# Nonagenarian+ actors who are still with us
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 28, 2010, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329 "2010-09-28T06:32:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/1 "2010-09-28T06:32:01Z")
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 MAS_H\*\*.
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).
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### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/2 "2010-09-28T06:45:22Z")
I was surprised to find that [Christopher Lee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Lee) is only 88.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/3 "2010-09-28T06:54:46Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/4 "2010-09-28T06:59:45Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/5 "2010-09-28T07:00:54Z")
[June Foray](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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.
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/6 "2010-09-28T07:01:43Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/7 "2010-09-28T07:11:09Z")
While Kirk Douglas has been very ill for years, he’s still alive at the age of 93.
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### Author:  [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/8 "2010-09-28T07:40:19Z")
Perhaps the most interesting case of longevity in the entertainment industry is the Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira:
> **[Manoel de Oliveira](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manoel_de_Oliveira)**
>
> Manoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira GCSE GCIH (Portuguese: \[mɐnuˈɛl doliˈvɐjɾɐ\]; 11 December 1908 – 2 April 2015) was a Portuguese film director and screenwriter born in Cedofeita, Porto. He first began making films in 1927, when he and some friends attempted to make a film about World War I. In 1931, he completed his first film Douro, Faina Fluvial, a documentary about his home city Porto made in the city-symphony genre. He made his feature film debut in 1942 with Aniki-Bóbó and continued to make...
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.
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/9 "2010-09-28T09:02:22Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> While Kirk Douglas has been very ill for years, he’s still alive at the age of 93.
It seems as if he may outlive his son, Michael.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/10 "2010-09-28T09:13:25Z")
> [@cochrane](#):
>
> > [@Little\_Nemo](#):
> >
> > While Kirk Douglas has been very ill for years, he’s still alive at the age of 93.
>
> It seems as if he may outlive his son, Michael.
He’s already outlived one of his sons - Eric, who died in 2004.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/11 "2010-09-28T09:15:28Z")
Another famous living nonagenarian actress - Maureen O’Hara turned 90 last month.
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### Author:  [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/12 "2010-09-28T09:19:12Z")
[Jopie Heesters](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Heesters) performed on TV for his 100th birthday, gave a concert on his 104th birthday, and also performed on stage three months later.
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/13 "2010-09-28T15:00:42Z")
Singer [Pete Seeger](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Seeger) is still active at 91
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### Author:  [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/14 "2010-09-28T15:29:55Z")
I was surprised to learn that [Mickey Rooney](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Rooney) just turned 90 last week. Going solely on the longevity of his career, I thought he was older than that.
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### Author:  [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/15 "2010-09-28T15:54:06Z")
Perhaps surprisingly, Abe Vigoda (who of course is long dead) is only 89.
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### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/16 "2010-09-28T15:56:14Z")
Ernest Borgnine is 93 and has [numerous credits](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000308/)for 2010/2011.
[Ellen Albertini Dow](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0016687/) 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.
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### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/17 "2010-09-28T16:02:09Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#):
>
> Perhaps surprisingly, Abe Vigoda (who of course is long dead) is only 89.
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.
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### Author:  [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/18 "2010-09-28T16:10:40Z")
He passed a short while ago, but shouldn’t an honorable mention go to [Les Paul](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_paul)? I believe he was performing a regular gig at 94.
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### Author:  [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/19 "2010-09-28T16:19:24Z")
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?
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### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonagenarian-actors-who-are-still-with-us/555329/20 "2010-09-28T16:28:11Z")
[Dame Vera Lynn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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.
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