with us

Cafe Society
1

The passing of Gloria Stuart got me thinking of Harry Morgan. Here was a man who had a very full career in films – as a good guy in films like The Glenn Miller Story and as a thug in The Big Clock noir flicks and onto television; Dragnet and MASH**.

Born in 1915, he is still with us at age 95 (although I know from mutual friends that his health is failing) but he was working up until his late '80s.

What other old-timers with lengthy careers are still out there? (Versus some silent childhood actor who only made a handful of films too many years ago and went onto a different career outside of acting).

2

I was surprised to find that Christopher Lee is only 88.

3

There’s the old story about how sisters Joan Fontaine (92) and Olivia De Havilland (94) are each refusing to die until the other one dies first.

4

Luise Rainer, who won the Oscars for best actress in 1936 and 1937, is still alive at the age of 100. She appeared in a movie as recently as 1997.

5

June Foray is 93 and still active in voice-over work. She appeared in a couple of episodes of The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack in 2009.

Barbara Billingsley, aka June Cleaver, is 94 and also still active. She appeared on My Name Is Earl in 2007 and The Office in 2009.

6

Eli Wallach; born in 1915, was nominated for an Emmy this year, and is in the new Wall Street sequel.

ETA: 15 days older than Barbara Billingsley.

7

While Kirk Douglas has been very ill for years, he’s still alive at the age of 93.

8

Perhaps the most interesting case of longevity in the entertainment industry is the Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira:

He didn’t even really reach his stride as a director until he was 81. Since then he has made a film a year. His latest film came out this year (it’s currently getting its premiere in various countries) now that he’s 101. He’s working on a film that will come out next year when he’s 102.

9

It seems as if he may outlive his son, Michael.

10

He’s already outlived one of his sons - Eric, who died in 2004.

11

Another famous living nonagenarian actress - Maureen O’Hara turned 90 last month.

12

Jopie Heesters performed on TV for his 100th birthday, gave a concert on his 104th birthday, and also performed on stage three months later.

13

Singer Pete Seeger is still active at 91

14

I was surprised to learn that Mickey Rooney just turned 90 last week. Going solely on the longevity of his career, I thought he was older than that.

15

Perhaps surprisingly, Abe Vigoda (who of course is long dead) is only 89.

16

Ernest Borgnine is 93 and has numerous creditsfor 2010/2011.

Ellen Albertini Dow was the rapping granny from The Wedding Singer and who was in many other feisty senior roles (most notably perhaps Disco Dotty in 54, a role that required some dramatic skill as well as comedic). She’s 92 and still working.

17

And Betty White, who I wouldn’t be surprised to turn up in snuff films, gay porn and or a Leni Riefenstahl retrospective in the next few months, is “only” 88- seems like she should be older.

18

He passed a short while ago, but shouldn’t an honorable mention go to Les Paul? I believe he was performing a regular gig at 94.

19

Gisèle Casadesus, who co-stars with Gerard Depardieu in Henri Becker’s latest movie (La Tête en friche) is 96. She also played in Claude Chabrol’s latest, just out earlier this month, “Ces amours-là” She’s not a household name because she worked in theatre.

Most of the people I thought of mentioning have already been mentioned… as is usually the case on SDMB threads. Sampiro, I know what you mean, Betty White is such a great character, isn’t she?

20

Dame Vera Lynn is still going strong at 93.

And perhaps an honourable mention to the late HRH Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother who was still putting on the act at 101.