# Who's the oldest celebrity now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 29, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-oldest-celebrity-now/191770 "2003-07-29T23:22:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![zuma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9c0ed/32.png) [@zuma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zuma)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-oldest-celebrity-now/191770/41 "2003-08-01T13:13:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*Madame Chiang Kai-Shek of China, born in China on 5 March 1897, is 106 years old. She and her late husband Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek were named [Man and Wife of the Year](http://www.time.com/time/poy2001/photo/kaishek.html) by _Time_ magazine in 1937. She currently lives in New York City. \*\* Aside from qualifying dead pools, I do not think she counts in this discussion. 99 out of 100 Americans would have no idea who she is. Actually 999 out of 1000 Americans would not know who she is. Let’s stick to the Bob Hope type celebrities here, k? That said, Fay Wray or Reagan come to mind… The graceful Lady Bird would be in her 90s now. Reagan, Carter, and Ford, god bless them, would be about a year younger. ---
**Author:** ![zuma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9c0ed/32.png) [@zuma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zuma)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-oldest-celebrity-now/191770/42 "2003-08-01T13:21:35Z")
Hrm… Leni is our winner so far. Filtering through all the internet crazies who pick just about anyone beyond 95 who nobody has ever heard of, getting down to true celebrities, I think 101 and soon to be 102 would be our winner. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-oldest-celebrity-now/191770/43 "2003-08-01T14:54:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Aside from qualifying dead pools, I do not think she counts in this discussion. 99 out of 100 Americans would have no idea who [Madame Chiang Kai-Shek] is. Actually 999 out of 1000 Americans would not know who she is. Let’s stick to the Bob Hope type celebrities here, k? > > …Leni is our winner so far. I would say at least as many people know of Madame Chiang Kai-Shek as would know of Leni Riefenstahl. Madame Chiang was quite a celebrity in her day. IIRC, she addressed a joint session of Congress on one occasion. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-oldest-celebrity-now/191770/44 "2003-08-01T14:58:54Z")
[More on Madame Chiang](http://www.wellesley.edu/Anniversary/chiang.html) Of note, as relates to a determination of “celebrity”: > [@](#): > > In February, 1943, Madame Chiang became the first Chinese national, and the second woman, to ever address a joint session of the U.S. House and Senate, making the case for strong U.S. support of China in its war with Japan. > > … > > Through the late 1960’s she was included among America’s 10 most admired women. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-oldest-celebrity-now/191770/45 "2003-08-01T16:19:22Z")
Luise Rainer, who won two Oscars as Best Actress, is 93. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-oldest-celebrity-now/191770/46 "2003-08-01T16:39:16Z")
Again, I direct y’all to the website [NOTED NONAGENARIANS AND CENTENARIANS](http://www.tech.org/~cleary/NNC/nncmain.html), which lists all of the people mentioned here, and others. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-oldest-celebrity-now/191770/47 "2003-08-03T02:16:31Z")
Abe Vigoda has only been acting for 30 years, however. He was a 50 year old cab driver when he went to a GODFATHER cattle call and to everybody’s surprise, especially, his, was cast in a large supporting role (and arguably the best role he ever received- Fish on Barney Miller might have been better). ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-oldest-celebrity-now/191770/48 "2003-08-03T02:17:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Morgyn \* > > * * * > > According to [the IMDB](http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Quinn,%20Anthony) , he only fathered 13. Where’d you get 119 from? 😕 \*\* While I have to confess the 119 was an embellishment, he actually had more than 13. He admitted to fathering a few children out of wedlock who didn’t make the official registers (as well as a few out of wedlock who did), so the real number is probably closer to 20. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-oldest-celebrity-now/191770/49 "2003-08-03T03:21:45Z")
[Charles Lane](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Lane,%20Charles%20(I)) , best known as Potter’s “rent collector” in **It’s A Wonderful Life** , and Homer Bedloe on **Petticoat Junction** is **104**. [Here’s what he looked like in one of his many “Bewitched” appearances.](http://www.harpiesbizarre.com/familiarface.htm) Lane also played a weasely reporter in **Mr. Smith Goes to Washington**. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-oldest-celebrity-now/191770/50 "2003-08-03T04:43:12Z")
So where in New York City does Madame Chiang live? Not Chinatown, surely? ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-oldest-celebrity-now/191770/51 "2003-08-03T06:11:32Z")
Hans Bethe and Edward Teller are both still alive. ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-oldest-celebrity-now/191770/52 "2003-08-03T06:13:29Z")
Didn’t [Charles Lane](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Lane,+Charles+(I)) also play Jane Hathaway’s landlord in an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-oldest-celebrity-now/191770.md?page=2)