# People who have aged well

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 28, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867 "2007-03-28T17:54:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/1 "2007-03-28T17:54:00Z")

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I’m sure every one of us has a slightly different set of criteria for what constitutes “aging well.” For some it’s all in the face, for others it’s all in the figure or the bod in some other sense. There are even some who regard aging as mainly a mental function so that retaining sharp wit and sense of humor amount to aging well.

With whatever measure(s) you use in this regard, who are on your list for aging well? I would hope we don’t list people under 30, since I can’t think of many people that young who have begun “falling apart” and even if they have, that’s too young to be talking about aging well.

To give a hint of the sorts of people I can think of who fit my own rules, there are:

Dick Clark  
Ed McMahon  
Michael J. Fox  
Bernie Mac  
Candice Bergen  
Andie MacDowell  
Sean Connery  
Mike Wallace

I fully expect some of my list to get an “Oh, hell no!” reaction. That’s fine. It’s not an exact science anyway.

Just think of some people, not just movie stars and TV personalities, who are doing a good job of keeping their looks as time marches on.

If you want to start another thread for the ones who are at the other extreme, please do. Folks like Eddie Van Halen, for instance.

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**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/2 "2007-03-28T18:19:58Z")

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[Jane Seymour](http://www.imdb.com/gallery/granitz/3330/Events/3330/JaneSeymou_Devan_5454229_400.jpg.html?hint=nm0005412).

I don’t _usually_ say this about 56 year-old women, but yeah, I’d hit that.

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**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/3 "2007-03-28T18:27:08Z")

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And [Susan Lucci](http://www.imdb.com/gallery/granitz/4935/Events/4935/MarianelaP_Busac_9098205_400.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Lucci,%20Susan).

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**Author:** ![Autumn\_Almanac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/4 "2007-03-28T18:28:41Z")

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Sigourney Weaver. As recently as _Alien Resurrection_ and _Galaxy Quest_, she was still just as smokin’ as in the original _Alien_. In more recent movies like _The Village_, smokin’ isn’t exactly the right word, but she’s definitely still a good-looking woman.

Ellen DeGeneres. Still very cute, and she just gets funnier as she gets older.

Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones. Looks aside, and some may disagree, but IMO _A Bigger Bang_ and _Chaos and Creation in the Backyard_ are way more vital than a lot of music made by 20-year-olds.

Denzel Washington. Hard to believe he was born in 1954. Just a strikingly good-, and young-, looking guy.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_Hildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Johnny\_Hildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Hildo)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/5 "2007-03-28T19:07:45Z")

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I’d have to say Virginia Madsen, who I just watched in _Creator_ from 1985. Looks almost the same today.

And Carole Bouquet is still just as hot today as she was in _For Your Eyes Only_ back in 1981.

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**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/6 "2007-03-28T19:10:56Z")

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Helen Mirren, whose gotten even more attractive as she’s aged.

Belinda Carlisle has held up surprisingly well, particularly given that she was the archtype for rock-n-roll party girl in the 'Eighties. (The rest of the Go-Go’s, not so much.)

Diana Rigg has held up pretty well (she’s almost seventy); she’s not going to be fitting into any of those leather catsuits she wore on the Avengers, but on appearance I’d guess her to be 15-20 years younger than her real age.

Stranger

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**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/7 "2007-03-28T19:17:06Z")

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Leeza Gibbons, formerly of _Entertainment Tonight_ and currently on _Dancing With the Stars_. Had no idea she was 50.

**An Arky** … three years ago, I had the opportunity to regard Jane Seymour from about arm’s length (after tripping and almost bowling over her :o ). In a sense, she does look her age … the lines on her face are there (just not so deep), her hands don’t look like a 20-year-old’s. But the signs of age seem to work for her somehow. Very beautiful woman, whose looks hold up in close quarters extraordinarily well.

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**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/8 "2007-03-28T19:39:49Z")

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Paul Newman  
Robert Redford  
Harrison Ford

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**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/9 "2007-03-28T19:55:27Z")

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Clint Eastwood. The man is hot and always has been.

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**Author:** ![olmrfu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e68b1a/32.png) [@olmrfu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/olmrfu)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/10 "2007-03-28T20:06:59Z")

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Kelly Ripa 37 [http://www.hollywoodtuna.com/pic\_pages/ripa2.htm](http://www.hollywoodtuna.com/pic_pages/ripa2.htm)

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/11 "2007-03-28T20:39:35Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Kelly Ripa 37

Is that meant to say that she’s 37 years old? Because (in that photo, at least), she looks more like 45.

Meanwhile, I always nominate Dawn Wells (Mary Ann from _Gilligan’s Island_) in these discussions, as well as Barbara Eden (_I Dream of Jeannie_) and Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins). And on the male side, the last I saw Charleton Heston, he sure didn’t look like he was in his 80s.

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**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/12 "2007-03-28T21:50:44Z")

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Kevin Bacon? He’s my age, but in the latest Hanes commercial with Michael Jordan, he looks about 32.

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**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/13 "2007-03-28T22:30:04Z")

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James Marsters, “Spike” from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. He was in his middle thirties when he started on Buffy, and he ended Angel in his forties (he’s 44 now). On Hollywood Squares Whoopi Goldberg made some comment about him being half her age, but he’s actually only 7 years younger.

A funny thing though is he had this rock band a few years ago, and the other musicians literally were half his age.

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**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/14 "2007-03-28T22:36:12Z")

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Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton. There’s no evidence of plastic surgery. They just look healthy and serene.

My husband’s aging well. I took a good look at him the other day. He’s 62, no wrinkles, no jowls, and his weight loss has been gradual enough so that there’s no floppy skin.

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**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/15 "2007-03-28T22:43:09Z")

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I looooove Jeff Goldblum. I think he looks better [now](http://www.antoniogenna.net/doppiaggio/speciali/tvusa-aut2006/nbc-raines.jpg) than he did [25 years ago](http://adorocinema.cidadeinternet.com.br/personalidades/atores/jeff-goldblum/jeff-goldblum02.jpg).

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**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/16 "2007-03-28T22:48:03Z")

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My manager. She is 51 and absolutely smoking hot. I pray to be so lucky as to find a woman who ages as well as her. 🙂

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**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/17 "2007-03-28T23:46:26Z")

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Make up and lighting can hide a lot of aging. So the true test of this “aging well” is seeing these people in real life.

As she is a regular at the San Diego Comic Con, the first person who certainly fits this category: Erin Gray (of “Buck Rogers” fame).

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/18 "2007-03-28T23:58:46Z")

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[QUOTE=cormac262]  
As she is a regular at the San Diego Comic Con, the first person who certainly fits this category: Erin Gray (of “Buck Rogers” fame).  
[/QUOTE]

Seconded heartily. She’s kept her sense of humor, too.

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**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/19 "2007-03-29T00:04:51Z")

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I have, apparently. Just this afternoon, I was talking to a construction worker, who called me “young man.” I said, “Young man? How old are you?” He replied, “27. You?” “48.” I have no lines or wrinkles, no middle-age spread, and my hair is still mostly brown. Others have expressed shock when they learn my age, too. I look thirty-something. It’s not all that great when some kid says to you, “Wow, I had no idea you were so old!” But it’s the thought that counts, right?

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**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-aged-well/397867/20 "2007-03-29T01:26:04Z")

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[Raquel Welch](http://www.imdb.com/gallery/granitz/5155/Events/5155/RaquelWelc_Grani_10238786_400.jpg.html?path=pgallery&path_key=Welch,%20Raquel)  
She is 67 (according to Wiki) and still smoking hot.

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