# Older (above 60) actors you consider cool **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2006, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981 "2006-01-08T06:03:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/1 "2006-01-08T06:03:17Z")
Conventional wisdom (aka pop culture) suggests that coolness fades as a person gets older. I entirely disagree, but that’s a subject for another thread. Septuagenarian Adam West (Batman) gets my vote as really cool–the kind of guy I would really enjoy shooting the breeze with over lunch or golf. Paul Newman is an obvious pick, but I’m looking for others. Your votes? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/2 "2006-01-08T06:28:30Z")
Ian McKellen seems like he’d be fun to party with if you can keep up. Hugh Downs was going on archaeological digs and swimming with sharks, both just for fun, when he was well over 70 (it was in an interview with him some years ago) and until emphysema and a long neglected body slowed him down Kurt Vonnegut seemed to get new wind after he was 60 as did Studs Terkel, who in interviews in his 80s seemed as pissed off as ever. Helen Thomas, a fixture at every White House press conference since James A. Garfield, is still the wrath of God in her 80s as well. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/3 "2006-01-08T06:32:32Z")
Sorry- I just realized the OP asks for _actors_, so I’ll leave the above at Ian McKellen. (80 something Helen Thomas is [still cool](http://www.antiwar.com/comment/helen.html) though.) ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/4 "2006-01-08T06:36:20Z")
Robert DeNiro. Oh, _baby_. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/5 "2006-01-08T06:37:37Z")
And the other perennial gangster movie favorite, Al Pacino. ---
**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:** [January 8, 2006, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/6 "2006-01-08T06:40:14Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > And the other perennial gangster movie favorite, Al Pacino. Damn. Beat me to it. 😃 Adam ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/7 "2006-01-08T06:41:40Z")
Patrick Stewart, without a doubt. I think I’ve had a crush on him since I was about sixteen. I’d love to have a conversation with him, just to hear that _voice_ in person, but I know I’d be all twitterpated and wouldn’t remember a second of it. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/8 "2006-01-08T06:42:45Z")
Can I count Sam Elliot, who at least _looked_ like an old fart circa “_Roadhouse_”? A very sexy old fart… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/9 "2006-01-08T06:53:41Z")
Just off the top of my head, I’d add perenially cool Paul Newman to the list. Oh, and Stockard Channing, just because I never see her in anything that she isn’t cool in. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/10 "2006-01-08T06:56:34Z")
Ohhhh, Sam Elliot! Haven’t seen him in years but just thinking about his piercing blue eyes still makes my spine tingle! Oh my! Now I’m too melty-feeling to think up anyone else… ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/11 "2006-01-08T07:09:16Z")
Clint Eastwood, very cool. ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/12 "2006-01-08T07:28:54Z")
Sean Connery, of course! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/13 "2006-01-08T07:32:33Z")
Harrison Ford is still a man’s man at 63. The way he doesn’t seem to care about his movies anymore is sort of cool. Does Willie Nelson count as an actor? He’s been in his share of movies, and he’s still a pot-smoking independent country music rebel at age 72. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/14 "2006-01-08T08:07:50Z")
Peter O’Toole. That guy is awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/15 "2006-01-08T09:14:28Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Harrison Ford is still a man’s man at 63. The way he doesn’t seem to care about his movies anymore is sort of cool. That stupid earring and the trophy girlfriend disqualify him. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/16 "2006-01-08T09:25:45Z")
> [@Johnny Angel](#): > > Peter O’Toole. That guy is awesome. I’ve said before that the young Peter O’Toole, circa _Lawrence of Arabia_, makes me wish I was (were?) gay. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/17 "2006-01-08T09:55:22Z")
**jackelope** wrote: > [@](#): > > I’ve said before that the young Peter O’Toole, circa Lawrence of Arabia, makes me wish I was (were?) gay. I myself am totally gay for Peter Falk. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/18 "2006-01-08T10:36:24Z")
Paul Newman. Not only is he cool, I, not even 25 years old, would still do him. Also, Sean Connery, Peter O’Toole (I was hoping he could be the replacement Dumbledore, but perhaps he’s too drunk), I still get hot for Harrison Ford (all that Indy Jones as a kid did me in, I imagine) Raquel Welch (how you get to be 60 and still be unbelievably hot, I would like to know) and Eartha Kitt. I love Eartha Kitt. And Sophia Loren. And God help me, I’d love to hang with Shatner, Takei, and Nimoy. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/19 "2006-01-08T10:59:39Z")
> [@Tikki](#): > > Ohhhh, Sam Elliot! Haven’t seen him in years but just thinking about his piercing blue eyes still makes my spine tingle! Oh my! > > Now I’m too melty-feeling to think up anyone else… I’d do this guy in a heartbeat. Too bad Catherine Ross already bagged him. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981/20 "2006-01-08T14:03:56Z")
> [@Johnny Angel](#): > > Peter O’Toole. That guy is awesome. That voice. Those eyes…the stories he can tell. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-above-60-actors-you-consider-cool/338981.md?page=2)