# People who look better after age 40 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 10, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932 "2011-02-10T19:22:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/21 "2011-02-11T06:11:43Z")
[Bruce Willis then](http://home.claranet.de/kirstenp/moviefaces/actor/w/brucewillis.jpg); [Bruce Willis now.](http://www.friendsofcannabis.com/directory/images/stories/w/bruce-willis.jpg) I always thought he looked silly in his “Moonlighting” years; I think he looks dead hot now. ETA: A better [before.](http://www.arnadal.no/film/actors/images/willis_bruce.jpg) I guess people thought he was good-looking then, but I wasn’t one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/22 "2011-02-11T06:20:50Z")
Meryl Streep peaked in her 50s (around _Adaptation_, I think- she was 53). I honestly don’t think she looked good in _Manhattan_ or _Kramer Vs. Kramer_ (cute boobs in _Silkwood_ but I digress), but later on . . . hummina hummina. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/23 "2011-02-11T06:27:28Z")
I also really prefer a lived-in face with all the lines and wrinkles that accumulate over time; I hate the look of a pulled-back facelift. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/24 "2011-02-11T06:36:40Z")
Here’s another one . . . Eleanor Roosevelt was an awkward-looking young lady, but a gorgeous old woman. ---
**Author:** ![KinkiNipponTourist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9bcb4/32.png) [@KinkiNipponTourist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinkiNipponTourist)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/25 "2011-02-11T06:41:08Z")
> [@Amber\_in\_Treasury](#): > > Yes, I’m sure a lot of people would love to ride her, or even be in a stable relationship with her. She’s outstanding in her field, not like some one-trick pony. of course, of course. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/26 "2011-02-11T12:31:10Z")
A lot of icons from the 60s and 70s grew into their features: Paul Simon, Woody Allen, Pete Townshend. I saw one of those “Then and Now” photo features for rock stars, and I think Pat Benatar and David Bowie actually looked better later. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/27 "2011-02-11T14:38:19Z")
[George Clooney](http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/replicate/EXID26325/images/george_clooney_facts_of_life_breastfeeding.jpg) wasn’t exactly ugly but he sure has improved with [age.](http://www.qcms.org/images/george_clooney_image.jpg). And speaking of Anthony Michael Hall, [Molly Ringwald](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sHGRRxGGGdE/SlyrrYJN2nI/AAAAAAAAANM/ekG22s2NXwg/s320/Molly+Ringwald.jpg) really grew up gorgeous. ---
**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:** [February 11, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/28 "2011-02-11T14:47:19Z")
He is only 35 right now, but if the progression of his looks from [wimpy](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://scrapetv.com/News/News%2520Pages/Entertainment/images-3/Leonardo-Dicaprio-kirk-cameron-growing-pains-2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://scrapetv.com/News/News%2520Pages/Entertainment/pages-3/DiCaprio-talking-to-producers-of-Growing-Pains-Movie-Scrape-TV-The-World-on-your-side.html&h=374&w=281&sz=38&tbnid=52axpcra979qpM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=92&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dleonardo%2Bdicaprio%2Bgrowing%2Bpains&zoom=1&q=leonardo+dicaprio+growing+pains&hl=en&usg= __ngl24df6G7sqVuC__ GEKtxfapxU=&sa=X&ei=lUtVTc7uKcvngQet-6yNDQ&ved=0CC8Q9QEwBg) kid to [handsome](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LeonardoDiCaprioNov08.jpg) guy continues, in five years Leonardo DiCaprio is going to be drop dead gorgeous. ---
**Author:** ![Docta\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Docta\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Docta_G)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/29 "2011-02-12T02:37:20Z")
Winston Churchill ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/30 "2011-02-12T03:27:19Z")
Young [Michelle Phillips](http://www.last.fm/music/Michelle+Phillips/+images/31106177). Current [Michelle Phillips.](http://www.topnews.in/michelle-phillips-bmw-art-car-installation-launch-party-hosted-vanity-fair-arrivals-2128010) She made a deal with Satan. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/31 "2011-02-12T03:46:38Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Young [Michelle Phillips](http://www.last.fm/music/Michelle+Phillips/+images/31106177). > > Current [Michelle Phillips.](http://www.topnews.in/michelle-phillips-bmw-art-car-installation-launch-party-hosted-vanity-fair-arrivals-2128010) > > She made a deal with Satan. Surely you can’t be serious. There has never been a finer looking crumpet than the young Michelle Phillips. And to say she looks better now… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/32 "2011-02-12T04:51:35Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Young [Michelle Phillips](http://www.last.fm/music/Michelle+Phillips/+images/31106177). > > Current [Michelle Phillips.](http://www.topnews.in/michelle-phillips-bmw-art-car-installation-launch-party-hosted-vanity-fair-arrivals-2128010) > > She made a deal with Satan. Am I being whooshed? ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/33 "2011-02-12T05:21:31Z")
Dannii Minogue in the early 1990s: [http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/imageBank/d/Dannii-Minogue-1990s.jpg](http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/imageBank/d/Dannii-Minogue-1990s.jpg) And now a fairly recent photo (she’ll be 40 this year): [http://www.last.fm/music/Dannii+Minogue/+images/2158057](http://www.last.fm/music/Dannii+Minogue/+images/2158057) A completely unnatural progression of course, but I think she’s a good argument that extensive plastic surgery isn’t always horrific. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/34 "2011-02-12T05:23:33Z")
> [@KinkiNipponTourist](#): > > of course, of course. 😃 I say neigh!! ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/35 "2011-02-12T13:29:21Z")
Abraham Lincoln vastly improved his looks after growing a beard at age 51. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/36 "2011-02-12T14:55:20Z")
Helen Mirren has gotten progressively more beautiful as she’s aged. It doesn’t hurt that she’s also a fantastic actress. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/37 "2011-02-12T14:58:17Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Young [Michelle Phillips](http://www.last.fm/music/Michelle+Phillips/+images/31106177). > > Current [Michelle Phillips.](http://www.topnews.in/michelle-phillips-bmw-art-car-installation-launch-party-hosted-vanity-fair-arrivals-2128010) > > She made a deal with Satan. A deal that involved giving up her looks? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/38 "2011-02-12T15:08:57Z")
> [@Docta\_G](#): > > Winston Churchill [Really?](http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/issue/201007/graphics/auction-young_winston.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/39 "2011-02-12T15:59:28Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Here’s another one . . . Eleanor Roosevelt was an awkward-looking young lady, but a gorgeous old woman. she is the one i always think of. the older she got the better looking she became. wonder what alice thought of that. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932/40 "2011-02-12T17:08:22Z")
When Tina Fey got the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor a little while ago, Amy Poehler was one of the presenters. I can’t remember her exact word but she said something to the effect of, “And here’s to looking better in our forties than we did in our twenties”, which is so true for both of them. Both kind of awkward and chubby when younger, now: smoking hot mamas. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-look-better-after-age-40/570932.md?page=3)