# Which celebrities have aged gracefully (persona-wise)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 31, 2004, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948 "2004-05-31T19:10:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/41 "2004-06-04T06:32:11Z")
Ditto Katharine Hepburn, my favorite actress of all time. And I’ve thought Liz was a loon for decades. Just the Sam Elliott’s name makes me swoon. Those penetrating blue eyes and that wild curly hair… **sigh** No one has mentioned Alan Alda yet. He always seems so warm and sincere. An original Good Guy. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/42 "2004-06-04T15:05:57Z")
John Waters–58 and cool as ever. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/43 "2004-06-04T15:37:01Z")
> [@Tikki](#): > > No one has mentioned Alan Alda yet. He always seems so warm and sincere. An original Good Guy. Saw Alan Alda on PBS’s Scientific American Frontiers couple of weeks ago. Seemed genuinely interested. He even had an idea to remove the red-eye from camera flashes. Basically it was a little mirror assembly to put in front of the flash to cause the light to come from a different angle and position. He had the guys an MIT fabrication facility help him build a prototype and wouldn’t you know it, it worked! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/44 "2004-06-04T15:59:15Z")
> [@MizQuirk](#): > > Tyne Daly. > > Don’t know what she’s like in real life, but I think she’s fantastic in _Judging Amy_ . Oh, yeah. I remember her in one of the Dirty Harry movies, playing a strong, intelligent woman in her thirties, with a shy smile that’s an absolute killer. I was in my teens, but looked at her and saw a damned attractive woman. Later on, I saw her in Cagney and Lacey, playing a strong, intelligent woman in her forties, with a shy smile that’s an absolute killer. Still damned nice. Now, I see her playing Maxine in Judging Amy, as a strong, intelligent woman in her sixties. She is now somewhat grandmotherly, with grey hair in a bun and carrying more than a few extra pounds, but she still has that shy smile that’s an absolute killer, and I was surprised to discover that she is _still_ damned attractive to this still-shy-of-fifty-year-old guy. Amy Bannerman is a perfectly fine looking woman, but Tyne Daly has definitely got it! I recall one episode where she needed to convince some beaurocrat to do something, and when asked how she was going to do it, replied, flashing that great smile: “I’m going to flirt with him, of course!”, and then proceeded to do so. Great woman, great actress. > [@Ethilrist](#): > > Mary Tyler Moore. You are kidding, right? Plastic surgeons should use her picture to inform prospective clients about the risks of face-lifts! ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/45 "2004-06-04T17:19:08Z")
I have to agree with **Sam** , sort of, on Arnold: as old-time bodybuilders will remember, Arnold’s persona used to be downright _fascist_. He prided himself on being a total bastard who would do anything to win. Cites: Rent _Pumping Iron_, or read about the 1980 or 1981 Mr. Olympia contests. He was also legendary for his not-so-enlightened treatment of women. Years later, he’s emerged as a fiscal conservative and social moderate (being married to a smart, gorgeous Kennedy dame probably helped with the latter). He’s also trying to tackle a very daunting job, when he could have just gone off and enjoyed his millions. I dunno if that’s what I’d call class, but I admire the guy for changing for the better. ---
**Author:** ![RAWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@RAWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RAWDuke)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/46 "2004-06-04T19:57:15Z")
I don’t know if this fits the description of “aged gracefully” because he was always a class act: Steve Allen He could read the phone book and make it sound interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/47 "2004-06-04T22:28:07Z")
Lou Reed and Ringo Starr have both aged quite gracefully after sobering up. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/48 "2004-06-05T01:14:30Z")
> [@graceland](#): > > Glenn Close > Isabella Rosselini > Sam Shepard No offense, but the older Isabella Rosellini gets, the more she reminds me of Dave Foley. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/49 "2004-06-05T04:19:23Z")
The late Johnny Cash ---
**Author:** ![leafrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@leafrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leafrog)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/50 "2004-06-05T05:00:27Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > No offense, but the older Isabella Rosellini gets, the more she reminds me of Dave Foley. :eek: _snort_!! You just helped me put a finger on something that has been bothering me for awhile now. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/51 "2004-06-05T06:06:56Z")
What? Nobody’s mentioned Lauren Bacall yet? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/52 "2004-06-05T06:13:55Z")
**Warren Zevon**. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/53 "2004-06-05T06:40:33Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > The late Johnny Cash Oh, yes! I saw a bio recently in which one of his associates described him as 'a righteous man." Even in his earliest performances the heart comes through. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/54 "2004-06-05T07:07:33Z")
> [@leafrog](#): > > _snort_!! > You just helped me put a finger on something that has been bothering me for awhile now. A-ha! That’s why it’s so weird to see the promo footage from _The Saddest Song in the World_: she’s talking with Mark McKinney. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/55 "2004-06-05T19:43:52Z")
> [@MizQuirk](#): > > Tyne Daly. > > Don’t know what she’s like in real life, but I think she’s fantastic in _Judging Amy_ . I want to be Maxine Gray when I get old. And I wouldn’t mind looking like Tyne Daly when I’m her age-with the long grey hair in an updo. Okay, I’m not saying Arnold is a complete loon, just that he’s not someone who springs to mind. But yeah, he HAS come a long way. I saw one of those “before they were famous” things and they showed him on the Dating Game. OUCH! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/56 "2004-06-05T20:30:28Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Okay, I’m not saying Arnold is a complete loon, just that he’s not someone who springs to mind. But yeah, he HAS come a long way. I saw one of those “before they were famous” things and they showed him on the Dating Game. OUCH! Yeah, from what I’ve heard, his come-ons have gotten a lot more sophisticated over the years. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![MizQuirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@MizQuirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizQuirk)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948/57 "2004-06-07T15:08:11Z")
> [@RAWDuke](#): > > I don’t know if this fits the description of “aged gracefully” because he was always a class act: > Steve Allen > > He could read the phone book and make it sound interesting. So true, and I loved his great laugh, that was so contagious. His wife Jayne meadows, however . . . Probably a lovely person in real life, but a bit hard (for me) to take on the screen. Just too, too . . . I don’t know, glamorous and charming, maybe? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrities-have-aged-gracefully-persona-wise/247948.md?page=2)