While Hollywood is often associated with the “cult of youth,” many stars of the silver screen are in their 60s. As these seasoned performers continue to demonstrate, a good work ethic, persistence, and a love of the craft are necessary traits to succeed as an actor, no matter what age.
Like any other age group, actors in their 60s are generally considered successful due to their ability to take on a variety of roles, their box office success and award recognition, and their prominence in the field. However, for this age group specifically, success is also often found in the ways actors take their wealth of experience and apply it to their roles, how they continually learn and adapt, and how they demonstrate a passion for the craft that shines over decades.
Angela Bassett
The only actor to ever receive an Oscar nod for a Marvel film, Bassett is also the second-ever Black female actor to earn an honorary Oscar. She began her career in the 1980s, and in 1993, she landed her breakthrough role as Tina Turner in Brian Gibson’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” Since then, Bassett has appeared in biopics, comedies, and action flicks—and of course, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the queen of Wakanda in the “Black Panther” movies. Her TV career is just as impressive; she’s earned eight Emmy nominations for her roles on projects such as “American Horror Story,” “Master of None,” and the 2002 TV movie “The Rosa Parks Story,” in which she played Parks.
George Clooney
Clooney paved his way on the small screen before ascending to the ranks of Hollywood’s most illustrious film actors. His journey began in 1978 with an uncredited role on the NBC limited series “Centennial,” but it wasn’t until 1994 that he secured his breakout role as Dr. Doug Ross on the medical drama “ER.” Two years later, he had his big-screen breakthrough playing a fugitive in Robert Rodriguez’s electrifying “From Dusk Till Dawn.” Beyond blockbuster fame, Clooney is also renowned for his more nuanced roles, solidifying his presence as a perennial figure at the Oscars. He boasts an impressive eight Oscar nominations, including two wins, across a spectrum of categories such as acting, screenwriting, and directing.
Bryan Cranston
Cranston initially booked roles in local and regional theater. Following a recurring role as a dentist on “Seinfeld,” he landed his breakout role in 2000 as family man Hal Wilkerson on Fox’s comedy “Malcolm in the Middle.” Cranston was 44 at the time, and the show earned him three Emmy nominations. He then transitioned into drama, taking on the iconic role of teacher–turned–drug lord Walter White on Vince Gilligan’s “Breaking Bad.” For this role, he garnered six Emmy nominations, including four wins, three of which were consecutive. Cranston continues to split his time between features, television, and theater, showcasing his love of the art of acting.
Tom Cruise
One of the most well-known action stars and highest-paid actors of all time, Cruise has starred in films grossing over $4 billion in the U.S. box office alone. His high-octane performances showcase him flying naval planes in the “Top Gun” series (1986, 2022), going on reconnaissance missions in “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989), and driving a motorcycle off a cliff in the latest “Mission: Impossible” installment (2023). He’s also lent his skills to less action-packed but no less iconic projects, such as Barry Levinson’s “Rain Man” (1988), Cameron Crowe’s “Jerry Maguire” (1996), and Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut” (1999). Today, the four-time Oscar nominee produces his own films and continues to take on thrilling roles, proving that older actors don’t have to settle for aged stereotypes.
Jodie Foster
Some actors get their start much later in life; others, like Foster, start on their path to lifelong success in childhood. Before becoming a two-time Academy Award winner, Foster was a teen idol, appearing in Disney projects like Bernard McEveety’s “Napoleon and Samantha” (1972) and Gary Nelson’s “Freaky Friday” (1976). She even earned an Oscar nod at age 12 for her role as a trafficked child in Martin Scorcese’s “Taxi Driver” (1976). In 1980, Foster pivoted to attend Yale University but continued acting. Since then, her filmography has spanned decades and genres, including Jonathan Kaplan’s “The Accused” (1988) and Jonathan Demme’s “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991), both of which earned her Oscars; David Fincher’s “Panic Room” (2002); and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s “NYAD” (2023).
Whoopi Goldberg
Goldberg is one of the most decorated actors of all time, and she is the 10th person and first Black actor to reach the coveted EGOT status, an honor she completed in 2002 at age 46. Today, she moderates the daytime talk show “The View,” and she recently reprised her 1980s “Star Trek: The Next Generation” role as Guinan on Season 2 of “Star Trek: Picard.” Goldberg got her start in the entertainment industry in the early ’80s, when she created a self-titled one-woman show that later transferred to Broadway. She made her film breakthrough when Steven Spielberg cast her in “The Color Purple” (1985) and continued to take on significant roles in Jerry Zucker’s “Ghost” (1990)—which won her an Oscar—Emile Ardolino’s “Sister Act” (1992), James Mangold’s “Girl, Interrupted” (1999), and Chinonye Chukwu’s “Till” (2022).
Tom Hanks
American icon Hanks made waves with Ron Howard’s 1984 comedy “Splash,” but he had appeared in multiple projects before that, including a low-budget slasher movie, TV comedies, and several theatrical productions. He made it even bigger with Penny Marshall’s 1988 comedy-drama “Big” before going on to win two consecutive best actor Oscars for Demme’s “Philadelphia” (1993) and Robert Zemeckis’ “Forrest Gump” (1994). In the ’90s, he also became synonymous with Nora Ephron’s rom-coms and began voicing Woody in Pixar’s “Toy Story” franchise. Hanks has earned an impressive seven Emmys, and he was also nominated for a Tony Award following his 2013 Broadway debut in “Lucky Guy,” written by Ephron. Above all, it’s his love of the craft and the hard work he puts into every role that makes him one of the most successful actors in their 60s.
Frances McDormand
McDormand forged a robust acting career by starring in independent films turned critical successes such as the Coen brothers’ “Fargo” (1996), Martin McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017), and Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” (2020). All of these performances earned her the Oscar for best actress, and she also won for best picture for producing “Nomadland.” She’s the second most decorated performer ever in the best actress Oscar category, and is only an Emmy Award away from becoming an EGOT winner. McDormand shines in projects across genres because of the immaculate attention to craft she dedicates to her characters, such as her role portraying van-dweller Fern in “Nomadland.”
Denzel Washington
While he’s shortly going to join the group of most successful actors in their 70s, Washington still has time to enjoy his 60s. Over his four-decade career, he’s starred in movies, television shows, and plays, and has been nominated for just about every award under the sun. He’s even received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Golden Globes’ Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. His iconic parts include Dr. Philip Chandler on the ’80s Emmy-winning series “St. Elsewhere”; the titular human rights activist in Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” (1992); reprising his Broadway role as Troy Maxson in the Oscar-nominated film “Fences” (2016), which he also directed; and vigilante Robert McCall in Antoine Fuqua’s “The Equalizer” franchise (2014–2023). No matter the project, Washington steals every scene he’s in.
Michelle Yeoh
Yeoh rose to fame in the 1990s when she starred in several Hong Kong action movies. She went on to appear in Hollywood martial arts films like Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning blockbuster “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000). Her diverse array of projects include romantic comedies such as Jon M. Chu’s “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018), TV shows like Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman’s “Star Trek: Discovery” (2017), and roles in the Bond-verse—where she became the first Asian woman lead in a James Bond film—and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In 2023, she became the first Malaysian and Asian performer to ever win the Academy Award for best actress for her role in Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” which also won best picture.