# Who are our current "Abe Vigodas"? (people you might be surprised to learn are still alive)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** actor-characters\
**Created:** [September 7, 2020, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985 "2020-09-07T01:18:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 57

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**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2025, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1127 "2025-11-10T22:15:40Z")

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Actress Joan Collins is 92.

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**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2025, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1128 "2025-11-10T22:30:58Z")

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And she is married to Percy Gibson. She married him in 1992. He is 60, so they married when she was 68 and he was 36 or 37.

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**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1129 "2025-11-11T00:37:59Z")

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Joan is 92  
Percy is 60  
They were married in 2002

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**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1130 "2025-11-11T02:41:51Z")

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They were married in 2002 before her birthday, so she was 68 when she got married to him. I can’t find any mention of his birthday, just his birth year. I therefore can’t tell if he was 36 or 37 when they got married.

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**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1131 "2025-11-11T03:23:59Z")

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I think you have both their ages right, but their marriage was in 2002, not 1992.

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1132 "2025-11-11T03:28:30Z")

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Tom Atkins, star of the criminally underrated Halloween 3, is still alive at age 89.

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**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1133 "2025-11-11T11:20:37Z")

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Yeah, you’re right. She was 78. He was 46 or 47.

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**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1134 "2025-11-11T18:29:31Z")

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No. LOL

She was 67-69 like posted, he was 37, but they were married in 2002 not 1992.

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**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1135 "2025-11-11T19:19:23Z")

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Let me try this again. Joan Collins was born on 23 May 1933. Percy Gibbons was born in 1965. I can’t find anything that gives the day he was born. They were married on 17 February 2002. That makes her 69. It makes him 36 or 37, depending when his birthday was.

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**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1136 "2025-11-11T19:49:24Z")

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Yes, they have Joan’s birth date as May 23, 1933. Percy’s is listed as October 14, 1965. They were married February 17, 2002. She was 68, soon to turn 69. He was 36 and would turn 37 later in the year. It’s posted that they have a 32 year age difference. It all adds up.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2025, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1137 "2025-11-13T02:32:12Z")

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> [@X.L.Lent](#):
>
> Eva Marie Saint who stared in “North by Northwest” celebrated her 101st birthday last month

I just found that out tonight when I looked her up to see when she died. We’re watching _North By Northwest_ on TCM right now.

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**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:** [November 13, 2025, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1138 "2025-11-13T07:02:33Z")

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There’s another thread right now discussing her work, so I’ll post here that Judy Blume is still alive at 87. She’s reportedly also still writing, although she hasn’t published anything since 2015.

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1139 "2025-11-15T02:33:24Z")

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GW Bailey, mainly familiar to me as Rizzo from MASH and the cop leader in Police Academy, is still alive at a pretty young 81.

I had no idea he was almost 10 years younger than Alan Alda.

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**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2025, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1140 "2025-11-16T12:44:37Z")

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The director James Ivory is still alive at 97.

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**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2025, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1141 "2025-11-16T14:48:23Z")

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Brooke Hayward is 87-88.

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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2025, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1142 "2025-11-16T14:57:23Z")

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I never heard of her, but her Mom was a major star of the 30s, into the 40s, Margaret Sullavan, who is probably most famous for The Shop around the Corner. I love that movie. You’ve Got Mail was the second remake of that story and worst version of the 3 I know of.

Henry Fonda was her first husband, so Brooke & Jane Fonda are almost step sisters?

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**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:** [November 18, 2025, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1143 "2025-11-18T21:12:11Z")

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Here’s one I just saw.

Roddy Maude-Roxby’s first movie role was in 1961. He worked with Michael Palin and Terry Jones before they were in Monty Python. He was in the first season cast on _Laugh-In_. He voiced Edgar the butler in _The Aristocats_.

And he’s still alive at the age of 95.

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**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2025, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1144 "2025-11-22T00:05:37Z")

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Wanda Jackson, the Queen of Rockabilly, is 88.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1145 "2025-11-24T16:22:21Z")

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Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff has died. This prompted me to look up Cliff Richard. Cliff Richard is still alive at (a younger than I thought) 85.

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**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/1146 "2025-11-24T22:58:31Z")

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Basketball legend Oscar Robertson, the ‘Big O’, turned 87 today.

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